Nephi Kills Himself
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:30 pm
Under the heading of strange thoughts about Nephi's killing of Laban:
Back in the 1980’s, I watched a move called “Raising Arizona.” During the movie, the protagonist, a ne’er do well small time crook played by Nicholas Cage, is being pursued by a mythical bad ass dude on a motorcycle. At the end, Cage and the biker have a confrontation in which Cage blows the biker up by accidentally yanking out the grenade pins on the biker’s vest while the biker is trying to break Cage’s back. Right before the guy blows up, Cage sees he has a tattoo on his arm identical to one on Cage’s arm. I realized that the biker was Cage in some sense, and that it was this negative aspect of himself that Cage had to destroy before he could finally be safe and lead a better life.
This made me think of Nephi and Laban. The connection between Nephi and Laban is forged after Nephi kills him and dons Laban’s clothing, even down to the last whit. Nephi becomes Laban such that not only does he look like Laban, but he speaks with Laban’s voice.
In an important sense, Nephi is Laban, and Nephi slays himself in the dark streets of Jerusalem. What does this mean? At least in part, I think it may indicate Laban is Nephi’s natural man, the natural man King Benjamin will later tell us is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam and will be forever and ever unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit. It is Nephi’s natural man that is preventing him from getting the brass plates as directed by the Lord.
Obviously, Laban himself has been the primary obstacle to Nephi getting the brass plates, repeatedly thwarting his attempts until this pivotal moment.
On another front, though, Nephi’s personal “natural man” has kept him from getting the plates, as well. By this I mean that Nephi (and his brothers) have been trying to get the plates on their own, by their own plans and on their own power. The command came from God, but they have their own ideas about how to accomplish it. Primary kids sing the song taken from 1 Nephi 3:7, “I will go, I will do, the thing the Lord commands.” But when Nephi says it, I think his emphasis is on the “I.” He is full of himself and his massive strength. He can do this on his own, thank you very much.
But the first plan of asking Laban pretty-please for the plates bombs. Then they regroup and Nephi brings all their treasure and offers a trade for the plates. Not only does he not get the plates, he loses the treasure. No wonder Nephi’s brothers are mad at him.
Everything Nephi has tried has failed and he is out of options. He can’t come up with any other plan to get the plates. His natural man is stumped. Now the critical turning point in the narrative, where Nephi has to rely on the Lord. He has to slay his natural man and yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit.
He walks into Jerusalem in the dead of night, not having any idea what he is going to do but just trusting that God will guide him and open up a way. And God does. Nephi stumbles over something. It is Laban drunk in the street. What are the odds?
And now the Spirit comes to Nephi and tells him to kill Laban. Nephi resists, but eventually, Nephi “yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” and cuts off Laban’s head.
Through this narrative, Nephi has slain his natural man, represented by the drunk Laban, and through so doing, is enabled to obtain the plates.
Whaddya think?
All the Best!
--Consiglieri
Back in the 1980’s, I watched a move called “Raising Arizona.” During the movie, the protagonist, a ne’er do well small time crook played by Nicholas Cage, is being pursued by a mythical bad ass dude on a motorcycle. At the end, Cage and the biker have a confrontation in which Cage blows the biker up by accidentally yanking out the grenade pins on the biker’s vest while the biker is trying to break Cage’s back. Right before the guy blows up, Cage sees he has a tattoo on his arm identical to one on Cage’s arm. I realized that the biker was Cage in some sense, and that it was this negative aspect of himself that Cage had to destroy before he could finally be safe and lead a better life.
This made me think of Nephi and Laban. The connection between Nephi and Laban is forged after Nephi kills him and dons Laban’s clothing, even down to the last whit. Nephi becomes Laban such that not only does he look like Laban, but he speaks with Laban’s voice.
In an important sense, Nephi is Laban, and Nephi slays himself in the dark streets of Jerusalem. What does this mean? At least in part, I think it may indicate Laban is Nephi’s natural man, the natural man King Benjamin will later tell us is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam and will be forever and ever unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit. It is Nephi’s natural man that is preventing him from getting the brass plates as directed by the Lord.
Obviously, Laban himself has been the primary obstacle to Nephi getting the brass plates, repeatedly thwarting his attempts until this pivotal moment.
On another front, though, Nephi’s personal “natural man” has kept him from getting the plates, as well. By this I mean that Nephi (and his brothers) have been trying to get the plates on their own, by their own plans and on their own power. The command came from God, but they have their own ideas about how to accomplish it. Primary kids sing the song taken from 1 Nephi 3:7, “I will go, I will do, the thing the Lord commands.” But when Nephi says it, I think his emphasis is on the “I.” He is full of himself and his massive strength. He can do this on his own, thank you very much.
But the first plan of asking Laban pretty-please for the plates bombs. Then they regroup and Nephi brings all their treasure and offers a trade for the plates. Not only does he not get the plates, he loses the treasure. No wonder Nephi’s brothers are mad at him.
Everything Nephi has tried has failed and he is out of options. He can’t come up with any other plan to get the plates. His natural man is stumped. Now the critical turning point in the narrative, where Nephi has to rely on the Lord. He has to slay his natural man and yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit.
He walks into Jerusalem in the dead of night, not having any idea what he is going to do but just trusting that God will guide him and open up a way. And God does. Nephi stumbles over something. It is Laban drunk in the street. What are the odds?
And now the Spirit comes to Nephi and tells him to kill Laban. Nephi resists, but eventually, Nephi “yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” and cuts off Laban’s head.
Through this narrative, Nephi has slain his natural man, represented by the drunk Laban, and through so doing, is enabled to obtain the plates.
Whaddya think?
All the Best!
--Consiglieri