Laban's death defies logic and reality

[_Tchild]

I wonder, had Laban merely declined to trade his plates to the sons of Lehi, without attempting to kill and rob them, if the spirit would still have commanded Nephi to slay Laban in order to get the plates.

It was convenient that he turned out to be such a villain. I might have felt sorry for him otherwise.

laban is the villian because he didn't want to sell or give away an item of great worth and value to some pandering Individuals who approached him unsolicited?

What made laban a villian other than a slanted and one sided perspective as given the reader of the author of the Book of Mormon who intended to paint laban in antagonistic role?

Joseph smith purportedly translated the Book of Mormon without the actual plates in sight. If so, why did he need the brass plates of laban at all? J.S. could have channeled the brass plates that laban had via his seer stone in-a-hat method all the

God is so impotent that his only solution is murder? Mormons can have a murdering god. I will not!!

[_Drifting]

The plates were obviously very important to God's long term plan to justify the taking of an innocent man's life in cold blood.

So...what, specifically, have they been used for since Nephi got hold of them?

This is an important question (which I think someone has already raised on this thread but has not been answered) because Nephi states the reason as being to avoid a nation dwindling in unbelief. Yet this is subsequently what happens. Did God not see that coming?

[_Spanner]

The Book of Zelph explained so many of these problems for me.

Sadly, it is not available to read online any more.

[_SteelHead]

The plates were obviously very important to God's long term plan to justify the taking of an innocent man's life in cold blood.

So...what, specifically, have they been used for since Nephi got hold of them?

This is an important question (which I think someone has already raised on this thread but has not been answered) because Nephi states the reason as being to avoid a nation dwindling in unbelief. Yet this is subsequently what happens. Did God not see that coming?

He should have killed Laman and Lemuel while he was at it. Snicker snack.

[_sansfoy]

And you never once asked "how come the gospel was one way in the Book of Mormon and so NOT that way today"?

I missed the regular classes in Primary, YW, Relief Society & Seminary where they taught that you were supposed to think critically about the contents of the Book of Mormon. I was just in the practice of reading, praying, and feeling. Logic, being a 'philosophy of men' was not mingled with my scripture study.

The story of Laban is the height of verisimilitude compared to certain stories from the Bible. You can hardly be expected to think critically about Nephi, et al, when you're first expected to buy the story of the Flood, talking animals, man-eating fish, and Jesus cursing a fig tree to death.

[_Sethbag]

I can think of how Nephi could have gotten Laban's clothes without them being all spattered with blood from the beheading. He could have stripped Laban first, then slaughtered him. Since Laban was passed out, after drawing the obligatory cock-and-balls on Laban's forehead with a Sharpy, he could have removed all of his clothes, set them aside in a nice pile out of spray-of-blood range, and then come back, grabbed Laban by the hair, and hacked his head off.

Of course, this makes the story one of even more premeditated murder. I don't think it really helps.

by the way, Mooseman, where does it say that Laban's sword was made of pure gold? First of all, pure gold would make for a very crappy sword, though nice to look at. Second of all, I seem to recall the Book of Mormon saying it was made of fine steel, with gold accents on the hilt or whatever.

I feel a sense of dissonance as I recall how back on my mission I had to justify the story of Nephi killing Laban to some people, and yet I think of myself as a generally good and moral person. I have a hard time reconciling those. I think I felt that dissonance back then too. I'm not sure I understand how I reduced it back then. I guess through pretzel logic about God working to save the future Lehites or something like that. Pretty lame reason, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do to reduce the dissonance.

[_just me]

I wonder, had Laban merely declined to trade his plates to the sons of Lehi, without attempting to kill and rob them, if the spirit would still have commanded Nephi to slay Laban in order to get the plates.

It was convenient that he turned out to be such a villain. I might have felt sorry for him otherwise.

laban is the villian because he didn't want to sell or give away an item of great worth and value to some pandering Individuals who approached him unsolicited?

What made laban a villian other than a slanted and one sided perspective as given the reader of the author of the Book of Mormon who intended to paint laban in antagonistic role?

Joseph smith purportedly translated the Book of Mormon without the actual plates in sight. If so, why did he need the brass plates of laban at all? J.S. could have channeled the brass plates that laban had via his seer stone in-a-hat method all the

God is so impotent that his only solution is murder? Mormons can have a murdering god. I will not!!

Preach, brother!

[_angsty]

angsty, you are 100% awesomeness. Just wanted you to know.

Aw, shucks. :)

[_Cylon]

The Book of Zelph explained so many of these problems for me.

Sadly, it is not available to read online any more.

Here you go. Wayback Machine to the rescue!

[_Equality]

The Book of Zelph explained so many of these problems for me.

Sadly, it is not available to read online any more.

Here you go. Wayback Machine to the rescue!

Why was the original taken down?