1 Nephi 3

When I returned to camp after speaking with God, I learned that my father had received yet another dream in which God had appeared to him. “I have dreamed a dream,” he said, “in which God has commanded me to send you and your brothers back to Jerusalem. You are to go see the record keeper, Laban, and bring back some brass plates on which the genealogy of our ancestors, and a history of the Jewish peoples, are written. I have already talked with your brothers about this and they have complained, saying that what I ask is much too hard to do. I have reminded them that it is not my request, but a commandment from God. Because you have not complained, I ask that you do this. Doing so will earn you favor with God.”

“I will do as God has ordered,” I replied. “God would not command us to do this unless he also made it possible to fulfill his will.” This pleased my father greatly because he knew that I was blessed by God.

So, my brothers and I traveled back to Jerusalem. When we arrived, we conferred with one another and decided to cast lots to determine which of us would go see Laban. The task fell to Laman. When he visited Laban and asked him for the brass plates, Laban angrily refused. Laban threw him out, called him a thief, and threatened to kill him; Laman fled.

Laman returned and told us what had happened. Discouraged, my brothers were ready to return to the wilderness empty handed.

“By the life of God,” I said, “we will not return to our father in the wilderness without accomplishing what God has sent us to do. In his wisdom, God requires that we obtain and preserve these records for our children. These records contain the words of the holy prophets since the beginning of the world.”

We returned to our own home in Jerusalem and gathered together the gold, riches, and treasures that we had left behind. Together, we all went to Laban’s home again, this time offering to give him all of our wealth in exchange for the records. Laban wanted our wealth — but not at the cost of giving up the brass plates; so he told his servants to kill us. Our only escape was to abandon our wealth and run to the wilderness, where we hid in a cave.

Laman and Lemuel were now extremely angry with my father, Sam, and me. They proceeded to beat us with a stick until an angel of God came and stood before them. “What are you doing?” the angel demanded. “God has chosen Nephi to lead and rule. Return to Jerusalem at once and God will deliver Laban into your hands.”

After the angel vanished, Laman and Lemuel complained further about our mission. “Laban will meet us with fifty armed servants,” they argued, “who will be well equipped and ready to kill all four of us.”