I hope you will read the article at the link above, comment there and discuss hereThe account of Nephi’s execution of Laban in the Book of Mormon is a common source of uncomfortable misunderstanding for many members of the church. It is also often used as a basis for anti-Mormon zealots to attempt to disprove the Book of Mormon. Their assertion is that God would not command Nephi to kill Laban, contrary to his commandment “Thou shalt not kill”.
Don't be so sure. I researched this very subject when I was on my mission. In this story we may not read about our deliverer having been approached by the Lord or an angel directly as with Nephi, but if you read the story of Ehud, you will see that the Lord had sent him as a deliverer for the children of Israel from Eglon, king of Moab.tuktuk21 wrote:Because in the old testament God never commanded any one to kill any one. Or to utterly destroy. or to slay every last one.
Nice. And more stories like that one, too.coachmarc wrote:Don't be so sure. I researched this very subject when I was on my mission. In this story we may not read about our deliverer having been approached by the Lord or an angel directly as with Nephi, but if you read the story of Ehud, you will see that the Lord had sent him as a deliverer for the children of Israel from Eglon, king of Moab.tuktuk21 wrote:Because in the old testament God never commanded any one to kill any one. Or to utterly destroy. or to slay every last one.
Judges Chapter 3
14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
Israel had peace for eighty years. So you see, the Lord does preserve his children from unrighteous dominion even if it means slaying every last one.
Depends on which side of the fence they're on. If they transgress the law until they're ripened, then they see Him unloving, vengeful, etc, and those who repent and keep the law, see His mercy and love.JohnnyL wrote: Which is interesting, because the typical complaint from many (such as some atheists, etc.) is that the Old Testament God is so unloving/ hateful/ vengeful/ etc. Which one is it?
Since that's actually quite prevalent in the Old Testament.....it might have been stated with a high degree of sarcasm......coachmarc wrote:Don't be so sure. I researched this very subject when I was on my mission. In this story we may not read about our deliverer having been approached by the Lord or an angel directly as with Nephi, but if you read the story of Ehud, you will see that the Lord had sent him as a deliverer for the children of Israel from Eglon, king of Moab.tuktuk21 wrote:Because in the old testament God never commanded any one to kill any one. Or to utterly destroy. or to slay every last one.
Judges Chapter 3
14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
Israel had peace for eighty years. So you see, the Lord does preserve his children from unrighteous dominion even if it means slaying every last one.
Why not just stop his heart? a little too much alcohol poisoning? bad bacteria? nasty virus?Col. Flagg wrote:'It is better for one man to perish than for an entire nation to dwindle in unbelief'. There you have it. Laban was a very wicked man who was not going to give the plates of brass to Nephi and his brothers, thus, the Lord removed him by delivering him into Nephi's hands.
A TEST of obedience???? Something along the lines of Abraham???JulesGP wrote:Exactly! There was a REASON Nephi had to be the one to kill him.Jason wrote:Why not just stop his heart? a little too much alcohol poisoning? bad bacteria? nasty virus?Col. Flagg wrote:'It is better for one man to perish than for an entire nation to dwindle in unbelief'. There you have it. Laban was a very wicked man who was not going to give the plates of brass to Nephi and his brothers, thus, the Lord removed him by delivering him into Nephi's hands.
Read the articles...Jason wrote:A TEST of obedience???? Something along the lines of Abraham???JulesGP wrote:Exactly! There was a REASON Nephi had to be the one to kill him.Jason wrote:...
Why not just stop his heart? a little too much alcohol poisoning? bad bacteria? nasty virus?
Nice.lemuel wrote:Certainly God could've given Nephi the plates in an easier way, but as someone who would be writing a lot of scriptures, what better way to impress on his mind the importance of the scriptures than by showing Nephi that they are worth killing for.
JulesGP wrote:Exactly! There was a REASON Nephi had to be the one to kill him.Jason wrote: Why not just stop his heart? a little too much alcohol poisoning? bad bacteria? nasty virus?
LOL....it was rhetorically implied....but I reckon I should have stated that.JulesGP wrote:That's what the article saysJason wrote:A TEST of obedience???? Something along the lines of Abraham???
Perhaps....of course that would negate Alma's preaching on the probationary period.LukeAir2008 wrote:Nephi did Laban a huge favor. He shed his blood to not only atone for his sins but to also bring forward a great work. I bet Laban was hugging Nephi in the Spirit world.
