Lesson 45 - The Plates of Brass

Soon after the arrival of Lehi and his family on the borders of the Red Sea the Lord gave Lehi a commandment that his sons should return to Jerusalem to obtain certain brass plates, upon which was engraven a history of the world, from the creation to the days of Zedekiah, and more particularly a record of the Jews. The plates also .contained the genealogy of Lehi and his family. When the elder sons of Lehi heard this command they objected. They said it was a hard thing that their father required of them; for they had no faith that they could obtain the plates, as they were in the hands of a rich, wicked and powerful man, named Laban, who would not be willing to give them up. Their father told them that it was not he, but the Lord, who desired them to obtain the plates. This did not satisfy them : they still murmured. But Nephi, when he heard the command, at once consented to go, for, he told his father, he had learned that God gave no commandments to men, unless He prepared a way for them to accomplish the thing which He required.

When Lehi saw how great was the faith of his son, Nephi, he was exceedingly glad, for he knew that the Lord had blessed him. Persuaded by Nephi the brothers consented to go; then with their tents they journeyed back to Jerusalem. After two unsuccessful attempts Nephi, on the third effort obtained the plates, and the young men returned with them to the tents of the family in the wilderness. Lehi greatly rejoiced when the plates were given into his charge, and offered up a sacrifice to the Lord in token of his gratitude. These plates remained with the people of Nephi from this time to the destruction of the race at Cumorah, nearly a thousand years later.