Perhaps the most serious ethical dilemma presented in the Book of Mormon. Its similarities with Masonic Degrees are also examined.
CHAPTER 4
AND it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the LORD; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?
2 Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea.
The similarity being drawn between Nephi and Moses, which was subtext in the previous Chapter, is now explicitly pointed out in the text.
3 Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the LORD is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians.
4 Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem.
5 And it was by night; and I caused that they should hide themselves without the walls. And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban.
6 And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.
7 Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine.
8 And when I came to him I found that it was Laban.
9 And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.
10 And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him.
11 And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the LORD hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the LORD; and he also had taken away our property.
12 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the LORD hath delivered him into thy hands;
13 Behold the LORD slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.
14 And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the LORD which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.
Nephi, as the hero, sets a dangerous example here, whereby one can be instructed to commit a heinous act based upon voices in your head, while justifying it by the extreme emphasis given to obedience. If obedience were focused on the established moral law, this wouldn't be problematic; however, the voice being identified as the Spirit is unduly given equal weight to the previous commandments of God which it contradicts. The principal here is one of obedience to the modern leaders and to the message of the current moment, and that God can grant circumstantial exceptions to his established laws.
15 Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the LORD according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.
16 And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.
17 And again, I knew that the LORD had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.
18 Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.
Nephi knew the law, including "Thou shalt not murder," and yet he allowed the voice of the Spirit to persuade him to murder Laban in order to steal the plates of brass. All of this in spite of the fact that it has already been established that angels can allow prophets to read from books without the need to physically obtain them.
Whether intentional or not, this story enacts a filtering effect upon readers of the Book of Mormon. Some will stop reading here, disgusted at the immorality demonstrated, and will walk away never to give it a second thought. Others will find a way to justify or accept this story, even if only provisionally, and will continue forward. This ensures that anyone who keeps studying has a certain level of moral relativism, which can be utilized or exploited later in their time as a Latter-day Saint.
This same concept of filtering is used by stage hypnotists in order to reduce groups selected from the audience gradually down until the remaining few remaining are the most highly suggestible and compliant in the crowd, before moving on to their most advanced demonstrations.
Having said this, I should note that passing beyond this story and continuing to become a Latter-day Saint does not inherently represent a lack of moral character in the individual. It is fairly abstract to be reading a purported ancient story, with its own justifications included in the text, and does not mean the reader is especially likely to commit murder, but it does show a weakness that can be exploited.
19 And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins.
20 And after I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban. And as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold, I saw the servant of Laban who had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury.
21 And he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the garments and also the sword girded about my loins.
22 And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing that his master, Laban, had been out by night among them.
23 And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban.
24 And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls.
25 And I also bade him that he should follow me.
26 And he, supposing that I spake of the brethren of the church, and that I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me.
27 And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews, as I went forth unto my brethren, who were without the walls.
28 And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my presence; for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives also.
29 And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence.
30 And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of Jerusalem.
31 And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having received much strength of the LORD, therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee.
32 And it came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my words, as the LORD liveth, and as I live, even so that if he would hearken unto our words, we would spare his life.
33 And I spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us.
34 And I also spake unto him, saying: Surely the LORD hath commanded us to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the LORD? Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us.
35 And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father. Yea, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth.
Jeremy L. Cross, Grand Lecturer of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, received the Select Master degree in 1816 from Philip P. Eckel in Baltimore, and was authorized to communicate the degree to Royal Arch Masons, without fee, wherever he might travel.
The Select Master degree includes the story of a guard who has fallen asleep at his post. His negligence causes him to lose his life, and the intruder is appointed in his stead, by way of an oath (obligation) to become part of the work being undertaken and to take the place of the guard. This man, named Zabud, is noted to be a particular friend of King Solomon. The story of the Degree contains a deliberation where Solomon has to consider between conflicting motivations and circumstances, and consider a man who knowingly neglected his oath-bound duty, compared to a man who unwittingly trespassed. This decision is characterized as serving both Justice and Mercy in the measure where they are due.
This story of Laban being found asleep, being slain, and then the freeing of his guard/servant whose name also begins with Z, and Nephi's deliberations, including verse 15, "I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the LORD according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law," seems at least to be a similar collection of thoughts and circumstances. Perhaps it would be too insignificant of a correspondence to point out, were it not for the already numerous similarities with the Royal Arch Degree found in the preceding chapters.
By way of a moral comparison, unlike Zabud's unwitting violation, Nephi knew the law of Moses, and admits to knowing it, while proceeding to violate it by murder and thievery. He then dis-engages a guard from his duty. This makes Nephi a covenant-breaker, equivalent to the negligent guard in the degree. Breaking the law of God in order to progress the supposed organization of the kingdom of that same God is an unfortunate pattern within Latter-day Saint history.
36 Now we were desirous that he should tarry with us for this cause, that the Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness, lest they should pursue us and destroy us.
37 And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him.
38 And it came to pass that we took the plates of brass and the servant of Laban, and departed into the wilderness, and journeyed unto the tent of our father.
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