Sariah was understandably anxious as she and her husband, Lehi, waited for their sons’ return from a dangerous assignment. She expressed her fears, and Lehi spoke words of comfort. When their sons arrived, they gave thanks, and Lehi began studying the brass plates.
Chapter Outline
- Sariah complains, and Lehi responds (v. 1-6)
- Their sons return, and they give thanks (v. 7-9).
- Lehi searches the brass plates (v. 10-22).
My Takeaways
- Don’t become defensive when frustration is directed at you. Respond with empathy.
- Be grateful!
- Ask, “What does God want me to learn from the scriptures today?”
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Sariah Complains, and Lehi Responds – 1 Nephi 5:1-6
Becoming United
A few days ago, I wrote about the complementary natures of men and women and the need for both to value and leverage the strengths and perspectives of each other. Today, I want to write about what that looks like in a marriage. Sister Jean B. Bingham pointed out that Adam and Eve reacted differently…
How Should I Respond to an Emotional Outburst?
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi describes a difficult conversation between his parents. His father, Lehi, had led the family away from their comfortable home in Jerusalem to live in tents in the wilderness (1 Nephi 2:2-3). Then, he had been inspired to send his sons back to Jerusalem on a dangerous mission (1…
❖ They Rejoice When Their Sons Return – 1 Nephi 5:7-9
They Gave Thanks – 1 Nephi 5:9
9 And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel. (1 Nephi 5:9) This week, I’m studying gratitude. In the first five chapters of the Book of Mormon, Lehi and Sariah endure a significant amount…
❖ Lehi Searches the Brass Plates – 1 Nephi 5:10-22
Seed
After studying the brass plates, Lehi’s thoughts turned to his “seed.” His invitation to Ishmael and his tree of life dream were both related to this focus. Like Lehi, we can think about the impact of our current decisions on future generations.
Scripture Searching
When Lehi received the brass plates, “He did search them from the beginning.” We don’t always have to know what we’re looking for. Often, the best question is simply, “What does God want me to learn from the scriptures today?”
“Of Great Worth” – 1 Nephi 5:21
After Lehi’s sons obtained the brass plates and brought them to their father in the wilderness, Lehi searched them to understand their contents. As a result, “he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy” (1 Nephi 5:17). Lehi concluded that the scriptures “were desirable; yea, even of great worth” (1 Nephi 5:21). As…
Old Testament Foundations
The Song of the Sea: Gratitude Builds Faith
Many times in the Book of Mormon, people offer thanks and praise to God after receiving a blessing. For example: The family of Lehi “did rejoice exceedingly” and offered sacrifice to God when the sons returned safely from Jerusalem with the brass plates (1 Nephi 5:9-10). They did the same after the sons returned with…
Manasseh and Ephraim
After Joseph became a ruler in Egypt, he married and had two sons. Their names represent two aspects of his Egyptian experience: Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה) means “causing to forget.” Joseph explained the name: “God…hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house” (Genesis 41:51). He was no longer plagued with the memory of…
“Iron Hath Entered His Soul”
Lehi told his son Jacob, who had “suffered afflictions and much sorrow,” that God would “consecrate [his] afflictions for [his] gain” (2 Nephi 2:2-3). Lehi had learned from the example of one of his ancestors that negative experiences could result in positive outcomes: Lehi…was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son…
Church History Connections
Mother Eve
Among the biblical characters Joseph F. Smith saw in his vision of the Redemption of the Dead, was “our glorious Mother Eve” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:39). In the Hebrew Bible, her name appears as Chavvah (חַוָּה), which means “life.” She was given this name because she was “the mother of all living,” or in other…
The Ancient of Days
With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding. Job 12:12 There are many reasons for us to love and respect Adam and Eve. As the first man and woman on the earth, they pioneered the way for us, learning by experience so many things which we take for granted. They made our mortal experience…
All Posts Referencing 1 Nephi 5
- An Offering for Sin (4/30/2026)
- Abraham and the Posterity Priority (2/26/2026)
- They Without Us (11/5/2025)
- Seed (1/18/2024)
- Scripture Searching (1/13/2024)
- Dreams and Visions (11/13/2022)
- The Song of the Sea: Gratitude Builds Faith (4/9/2022)
- Manasseh and Ephraim (3/13/2022)
- “Iron Hath Entered His Soul” (3/9/2022)
- The Sons of Jacob (3/5/2022)
- Becoming United (1/11/2022)
- Mother Eve (12/4/2021)
- We Need Our Ancestors—and They Need Us (11/5/2021)
- “Build Up Cities” (11/3/2021)
- The Ancient of Days (10/13/2021)
- Oblations (5/30/2021)
- Every Nation, Kindred, Tongue, and People (4/20/2021)
- “In the Very Hour” (4/8/2021)
- “As He Read, He Was Filled with the Spirit of the Lord” (4/6/2021)
- Record-keeping (3/7/2021)
- “They Must Retain Their Brightness” – Alma 37:5 (7/26/2020)
- Lehi and Sariah’s Family (1/12/2020)
- “Of Great Worth” – 1 Nephi 5:21 (1/7/2020)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Creation of the Earth? (12/8/2019)
- What Should I Be Thankful For? (11/28/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach about Sacrifice? (11/17/2019)
- What Can We Learn from the Women in the Book of Mormon? (11/11/2019)
- What Is a Priest? (11/4/2019)
- Why Did God Command Nephi to Kill Laban? (10/18/2019)
- How Can I Delegate More Effectively? (9/10/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Jacob (Israel)? (8/9/2019)
- Why Is Family History Important? (7/17/2019)
- How Can I Be a Better Father? (6/17/2019)
- Why Is Isaiah Quoted So Much in the Book of Mormon? (5/27/2019)
- How Should I Respond to an Emotional Outburst? (5/16/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Search the Scriptures? (1/5/2019)
- A Genealogy of His Fathers – 1 Nephi 5:14-17 (2/10/2018)
- After This Manner of Language – 1 Nephi 5:6 (7/8/2017)
- After This Manner of Language – 1 Nephi 5:4-6 (11/18/2016)
- They Gave Thanks – 1 Nephi 5:9-10 (8/21/2016)
- They Gave Thanks – 1 Nephi 5:9 (5/1/2016)
- 1 Nephi 5:9 They Did Rejoice Exceedingly (1/10/2015)