After years of tenuous coexistence and in the face of threats on his life, Nephi takes the people who will follow him and leaves the families of Laman and Lemuel. They establish an independent society, planting crops, raising flocks, preparing to defend themselves, constructing buildings including a temple, and establishing leadership roles including priests.
Chapter Outline
- Nephi and his people separate from Laman and Lemuel (v. 1-7).
- They establish a prosperous society (v. 8-18, 26-27).
- Laman and Lemuel are cursed (v. 19-25).
- Nephi makes a second set of plates (v. 26-34).
My Takeaways
- We can create a life of happiness by finding a suitable environment and establishing structures based on true principles.
- Hard work is essential for a joyful life.
- We must learn to love others without labels and without prejudice.
Featured Blog Posts
Building a City (or a Company or a Family) – 2 Nephi 5
Today, I’ve been pondering what we can learn from Nephi and his people when they left a contentious situation, traveled in the wilderness, and established a new city. All of us have opportunities in our lives to start something new, such as a new organization, a new project, or a new family. What did Nephi and…
❖ Nephi and His People Separate Themselves from Laman and Lemuel
We Did Take Our Tents – 2 Nephi 5:5-7
5 And it came to pass that the Lord did warn me, that I, Nephi, should depart from them and flee into the wilderness, and all those who would go with me. 6 Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also Zoram and his family, and Sam, mine elder…
❖ They Establish Themselves in a New Land
Living After the Manner of Happiness
Nephi listed a number of his people did which helped them to live “after the manner of happiness” (2 Nephi 5:27). Some of those activities involved family, work, and temple worship. God wants us to participate in activities which will bring us happiness.
We Did Prosper Exceedingly – 2 Nephi 5:10-11
10 And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things, according to the law of Moses. 11 And the Lord was with us; and we did prosper exceedingly; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance. And we began to…
Sacred Spaces
After Nephi arrived in the promised land, he and his people built a temple. I imagine him being inspired by King David’s deep desire to build a house of the Lord as expressed in some of his psalms. Sacred spaces can help us grow closer to God.
I…Did Cause My People to Be Industrious – 2 Nephi 5:15-17
15 And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. 16 And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I…
They Should Have No King – 1 Nephi 5:18
18 And it came to pass that they would that I should be their king. But I, Nephi, was desirous that they should have no king; nevertheless, I did for them according to that which was in my power. (2 Nephi 5:18) Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, a group of people attempt…
Priests and Teachers – 2 Nephi 5:26, Jacob 1:18
26 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests and teachers over the land of my people. (2 Nephi 5:26) 18 For I, Jacob, and my brother Joseph had been consecrated priests and teachers of this people, by the hand of Nephi. (Jacob 1:18) A…
❖ Laman and Lemuel are Cursed
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Racism?
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi declares God’s standard regarding racism, sexism, and other types of unrighteous discrimination: He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the…
Old Testament Foundations
“If They Pray Toward This Place…”
The Apostle Paul chided the Athenians for limiting God by thinking too narrowly about places of worship: God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath,…
“There Shall Be a Place”
Does it matter where we worship? As the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years, they carried a portable sanctuary, called the Tabernacle. Their worship was undoubtedly affected in many ways by their transient state. But as they approached the promised land, God explained to them that some things would need to…
The Fall and the Temple
By partaking of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve introduced not only physical death but also spiritual death into the world: they were immediately separated from God’s presence. He would no longer walk in their garden and have periodic face to face conversations with them. Alma said, “It was expedient that mankind should be reclaimed…
New Testament Parallels
Paul Rebukes Elymas
Disciples of Jesus Christ are builders, not destroyers. They are healers, not wounders. They are advocates, not antagonists. Satan is our adversary, and his mission is defined by what he opposes. In contrast, we should pursue uplifting goals.
A House Divided
God seeks to bring people together. Satan seeks to divide us, because we are easier to conquer when we’re alone. Jesus taught that a house divided cannot stand. We can follow Him by bringing people together instead of separating them.
Church History Connections
Happiness
When Nephi and his people found it necessary to leave their first home on the American continent, they worked hard to establish a new city of peace and security. Nephi lists the activities that kept them busy: Planting crops and caring for livestock (2 Nephi 5:11) Forging weapons to defend themselves (2 Nephi 5:14) Constructing…
A Multiplicity of Blessings
God made the following promise to Abraham: In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore. Genesis 22:17 The Apostle Paul later reminded the Hebrews that these promises weren’t fulfilled all at once. The…
Patterns
When the children of Israel constructed the tabernacle in the wilderness, they built it according to a pattern which the Lord revealed to Moses. “Look that thou make them after their pattern,” the Lord said, “which was shewed thee in the mount” (Exodus 25:9, 40). The objects in the tabernacle, such as the candlestick, were also made “according…
Governed by Law
I’ve been thinking today about the role of law in establishing a peaceful society and a happy life. In the Book of Mormon, happy times are associated with obedience and unhappy times with disobedience. Consider the following contrasting examples: “We did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in…
A House of Prayer
Through the prophet Isaiah, God made the following promise to all those who reverence sacred things: “Them I will bring unto my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7). Years later, the prophet Jeremiah stood at the doorway to the temple and denounced the wickedness of the people, who…
All Posts Referencing 2 Nephi 5
- Two Coats: Obedience, Loss, and New Beginnings in the Life of Joseph (3/15/2026)
- Joseph and Nephi (3/11/2026)
- Units of Production or Consumption (12/19/2025)
- Multiply and Replenish (12/18/2025)
- Happiness in Family Life (12/17/2025)
- “He Lived Great” (11/25/2025)
- Your Most Holy Places (11/1/2025)
- Living by Divine Patterns (9/5/2025)
- These Truths (7/4/2025)
- Feeling Condemned (1/23/2025)
- His Holy Order (2/21/2024)
- Living After the Manner of Happiness (2/18/2024)
- Sacred Spaces (2/17/2024)
- About Isaiah and Plainness (2/4/2024)
- Learning from General Conference (9/26/2023)
- Paul Rebukes Elymas (7/20/2023)
- The Zeal of Thine House (4/4/2023)
- A House Divided (3/15/2023)
- “If They Pray Toward This Place…” (6/26/2022)
- The Book of Judges and the Book of Mormon (6/5/2022)
- “There Shall Be a Place” (5/18/2022)
- Sojourners (3/29/2022)
- Beth-El (3/2/2022)
- Your Birthright (2/25/2022)
- The Fall and the Temple (1/14/2022)
- Happiness (12/19/2021)
- A Multiplicity of Blessings (9/15/2021)
- Patterns (8/31/2021)
- Governed by Law (8/14/2021)
- A House of Prayer (3/29/2021)
- “Meet Together Oft” – Moroni 6:5 (12/4/2020)
- Just and Merciful (7/31/2020)
- How Can the Words of Isaiah Bring Us Joy? (2/19/2020)
- Building a City (or a Company or a Family) – 2 Nephi 5 (2/7/2020)
- What Is a Priest? (11/4/2019)
- How Can I Be a Both a Defender of Truth and a Peacemaker? (10/19/2019)
- What Is the Relationship Between the Family and the Church? (9/18/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Provident Living? (9/1/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Self-Reliance? (7/18/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Obedience? (6/30/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Happiness? (5/6/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Consecrate Something? (5/4/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Harden Your Heart? (5/1/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Racism? (4/29/2019)
- How Should We Respond When Others Threaten or Attack Us? (4/28/2019)
- Priests and Teachers – 2 Nephi 5:26, Jacob 1:18 (11/4/2018)
- I…Did Cause My People to Be Industrious – 2 Nephi 5:15-17 (11/3/2018)
- They Should Have No King – 1 Nephi 5:18 (5/4/2018)
- We Did Take Our Tents – 2 Nephi 5:5-7 (8/9/2017)
- We Did Prosper Exceedingly – 2 Nephi 5:10-11 (9/17/2016)
- After the Manner of Happiness – 2 Nephi 5:27 (9/11/2016)
- I Did Teach My People to Build Buildings – 2 Nephi 5:15-17 (7/30/2016)
- To Be Industrious – 2 Nephi 5:17 (4/11/2016)
- 2 Nephi 5:27 We Lived After the Manner of Happiness (2/10/2015)