 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (April 2024) |
 H. H. Haag's Nephi and Laban (1894) | |
| Time | Night |
|---|---|
| Era | Reign of Zedekiah |
| Location | Jerusalem |
| Participants | |
| Part of a series on the |
| Book of Mormon |
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The story of the Killing of Laban, where Nephi kills Laban, is found near the beginning of the Book of Mormon. After the family of Lehi flees Jerusalem and sets up a camp in the wilderness, upon being commanded by God in a dream, Lehi sends his four sons back to Jerusalem to obtain a set of brass plates from a commander named Laban. Lehi believes that these plates will be necessary for his descendants to preserve their culture and religion in the new land they will inhabit. When Lehi's eldest son, Laman, meets with Laban, he refuses to give up the plates and attempts to have Laman killed. Later, the four sons of Lehi offer to trade Lehi's wealth (gold, silver, and much riches) for the plates. Laban instead robs them of their property and sends men to kill them. In a third, late-night attempt, The youngest son, Nephi, encounters a drunken Laban passed out on the street in Jerusalem. Under direction from the Holy Spirit, Nephi reluctantly decapitates Laban with Laban's sword, and then impersonates him in order to obtain the brass plates. The ethical implications of Nephi, an important prophet in the Book of Mormon, taking a man's life in order to secure the long-term prosperity of his descendants have made this one of the most analyzed and debated passages of the Book of Mormon.