Book of Mormon Q: Did Nephi break the law of the land when he cut off Laban's head?

Question

Did he flee because he sought to avoid prosecution? Does this mean America was first civilized by a criminal family?

Please answer. Don't kill the messenger. Just answer. Sweet and simple. Juuuuust answer.
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Answer 1

Of course he violated the Law of the Land. But God told him to do it, so that makes it ok, thus laying the foundation for Joseph Smith to violate the Law of the Land and be revered for it. Very convenient if you think about it.

Answer 2

Did Nephi break the law of the land when he cut off Laban's head? Well, I do not know what the law of the land was at that time, but I suppose that it probably was against the law of the land. It is also against God's laws to kill. However, sometimes God makes exceptions to the rule, if you will. For example, God told Moses and the Israelites "thou shalt not kill", but afterwards commanded them to go in and kill the Midianites.

Did he flee because he sought to avoid prosecution? I'm sure he wanted to avoid prosecution, but he wasn't planning on staying in the area anyway. As you may recall, he returned to Jerusalem for a specific purpose, and after that purpose was fulfilled, he was to return to his family in the wilderness.

Does this mean America was first civilized by a criminal family? No. Whether or not you consider them to be criminals, the Book of Mormon does not teach that Lehi and his family were the first inhabitants of America. We know of at least one civilization that preceded them, who were called Jaredites.

Answer 3

Why would a person assume that outside of the Mormons anyone would read the Book of Mormon?

Please try the Religion & Spirituality category.

Don't kill the Historian. Just ask elsewhere where people who might know about this can answer your question because they are interested. Sweet and possibly interested. Just ask.

Answer 4

Commandments are given by God. Nephi was given a direct commandment by God to kill Laban. He would have been sinning had he NOT killed him because he would have been disobeying God.

Sometimes god's commandments go directly against man's laws. Was Paul a criminal for preaching Christianity in Rome's empire???

He may have been a criminal, but he was a rightous one.

Answer 5

This is not law of the land.
But law of humanity, no one should take the life of another.
Well laws are created, to establish society, where every one is safe, from a deranged killer, rapist, thief.
So Nephi committed, not only a sin, but was a danger to the community.
The first criminal family, well think not>
Go back to Romans, or before that, to the first life on Earth

Answer 6

Yes. He did. But which law is higher? God's law or the law of the land? God's law. We ask plenty of soldiers to protect our lives by unfortunately taking the lives of other.

Answer 7

If you take this historic fiction seriously, you obviously see the moral dilemma of this story.

Answer 8

who cares