1 Nephi 17:17-19

Nephi's brothers soon see that he is going to build a ship and they think that it is a foolish idea. I've always found their language to be interesting. How could they be so unbelieving? How could they be so mean to their brother? Here is what they say:

"Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters."

Nephi shares that they did not believe that he could build the ship, and neither that he was instructed of the Lord. He took this pretty hard and began to be sorrowful. I wonder if it was because of their making fun, or if it was more of the fact that they were going back to their old ways and fulfilling the events of Nephi's vision. He could have been sad that they were once more not heeding the commandments of the Lord and heading down the path of unrighteousness, one that would eventually cut them off from the presence of the Lord. Here is more of what they say:

"We knew that ye could not construct a ship, for we knew that ye were lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish so great a work.

"And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions.

"Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.

"And we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto his words; yea, and our brother is like unto him."

(Analysis tomorrow! : )