1 Nephi 18:17-19

So, we come back to our story where Nephi is sharing with us the attempts of his family to free him. In verse 17, we learn that Lehi had tried to talk with Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael many times to convince them to let Nephi go. Nephi says that they did breathe out many threatenings against those who spoke on behalf of Nephi. At that point, Lehi and Saraiah, who have now become elderly, had been so worried about their children doing things just like this for so many years, that it made them sick. They were so sick that they had become bed-ridden. Thus, because of their grief and the iniquity of Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael, they nearly perished. The language here is interesting. In verse 18, Nephi writes the scene as thus:

"...yea, their ^agrey hairs were about to be brought down to lie low in the dust; yea, even they were near to be cast with sorrow into a watery grave."

It is so sad! Nephi further mentions that Jacob and Joseph, the two youngest sons of Lehi and Sariah, who were born in the wilderness, were so sad to see that their mother was so sorrowful and afflicted. Nephi shares that they were at this time still very young and needed much nourishment.

Here's the clincher, and Nephi waits to share these efforts from his family last, i.e., the efforts of his wife and children. I believe that this is the only time that he speaks of them in these plates. He says that not even his wife's tears and prayers, along with those of his children, could not soften the hearts of their brethren to loose Nephi's bands and let him free.

How could they be so hard? Well, in the past we've seen that only one being has been able to convince Laman and Lemuel to do what is right. It is interesting that He has helped them do what is right up to this point, because His plan for them is to get the whole family to the Americas, in order to prepare a place for many of His children to dwell with agency to choose right from wrong. Next time we shall discuss this more.