1 Nephi: Headnote, Part I

One of the things that has always fascinated me about the First Book of Nephi is the first phrase of the headnote: “An account of Lehi and his wife Sariah and his four sons, being called, (beginning at the eldest) Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi.” The Small Plates of Nephi were written long after most of the events therein, indeed some 30-40 years after the family left Jerusalem (see 2 Nephi 5:28-34). So realizing that Nephi is now an older man, why does he only speak of Lehi’s “four sons”? Why not “six sons”? Nephi obviously wasn’t trying to hide his 30ish-year-old brothers, Jacob and Joseph; heck, in the same chapter as he makes the plates, he “consecrate[s them] that they should be priests and teachers over the land of [his] people”! (2 Nephi 5:26). So what gives?

A couple of weeks ago, this concern was brought to mind as I was reading Understanding the Book of Mormon. In his section on Nephi, Grant Hardy deals with Nephi’s characterization of others. As he points out:

“Aside from brief appearances by Sariah and one of the daughters of Ishmael (1 Ne. 7:19), Nephi has reduced thirty years of tumultuous family interactions among some two dozen people to a conflict between Laman and Lemuel on one side and himself and Lehi on the other” (p.34).

What’s interesting is that I’d never really considered this aspect of Nephi’s account. I mean, yes, I’ve always known that the scriptures are written by normal, everyday human beings (albeit inspired ones), but I’d never thought about the fact that the prophets might be a bit—ahem—biased. Jacob and Joseph were peripheral to the story, so why bother mentioning them? (Sam was also peripheral, of course, but Nephi could hardly leave out his older brother, especially since he also took part in the initial treks to and from Jerusalem.)

So thanks, Brother Hardy. After years of wondering, I think your insight has finally helped me find my answer.