Click to Listen: Episode 2: Nephi 1-5
We have just started the story of Nephi. So far, it’s pretty fun. We’ve got a crazy hallucinating father, some “stiffnecked” brothers, theft, murder, and so much more!
Drinking Game count (this will make sense after Episode 9, basically, drink after ever “Yea” and “It came to pass”)
“Drink” Count – 69
Almost 12 Beers!!
![1f37b[1]](https://mybookofmormonpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/1f37b1-e1405272752631.png)
May 14, 2014 at 7:48 pm
I love that you’ve come down on the unrighteous brother’s side. I guess it would make sense that “crazy” dad and goody-two-shoes Nephi are making life miserable for them. Of course Laban and Lemuel were too big wussies to tell their dad to stuff it and stay in Jerusalem. I guess the story wouldn’t work as well if they had. I do like the beheading part.
May 16, 2014 at 7:06 pm
Yeah, I feel so bad for those two. And it doesn’t seem like life got much better for them in “The Promised Land”. Poor guys…
Thanks for the post!
May 30, 2014 at 7:24 pm
I just finished episode 1 of the Intro’s. New devoted fan. The insights you make are amazing. I’m super immune to internet humor at this point, but this had me literally laughing out loud! I am comparing in my head what you are saying to what I was taught during my high school seminary class from the teacher and I’m cracking up…and bummed out at the same time to figure out how much time I wasted being put through a system that actually buys this. Love this! Thank you!
May 31, 2014 at 8:52 pm
Just found this and it is brilliant and awesome! So helpful to have a perspective from outside the church look at this with totally fresh eyes. If possible, it would be great if you could not read too much about the book from other sources. I really like seeing what makes sense and what totally doesn’t for you at your first glance.
I have read the Book of Mormon probably 40 times, starting when I was 9, and I have huge chunks of it memorized still in my brain. The first time it ever occurred to me that others might find the story strange or unbelievable was when I was a missionary at 19. The first time I ever entertained a potential doubt for myself on the book was when I was 29. The Book of Mormon is somehow part of my spiritual DNA and I still consider myself a believer. With that said, I love what you are doing and look forward to listening through to the end. Be warned though: the action is front loaded; 2 Nephi is going to be a tough slog.
May 31, 2014 at 11:34 pm
I haven’t enjoyed commentary this much since I watched “Reefer Madness” with the optional commentary by the Mystery Science Theater 3000 guys!
June 6, 2014 at 2:37 pm
You wondered how Nephi could have impersonated Laban. Ignoring possible supernatural intervention, it is fairly possible even naturally. Vocally it’s not too hard to impersonate a drunk man, also Laban was a powerful leader he may have had many servants some of whom may have been new to their job or not have had much contact with him personally. Also it was night time, and there are probably no street lights (very expensive to do pre-electricity) and so it’s very dark and you can only see clothing and armor not much of ones face in those lighting conditions, so no one wouldn’t need a Knight’s visor like you wondered. After all, that’s why his brothers don’t recognize him. They know his face but they likely only see Nephi’s silhouette which would have been different than when he left them.
You mention Nephi “murdered” Laban a couple of times. It’s important to realize that not all killing is murder, and that he is killing a person who has robbed them and attempted to murder them, and that Laban himself said that death is the appropriate punishment for robbery since Laban said to Laman “Behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee.” God is using Nephi as an executioner to enact the sentence Laban himself decreed was appropriate for his behavior. This is shown by Nephi using Laban’s own sword to carry justice out.
By the way I think this podcast is a cool idea and I hope you enjoy the book!
February 23, 2015 at 5:12 pm
The verse of the primary song they don’t want the children to sing:
“The Lord commanded Nephi, ‘Go and get the plates!
From that wicked Laban, just inside the gates.’
Whack! Whack! His head came off,
the blood ran down the street.
Nephi was courageous smote that guy so neat.”
June 12, 2014 at 12:29 am
Did you say Laban’s sword was “steel”? That would have been many centuries before steel making was discovered.
July 13, 2014 at 2:14 pm
I would hazard a guess that the italicized “spoilers” aren’t there so much to foretell the story when reading the book, but rather to help find a certain passage or section later.
October 13, 2014 at 9:41 am
I’m enjoying your podcast so far. I’m a christian who is studying the history of the mormon religion so I can defend my faith to the mormon missionaries and friends who are mormon should the opportunity present itself. I haven’t read the BOM yet from begining to end and was dreading it. I felt that if I was going to claim that I didn’t believe in it I at least had to read it first. You are making the experience much more enjoyable than it would have been doing it by myself. I will probably remember the story much more accurately after hearing your commentary so I thank you for your time and effort doing this.