Laban (Book of Mormon)

Laban (/ˈleɪbən/)[1] is a figure in the First Book of Nephi, near the start of the Book of Mormon, a scripture of the Latter Day Saint movement. Unlike many of the other figures in the Book of Mormon, Laban neither ends up in the New World, nor is he a Biblical figure. Although Laban only makes a brief appearance in the Book of Mormon, his brass plates would later play an important role amongst the Nephites.

This article is about a person in the Book of Mormon. For other uses, see Laban (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Laman and Lemuel.

Narrative

Laban first appears in First Nephi as a wealthy and politically influential military commander who appears to be a distant kinsman of Lehi. Laban was in possession of the brass plates and rebuffed both Laman and Nephi in their initial approaches. In both cases, Laban attempted to kill the sons of Lehi, and in the latter case took the entirety of Lehi's family fortune from his sons. After Nephi and his brothers had an opportunity to recuperate, Nephi snuck inside Jerusalem. He discovered Laban drunkenly lying in the road. After a conversation with the Spirit of the Lord, Nephi decapitates Laban. He then dons his clothing and armor and retrieves the plates. During Nephi's escape from Jerusalem, he persuades Zoram depart Jerusalem with the sons of Lehi. [2]

The content of the brass plates

Upon returning to his family in the wilderness, Nephi turned over the "Plates of Laban" to Lehi, who made a complete inspection of them. Lehi determined that the plates contained:

  • The Five Books of Moses (the Jewish Torah);[3]
  • A history of the Jewish people, down to the reign of [then current] King Zedekiah;[4]
  • The prophecies of the Israelite prophets down to Jeremiah, seen in the Book of Mormon as a contemporary of Lehi;[5] and
  • A genealogy of all the tribes of Israel including a genealogy of Lehi's own ancestors, revealing him to be a descendant of Joseph, son of the patriarch Jacob.[6]

After reading the contents of the brass plates, Lehi prophesied that they would "never be dimmed any more by time,"[7] and that they would ultimately "go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed."[8]

Sword of Laban

When Nephi encountered the unconscious Laban, he noticed that Laban was wearing a fine sword made of "precious steel" with a hilt of "pure gold."[9] After slaying Laban, Nephi took this sword for himself. He would later use it as a model for manufacturing similar weapons for his people's defense.[10]

Apparently Laban's sword was passed down through the centuries to future prophets, kings, and warriors, as it is mentioned many centuries later in the Book of Mormon.[11]

Book of the Law of the Lord

James J. Strang, one of several contenders to succeed Joseph Smith during the 1844 succession crisis, asserted that he had been given the "Plates of Laban" in fulfillment of Lehi's prophecy. His translation of selections from them was published in 1851 as The Book of the Law of the Lord: Being a Translation from the Egyptian of the Law Given to Moses in Sinai.[12] In its preface, Strang clearly identifies the "Plates of Laban" as the source for most of his book.[13]

Strang's Book of the Law of the Lord comprises a constitution for a Mormon monarchy, wherein the Prophet-leader of the Latter Day Saint church equally rules as king over God's kingdom on earth. His 1856 expanded version also contains other revelations and teachings by Strang to enhance understanding of the work. The Book of the Law was seen by Strang as making up only a portion of the Plates of Laban, rather than the whole, showing that it was a more complete bible that included books now lost. The Book of Mormon also claims this in reference to works by Zenos and Zenock, prophets who lived in Jerusalem, but are now unknown to history.

Seven witnesses testified to having seen and handled the plates Strang claimed to possess. They described the plates as being eighteen in number, each measuring approximately seven and three-eighths inches wide, by nine inches long. The plates themselves were "occasionally embellished with beautiful pictures," and all appeared to be of "beautiful antique workmanship, bearing a striking resemblance to the ancient oriental languages."[14]

The subsequent history of Strang's "Plates of Laban," and their current whereabouts, is a mystery.

The Book of the Law of the Lord is not viewed as sacred scripture to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Community of Christ, the two largest factions of the Latter Day Saint movement. The Community of Christ (then the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) was formed under Joseph Smith III and was primarily composed of former followers of Strang. These Latter Day Saints held the book as sacred until Strang's works were official decanonized due to persecution and the scandal surrounding Strang's polygamy.

Book of Mormon Movie

In The Book of Mormon Movie, adapted from First and Second Nephi, Laban was portrayed by the actor Michael Flynn.

The film was rated PG-13 by American censors for "a scene of violence", having contained an image of Nephi with blood splattered on his face after beheading Laban. This image was removed for home media releases, and the film received a PG rating.

The film was widely panned by Mormon[15] and non-Mormon critics.[16] The Austin Chronicle wrote of "Michael Flynn turning in a ripping good Edward G. Robinson impersonation as the villainous Laban."

See also

References
  1. churchofjesuschrist.org: "Book of Mormon Pronunciation Guide" (retrieved 2012-02-25), IPA-ified from «lā´bun»
  2. Thomas, John Christopher (2016). A Pentecostal Reads the Book of Mormon. CPT Press. pp. 32–33. ISBN 9781935931553.
  3. 1 Nephi 5:11.
  4. 1 Nephi 5:12. Zedekiah's story is found in II Kings 24:18-25:7 and II Chronicles 36:11-21.
  5. 1 Nephi 5:13.
  6. 1 Nephi 5:14.
  7. 1 Nephi 5:19.
  8. 1 Nephi 5:18.
  9. 1 Nephi 4:9.
  10. 2 Nephi 5:14.
  11. Mosiah 1:16.
  12. Book of the Law of the Lord, Being a Translation from the Egyptian of the Law Given to Moses in Sinai Archived 2007-10-13 at the Wayback Machine. (The Royal Press, St. James, 1856), pp. 312-28.
  13. http://www.strangite.org/Law.htm Archived 2013-10-21 at Archive-It. See under Table of Contents.
  14. "Testimony," from Book of the Law, pg. iv. http://www.mormonbeliefs.com/book_of_the_law_1.htm.
  15. The Book of Mormon Movie, Deseret News.
  16. The Book of Mormon Movie, Volume 1: The Journey in the Austin Chronicle

Further reading
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