As we continue on to the next page, we see the world that Smith is building begin to grow. Lehi's role as a parallel to the prophet Jeremiah becomes even more defined.
The Book of Mormon, pg 7
~~~~~The Book of Mormon~~~~~~
"Therefore, I would that ye should know that after the Lord had shewn marvellous things unto my father Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard." (pg 7)
~~~~~The Old Testament ~~~~~~
7 So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. (Jeremiah 26:7)
~~~~~The Book of Mormon~~~~~~
"And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the Book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world. And when the Jews heard these things, they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out and stoned and slain; " (pg 8)
~~~~~The Old Testament ~~~~~~
17 Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,
18 Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the Lord, and besought the Lord, and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.
20 And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath-jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:
21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;
22 And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.
23 And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people. (Jeremiah 26:17-23)
~~~~~The Book of Mormon~~~~~~
"and they also sought his life, that they might take it away." (pg 7)
~~~~~The Old Testament ~~~~~~
8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. (Jeremiah 26:8)
~~~~~~~~~~~
The original story of Jeremiah concludes with his life being spared and his eventual imprisonment by the King Zedekiah.
~~~~~The Old Testament ~~~~~~
24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death. (Jeremiah 26:24)
2. For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house. (Jeremiah 32:2)
~~~~~~~~~~~
Rather than Lehi being imprisoned, Smith begins to adjust Lehi's story to align with the story of Moses.
~~~~~The Book of Mormon~~~~~~
"But behold, I, Nephi will shew unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord is over all them whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." (pg 7)
~~~~~~~~~~~
With this, we begin have Lehi transition into the role of Moses. For some context we'll refer back to the book of Exodus for a moment. As Moses spoke to God at the burning bush, he was instructed that he was to lead the Israelites to the promised land
~~~~~The Old Testament ~~~~~~
8 And I [God] am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (Exodus 3:8)
~~~~~~~~~~~
Moses (after a few plagues) then attempts to persuade the Pharoah to release his people from bondage. This angers the Pharoah, who threatens Moses's life.
~~~~~The Old Testament ~~~~~~
28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.
29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more. (Exodus 10:28-29)
~~~~~~~~~~~
In Lehi, we see a reflection of both the promise of deliverance, and the threat of death that came as a direct result of following God's command.
~~~~~The Book of Mormon~~~~~~
"For behold it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father., yea, even in a dream, and sayeth unto him, Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold they seek to take away thy life."
~~~~~~~~~~
With this new context, we should expect to see references to Moses, including the people and events surrounding him during the Exodus.
~~~~~The Book of Mormon~~~~~~
"And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness. And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him" (pg 8)
~~~~~~~~~~
Throughout the Bible, the central theme surrounding Moses is the principle of obedience. Over and over again, Moses does nothing but practice and preach obedience. He does absolutely everything that God commands of him, and expects his people to do the same.
~~~~~Old Testament ~~~~~~
7 And he [Moses] took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. (Exodus 24:7)
~~~~~~~~~~
This is exactly how Lehi is portrayed. As a great prophet, who is perfectly obedient to the Lord. With this devotion, he leaves Jerusalem, just as Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt across the Red Sea.
~~~~~The Book of Mormon~~~~~~
"And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. -- And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, (pg 8)
~~~~~The Old Testament ~~~~~~
2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. (Exodus 11:2)
35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: (Exodus 12:35)
~~~~~The Book of Mormon~~~~~~
and took nothing with him save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and he departed into the wilderness; (pg 8)
~~~~~The Old Testament ~~~~~~
37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.
38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual. (Exodus 12:39)
~~~~~~~~~~
Notice here that Lehi left his gold and silver and precious things, while the Israelites brought there gold and silver and precious things. Likewise, Lehi and his family brought provisions (victual), while the Isrealites did not. This may have been Smith's way of intentionally changing details of the original to not seem like he was copying it. Or he may have slipped up in his remembrance. Remember, Smith was dictating the story while peering into his hat, he wasn't necessarily referring to the Bible in the exact moment that the words were being said. Either explanation doesn't change the clear references to Exodus that we are seeing.
~~~~~The Book of Mormon~~~~~~
and he came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he travelled in the wilderness, in the borders, which was nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, which were Laman, Lemuel and Sam." (pgs 7-8)
The Book of Mormon, pg 8
The flip is switched again as the Lehi narrative is that they found water after traveling for three days, where Moses' company found none.
~~~~~The Book of Mormon~~~~~~
"And it came to pass that when he had travelled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley beside a river of water." (pg 8)
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~The Old Testament ~~~~~~
22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
(Exodus 15:22)
~~~~~~~~~~
Many apologists use this as an evidence of the historical accuracy of the Book of Mormon. The claim is that in Joseph Smith's time there were no known rivers for that region that flowed into the Red Sea. However, we are given accounts of the water that Moses did find in the following verses.
~~~~~The Old Testament ~~~~~~
23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them. (Exodus 15:23-25)
~~~~~~~~~~
We'll play the devil's advocate and say that Smith didn't know the geography of the borders by the Red Sea. So we could reasonably assume that he had no idea where the waters of Marah were or what exactly the water was. Was it a river? A stream? A well? To his credit, Biblical scholars don't really know either.
But does than mean that nobody at the time knew about any rivers that flowed into the Red Sea?
Let's take a look at this map, created by cartographer Rob Kirkwood, for Thomson's New General Atlas of 1817. It depicts the Red Sea and the surrounding area. This map even indicates the route that the Israelites likely took which I traced in blue.
If we zoom in, we can clearly see that the map depicts what appear to be rivers that flow into the Red Sea (circled in yellow)
Northern Red Sea, along the Israelite route.
Central Red Sea
Southern Red Sea
I want to be very clear. The odds that Joseph Smith ever personally saw this exact map are slim to none. I am simply sharing it to demonstrate that there seemed to be a knowledge at the time of these potential rivers. And that this geographical information was potentially available to secular spheres at the time.
Additionally, the Kirkwood map is based on this map, drawn by John Pinkerton in 1813 which was published in the Pinkerton's modern atlas. One of the best English Atlases of the period, similar to Thomson's General Atlas of 1817.
We also know that Joseph Smith had a deep fascination on these subjects and actively sought any and all information he could. So is it within the realm of possibility that either he or someone he was surrounded by knew about this information? I'd say it's likely, as it's present in the Book of Mormon.
Check Your Understanding:
Test what you picked up from this post.
1. In this section of the study, which biblical prophet does Lehi most clearly parallel at first?
2. What narrative shift marks Lehi’s move from a Jeremiah-type figure to a Moses-type figure?
3. Which theme, central to Moses’s story, is explicitly emphasized in how Lehi is portrayed?
4. When comparing Lehi’s departure from Jerusalem with Israel’s exodus from Egypt, what contrast does the post highlight?
5. Why does the post bring in early 19th-century maps of the Red Sea region?
6. Which description best captures the literary method the post argues Joseph Smith is using in this part of 1 Nephi?
- Next Post -
9- Lucy's Dream
We consider Lucy Mack Smith's influence on Joseph Smiths religious and secular education.
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