Similarly, john welch, legal cases in the book of mormon, has explored what he called the interconnections between legal and religious material in the ancient. The book of mormon was written for the intent that we may. In a famous episode from the book of mormon, nephi disguised himself as the ruthless laban to obtain the profoundly important plates of brass 1 nephi 3. A servant of laban who had the keys to his treasury. Zoram also swears an oath to nephi, as nephi describes. A nephite apostate and descendant of zoram who leads the zoramites, a people who deny christ and believe false doctrines. Zoram, supposing that he spake of the brethren of the church took the plates and carried them to where nephis brothers were waiting. Lehis appreciation for the lords guidance and protection is demonstrated by his first act after pitching his tent. If this etymology is correct, then the name may be related to the book of. Book of mormon abc book a lifttheflap book from ammon to zoram.
The book of mormon describes a time in which the nephite nation was still recovering from a bloody civil war that had been initiated by the rebellion of amlici, a follower of the nehor sect, who, after losing a popular election to be made king, made an alliance with the lamanites. The increasing interest taken in the study of the book of mormon and in the history of the peoples whose origin, progress and destruction it narrates, encourages the author of this little work to think that this addition to the literature of the subject will not be like one born out of due time, but will be received as an acceptable aid to the study of its sacred pages. Zoram is the name of three individuals in the book of mormon, indexed in the lds edition as zoram1, zoram2, and. The know it doesnt take long for readers of the book of mormon to come across the name zoram see 1 nephi 4. Lehi leaves jerusalem because he prophesied unto the people concerning the destruction of jerusalem, and they sought his life. The lords words will hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, 2 ne. Wirth expands on this as she describes the meaning of stela 21 from santa lucia cotzumalguapa, guatemala wirth 1986, 124. Unaware that nephi had slain his master, and supposing that nephi. Zoram is based on events described in the first two books of the book of mormon, told through the eyes of zoram, servant first of laban, then of laman of the house of lehi. Ishmael in the book of mormon and ishmael in the bible. So we see that the only way that nephi could possibly have pacified the struggling zoram in an instant was to utter the one oath that no man would dream of breaking, the most solemn of all oaths to the semite. Zoram, zoramites the church of jesus christ of latterday saints.
Who exactly were these elders mentioned by zoram and why are readers not told more about them by nephi. Book of mormon names the case of zoram an equally suggestive figure is zoram, labans trusted servant whom nephi met carrying the keys to the treasury as he approached the building. In the book of mormon, the servant of laban who joined with nephi and lehi to come to the promised land 1 ne. This included some undisclosed information about the. This article analyzes what information is given in the book of mormon and contextualizes its historical background, all coupled with the observations of latterday saint church leaders and scholars.
I explain in my story that metallurgy in the book of mormon was one of the reasons i no longer believe the book of mormon to be a story of real people. Disguised as laban, including wearing his clothing, nephi enlists the unknowing help of labans servant zoram. Zoram, in the book of mormon, was the servant of laban. Slavery not in the book of mormon the millennial star. Though sariah had doubted her husband, the successful return of their sons witnessed to her that lehi was indeed. A twohundredyear era of peace followed that visit of christ.
Hugh nibley, an approach to the book of mormon, 2nd ed. Mormon oaths mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. The zoramites eventually become lamanites and are a scourge to the nephites. Three men named zoram are noted in the book of mormon. Jan 29, 2020 thus zoram means the rock is the divine kinsman, that is, the rock of the people, and their rock. Unlike many of the other book of mormon characters, laban neither ends up in the new world, nor is he a biblical character. Zoram 2 was a chief captain of the nephite army, mentioned in only two verses in the book of mormon alma 16. But he chose to become a free man by joining lehis family and journeying with them to their promised land. Though sariah had doubted her husband, the successful return of.
Is this the same lineage of ishmael as abrahams other son. Two other people in the book of mormon are named zoram. See, for example, glimpses of lehis jerusalem, john w. Brigham distributing, 2004, where various authors explore the cultural and religious environment that obliged lehis departure. During his escapade, nephi encountered zoram, the servant of laban who had the keys of the treasury where the plates were deposited 1 nephi 4. Book of mormon z eram, c ezoram, s eezoram, z eezrom, e srom, e zrom e zrum, a minadi, a minadab, a mmah. It being night, zoram was deceived, and quickly obeyed. For what its worth, moroni is not referred to in the book of mormon as captain moroni, he is only named as a chief captain. The first zoram was the servant of laban, a jewish commander in jerusalem about. Zoram and his family wife and possibly some children. It was a time of considerable political unease, when they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they w. Understood as theophoric names, zeram and zoram would. Nephi, took one of the daughters of ishmael to wife. This is the first of several instances in the book of mormon where faithful followers of christ offered.
If the initial ce of cezoram is a phonetic variant of the hebrew independent demonstrative pronoun ze, meaning this, these, such a one, he of, then this personal name may be etymologized as he of zoram, perhaps analogically related to ze sinay, he of sinai and zenephi, he of nephi. Who were the elders of the jews mentioned by zoram. Oct 01, 2019 disguised as laban, including wearing his clothing, nephi enlists the unknowing help of labans servant zoram. In the book of mormon, oaths were common among the nephites. Similarly, john welch, legal cases in the book of mormon, has explored what he called the interconnections between legal and religious material in the ancient near east, the bible and the book of mormon including the norms and practices of judaism provo, utah. And i spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear. Jul 27, 2010 imagine a scene early in the book of mormon. The story of lehi and his wife sariah and their four sons.
This article analyzes what information is given in the book of mormon and contextualizes its historical background, all coupled with the observations of latt. Zoram naturally thought the man in armor with the gruff voice was his master, who he knew had been out by night. It doesnt take long for readers of the book of mormon to come across the name zoram see 1 nephi 4. The riveting story in the book of mormon that recounts the journey of lehis caravan in the wilderness, and its challenges, is the setting for the events that affect zoram as he and his wife suffer the trials of such a journey. Nephi stripped laban of his clothes and armor and put them on, then entered his house.
In a famous episode from the book of mormon, nephi disguised himself as the ruthless laban to obtain the profoundly important plates of brass. A dictionary of the book of mormon wikisource, the free. Zoram was surprised when he discovered nephi and his brothers true identities, and nephi promised to spare zorams life if he swore allegiance to him. The chroniclers write extensively of the original seven tribes. Although laban only makes a brief appearance in the narrative, his brass plates would later play an important role. Moroni, the last of the nephite prophethistorians, sealed up the abridged records of these people and hid them in about a.
He unwittingly helps nephi get the brass plates then accepted his offer to join him and his family in the wilderness. Oct 21, 2017 once the brothers tackle zoram and invite him into the wilderness in the book of mormon, ive always been troubled by what i read as an implicit threat of further violence should zoram fail to accept the invitation zoram seemed almost mesmerized by nephi. He built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the lord, and gave thanks unto the lord our god 1 nephi 2. This zoram gave the disguised nephi 1 the plates of brass thinking he was laban. So i wondered whether zoram was not merely a servant, but instead the kind of enslaved steward that was common in the ancient western world. Given how we now know the book of mormon text was transmitted into english, it appears the stuartera bible translators were somehow involved. Zoram was a servant of laban who led nephi who was disguised as laban, into labans treasury. Therefore, when zoram settled his people in antionum near a large body of lamanites, there grew.
Mayan glyph for engraverscribe zoram left his mark. People in the book of mormon, ranked by common consent. Oct 02, 2019 laman, lemuel, sam, nephi, and zoram return to the tent of lehi and sariah. May 02, 2018 during april, i have studied the wars in the book of mormon. With noah dalton danby, jacque gray, bryce chamberlain, mark gollaher. Laman, lemuel, sam, nephi, and zoram return to the tent of lehi and sariah. Some recent findings may show that he was possibly more. An account written by the hand of mormon, upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. A dictionary of the book of mormonzoram wikisource, the. Zoram is minding his own business in labans household one night, perhaps securing the records or telling stories with other servants.
An equally suggestive figure is zoram, labans trusted servant whom nephi met carrying the keys to. Asterisk denotes a featured version, which includes an introduction and annotation book of mormon, 1830 book of mormon, 1837 book of mormon, 1840 book of mormon, 1841. Once the brothers tackle zoram and invite him into the wilderness in the book of mormon, ive always been troubled by what i read as an implicit threat of further violence should zoram fail to accept the invitation zoram seemed almost mesmerized by nephi. The story of nephi son of lehi prophet nephi is one of the central figures described in the book of mormon. Book of mormon, 1830, page 14 the joseph smith papers. Here is an article about a portion of the book of mormon metallurgy. Then he hears a voice calling, zoram, i need to take the plates to some elder brethren. Nephi, speaking in the voice of laban commanded zoram to take the brass plates containing a record of the jews to his brethren. Thus zoram means the rock is the divine kinsman, that is, the rock of the people, and their rock.
To zoram, lehi gives the blessing of nephi, and promises that nephi and zorams posterities may both be secure in this land. And now zoram, i speak unto you behold, thou art the servant of laban. Seats and food on nephis ship were possibly quite limited. Zoram leads the nephite army to victory alma 16 the lamanites attack the people of ammon alma 2425 the battle of jershon alma 28 captain moroni defeats zerahemnah alma 4344 captain moroni prepares the nephites. It was one of the first i looked up in the book of mormon onomasticon bmo because, as the only name in the 1 nephi narrative that has not been. Mar 25, 2017 the increasing interest taken in the study of the book of mormon and in the history of the peoples whose origin, progress and destruction it narrates, encourages the author of this little work to think that this addition to the literature of the subject will not be like one born out of due time, but will be received as an acceptable aid to the study of its sacred pages. Book of mormon abc book a lifttheflap book from ammon to. Zoram appeared in the book of mormon to be a mere servant to laban. He sought the guidance of alma, the high priest, in locating nephites that had been captured by the lamanites, his son lehi joining him.
Zoram, the servant of laban, is a character from the book of mormon who is only mentioned a few times and on whom little information is given. Nephi told zoram to follow him out to the city gate. Book of mormon genealogy chart lehi a descendant of joseph through manasseh laban sariah ishmael a descendant of ephriam laman wife of ishmael eve devil lucifer, satan lemuel sam nephi zedekiah king of judah lamb of god jesus christ zoram servant of laban daughter of ishmael daughter of ishmael daughter of ishmael daughter of ishmael jacob. The first zoram was the servant of laban, a jewish commander in jerusalem about 600 b. The book of mormon does not give us the ancestries of cezoram or zenephi, but if this papers thesis is correct, they may have descended, respectively, from zoram and one of the figures in the book of mormon named nephi. A dictionary of the book of mormonzoram wikisource, the free. During april, i have studied the wars in the book of mormon. Aug 14, 2018 it doesnt take long for readers of the book of mormon to come across the name zoram see 1 nephi 4. Lessons from wars in the book of mormon book of mormon. Book of mormon abc book a lifttheflap book from ammon to zoram val chadwick bagley. One of the first examples is when nephi swears an oath with zoram when nephi was trying to persuade him to leave jerusalem and come with lehis family. If there is a book of mormon connection, then zoram, the father of the zoramites, would appear to be zotz the father of the zotzils.
Mormon uses the same terms captains and chief captains to refer to lamanite soldiers as well, but maybe they had a different system, who knows. In the year 30 bc when nephi, son of helaman, yielded up his seat as chief judge of the land to devote himself fulltime to the ministry, he was replaced cezoram. Mistaking him for laban, a servant named zoram was perfectly willing to bring him the brass plates from labans treasury. An egyptian linguistic component in book of mormon names. The book of mormon and the bible will grow together, 2 ne. In 600 bc, after slaying laban, nephi dressed in labans clothing and spoke in his voice to zoram, telling him to take a collection of brass plates to his brothers. Sariah rejoices in the return of her sons 1 nephi 5. Yea, and he also saw that their hearts were lifted up unto great boasting, in their pride. The lord covenanted with enos to bring forth the book of mormon to the lamanites, enos 1. The riveting story in the book of mormon that recounts the journey of lehis caravan in the wilderness, and its challenges, is the setting for the events that affect zoram.
Nephi is the author of the first two books of the book of mormon, the the story of nephi son of lehi read more. When nephi had slain laban near his house at jerusalem, he went into the dead. When nephi had slain laban near his house at jerusalem, he went into the dead mans residence, and assuming the voice of laban commanded zoram, who had the keys of the treasury, to bring the records he needed. Zoram was labans important servant, the official guard of the treasury where sacred records were housed. Together they remove the plates of brass from labans treasury and take them outside. Offered freedom if he would become part of nephis group in the wilderness, zoram accepted. Alma and his brethren convert some of the zoramites who are then expelled. The book of mormon records the visit of jesus christ to people in the americas following his resurrection.
72 473 1614 576 295 1452 622 1578 1322 824 712 1213 436 1259 871 1490 431 1617 1548 896 471 507 1459 663 1356 1051 190 511 459 316 460 527 1417 155 1280 662 1302 93 198 1162