Lehi’s naming of the river and the valley after his sons is also consistent with the background and language of the Middle East, but that is not the reason that the naming of them is included in the abridgment. Lehi hoped that the names would have an effect upon his wayward sons’ lives; continuously righteous, symbolic of the river, and firm and steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments, symbolic of the valley (v. 10). This is the first mention of the character of Laman and Lemuel. Although they too were born of goodly parents (1:1), they murmured against their father, desired the material things of the world, and knew not the dealings of God (vv. 10–11). President David O. McKay compared the members of the Church who murmur with Laman and Lemuel:
In the Church we sometimes find two groups of people: the builders and the murmurers. Let each ask himself: in which class should I be placed?
We are called upon to perform duties. When the priesthood leadership introduces new programs, many of the members will say, “Yes, we will do it. Let us perform in these new programs.” But sometimes we hear a murmurer, a faultfinder, who will say, “No, we cannot do that.” Misjudging motives, some soon find themselves with Laman, and Lemuel instead of with Nephi, whose actions expressed willingness to follow the voice of God… . Murmuring against Priesthood and auxiliary leadership is one of the most poisonous things that can be introduced into the home of a Latter-day Saint.
Laman and Lemuel’s rejection of the prophecy of the future destruction of Jerusalem is a rejection of revelation from living prophets. They were the product of their wicked Jewish environment (v. 13). They chose to follow their natural desires for worldly possessions rather than the prophets and the Spirit (see Mosiah 3:16–19). This is one of the tests to which mankind is subjected. The pressure of society, or peer groups, is often in conflict with parents, and the Church and its leaders. Each individual must make a choice of which to follow. Nephi and Sam, from the same family, made the right choice.
The Lord came to the aid of Lehi by granting him the power to keep his rebellious sons in line (v. 14). This is an example of faith as a principle of power. It was not oratorical or physical power that compelled Laman and Lemuel to be obedient, but the Spirit of God that caused their frames to shake. There are at least two reasons for the Lord’s assistance. First, Lehi’s great concern for the spiritual welfare and salvation of his sons; secondly, the mission the Lord had for Lehi and his sons. Of course the agency of man was honored, but the witness was so strong that they were left without excuse.
“And my father dwelt in a tent” is one of the shortest verses in the Book of Mormon. Hugh Nibley states that to an Arab this sentence says everything. The tent is the center of life for an Arab, and for the next eight years it will also be the center for Lehi and his party.