“This matter of swearing with an oath in ancient days was far more significant than many of us have realized.
“For instance: Nephi and his brethren were seeking to obtain the brass plates from Laban. Their lives were in peril. Yet Nephi swore this oath: [1 Nephi 3:15 is quoted].
“Thus Nephi made God his partner. If he failed to get the plates, it meant God had failed. And because God does not fail, it was incumbent upon Nephi to get the plates or lay down his life in the attempt” (McConkie, “Doctrine of the Priesthood,” 33).