Nephi prophetically said that many plain and most precious things would be “taken away” from the Bible (1 Nephi 13:26, 28, 29, 40). The importance of the brass plates to the Nephite nation as well as to future readers of the Book of Mormon may be seen, at least partly, in the account of the death of Laban. The life of Laban was taken by the Lord to preserve this version of the Old Testament. Joseph Smith said, “From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of man, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled” ( Joseph Smith [manual], 217).