“They Did Rejoice Exceedingly”

Alan C. Miner

In 1 Nephi 5:9, Nephi writes: “And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel.” Camille Fronk notes that Nephi reported that “they” offered the sacrifice. Since Nephi was writing in the first person, he tells us that he was not included as a primary participant in the ordinance. The context suggests that Lehi and Sariah together performed this sacred act of worship. One can feel the renewed personal commitment that Sariah reverently placed on the altar alongside the animal sacrifice. And, most important, there is no indication that Sariah ever “complained” again. [Camille Fronk, “Desert Epiphany: Sariah & the Women in 1 Nephi,” in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Vol. 9, Num. 2, 2000, FARMS, p. 11] [See the commentary on 1 Nephi 5:2]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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