“the Finger of Scorn at Me”

Brant Gardner

The vision returns to the intimate here. While we can see it happening, it was probably more dramatic in the original vision. The vision began with the family, expanded to the entire world, and returns to the family. With the end of the vision clearly pointing out the difference between those of his family who partook of the fruit, and those who did not, it is clear why Lehi announces the vision with his statement of concern for Laman and Lemuel.

Narrative analysis: Nephi makes an interesting editorial slip in verse 33. He has thus far removed himself from the story, and it does not appear that Nephi played an important role in Lehi's dream. Nevertheless at this point his own involvement in the story supersedes his relation of his father's dream, and he inserts "did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking..."

I see the major purpose of the inclusion of Lehi's vision in Nephi's personal account (the small plates of Nephi) as a precursor to Nephi's experience which results from the dream. As with other parts of Nephi's narration, he may begin to relate something from the large plates, but soon abandons that synopsis for the personal effect of the events. Thus we had the story of Laban in great detail precisely because it was of major importance to Nephi. Likewise, Nephi begins by a reasonably faithful narration of his father's vision, but at the end is anxious to get on with his real purpose - the discussion of his own vision. For this reason he hurries the tale at the end, and for this reason he slips in the editorial "I."

Multidimensional Commentary on the Book of Mormon

References