Even after a minimum of eight years Laman and Lemuel are not reconciled to abandoning their inheritance. With no understanding of Yahweh’s purposes and no faith that an overarching purpose governs their family mission, Laman and Lemuel have only a secular view of the world. Unquestionably, in this view, living in relative ease in Jerusalem was better than eight years of difficult travel in the wilderness.
Though Nephi does not identify the speaker by name, clearly both Laman and Lemuel share these sentiments. The telling phrase “we might have been happy” reveals their discontent with their current position. In contrast, Nephi, while undergoing the same hardships, obviously has achieved peace of mind and even joy. Because Laman and Lemuel’s happiness was based on physical comforts, and not the presence of the Spirit, they cannot experience Nephi’s joy.