We now have a confirmation that Nephi had carried away with him the sacred records, the plates of brass, the Liahona and the sword of Laban. In spite of the distance from the place of the first landing. Nephi felt it was important to be able to defend themselves if the followers of Laman and Lemuel should somehow discover where they were. He therefore used the sword of Laban as a pattern and made many more just like it. By the way, the sword of Laban still exists but it is hidden with the Nephite library in the Hill Cumorah. The amazing story of the sword of Laban is found in volume one of Treasures from the Book of Mormon on page 41.