Nephi and his brothers had now found refuge in a cave. Possibly the very sepulcher which Abraham had bought of Ephron (Gen. 23:3-16), situated at Hebron, about eighteen miles south of Jerusalem. Here Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah were buried. It is to this day one of the very sacred places of the Mohammedan world.
The predicament in which Nephi now found himself was perplexing and must have caused him great anxiety. Laman, always angrily brooding upon the supposed injustice he had suffered in the appointment of Nephi to the leadership, now could excuse his opposition by the apparent failure of the plan of his brother to get the records. Moreover, they had lost their property and their lives were in danger. Was not Nephi, clearly, a false prophet? Lemuel soon joined Laman in opposition. Nephi was silent. But, no doubt, he was pouring out his soul in prayer. The older brothers, unable to control their vulgar and brutal anger, resorted to physical violence, the argument of the beast. Still, Nephi was silent. But, suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared on the scene. All was changed. We can imagine Laman and Lemuel trembling, when from the lips of the heavenly messenger the rebuke came: "Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jesusalem again."
The Lord vindicated his faithful servant. He always does.