Pricked in their hearts and exhorted by Nephi, Laman and Lemuel repented, turning from the things that separated them from the Spirit. But as their future history showed, even true repentance did not guarantee their continued humility. A single bite of the pure and delicious fruit does not constitute salvation; only enduring to the end will do that. In Lehi’s dream, Laman and Lemuel do not even approach the tree. In reality they were clearly among those who actually tasted (were humble and enjoyed the blessings of the Spirit) but then fell away. Lehi’s vision had showed him their end, not the process by which they reached it.
Narrative: Nephi continues the story of his interaction with his brothers. Once again we must read the text on two levels. The first is for the story itself, and we may presume that Nephi told it fairly faithfully. The second level, however, has us asking why Nephi added this episode to his record, and why he records these particular aspects. If, as I have conjectured, Nephi is adding this episode to further justify his separation from his brothers, then here is a temporary reconciliation that allows Nephi to build his case. Nephi does not flee from his brothers based on a single incident, but upon a pattern of incidents. Perhaps this temporary acquiescence to Nephi’s explanation places Nephi and Laman and Lemuel in their “proper” position, with Nephi transcendent. Nephi could be showing us both the trajectory of Laman and Lemuel’s rebellion in the family and a picture of how the reconciliation could have happened.