The Separation Begins

Yesterday morning we woke up late as we had a late night the night before at my son Leveni's house.  So we just said grace and then we did reading last night after Mutual.  A few things are happening in this chapter. 
2Nephi 5 after their beloved father Lehi departs from this world:

* Laman and Lemuel resumes their defiant and incompliant manners toward Nephi.  They plot to take           away his life.
* Nephi, in a dream, was commanded by the Lord that he should gather all his children and his belongings and leave.  Get away from his older brothers for they desire to end his life. 
*Nephi took his youngers brothers, Zoram (his friend), his sisters and all those who would follow him and departed away from Laman and Lemuel and their people.
*They traveled for many days and then pitched their tent and dwelled in a place they called Nephi.
*People were desirous to make Nephi their King but Nephi refused. 
*The people of Nephi grew in numbers and prospered exceedingly upon the land.  Nephi taught them to labor with their hands and they became an industrious people
*Nephi had the people build a temple to the Lord.  After the manner of King Solomon's temple but not with the same rich material.  Nonetheless it was a magnificent temple.
*The Lord cursed the Lamanites (people of Laman and Lemuel) with dark skin.  They became a "loathsome" and lazy people full of  "mischief" and "subtlety".  
*Nephi consecrated his two younger brothers Jacob and Joseph, to become teachers and priests to the Nephites (people of Nephi)
*30-40 years passed since the day they left Jerusalem.  Nephi took Laban's sword and made weapons for his people for the Lamanites were a threat to their safety and freedom.  They had already gone into war with them and there were much contentions among the Nephites and the Lamanites. 

One of the many characters that is revealed about Nephi in this chapters is that, he loved his family dearly.  He could have just easily gotten up and hike himself and only his family into the wilderness for safety.  No, he took his dear friend Zoram and his younger brothers and sisters and their families with him.  Also all that has not rebelled against God.

Again we read of Zoram who have become a dear friend to Nephi.  On our previous reading about Zoram, we learned that Zoram made an OATH with Lehi and his family that he will travel with them and not return to Jerusalem. After he made the oath, Lehi and Nephi never have to worry about him breaking his words.  They didn't wonder whether Zoram would keep his words.  A man is only as good as his words.  He was bind to it with his life.  Zoram kept his OATH.