Following the disappointing and apparently final failure of Laman’s attempt to obtain the plates of brass, Nephi takes it upon himself to convince his brothers to try again. As he begins, he pronounces an oath. He says, “as the Lord liveth, and as we live.” In the ancient world, oaths were the equivalent of contracts, and an oath made on one’s own life was superseded by the oath on the Lord’s life. It was an oath made on the highest a man could offer, which was his life. The commitment to the oath might end with their life. To add the oath upon the Lord’s life did not permit any escape clause.
Nephi is certain that the task is possible in spite of Laman’s experience that made it seem doomed. The language he uses in verse 15 intentionally reprises his commitment to Lehi made in verse 7. In that verse Nephi declared that he knew that the Lord would not command, save a way were made possible. Here, in verse 15, he reprises that sentiment in an exhortation to his brothers rather than a promise to his father. Here, he says “we will not go down … until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.”
Verse 16 presents an interesting argument. Nephi declares that they should be faithful in keeping Jehovah’s commandments. He then uses his father as an exemplar of faithfulness to Jehovah’s comments. Knowing the story as we do, we jump ahead to the use to which Nephi will put that gold and silver. However, at this point, Nephi uses the wealth left behind as a testament to his father’s faithfulness. He uses his father’s examples as another reason that the brothers should also keep Jehovah’s commandment to them, even though it was as difficult as leaving behind the family’s wealth and departing into the wilderness. Nephi certainly knew that it was almost as hard for his parents to leave their wealth behind as it was for Laman and Lemuel. Yet, Lehi obeyed. It was hard to fail before Laban, but they must continue to obey.