There are many things in the Book of Mormon that are not mentioned, but through cultural implication are all over the place. Some of these cultural items are asses and camels. When Hugh Nibley first came to B.Y.U., he started writing Lehi in the Desert. He relates that, "the Church had a rather ridiculous film out in which they showed Lehi's people all going through the desert carrying everything they had on their backs because the Book of Mormon doesn't mention any animals of burden, you see. . . ."
After making a case regarding the Arab tent and the fact that Lehi "dwelt in a tent," Nibley points out that on the trip back to Jerusalem to secure the brass plates, Laban lusted after the property of Nephi and his brethren and "sent his servants to slay" them (1 Nephi 3:25). When Nephi and his brethren ran away, they escaped from Laban's police. Nephi said, "they pursued us but they couldn't overtake us" (see 1 Nephi 3:25-27). Well, Nephi and his brethren weren't going on foot because we know that the police of Jerusalem had good, fleet-footed Arab horses. Nephi and his brethren had ways of getting out. And, of course, there would be asses or camels to cross the desert." [Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 1, pp. 118-119]