The Lord had a mission in mind for Nephi and a destiny for the Nephites, and he would not allow a greedy and worldly man to interfere with the accomplishment of his purposes. To Nephi’s utter horror, he was commanded to put Laban to death, to send a wayward man to the spirit world to account for his deeds. At first, the idea of killing a man was abhorrent to this sensitive soul, but the Spirit provided a rational explanation for the divine directive. In particular, it brought to Nephi’s remembrance the fact that Laban: (1) had sought to kill Nephi and his brothers; (2) had not been obedient to the commandments of the Lord; and (3) had confiscated their gold, silver, and precious things. The Spirit assured Nephi that the present fortuitous circumstance—finding Laban drunken and incapacitated in the streets—was not an accident, but that “the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands.” According to the “law of retribution,” Nephi was perfectly justified in slaying Laban. In a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith in August 1833, the Lord explained the circumstances wherein the Saints were justified in standing up and striking back at their enemies. He then said: “Behold, this is the law I gave unto my servant Nephi, and thy fathers, Joseph, and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, and all mine ancient prophets and apostles.” (See D&C 98:23-32; italics added.)