1 Ne. 3:19; refer in this text to Omni 1:17
“People as well as nations perish without scriptures. The scriptures are spiritual food for our spirit, which is just as important as physical food for our body. It was so important for Lehi to have the scriptures and records which were engraven on the brass plates that the Lord commanded Nephi to slay Laban in order to obtain them. The Lord knew of their importance for the spiritual nourishment of Lehi and his descendants. He explained: ‘It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.’” (L. Lionel Kendrick, Ensign, May 1993, p. 14)