This, of course, was the crux of the argument. Having left a better life, Laman and Lemuel saw no reason for their current deprivation, and preferred turning back. Even though their wealth had been stolen by Laban, they preferred the comfort of the city to the rigors of the road. There is no indication in the text as to how they were going to deal with any potential repercussions from the death of Laban, but they likely felt there was no problem, since Nephi was the guilty party and not they.