Even though this is increasingly a story about Nephi, while they are in the Old World it is Lehi who is the leader of the family. What Nephi shows is that the situation is sufficiently dire that even his father was wavering in faith. This contrasts with the Lehi who comforted Sariah when her sons took too long to return. At the beginning of the journey, Lehi is a strong leader. Nephi writes him as less of a leader, and himself as ascending to that position.
Thus, Nephi still comes to his father, and his father repents and inquires of the Lord. Apparently, the director had ceased to work, but now it does. Nephi is directed to where he will find food.
Nephi told us that his bow was broken. Here, he tells of making a new bow and a new arrow, as well as taking a sling with stones. He doesn’t tell us why his brothers didn’t make new bows. That, however, isn’t necessarily the most curious part of the story. Why did Nephi have to make new arrows? Those had not broken when the bow did.
The answer is in the pull strength of a bow. Arrows must be appropriate to the bow used to shoot them. The steel bow would have had a stronger pull, and would have required stronger arrows to resist wobbling from the power of the string being released. The same arrows that would work for the stronger bow would have been too heavy for the new wooden bow. One scholar who understood archery indicated that using the old arrows would have been like trying to shoot telephone poles.