Nephi describes the daughters of Ishmael, that they “did mourn exceedingly.” He provides what must have been an accurate picture of their grief. Whatever they might have felt about leaving Jerusalem, they had done so because their father had agreed to leave and join with Lehi. Without their father, they must have felt that the purpose had been lost. It is not surprising that this blow opened other frustrations. They might be able to miraculously obtain food when they had thought they would have none, but there was no way that they would regain their father. On top of that, he was to be buried in a foreign land that they must have known they would not see again.
It is no surprise that they murmured. What is interesting is how Nephi continuously tells the story to increase his role in the family. They murmur against Lehi, but also against Nephi. Nephi is raised to a parallel with Lehi as a figurehead for the family’s journey out of Jerusalem and towards a new land.