Lehi and Sariah in their old age had “suffered much grief because of their [rebellious] children” and now once again were sickened by their behavior, which nearly brought them to “a watery grave.” Only the fear of death caused the rebels to soften their rudeness, crudeness, and ill tempers. Released from bands, Nephi fervently prayed and again took up steering toward the promised land.
In their new land of inheritance they planted seeds and discovered that the seeds grew prolifically. Having left some wealth back in Jerusalem, they now found themselves in possession of a wealth of valuable flora and fauna and ores and precious metals (see also 2 Nephi 5:15). These bounteous blessings were a direct fulfillment of part of the blessing their ancient ancestor Joseph had received from his father, Jacob (whose names, not incidentally, were given to the two sons born to Sariah and Lehi in the wilderness): “Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, … and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, … and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof” (Deuteronomy 33:13–16).