Lehi alludes to times of serious sorrow caused by contemplating his wayward children. While they surely must have understood to some degree the grief they caused Lehi, it is still surprising that Lehi so vulnerably exposes the depths of his fears for them. This is not simply a sermon, but a baring of the soul—a glimpse into the anguished heart of a loving father struggling to raise all of his children in righteousness. Lehi also spells out the doom that will follow as the natural consequence of their hardheartedness. Yahweh has infinite patience, but the heart past feeling shuts him out, entirely denying the quiet voice of the Spirit.
Verse 18 completes the thought in 17—Lehi’s fears that his sons will be cut off completely as individuals. It also explains that the curse they will bring upon themselves will span many years and generations, inflicting wars and famines on their own offspring. He thus appeals obliquely to their own fatherly love and concern for their offspring. Lehi’s description of the cursing, coupled with the Lamanites’ subsequent history, suggests that, despite his hopes for their redemption, Lehi has seen that future in a vision.