A grieving Nephi has chastised his people for their unbelief, then explains that he grieves because his people are too “wicked” to pray and ask the Lord for greater knowledge. Although he does not make the comparison explicit, he must see his own people as being spiritually on a par with Laman and Lemuel. Nephi declares that the devil creates this reluctance to pray for revelation. Here “devil” means Yahweh’s ancient opponent, in competition with him for human souls. Yahweh leads one to pray; Satan leads one not to pray.