Journal of Book of Mormon Studies Volume 1 Number 1 Article 7 7-31-1992 Legal Perspectives on the Slaying of Laban John W. Welch Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Welch, John W. (1992) "Legal Perspectives on the Slaying of Laban," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: Vol. 1 : No. 1 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol1/iss1/7 This Feature Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact
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[email protected]. Title Legal Perspectives on the Slaying of Laban Author(s) John W. Welch Reference Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1/1 (1992): 119–41. ISSN 1065-9366 (print), 2168-3158 (online) Abstract This article marshals ancient legal evidence to show that Nephi’s slaying of Laban should be understood as a protected manslaughter rather than a criminal homi- cide. The biblical law of murder demanded a higher level of premeditation and hostility than Nephi exhib- ited or modern law requires. The terms of Exodus 21:13, it is argued, protected more than accidental slay- ings or unconscious acts, particularly where God was seen as having delivered the victim into the slayer’s hand. Various rationales for Nephi’s killing of Laban include ancient views on surrendering one person for the benefit of a whole community. Other factors within the Book of Mormon as well as in Moses’ kill- ing of the Egyptian in Exodus 2 corroborate the con- clusion that Nephi did not commit the equivalent of a first-degree murder under the laws of his day.