“And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.”
We read later in the Book of Mormon that this space was reserved for sacred things and not much was written because of the difficulty of engraving on plates of gold. So, why did Nephi take the time to describe the features of Laban’s sword? Maybe, as Nephi stumbled upon Laban in his drunken state the sword reminded him of Laban’s wealth and power.
Perhaps Laman’s word came back to him, “even he can slay fifty; then why not us” (3:31). The sword will come to be a representation of a recurring theme in the Book of Mormon, that of power, as enforced through battles and war. In fact, this very sword is later placed with the gold plates by Moroni in hill Cumorah for Joseph Smith to later find. This sword, as a representation of power can also be viewed as a symbol wealth, which is often seen an synonymous with power, or at least going hand in hand. Thus, having a sword made of precious materials as a symbol, embodies the desires of a struggling nation – to be wealthy and powerful.
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