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Rh intensified. It became evident that the two peoples could not live together in peace. They had nothing in common except that they belonged to the same family. Laman's vindictiveness grew so cruel that Nephi's life was in danger; and, as the readiest way out of the difficulty, Nephi was instructed of the Lord to take those who would listen to his teachings and obey the commandments of God into some other part of the land. Therefore, he gathered together those people who would hearken to him, and, taking that portion of the property that belonged to them, as also the sacred records, the sword of Laban, the Liahona and other treasures, they departed into the wilderness. Those who listened to Nephi and accompanied him on this journey were, besides his own family, his brothers Sam, Jacob and Joseph, his sisters, whose names are not given, and Zoram, with their families. There might have been, possibly, some others, as we are led to infer from the statement in the Book of Mormon, but who they were we are not told.

The distance which Nephi and his people traveled was not, probably, very great; that is, it is not to be measured by thousands of miles, for we find that in a very few years the Lamanites had found out their place of retreat, and were harassing and making war upon them.

The Nephites desired that the land they now possessed should be called the land of Nephi; and this was the name by which it was always afterward known. The people of Nephi made yet another request. It was that Nephi should be their king. This desire did not altogether please him; but for the safety of his people he consented. The kingly power in his hands partook much of the nature of fatherhood. His people were few in numbers, and he looked after their individual interests, guided them in their undertakings, directed them in their labors, and when he found