Lemuel, the second son of Lehi and Sariah, is a noteworthy figure in the narrative of the Book of Mormon, primarily for his shared actions and attitudes alongside his older brother Laman. His life story, as recorded in the text, is frequently presented together with Laman’s, both of them demonstrating a pattern of murmuring against their father Lehi’s divine revelations and their younger brother Nephi’s spiritual leadership (1 Nephi 2:11-12).
When their father Lehi dreamt of the tree of life, he feared for Lemuel’s spiritual welfare, as Lemuel and Laman chose not to partake of the desirable fruit, symbolizing the love of God (1 Nephi 8). This dream foreshadowed the lifelong resistance of Lemuel to embrace the teachings and visions bestowed upon his family. Despite having a valley named after him by his father, who hoped Lemuel would be “firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord” (1 Nephi 2:10), Lemuel frequently wavered in his faith and was susceptible to Laman’s antagonistic influence.
Lemuel’s life was marked by a series of rebellious acts against his family’s quest to fulfill divine commands, including the attempts to take Nephi’s life (1 Nephi 7:16; 16:37). Lemuel’s personal encounters with divine admonishment, as when an angel rebuked him and his elder brother (1 Nephi 3:29-31), or when they were corrected by the voice of the Lord in the wilderness (1 Nephi 16:39), did little to alter his rebellious course.
After arriving in the promised land, the consequences of Lemuel’s iniquities became a part of his descendants’ legacy. Despite the initial blessings pronounced by Lehi upon Lemuel’s family (2 Nephi 4:8-9), the continued iniquity led to a curse, and both he and his progeny were called “Lamanites,” in accordance with their alliance against the Nephite establishment, led by Nephi (2 Nephi 5:20-21; Alma 3:7). Henceforth, the Nephites named all who opposed them “Lamanites,” even if they were descendants of Lemuel, who had become indistinct from their brethren due to their collective disobedience and estrangement from God’s favor (Jacob 1:13-14).