A Pebble in the Shoe

1 Nephi 2:11

Now this [Lehi] spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart.

To murmur is to grumble and complain in a low, indistinct, but continuous way. Murmuring is the sound of discontent. A murmurer is unhappy with how things are going but lacks the courage or the power to change what he doesn't like. Murmuring is a weakness. It is an infectious virus that can quietly spread from one person to another in a group until the entire cohort is affected. It destroys morale, undermines leadership, and saps the strength of the individual and the company. It's like putting pebbles in your shoes and sandpaper in your underwear. Spiritually speaking, murmuring is an early step on the path to apostasy.

The antidote to murmuring is speaking up, being open, and initiating a genuine conversation. Laman and Lemuel were weak. They lacked the courage and the skills to make up their minds, stand their ground, and talk to their father like adults to air their grievances. They followed Lehi and Nephi unwillingly, dragging their feet every step of the way, filled with doubt, constantly complaining, but unwilling to take meaningful action. 

Meaningful action is not plotting to murder their brother or their father, which is what these brothers resorted to. Rather, they should have asked for a family council, stated their dissatisfactions, and proposed a solution. They could have said, "Dad, we want our inheritance now. We don't want to wander in the desert with you. We want to live in our nice house, enjoy our nice things, and eat good food. So, we want to go home now. You can do what you want. We ask only that you not return later and make trouble for us about taking over the property and the family business." Lehi would have promised them he would never return, warned them that they would die in the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem, and shed tears over the loss of his two oldest sons. The family could have parted ways at that point, Laman and Lemuel could have returned to their home, and Lehi would have had no more murmuring sons.

But no, Laman and Lemuel could not stand up for themselves. They murmured, making the journey unpleasant for themselves and for everyone else. They obeyed begrudgingly and only after being cajoled by Lehi and Nephi. Laman and Lemuel never took a stand to be all in or all out. They rode the fence, exhausting Lehi with his need to constantly argue and confound them into obeying. Their murmuring was like a boat anchor that Lehi had to drag behind him through the desert and across the ocean.

Murmuring is a vicious, insidious, destructive behavior that poisons the soul. Better to face the problem head-on, speak one's mind, and resolve an issue than to constantly whisper discontent under one's breath.