Sariah

According to the Book of Mormon, Sariah (/sə.ˈraɪ.ə/^[1]) was the wife of Lehi, and the mother of Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi.^[2] The Book of Mormon also mentions Jacob, and Joseph, two additional sons born to Lehi after his departure from Jerusalem, but does not explicitly name Sariah as their mother, though no other wife of Lehi is ever named.^[3] She traveled with her husband from Jerusalem, into the wilderness, and eventually, across the ocean to the "promised land" (the Americas). She is perhaps best known for the story in First Nephi where she complains against her husband for sending her sons back to Jerusalem. She becomes convinced that they have perished in the desert, but is overjoyed upon their eventual return.^[4] In Lehi's vision of the tree of life, Sariah eats the precious fruit, symbolizing that she is righteous and will be saved.^[5]

Family tree

As the wife of Lehi, and the mother of Nephi and Laman (who went on to establish the nations of the Nephites and the Lamanites), Sariah can be considered one of the principal ancestors of the Book of Mormon people. Her immediate family is shown in the diagram below.

Lehi

Sariah

Laman

Lemuel

Sam

Nephi

Jacob

Joseph

Etymology

Among LDS linguists, prevalent consensus of the meaning of the name "Sariah" is שׂריה Śaryāh "the LORD is prince", and an alternative voicing of the name Seraiah.^[6]

References

1. "Book of Mormon Pronunciation Guide", LDS.org (retrieved 2012-02-25), IPA-ified from «sa-rī´a»
2. 1 Nephi
3. 1 Nephi 18
4. 1 Nephi 5
5. 1 Nephi 8
6. Fronk, Camille. "Desert Epiphany: Sariah and the Women in 1 Nephi". Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Retrieved 2012-09-28.