The sons of Lehi, which one am I?

UPDATE:  So my brother pointed out that Sam was actually older than Nephi.  He's right, but I'm too lazy to go back and fix this right now.  So, you've been warned, I blew it.

Lehi had 4 sons who left Jerusalem with him, and we get introduced to each of them in 1 Nephi Chapter 2.  I'm going to steal a little information about them from other chapters as well, but primarily we'll focus on what we know from Chapter 2.

How old were they?

Well, we certainly don't know the answers for sure, but we can make some educated guesses.  First, none of them are married, so I think we can safely assume they are no older than their early twenties (given the culture of the Jews at the time).  Second, we know that Nephi was "Exceedingly Young".  Normally I would think that puts him in his early teens, but I think it is meant to give us some context prior to his trip to get the Brass plates.  The things he does on that trip, in spite of his being "large in stature", suggests he was in his mid to late teens, well into puberty.  Laman is the oldest, followed by Lemuel, Nephi, and finally Sam.  Finally, Sam is old enough to join his brothers on an arduous journey to retrieve the plates - a journey I doubt he would be sent on unless he was old enough to provide value to the trip.  Given all of this, I am going to make up some ages;

Laman  19

Lemuel 18

Nephi   16

Sam      13

Laman

Laman is the oldest on Lehi's sons still living at home.  We are never given any reason to suspect he has older sons, but it certainly is possible.  Likewise, there could be married sisters who are no longer part of the household (more on that later).  All that aside, Laman feels a degree of leadership as the oldest son.  He's put up with a lot over the years and is finally feeling comfortable with life.  He's wealthy, popular, is courting a lovely young lady, and generally enjoying life.  He probably has an apprenticeship and is only a year or so away from being a journeyman, marrying, and starting his how family.  He's been active in religion since his youth, but has always walked close to the edge, defying the gospel without being outright disobedient.  If pushed, he would admit that he believes the gospel is true, but he likes to push that knowledge to the background so that it doesn't interfere with his lifestyle.  Had they remained in Jerusalem, he likely would have become a wealthy leader like his father.  Most likely he would have remained moderately active in his local congregation and raised his children in the Gospel.

Lemuel

Lemuel is less than a year younger than Laman, and as is often the case with such "twins" he idolized his brother for the first decade of his life.  As he grew older that idolization became a healthy respect and close friendship.  He is intelligent, funny, and well liked, and thus has earned his place as part of Laman's social circle.  Most of his friends are somewhat older than he, and the women he socializes with are near his own age.  As a result, he feels an increasing pressure to be just slightly older than his own age.  His marriage prospects are disappearing quickly and his brother is always just a small step ahead of him.  Like Laman, he is an apprentice and just a step ahead of others his age in working toward a journeyman.  He correctly feels as though he's been working just a little harder than the rest his whole life trying to keep up with Laman, but he can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel - a prize for all that extra effort.  Though they are not yet courting - as she's a bit young for such as of yet - he has developed a keen interest in the younger sister of Laman's bride to be.  Religiously, Lemuel is much like his brother.  As in other things, however, he has taken his brother's behavior and gone one step further.  He is occasionally found in outright disobedience, not so much because he wants to be, but because he's trying to prove something to Laman.  Like Laman, he knows the gospel is true, and he "wants" to live it, but it isn't important enough to put aside the world.  He's a modern teen who is at church each Sunday, mutual on Wednesday, and shows up to seminary just a few minutes late - sitting in the back and working on homework at least one day a week.  He probably would graduate from seminary, might earn his Duty to God award, but would have avoided the "Holier than thou" attitude at BYU.  Left to his own, he'd probably have stayed in the faith, but never really embraced it.

Nephi

Nephi was a gem of a son.  From an early age he just seemed to get the gospel and the notion that it was worth the sacrifice.  Somewhat younger than his brothers, he was a bit of a loner growing up.  He he matured, both physically and emotionally, much earlier than most.  By 12, he was already competitive with his older brothers, and relished in the chance to beat them at anything.  He was very intelligent and began to develop an interest in his career years before he was to formally become an apprentice.  Because of his intense interest, he was offered his apprenticeship two full years before the norm.  He frequently beat his brothers in both physical and mental challenges, which did not always bode well for family harmony. Though his parents encouraged humility, and he tried to follow that advice, he often gloated just a bit.  His relationship with his brothers was not poor, but it was often strained.  A natural leader, Nephi often took charge of the younger children (Sam and his younger sister).  Religiously, Nephi was an eager listener.  He enjoyed synagogue, and was a prolific reader.  Because of the family's wealth, he had plenty of scrolls to read too.

Sam

Sam was a good, but quiet child.  He looked up to Nephi in many ways, but did not have the same hero complex as Lemuel.  Furthermore, because Nephi was always just a little advanced of his years, Sam was often left behind.  Nonetheless, he was able to see the differences in his older brothers, and chose to follow Nephi's steps rather than Laman or Lemuel's.  Honest, sincere, and kind, he was well liked by everyone, both in the family and outside the family.  He worshiped regularly, and was much like Nephi in his love of the gospel.  Sam was a bit of a follower, but a devoted friend and confidant.

Sisters

A few passages of scripture suggest that Nephi has sisters.  We don't know either way, but it seems reasonable to me that he did.  Perhaps one or more of them were wives of Ishmael's sons.  It seems odd, otherwise, that Ishmael's sons would join him in the wilderness, with no prospect of marriage.

So, who are we most like?  I think Laman and Lemuel get a bad rap.  We think of them as bad people, which is easier than admitting how much we are like them.  They CAME on the journey, after all.  They had testimonies.  How many of us have seen angels?  Yes, the did horrible things, and yes, they tried to kill Nephi how many time?  But how different are we?  How often do we sin despite all the witnesses we have?  How often have we heard that a testimony by the spirit is stronger than seeing angels?  Do we murmur like Laman, or do we "go and do" like Nephi?

In high school I was a Laman.  Completely and totally.  I mocked the good kids.  I walked as close to the line as I could.  I likely would have ended up a great deal like Laman had it not been for a life changing year in middle school.  I had a course correction.  Though I still ventured to the edge of the cliff a few too many times, I had a new perspective on the gospel.  Unlike Lemuel, who thought Laman's badness was "cool", I began to be more like Sam.  I saw the Nephi's in my ward and wanted to be more like them.  Eventually, I was able to become a Nephi myself.  I still fall into bad habits now and again, but the Lord has blessed me with a perspective that lets me be Nephi like.  It's not that Nephi was losing any less than Laman by leaving Jerusalem.  But Nephi could see what Laman didn't; God was sending him.  And God would make the journey worth it.