Undaunted, Nephi slipped back into Jerusalem alone that night, where he soon found Laban lying unconscious in a drunken stupor. The Spirit of God told Nephi to kill Laban with his own sword and seize the records, saying "It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief." After complying, Nephi disguised himself as Laban and headed towards Laban's treasury where the brass plates were kept. On the way there he found one of Laban's servants, Zoram, whom he commanded to retrieve the brass plates and to follow him out of the city. Zoram obeyed, and once outside the city, Nephi revealed that he was not Laban, and he and his brothers convinced Zoram to join them and their family in their journey to the New World.