1 Nephi 5

Nephi tells us later in his writings -

"...thirty years had passed away from the time we left Jerusalem.
29 And I, Nephi, had kept the records upon my plates, which I had made, of my people thus far.
30 And it came to pass that the Lord God said unto me: Make other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are good in my sight, for the profit of thy people.
31 Wherefore, I, Nephi, to be obedient to the commandments of the Lord, went and made these plates upon which I have engraven these things." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 5:28 - 31)

I sense an older and much wiser Nephi as he recounts the happenings of Lehi and Sariah at the time he and his elder brothers had returned to Jerusalem for the brass plates. Nephi later records that his mother -

"...had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.
3 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:2 - 3)

I'm sure Lehi was caught between a rock and a hard spot and he tells her -

"...I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.
5 But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:4 - 5)

So with all his love, concern, and patience, in -

"...this manner of language did my father, Lehi, comfort my mother, Sariah, concerning us, while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:6)

Upon the return of Nephi and his brothers, Nephi tells us of his parents -

"...behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.
8 And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:7 - 8)

I don't think a young Nephi would have necessarily recognized that and written that in his early years. I can remember serving my mission never really thinking about or recognizing the emotional impact it was on my mother and also my father. Some thirty years later as I had a son serve a mission, I began to see these same emotions that Sariah felt in my wife. I to at times expressed -

"...I know that the Lord will deliver my son..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:5)

I dont' believe even a young Joseph Smith would have understood this at the time he translated the sacred record.