Brass is the material named for the plates bearing records that Laban possessed, including “the record of the Jews” and a genealogy of Lehi’s forefathers (1 Nephi 3:3). Nephi and his brothers sought “the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass” from Laban, offering their gold, silver, and precious things (1 Nephi 3:24). After departing with the plates, Lehi searched the records “from the beginning” (1 Nephi 5:10).
The plates of brass contained the law, for Nephi knew that “the law was engraven upon the plates of brass” (1 Nephi 4:16). Nephi later brought the records and “the ball, or compass,” while the ball was “of fine brass” and had two spindles (2 Nephi 5:12; 1 Nephi 16:10). Nephi taught his people to work in brass, and king Noah used brass in buildings and temple work (2 Nephi 5:15; Mosiah 11:8, 10).