Zoram¹ was the servant of Laban in Jerusalem who held the keys to Laban’s treasury. When Nephi¹, disguised in Laban’s garments and sword, came to obtain the plates of brass, Zoram supposed him to be his master and led him to the treasury, speaking to him about the elders of the Jews. He followed Nephi out to the city walls; when he saw Nephi’s brethren and realized Nephi was not Laban, he began to tremble and tried to flee toward Jerusalem. Nephi, a man large in stature, seized him and held him, then swore an oath that Zoram would be spared and would be a free man like Nephi’s family if he went down into the wilderness with them. Zoram took courage and swore in turn that he would stay with them, so that the Jews would not learn of their flight (1 Nephi 4:20-37).
In the wilderness Zoram took the eldest daughter of Ishmael to wife, while Nephi and his brethren married Ishmael’s other daughters (1 Nephi 16:7). Before his death Lehi spoke a blessing to Zoram, calling him a true friend to Nephi forever and promising that because he had been faithful his seed would be blessed with Nephi’s seed and dwell in prosperity on the land, so long as they kept the commandments (2 Nephi 1:30-32). When Nephi separated from Laman and Lemuel after Lehi’s death, Zoram and his family went with him (2 Nephi 5:6).
Ammoron, while leading the Lamanite forces against the Nephites, claimed descent from Zoram, “whom your fathers pressed and brought out of Jerusalem” (Alma 54:23). A later Nephite chief captain (Alma 16:5) and the leader of the dissenting Zoramites (Alma 30:59; 31:1) also bear the name Zoram, but the text does not state their lineage from the servant of Laban.