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It’s natural to share things we love with people we love, but sometimes we find it hard to share the gospel. We have fear of being mocked, laughed at, condemned, rejection and a host of other fears that Satan puts out there to help us NOT share the gospel. Interestingly enough Lehi in the Book of Mormon, had the same fears, particularly with members of his own family, yet he overcame, faced the fear and pressed forward with the message of our Savior. We too can do the same and 1 Nephi 8–10 will help us do so. As you read 1 Nephi 8–10, consider what messages from Lehi’s vision apply to you personally. Think about the challenges and opportunities facing you and the people you know.
History and Background
Many symbolic dreams and visions are recorded in the scriptures. King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a large image, or statue, of a man. Each part of the man’s body was made of a different material. A stone destroyed the image and became a mountain, filling the whole earth. Daniel 2:31–45; see also D&C 65:2. The various parts of the image represented kingdoms that have reigned on the earth. The stone represented the kingdom of God, which would consume all other kingdoms in the latter days.
Pharaoh dreamed of seven lean and ill cattle devouring seven fat and healthy cattle and seven poor ears of corn devouring seven good ears of corn. Genesis 41:17–31. The seven healthy cattle and seven good ears of corn represented seven years of prosperity that would come to Egypt. The seven ill cattle and seven poor ears of corn represented seven years of famine that would follow the years of plenty.
In a vision, the Apostle Peter saw unclean animals lowered from heaven in a great sheet, and he was commanded to kill and eat these animals. Acts 10:9–16, 28, 34–35. The unclean animals represented the Gentiles, who were now to be taught the gospel.
This week's lesson discusses another symbolic dream described in the scriptures: the vision of the tree of life received by Lehi. Unlike the many dreams or visions that have application only to specific people or at a specific time (like Pharaoh’s dream of the cattle and corn), the vision of the tree of life applies to each of God’s children.
In these chapters Lehi recounted his vision of the tree of life. In vision, Lehi partook of the fruit of the tree, which represents the love of God and the blessings we can receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Lehi was shown various groups of people and their success or failure in reaching the tree of life and remaining there. After hearing his father Lehi’s account of his vision, Nephi desired to see, hear, and know for himself the things Lehi had seen and heard.
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 8
Lehi sees a vision of the tree of life. He partakes of its fruit and desires his family to do likewise. He sees a rod of iron, a strait and narrow path, and the mists of darkness that enshroud men. Sariah, Nephi, and Sam partake of the fruit, but Laman and Lemuel refuse. About 600–592 B.C.
Nephi makes two sets of records. Each is called the plates of Nephi. The larger plates contain a secular history; the smaller ones deal primarily with sacred things. About 600–592 B.C.
Lehi predicts that the Jews will be taken captive by the Babylonians. He tells of the coming among the Jews of a Messiah, a Savior, a Redeemer. Lehi tells also of the coming of the one who should baptize the Lamb of God. Lehi tells of the death and resurrection of the Messiah. He compares the scattering and gathering of Israel to an olive tree. Nephi speaks of the Son of God, of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and of the need for righteousness. About 600–592 B.C.
Part 1: 1 Nephi 8:10–16 When we experience God’s love, we desire to help others experience it.
Lehi received a vision and told his family about it. After Nephi heard his father speak about the things in the vision, he also wanted to “see, and hear, and know of [those] things”
Because of Nephi’s belief in Jesus Christ, his request was granted. It is through Nephi’s record of his experience that we know the interpretation of the vision.
10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.
11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.
13 And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.
14 And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go.
15 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.
16 And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also.
President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) taught of the blessings that come from holding fast to the word of God: “[Lehi] saw that if people would hold fast to that rod, they could avoid the rivers of filthiness, stay away from the forbidden paths, stop from wandering in the strange roads that lead to destruction. … Not only will the word of God lead us to the fruit which is desirable above all others, but in the word of God and through it we can find the power to resist temptation, the power to thwart the work of Satan and his emissaries. …
“… The word of God, as found in the scriptures, in the words of living prophets, and in personal revelation, has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the Spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life” (Ezra Taft Benson, “The Power of the Word,” Ensign, May 1986, 80).
“… The word of God, as found in the scriptures, in the words of living prophets, and in personal revelation, has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the Spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life” (Ezra Taft Benson, “The Power of the Word,” Ensign, May 1986, 80).
What do we learn from Lehi’s experience that will help us as we share the gospel?
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught that the tree of life represents the Savior and His Atonement: “The Spirit made explicit that the Tree of Life and its precious fruit are symbols of Christ’s redemption” (Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon [1997], 160).
Elder Neal A. Maxwell further emphasized that partaking of the love of God means partaking of the blessings of the Atonement. The tree of life is a symbol of God’s love and Christ’s Atonement: “The tree of life … is the love of God (see 1 Nephi 11:25). The love of God for His children is most profoundly expressed in His gift of Jesus as our Redeemer: ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son’ (John 3:16). To partake of the love of God is to partake of Jesus’ Atonement and the emancipations and joys which it can bring” (Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 6; or Ensign, Nov. 1999, 8).
In your opinion, why is the fruit an appropriate symbol for the blessings of the Atonement?
Reflecting on 1 Nephi 8:11–16 how would you describe the sweetness that the Atonement of Jesus Christ has brought into your life?
11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.
13 And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.
14 And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go.
15 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.
16 And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also.
How did Lehi describe the tree of life and its fruit?
“Most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted” 1 Nephi 8:11“White, to exceed all … whiteness” 1 Nephi 8:11
“Desirable above all other fruit” 1 Nephi 8:12
In the vision, what did Lehi desire once he had partaken of the fruit of the tree? 1 Nephi 8:12.
How have you beckoned to others to taste its sweetness? verse 15.
How have others invited you to seek the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement?
What are you inspired to do as you read 1 Nephi 8:11–16? I hope that As you partake of the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement, you will be filled with joy and a desire to help others come unto Him.
Part 2: 1 Nephi 8:19–38 The word of God leads us to the Savior and helps us feel His love.
Continuing in this vision, we see how the Lord also used other symbols to teach Lehi how to come unto Jesus Christ and partake of His Atonement.
21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood.
22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.
23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.
24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
25 And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.
26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.
28 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.
29 And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father.
30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.
31 And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.
32 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.
33 And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.
34 These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away.
35 And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father.
36 And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord.
37 And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them.
38 And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them.
What did the rod of iron represent? 1 Nephi 11:25 The word of God
Where can we find the word of God? In the scriptures, the teachings of latter-day prophets, and the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
How does the word of God help us come unto Christ? How does it keep us on the path to eternal life?
16 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell.
What did the mist of darkness represent? 1 Nephi 12:17.
17 And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost.
What are the effects of the mist of darkness? 1 Nephi 8:23
23 And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.
Why might Satan want our eyes to be blinded to the love of God? to the Atonement of Jesus Christ? to the word of God? In what ways does Satan try to blind our eyes?
The rod of iron “extended along the bank of the river” serving as a protection between the strait and narrow path and the filthy water. It also gave the people in the vision something to cling to when they were in the mist of darkness
What does this teach about how the word of God can help us?
18 And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever.
Why is it significant that the building “stood … in the air”? 1 Nephi 8:26. The building did not have a solid foundation.
How can pride keep a person from receiving eternal life?
Some people in the vision tasted of the fruit but were ashamed because the people in the great and spacious building mocked them.
How can we receive strength to withstand persecution?
In the vision, Lehi saw “numberless concourses of people”. These people can be divided into four categories based on their actions in seeking the tree and the fruit.
1 Nephi 8:21–23. Those who start on the path but then become lost in the mist of darkness.
1 Nephi 8:24–28. Those who hold to the rod of iron until they reach the tree and partake of the fruit, but then become ashamed and fall away.
1 Nephi 8:30. Those who hold to the rod of iron until they reach the tree and partake of the fruit, and who then remain faithful.
1 Nephi 8:31–33. Those who never start on the path but instead go directly toward the great and spacious building.
How are these categories manifest in the world today? People who say that they want eternal life but are distracted by other things, such as material wealth or worldly pleasures, are like those who start on the path but then become lost.
In the vision, what kinds of roads did people travel when they let go of the iron rod or left the tree of life?
What happens to those who follow such roads?
If we are moving toward “forbidden,” “strange,” or “broad” roads, how can we return to the strait and narrow path?
One prominent message in Lehi’s vision is the importance of the word of God, symbolized by the iron rod.
What do you feel impressed to do to ensure that you are “holding fast to the rod of iron” (1 Nephi 8:30).
Part 3: 1 Nephi 10:17–19 God will reveal truth to us if we diligently seek it.
Mists of darkness that obscure our path and mocking voices from the great and spacious building can make it hard for us to find the truth. Reading about Nephi’s example as a seeker of truth could help us get into a better place and be ready for the conformation from the spirit.
18 For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.
19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.
Three young men attend the same Church meeting. After returning home, one young man feels that the meeting was boring and a waste of his time. Another thinks the meeting was nice but is unaffected by it. The third returns home uplifted by the Holy Ghost and receives inspiration and direction for his life, even beyond what was taught in the meeting.
How is it possible that the three young men could attend the same meeting but have such different experiences?
This situation is similar to the experience of Laman, Lemuel, and Nephi when they heard their father’s prophecies and the account of his vision. Laman and Lemuel did not understand their father’s words and disputed about what they heard 1 Nephi 15:2. Nephi, on the other hand, turned to the Lord for understanding. He provided an excellent example of how to seek and receive revelation.
After relating his vision of the tree of life, Lehi also gave a series of prophecies. These included details of the coming of Jesus Christ to earth 600 years after Lehi left Jerusalem 1 Nephi 10:4, His baptism by John the Baptist 1 Nephi 10:7–10, His Crucifixion and Resurrection 1 Nephi 10:11, and the impending scattering and gathering of Israel 1 Nephi 10:12–14. These are the things Laman and Lemuel could not comprehend, they couldn't accept them.
Why could they not accept them, why didn't they belive?
On the other hand, what did Nephi desire to see, hear, and know? The things that his father had seen by the power of the Holy Ghost. k He knew they were true but he desired a conformation, that he might KNOW.
The phrase “mysteries of God” in verse 19, refers to “spiritual truths known only by revelation” Guide to the Scriptures, “Mysteries of God,” scriptures.lds.or).
What did Nephi do to diligently seek truth? Desired, believe, and ponder.
How do our desires affect our ability to receive revelation?
How might believing that God can reveal truth to us influence our ability to receive revelation?
What is pondering and how can pondering help us receive revelation? Elder Gerald N. Lund, who served as a member of the Seventy, taught the importance of meditation in the process of seeking revelation:
“Take time to ponder and reflect. Get away from the bustle of life. Find a quiet place and take time to simply sit and think, to listen to your thoughts and feelings, to open yourself to the promptings of the Spirit. Note what the following prophets said they were doing prior to receiving important revelations. Nephi: ‘I sat pondering in my heart’ (1 Nephi 11:1). Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon: ‘While we meditated upon these things’ (D&C 76:19). Joseph F. Smith: ‘I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures; and reflecting’ (D&C 138:1–2). Joseph Smith: ‘My mind was called up to serious reflection. … I reflected … again and again [upon the words of James]’ (JS—H 1:8, 12).
“Sometimes we must deliberately put aside the cares of the world, put aside the rush of our daily lives, and find a quiet place and a quiet time where we can sit and ponder and reflect and meditate—and listen for that still small voice that whispers” (Gerald N. Lund, “The Voice of the Lord” [Brigham Young University devotional, Dec. 2, 1997], 9–10, speeches.byu.edu).
Think of a time when you diligently were seeking truth, did it led you to receive revelation by the power of the Holy Ghost? Remember that revelation can include receiving guidance when making a decision, gaining increased understanding, receiving comfort, or receiving an assurance that something is true.
Read the steps that Nephi took to gain his own witness of the truth of his father’s vision 1 Nephi 10:17–19; 11:1. How can we follow his example as we seek truth?
Conclusion
Like Nephi, we too can have spiritual experiences in which divine truths are revealed to us. These sacred experiences will be unique and specific to our personal circumstances. The Prophet Joseph Smith said:
“No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations. The Holy Ghost is a revelator”
“Having a knowledge of God, we begin to know how to approach Him, and how to ask so as to receive an answer when we understand the character of God, and know how to come to Him, he begins to unfold the heavens to us, and to tell us all about it. When we are ready to come to him, he is ready to come to us” (History of the Church, 6:58, 6:308).I invite all of you to listen for answers to the questions that circulate in your mind. We can better experience God's love and grow a desire and strength to share it, we can belive in Lehi's vision and find our own confirmation of its truths, through the word of God and particularly through Lehi's vison and the Book of Mormon. As Elder Boyd K Packer stated: “You may think that Lehi’s dream or vision has no special meaning for you, but it does. You are in it; all of us are in it” (Boyd K. Packer, “Finding Ourselves in Lehi’s Dream,” Ensign Aug. 2010, 22).
Resources
Book of Mormon Student Manual
Conference Reports
Ensign
History of the Church
BYU speeches
Guide to the Scriptures
Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon
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