Episode 5: The Tree of Life, Part 2 (1Ne. 11)

When Nephi had a question, he did exactly what Joseph Smith had learned to do from James 1:5: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God." Whenever Nephi heard his dad prophesy or, in this case, relate a vision he'd had in a dream, Nephi went and prayed to know for himself.  This doesn't demonstrate a lack of faith.  In fact, quite the contrary: it shows a great deal of faith that Nephi, too, could receive guidance and inspiration from our Heavenly Father.  Rather than leaning on Lehi's testimony, Nephi was constantly, actively going out and solidifying his own.

Prayer is the best way to go to God
for answers.  This is why, Mormon
warned, "the evil spirit teacheth not
a man to pray."

Many of the things Nephi saw that are not mentioned in Lehi's account, Lehi must have seen as well, because immediately after sharing his vision with his family, Lehi began to prophesy of many of the things that Nephi saw in his own experience with the vision (1 Ne. 10).

However, another distinction to make is the difference in how Nephi's vision was received from how Lehi got his.  Lehi tended to get his information from the Lord when he was sleeping (if only that was how it worked for me too): a lot of Lehi's visions, prophecies and inspiration came to him in his dreams.

Nephi, on the other hand, was not so lucky: he had to go to the Lord to receive most of his revelations (that we know of).  And not only did he have to go to the Lord, but half the time he was having to

Mt. Eliat, in the Negev, south of
Jerusalem (roughly the area that
Nephi's family was camped).

climb a mountain in order to receive that revelation!  It's not as convenient as the "house calls" that Lehi enjoyed, but the advantage is that Nephi was totally awake, totally aware, and thus his account is much clearer and more detailed.  (He even points out certain places where he noticed something that his dad didn't notice when viewing the same vision).

That being said, I would like to add something interesting from a few General Conferences ago about dreams.  In the Saturday Afternoon Session of the April 2012 General Conference, Elder Richard G. Scott gave, in my opinion, one of the greatest talks ever given in General Conference.  His talk was entitled, "How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life"   (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/how-to-obtain-revelation-and-inspiration-for-your-personal-life?lang=eng ).  It was one of the most practical talks I have ever heard on receiving revelation.  It didn't have the usual bullet-points of doctrine that you hear abstractly listed in detachment from practical application.  No, this was a complete "Idiot's Guide to Revelation"--it had both compelling doctrine and real, hands-on counsel.  The connection between scripture and daily life was laid out in perfect harmony.

Elder Richard G. Scott
(He's the man!)

But let me end my gushing and get to the point.  I want to include here a couple paragraphs from Elder Scott's talk that apply to what Lehi understood about dreams and what we, in time, can learn for ourselves:

"Revelation can also be given in a dream when there is an almost imperceptible transition from sleep to wakefulness.  If you strive to capture the content immediately, you can record great detail, but otherwise it fades rapidly.  Inspired communication in the night is generally accompanied by a sacred feeling for the entire experience.  The Lord uses individuals for whom we have great respect to teach us truths in a dream because we trust them and will listen to their counsel.  It is the Lord doing the teaching through the Holy Ghost.  However, He may in a dream make it both easier to understand and more likely to touch our hearts by teaching us through someone we love and respect.

"When it is for the Lord's purposes, He can bring anything to our remembrance.  That should not weaken our determination to record impressions of the Spirit.  Inspiration carefully recorded shows God that His communications are sacred to us.  Recording will also enhance our ability to recall revelation.  Such recording of direction of the Spirit should be protected from loss or intrusion by others."

Whenever I have gone back through my old journals and looked at passages in which I included some impression from the Lord, the feelings that came with those impressions return to me and it's reaffirmed in my heart that that was an example of Father speaking to son.  As for dreams, I have tried keeping my journal by my bed at night, just in case.  I can't say that I've woken up, yet, with any notable impressions or inspiration (not that I'm giving up, mind you).  However, I do have one experience in my life that's always been precious to me.  Once, when I was far from the presence of the Lord in my life and in my heart, I remember feeling sharply that separation from God.  And when the distance between you and God gets that far, the journey back can seem overwhelming.  But I remember  during that time having a dream in which I met the Savior, and He didn't say anything to me, but just gave me a hug.  And that was all that He needed to say; it was all I needed to hear.  I had hope where before none existed.  I'll never forget that experience.


Back to Nephi's vision...

Chapter 10 ends with Nephi pondering over the words of his father (it's interesting how often prophets receive great inspiration while reflecting on the teachings of their fathers--a dad can never take for granted the impact his words and actions will have on his children).  Chapter 11 then begins with Nephi being led into the mountain by the Spirit of the Lord.  This is where he sees Lehi's vision, but the Spirit also sticks around in order to give Nephi the "director's commentary."

There are three parts to every portion of Nephi's vision -

• the symbol 
• the actual events that are directly related to the symbols' symbolization 
• and then Nephi is asked by the Spirit to state what that symbol symbolizes symbolically (I think I need to invest in a thesaurus).

The Tree:
The Spirit tells Nephi that after he sees the Tree "which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God."

I guess in legal terms this would be called "prepping your witness."  But here's where this 3-step process comes into play.  Nephi sees the Tree (the symbol), and then the Spirit asks, "What desiredst thou?" Nephi tells him: "To know the interpretation thereof." Then the Spirit says, "Look!"  This is when Nephi sees in vision the Virgin Mary (the event related to the symbol).  The Spirit then asks Nephi, "Knowest thou the condescension of God?"  Nephi, in his classic, unadorned honesty, says, "Nope" (I'm paraphrasing here).  However, he does point out that, even though he doesn't have all the answers, he knows that God loves His children (see Elder Holland's talk from this past General Conference: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng).  Then Nephi sees Christ as a baby, in the arms of His mother, and the Spirit asks him, "Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?"
Now Nephi can give a clear answer concerning the "condescension of God." He says: "Yea, [the Tree] is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things".


I love the use of the word "sheddeth" there in referring to the shade of the Tree and the reach of its shelter.  Every week we hear in the sacrament prayer, "...to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them...".  What greater symbol of God's love and shelter than in the blood shed by His Son for us?  There's this beautiful passage in Doctrine & Covenants 76:50-53, concerning those "who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized."  It says that we can be "sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true."  This sealing is made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  The beginnings of this experience happen when we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost at baptism (and notice how that is the first commandment given to any newly baptized member of the church: "I say unto you, receive the Holy Ghost").  This is why we're also promised in the sacrament prayer that those who partake of the sacrament in remembrance of Christ, will "always have His spirit to be with them." As we remember Christ throughout the week, we are enabling His spirit to have place in our hearts, which in turn changes us from our "fallen" state to our...well...not-so-fallen state.  Thus, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, and the shade of this Tree extends over our lives throughout the week and not just

on Sunday; and eventually we are changed into new creatures so that our wills are completely aligned with his and he can envelope us, "sealing" us to Him.  We just need to stop fighting and receive His Spirit.


Okay, symbol number two: the Iron Rod:

The Spirit said again, "Look!"  Nephi looked, and he writes: "I be-

As we follow the Iron Rod, we are follow-
ing the example of our Savior. Think of
how He lived his life: always in the serv-
ice of others.  Grasping the Iron Rod does
not mean only reading your scriptures--it
means living their teachings.

held the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him" (the event).  Then, immediately after, Nephi's account says, "And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God" (the symbol and the meaning).  It's important here to see that the Savior's earthly ministry is associated with the Iron Rod.  Nephi says that he "beheld that the rod of iron...was the word of God" after he had seen the Savior "going forth among the children of men."  Most often we think of the Iron Rod as representing the scriptures, but let us not forget that the Apostle John begins his account saying, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." (John 1:1, 14).

Isn't it nice to think that whenever we're
reaching for the Iron Rod, maybe it's
reaching back for us?

How differently does one hold onto the Iron Rod when they understand the greater depth to its symbolism: of not only what the "word of God" is, but also who the "Word of God" is?



And there's so much more to the Iron Rod, which also gives greater insight to Christ's ministry and how we can hold onto it.  Consider the many ways in which rods are used symbolically throughout the scriptures:

There's the shepherd's rod, which was used to beat wolves away from the herd,

or to guide the sheep (see Ps. 2:9: "Thou shalt break [the heathen] with a rod of iron"), or upon which the shepherd can rest and use for support as he walks (see 2Ne. 4:20: "My God hath been my support").

There's the rod as a symbol of priesthood authority, as in the case of Moses in Exodus 4:17 (see also Rev. 2:27: "And he [Christ] shall rule them with a rod of iron", or even Isa. 11:1: "And there shall

come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse" [speaking of the coming of Christ]).  Priesthood authority is how gospel ordinances are administered, which in turn solidify our grasp on the Iron Rod and allow us to "press forward."

There's also the symbolism--albeit an uncomfortable one--of the rod as a means of punishing a wayward child (see Isa. 11:4: "...and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth," or also check out D&C 19:15: "Repent lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth").  The Iron Rod guides its followers along a "strait and narrow path," just as God's gentle instruction guides us.  Man often uses punishment as a means for revenge or as a release valve for anger (which is the cause of so much domestic abuse in too many households).  Yet for God, punishment is used strictly as a tool for instruction.  I often react emotionally to things that my kids do that are "wrong," and instead of instructing them, I yell at them; when I do that, what is my primary concern: teaching them, or releasing my frustration on them?  And on one last note: this symbolism of a rod can also be seen another way when applied to the words of the familiar hymn, God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son: "He came as man, though Son of God, And bowed himself beneath the rod.  He died in holy innocence, A broken law to recompense."  Though completely without sin, Christ nevertheless allowed Himself to be punished by sinful men.  Think about that...

How do you measure up?  Paul told the Ephesians that
the reason God calls all of us to serve in the church
is for the perfecting of the saints, "Till we all come in the
unity of the faith,  and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ."  Our spiritual growth isn't
a solitary thing--we're in this together.  And most
importantly, through Christ, we can all "measure up"--
our Savior makes up the difference where we fall short.

And finally, there's the use of a rod as a measuring stick, which was used to gauge distances (which brings us back to 1Ne. 11:25: "...the rod of iron...was the word of God").  Christ's life and ministry are the standard by which we gauge ourselves (our spiritual growth) and the distance between us and God (see Hymn #127, Does the Journey Seem Long?).



Now for the next symbol: Nephi mixes metaphors here--which is usually something that will result in the loss of points in English class--but it's for good reason.  As Nephi followed his gaze along the Iron Rod, he saw that it "led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God" (vs. 25).

You might ask yourself, "Didn't we already talk about the Tree of Life representing God's love?"
The answer of course is yes: but remember that the event tied with the earlier presentation of the symbol was the birth of the Savior (the "condescension of God"), and it only mentioned the Tree of Life by itself--no mention was made of the "fountain of livings waters." This time, however, notice that after the Spirit repeats his earlier instruction--"Look and behold the condescension of God" (vs. 26)--Nephi looks and sees Christ's baptism.  This time, the condescension of God is broadened to

Christ was baptized in the Jordan
River.  Centuries earlier, Joshua
led the Children of Israel through
the Jordan, which parted for them
just like the Red Sea.  These two
occasions of the Israelites passing
through bodies of water on dry
ground represent their baptisms
as the covenant people of the Lord.
Christ didn't pick this river at random.

include not only Christ's birth into a physical, mortal body, but also to show obedience to His Father in all things, even including those things that, technically, He didn't have to do.

Baptism represents the washing away of all our sins: Christ was sinless.  Even John the Baptist acknowledged this and said to Christ, "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" The Savior replied, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." Pure obedience: that is what the Savior was demonstrating.

More than that, however, baptism also ties in to the condescension of God because it is the first of the saving ordinances that everyone must go through in order to enter the path back to our Heavenly Father.  Christ's mortal life wasn't a case of the supervisor coming down to the factory floor and walking amongst the "little people" to see what it's like to be working along the assembly line; He didn't come to earth out of idle curiosity or to check-off an item on his "Bucket List": Christ came to earth to save God's children.  That is the condescension of God: Christ "descended below all things" (D&C 88:6)--there is no suffering or guilt or sorrow that He Himself hasn't also felt.

Rather than the usual "small talk"
we engage in around the water
cooler at work, Christ turned this
seemingly chance encounter into
a missionary opportunity.

A final point to make about the symbology of the "fountain of living waters" and how it fits with the Tree of Life and the condescension of God: Christ once visited a communal well where he met a Samaritan woman.  He told her that He could give her "living water." He said, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).  A few verses later, He explained to her that He was the source of that living water.  Think about that the next time you drink the water in the sacrament.

Once, when the children of Israel were pestering Moses for water, he strode
up to a rock and whacked it with his stick.  Water suddenly came gushing out.
Christ is the Rock of our salvation; it is upon the "rock of our redeemer that
[we] must build [our] foundation" (Hel. 5:12); just as the rock was smitten by
the staff of Moses in order for the children of Israel to live, Christ "was wounded
for our transgressions" and "bruised for our iniquities"--it is "with his stripes (wounds)
that we are healed."  From the rock came water; from Christ comes "living water."
Drink up.