Episode 7: The Tree of Life, Part 4: Book of Mormon Buzz Words (1 Ne. 12)

With our modern technology, searching the scriptures and creating our own cross-references has never been easier.  Nevertheless, I think it has been God's intent all along that his children should be making connections between ideas, symbols and doctrine, via the means of key words and phrases.

I'll illustrate this by going through a few of the key words/phrases found in 1 Nephi chapter 12:

A couple of the more well known key phrases that pop up in these chapters are, "A marvelous work and a wonder"--which means the Restoration of the Gospel (i.e. the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, restoration of priesthood authority, etc.); and the one about those who "publish peace" and "tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be"--which refers to the preaching of the Gospel, specifically the message of Christ's birth, mortal ministry, atonement and resurrection.


The purpose of key words and phrases is that every time you see them, you know automatically what is being referenced without the writer having to add a ton of extra explanation.  So, whenever you see "a marvelous work and a wonder," the whole package of the Restoration comes with it.  Likewise, whenever you read about "publishing peace," "how beautiful upon the mountains," or "glad tidings," you know that this is talking about the preaching of the Gospel.

However, we'll look at those two phrases in more detail later on.  Right now, I want to dive into "the depths of hell."  I mean, not literally--I don't actually want to dive into the depths of hell, I just meant...

You know what I mean!

Anyway, the key phrase "the depths of hell" is first referenced in 1 Ne. 12:16.  In this verse, it is defined as being the depths of the "river of filthiness" that ran alongside the Strait and Narrow Path (waiting for travelers to let go of the Iron Rod and fall in).

Something that I do when I'm studying key words/phrases in the scriptures is go to lds.org (or just pull up my scriptures on my iPhone) and I click on the link, "Scriptures."  Then I enter the word or phrase into the "Search" window.  The Topical Guide (located at the back of the LDS edition of the Bible) is useful in much the same way; however, performing a word search on lds.org allows you to search all occurrences of the word or phrase that you're studying, which may or may not be included in the Topical Guide.

Researching the scriptures' key words and phrases online using lds.org is a great
way to perform a much more exhaustive search than you'd be able to do using
only the Topical Guide.  And, if you have an lds.org login, you can also highlight
scriptures and add notes to highlighted passages; there is also a journal
where you can keep track of your thoughts and impressions.  The entries
 in your journal can either be categorized by date or by topic.

Since I'm currently researching the Book of Mormon, I clicked on the link for "Book of Mormon" after performing my search. This narrowed my results.

When I typed in "depths of hell," the result that came up was that same scripture--1Ne. 12:16--where I had seen it in the first place.  So, I shortened my search to simply read "depths."

Now we were cookin'!

As I started perusing my search results, I was able to begin categorizing them.  This is what I came up with:

Four of the search results were about cities being "swallowed up" in either the "depths of the sea" or the "depths of the earth."  These were all cases in which the cities' inhabitants were so wicked (i.e. they were divided into classes, not caring for the poor, worshipped idols, all that stuff) that their respective cities were completely destroyed through natural disasters.

As underwater archeology continues to develop, it will be
interesting if we ever find the remains of these Nephite
cities that were "swallowed up in the depths of the sea."

Two search results were about the dead bodies of fallen soldiers being buried in the "depths of the river Sidon," or digging a large pit where they buried them in the "depths of the earth," because there were too many bodies for the survivors to dig individual graves.  Both cases are referring to wars that resulted from men's lust for power.


One result (2 Ne. 26:5) was about "they that kill the prophets, and the saints," saying that "the depths of the earth shall swallow them up."   (This was a prophecy of the cities mentioned above, so it technically could be categorized with them).

Do you see how all of these instances help to further illustrate "the depths of hell"?

But there's more...

There were also six search results that were about cases in which travelers were swallowed up in the depths of the sea, who then called upon God for rescue:

• Three of these references were from the account of Nephi: remember that while journeying to the "promised land," Nephi's brothers became angry with him and tied him to the ship's mast.  A storm came in and they were about to be "swallowed up in the depths of the sea"...that is, until they repented of their sins and no longer restrained (or rather, bound) the voice of the Lord (i.e. their brother, Nephi).  It was then that Nephi took hold of the Liahona and the waves calmed and they were shown the way once again. 
   
• Two references were about the Jaredites: they knew that in crossing the sea to come to the "promised land," the journey would necessarily include time spent "in the depths of the sea," because of how their ships were constructed and because of the conditions of the ocean at that time.  However, they were given light--at the request of and by the faith of the brother of Jared--so that even when they were in the depths of the sea, they were not in darkness (see Pres. Uchtdorf's talk from this last General Conference: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/the-hope-of-gods-light?lang=eng).  

• The last reference ties all of these others together rather nicely: in 2 Ne. 8:10, Nephi is quoting Isaiah.  This particular prophecy by Isaiah is speaking of when "the Lord shall comfort Zion and gather Israel." In verse 10, Isaiah asks the Lord rhetorically, "Art thou not he who hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?"
  

Think about that: Christ "made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over".

The "promised land" represents Eternal Life, returning home to live with our Heavenly Father.  The journey to there is this life.  Through trials and sin, we all find ourselves "swallowed up in the depths of the sea" at one point or another.  But we are never left without light (the "light of Christ"), and it is never too late to repent: a way is provided, just like it was for the children of Israel when they went through the Red Sea and the River Jordan; just like it was for Nephi and his family; just like it was for the Jaredites.

We may find ourselves, like the apostle Peter, drowning when we've lost some of our faith, or when we've become afraid: but don't forget that the Lord was there to snatch Peter from sinking into the sea and to pull him up.




This brings me to the last group of search results that I found when searching the word "depths" in the Book of Mormon.  These last six references are to the "depths of humility" and "depths of sorrow":

• Lehi was brought down to the "depths of sorrow" when he had to likewise repent of complaining against God when Nephi's bow broke and they couldn't find food. 
• In Helaman 6:5 it talks about the spread of missionary work amongst the Nephites just prior to the Lord's visit and that many received the gospel ("glad tidings") from prophets and missionaries (those who were "publishing peace") and came "into the depths of humility, to be the humble followers of God and the Lamb".  
• Mosiah 21:14 tells us about the people of King Limhi who, after being defeated, humiliated, and forced into servitude by the Lamanites, "did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions."  
• Christ told his disciples in the Americas that anyone who believed in their words, and who would come "down into the depths of humility and be baptized," would be "visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins."  
• The prophet Jacob warns us, in 2 Ne. 9:42, that unless men "consider themselves fools before God, and come down into the depths of humility, he will not open unto them."  
• And King Benjamin echoed this in his famous address when he said that once we have "come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love (notice the little reference to the fruit of the Tree of Life here), and have received a remission of your sins, ... even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, ... and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility."  He follows this by telling us how to humble ourselves: by "calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith" (which ties in to the Youth Theme for 2013: "Stand in Holy Places").     

All of these are examples of someone who passed through certain "depths" (either through trial, through sin, or through the giving up of an old way of life) and allowed their experiences to point their gaze to God--to learn from their experiences.

The prophet Alma said that it is better to be humble without being compelled into humility.  This is something he knew from personal experience since his own humility came as a result of three days in a

Alma the Younger was an opponent of Christ's Church,
actively going about and trying to dissuade its adherents.
After seeing an angel, he fell into a coma for 3 days.  His
dad, Alma the Elder, knew that this was the Lord's answer
to his prayers and rejoiced when he saw his comatose son
(which I'm sure confused certain onlookers who didn't know
about the countless prayers of this father over his wayward
son).  Parents can never underestimate the power that their
faith can have.  I can testify to the faith that my own parents
had, with their countless prayers on my behalf, which sent
numerous "angels" and events into my life to bring me back
and set me on the path to the Tree of Life once again. 

coma where he was shown in perfect clarity all of his sins; it was three days in which he was "wracked" with the torment that comes with guilt, and he was "encircled about by the everlasting chains of death" (i.e. the depths of hell).  But it was during this time--being "wracked" and "encircled"--that he learned to call upon God: "I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness."

This is what Adam and Eve learned they must do when they were first cast out of the Garden of Eden--to call on God.  Transgression should have that effect: guilt is meant to impel us toward calling upon God.  Satan would have us believe otherwise--that guilt means we're "not worth it"; that we're "too far gone"; that we must hate ourselves in order to feel forgiven.  This is why he told Adam and Eve, after they had partaken of the Forbidden Fruit, "You're naked!  (Or, in other words, "God will see all your sins!")  You need to hide!  Father is coming!  He will see your nakedness and you need to hide!"  Satan also told Adam and Eve that they needed to cover their nakedness by their own means, making for themselves aprons out of fig leaves.  But Heavenly Father warned against those who would "undertake to cover [their] sins" (D&C 121:36).   Adam and Eve learned from a loving Heavenly Father that it is especially during these times of guilt that we must turn to God--to call on Him.  In a beautiful gesture of love, Heavenly Father made "coats of skins" for Adam and Eve.  This is symbolic: only Christ can "cover" (or "blot out") our sins.  But we must never be ashamed to approach Heavenly Father--we must never "hide" from him, never think we are "not worth it," and never think we are "too far gone." The moment Alma called upon God, he said, "I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more."

Another nice illustration of this comes from yet another part of the Exodus story.  There was a time when the children of Israel came to a river to drink.  The water, however, was nasty (actually, the word they used in Ex. 15:23 was "bitter" ["Marrah" means "Bitterness"]).  Their first reaction was their usual reaction: they complained against poor Moses.  Moses in turn prayed to God, "and the Lord showed him a tree which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them" (Ex. 15:25).  Alma described his conversion experience saying, "there could be nothing so...bitter as were my pains ... [and] on the other hand, there can be nothing so...sweet as was my joy" (Al. 36:21).  The Tree of Life represents the love of God.  The love of God can make even the most bitter waters become sweet.

It's important to note how this experience changed Alma: "Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste (note once again the reference to the fruit of the Tree of Life) of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost."

Being the stubborn blockhead that I am, I too had to be "compelled" to be humble.  I didn't see an angel, and I didn't go into a coma for three days, but I had nevertheless spent time "swallowed up in the depths of the sea" (or "river of filthy water") because of my own decisions and actions; I've experienced that horrible feeling of being "wracked" with guilt; I've felt as though I was "encircled about by the everlasting chains of death."  I would never wish these feelings upon anyone.  And they are certainly nothing to sensationalize.  Those who have not been through depths as "deep" as I have--or even as deep as Alma--are by no means "sheltered" or "naive."  There's this great quote by C.S. Lewis, written around the time of WWII: 

"No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.  A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means.  This is an obvious lie.  Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.  After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in.  You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down.  A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later.  That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness -- they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.  We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means -- the only complete realist." (from his book, Mere Christianity)

That being said, it was because of those feelings and experiences that I, like Alma, have learned to call upon God.  I can't speculate on who I would be or where I would be without my past mistakes.  What I do know is that because I have spent time in that "river of filthy water," I have lived my life since that time to do everything I can to never be there again.  It's because of this that I'm perhaps a little more zealous in some church stuff than other people, but this isn't a case of "more righteousness": it's more like being on "Defcon 1" all the time.  I guess an analogy would be the Incredible Hulk.  If someone like Captain America loses his temper, it's no big deal.  But if Bruce Banner loses his temper...his skin starts to turn green...bad things happen.  Thus, if Bruce Banner seems a little more "buttoned-up" than his fellow Avengers, it's not necessarily because he's calmer; it just means he has more to lose if he ever loses control.  He walks the "razor's edge."

But look at all of this material we've been able to find just from typing in the word "depths"!  Do you see how key words work?  Now, whenever I read about the "depths of hell" or the depths of the "river of filthy water," I have a broader context for it.  In fact, I no longer think of it only in negative terms, but have now attached hope to what has typically been a gloomy topic for me in the scriptures.  The vision of the Tree of Life feels more applicable to me because I see where I have been and where I now am within the vision; the stories of those people who were in the "depths of the sea," or the "depths of humility," or, like Alma, in "the gall of bitterness," are all events and people to which I can relate.   This is the beauty of context in the scriptures.  In fact, you might have noticed how we were able to expand the context of another key word--"taste"--during our research of the word "depths."  It's beautiful that the message of tasting the love of God as we partake of His gift of eternal life--or partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Life--comes up throughout a search on the "depths of hell."  That's important to remember.

And these types of connections are all over the place!  Like when Lehi describes people along the path of the Iron Rod as "pressing forward": then, near the end of his record, Nephi echoes this in a very powerful way when he tells us to "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ."  Or, when Lehi says that as he partook of the fruit of the Tree of Life, "it filled [his] soul with exceedingly great joy": that word, "filled", is given so much more power and meaning when we recall 3 Ne. 18 where it gives the account of Christ administering the sacrament to the Nephite and Lamanite survivors: "And when they had eaten and were filled ... [A]nd they did drink, and they were filled."  This is why I tell the deacons in our Ward that whenever they think of Lehi standing by the Tree of Life beckoning others to partake of the fruit as well, they can put themselves in his place, offering eternal life as they offer the sacrament.  And even when Lehi described the people in his vision who were coming forward to grab hold of the Iron Rod, he said that they were all in a vast field: every week in Young Men's we recite D&C 4, which says, "Behold, the field is white, already to harvest..."  Our deacons understand that it is their priesthood duty to lead God's children who are gathered in this field, to the path that leads to Eternal Life...to the Iron Rod...to Christ.  Theirs is a duty that goes beyond passing sacrament trays on Sunday, and the power of the symbolism behind the contents of those trays is empowered to have greater effect in their hearts.