The Vision of the Tree of Life

1. The Vision of the Tree of Life • 1 Nephi 8-11; 12:16-18; 15

2. King Nebuchadnezzar

3. Pharaoh’s dream

4. Paul receives vision to bring gospel to Gentiles

5. Lehi’s Tree of Life

6. Nephi’s response: 1 Nephi 11:1 • “He that diligently seeketh shall find” • Because of Nephi’s desire, we have interpretation of dream

7. Elder Nelson • “When I was in medical school, I was taught that you should never touch the beating heart because if you did, it would stop. And then I read in the Doctrine and Covenants that ‘unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions.’ (D&C 88:38.) That passage told me that the blessing of a heartbeat is predicated upon obedience to law. So I knew that there were laws pertaining to the beat of a heart. Therefore, if we understood those laws, we might be able to approach the heart with a little more precision.” • Church News, April 22, 1984, p.4.

8. The tree of life • Tree represents • Love of God • John 3:16

9. What was Nephi shown to help him better understand God’s love?1 Ne 11:14-36 • A virgin bearing a child in her arms • One who should prepare the way—John the Baptist • The ministry of the Son of God • Twelve others following the Messiah • The heavens open and angles ministering to them • The multitudes blessed and healed • The crucifixion of the Christ • The wisdom and pride of the world opposing his work

10. Jeffrey R. Holland: • “The images of Christ and the tree [are] inextricably linked. . . . At the very outset of the Book of Mormon, . . . Christ is portrayed as the source of eternal life and joy, the living evidence of divine love, and the means whereby God will fulfill his covenant with the house of Israel and indeed the entire family of man, returning them all to their eternal promises” • Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 160, 162.

11. How is the fruit described? • 1 Ne 8:11 • 1 Ne 8:11 • 1 Ne 8:12 • 1 Ne 11:8 • 1 Ne 11:9 • 1 Ne 11:23 • 1 Ne 15:36 “Most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted” “White, to exceed all … whiteness” “Desirable above all other fruit” Having “beauty … exceeding of all beauty” “Precious above all”; “most precious” “Most joyous to the soul” “The greatest of all the gifts of God” What does the fruit represent?

12. Think of these characteristics— How are they similar to how you felt when you first received a testimony? • “Most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted” • “White, to exceed all … whiteness” • “Desirable above all other fruit” • Having “beauty … exceeding of all beauty” • “Precious above all”; “most precious” • “Most joyous to the soul” • “The greatest of all the gifts of God” Interesting that the words “hunger” and “thirst” are often used in relation to gospel knowledge.

13. Rod of Iron • “extended along the bank of the river” • (1 Ne 8:19) • Protection between straight and narrow and filthy water • Something to cling to in mist of darkness

14. Iron Rod: what does it represent? • Nephi explaining vision to brothers: • 1 Nephi 15:24 • And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.

15. What personal significance comes to mind when you hear the phrase “holding fast” to the iron rod?

16. Ezra Taft Benson • Each of us has his or her own battlefield. The tactics which the enemy will use against us will vary from time to time. He will seek to exploit our weak spots, so we must be alert to the devil’s devious designs—the subtle sins and clever compromises as well as the obvious offenses. • We must remember that the devil seeks to make all men miserable like unto himself. We must also remember that the Lord loves us and seeks for us the fulness of joy which He enjoys. We must choose whom we will serve. • God can reveal to us our talents and our strengths so that we will know what we can build upon. Be assured that in all our righteous endeavors, we can say, as did Paul: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philip. 4:13.) Also be assured, as Paul said further, that there will be no temptation befall us but what is common to man: but God will, with each temptation, provide a way to escape. (See 1 Cor. 10:13.) • “In His Steps,” Ensign, Sep 1988, 2

17. The Great and Spacious Building and the River of Filthy Water • What does: • Filthy water represent • Filthiness (15:27) • Gulf separating the wicked from the tree of life (15:28) • Depths of hell (12:16) • Mist of darkness represent • Temptations of the devil (12:17) • Great and spacious building represent • “Vain imaginations and pride of the children of men” (12:18)

18. Why might Satan want our eyes to be blinded? • 2 Nephi 2:18 • “And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. . .”

19. Richard G. Scott • For those who commit a serious mistake, Satan whispers: “Your life is ruined. There is no way back. You might as well continue in the path you are on.” • That is a lie. The Savior gave His life that even the most serious transgressions can be overcome and an individual can be made new, clean, and pure through repentance and obedience to the Lord’s commandments. To believe otherwise would be to deny the efficacy of the Atonement of our Savior. • “Do What Is Right,” Liahona, Mar 2001, 10

20. “And they were in the attitude of mocking” • In what ways might our attitudes toward others lead them to fall away?

21. Great and Spacious building • “stood as it were in the air” • Compare to description of pride • “lifted up” • high-mindedness, highminded • those with pride are spoken of being brought “down” • etc Satan does not support us once we choose to follow him

22. “. . . They did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.” • What have you done that has helped you withstand persecution?

23. People in the vision • “numberless concourses of people” • (1 Ne 8:21) • What do we know about these people

24. Four groups • 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?

25. Ezra Taft Benson • In all ages prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day. Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us. Make no mistake about it—this is a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time than there is of us. Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been so well organized. Now is the great day of the devil’s power. But now is also the great day of the Lord’s power, with the greatest number of priesthood holders on the earth. • Each day the forces of evil and the forces of good enlist new recruits. Each day we personally make many decisions showing the cause we support. The final outcome is certain—the forces of righteousness will win. But what remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future, will stand in this battle—and how tall we will stand. • “In His Steps,” Ensign, Sep 1988, 2

26. Reach the Tree of Life! • 1 Nephi 8:22 • Commence • 1 Nephi 8:24 • Caught hold • 1 Nephi 8:24 • Clinging • 1 Nephi 8:30 • Continually