Come and Partake of the Fruit

Cree rolled his eyes a little bit. Studying Lehi’s dream felt particularly difficult, and always had. Even when he was little, the dream made perfect sense from the beginning. However, it felt so repetitive. The dream literally recounts most of the major events in Christianity.

Despite his reluctance, Cree opened his Book of Mormon to 1 Nephi 8 and began reading.

Symbols From Lehi’s Vision

• The Tree and its Fruit (1 Nephi 8:10-12)
  • What am I doing to invite others to partake of the love of God?
    Lehi describes the fruit as desirable, most sweet, and white. He said that when he tasted it, the fruit filled him with joy. Cree thought about that, as he contemplated how he interacted with his friends on a daily basis.
    1. He constantly invited those around him to activities where they might feel the spirit
    2. Additionally, he actively participated in anything that he could, giving him insight to upcoming opportunities
    3. Cree also made sure to answer any questions his coworkers asked
• River (1 Nephi 8:13)
  • How can I keep others from falling into the river? Lehi mentioned the river briefly, but Cree knew it would come up again later. The river represented the filth of the world, and it’s overwhelming currents.
    1. Cree contemplated how he could keep those around him from the churning filth, and realized that his own children where his best hope. Teaching them to be examples to those they met would help at least three people from falling in.
• Rod of Iron (1 Nephi 8:19-20, 30)
  • The Iron Rod represented the word of God, or the Gospel. The verses also speak to how straight the Iron Rod, and how narrow the path it followed are.
    1. He knew that it referred to there only being one way back. However, it occurred to Cree that many people were at different points along the Iron Rod. All he could do was hope they held on, and keep trying to move forward himself.
• Mist of Darkness (1 Nephi 8:23)
  • In Lehi’s dream, a mist of darkness covered everything from the river, to the path along the Iron Rod, and beyond. It represented the world in general, and how easy it is to lose sight of the gospel.
    1. Cree reflected on the several occasions where he’d lost site of the Iron Rod. It drove home the point that he’d read somewhere else, about not judging those who struggle. He’d struggled and had to find his way back enough to know that sometimes it took a lot of raw clawing to get back on the narrow way.
• The Great and Spacious Building (1 Nephi 8:26-27, 33)
  • This particular portion of Lehi’s dream amused Cree. Not because of the actual building and it’s meaning, but because of the random interjections so many people put on it. The building represents the deliberately wicked of the world.
    1. Those in the building constantly taunt and ridicule those who partake of the Gospel. Sometimes to the point where the precious few who feel the joy it brings walk away.

The Lord’s Wise Purpose

To one reading 1 Nephi 9, it seems like a simple thing. In plain English, Nephi felt impressed to make a second record where he recorded the spiritual lessons that went along with their history. Cree smiled as he thought of advice he’d given many times. “Write it down, type it up, save it in three places.”

In the case of Nephi, it didn’t make sense at the time, but as Cree studied Church History (Doctrine and Covenants 10), the lesson made sense.

Testimonies of Ancient Prophets

Throughout the Old Testament, Cree knew of the prophecies and teachings of the ancient prophets. However, in 1 Nephi 10 it discusses several of the prophets that came AFTER Lehi and his family left Jerusalem. Lehi prophesied about John the Baptist, and the coming of Jesus Christ.

Cree wondered what it might have felt like, listening to people prophesy of a Messiah, or Savior yet to come. It seemed so much more difficult to look forward, than it was to read the various accounts written in the Bible. Maybe if he studied the teachings of the prophets today about things yet to come?

That seemed a little overwhelming. As Cree listened to and studied talks by prophets from the 70’s, they must have sounded strange to those who heard them then. Though now, nearly fifty years later, many of those things had happened. The truth they spoke then, was still true.

The Secret to Revelation

In Nephi’s account, he told of how he’d questioned his father’s dream. Accordingly, Nephi took the time to kneel in earnest prayer, and ask, truly wanting an answer, what his father’s dream meant. He received an answer that revealed the entire truth of the dream.

On the other hand, his Older brothers didn’t bother to even pray. They dismissed the the idea of praying, saying that the Lord wouldn’t tell them.

Lessons Learned

Cree smiled at the thought. He’d asked some pretty simple questions before, and received answers that had changed the course of his life. Even now, as he looked out the office window into the beautiful backyard, Cree knew that the Lord would answer any earnest inquiry.

Count Your Blessings

1. The records of prophets both ancient and modern, and their revelations and teachings
2. Personal revelation that has benefitted me more deeply than any single event