SYMBOL
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SCRIPTURES
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HOW CAN I APPLY THIS TO ME?
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Lehi’s Vision
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1 Nephi 8:2–10
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“Nephi prayed to know the meaning of Lehi’s vision. In answer, he was given a remarkable vision
of Christ. That vision is the
central message of the Book of Mormon.”
-Elder Packer
The overarching theme of the Book of Mormon—inviting all
to come unto Christ—is paramount in Lehi’s vision.“ – Elder Bednar
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The Tree of Life
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1 Nephi 11:8–11
1 Nephi 11:21-25
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“The Spirit made explicit that the Tree of Life and its
precious fruit are symbols of Christ’s redemption.” –Elder Holland
“You should pray to be filled with the love of Christ.
This love is given to those who are true followers of Jesus Christ. This love is the fruit of the tree of life,
and tasting it is a major part of your conversion because once you have felt
your Savior’s love for you, you will feel secure, and a love for Him and for
your Heavenly Father will grow within you.”
-Elder Christofferson
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The Fruit of the tree
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Partaking of the Atonement is:
“Most
sweet, above all ”
“White,
to exceed all … whiteness”
“Desirable
above all other fruit”
Having “beauty … exceeding of all”
“Precious
above all”
“Most joyous to the soul”
“The
greatest of all the gifts of God”
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“The fruit on the tree is a symbol for the blessings of
the Atonement. Partaking of the fruit of the tree represents the receiving of
ordinances and covenants whereby the Atonement can become fully efficacious
in our lives.“
– Elder Bednar
“To partake of the love of God is to partake of Jesus’
Atonement and the emancipations and joys which it can bring.” –Elder Maxwell
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The Iron Rod
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1 Nephi 8:19–20
1 Nephi 11:25; 15:23–24
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“It is significant that the 2nd group also had
the added blessing of the rod of iron, and they were clinging to it! However,
as they were confronted with persecution and adversity, they fell away into
forbidden paths and were lost. Even with the word of God, this group
eventually was lost—perhaps because they only periodically read or studied or
searched the scriptures. Clinging to the rod of iron suggests to me only
occasional “bursts” of study.”
-Elder Bednar
“Constant study of the scriptures is the act of holding to
the iron rod. I urge you to clear away
the clutter. With an uncluttered life, you will not be so busy doing
terrestrial things that you do not have time to do those things which are
celestial.” -Elder Bradford
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River of Filthy Water
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1 Nephi 8:13,19
1 Nephi 12:16;
1 Nephi 15:26–29
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“The prophet Lehi saw our day in his dream of the tree of
life. He saw that many people would wander blindly in the mists of
darkness. He saw some fall away “in
forbidden paths,” others drown in rivers of filthiness, and still others
wander in “strange roads.” When we
read of the spreading curse of drugs, or read of the pernicious flood of
pornography and immorality, do any of us doubt that these are the forbidden
paths and rivers of filthiness Lehi described? He saw that if people would
hold fast to that rod, they could avoid the rivers of filthiness and stay
away from the forbidden paths.”
–Pres. Benson
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The Mists of Darkness
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1 Nephi 8:23
1 Nephi 12:17
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In Lehi’s dream an already difficult journey gets more
difficult when a mist of darkness arises, obscuring any view of the safe but
narrow path. The principal point of
the story is that the successful travelers resist all distractions, including
the lure of forbidden paths and jeering taunts from the vain and proud who
have taken those paths.
“You must hold firmly to the rod of iron through the mists
and darknesses, the hardships and trials of life. If you relax your grip and
slip from the path, the iron rod might become lost for a time until you
repent and regain your grasp of it.”
-Elder
Wirthlin
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“The elements of the allegory of the Tree of Life are
essentially the same as those in the Parable of the Sower-or more accurately
the Parable of the Soils.” –Elder
Jeffrey R. Holland
The Parable of
the Sower or
The Parable of
the Soils
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The Vision of
the Tree of Life
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1. Seeds that fell
by the wayside
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People
who filled the Great and Spacious Building
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2. The seed sown
upon stony ground & scorched by sun
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Those
who started on the path but were lost in the midst of darkness
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3. Seed sown among
thorns, which choked off what had taken root
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They
partook of the fruit, but were then ashamed and fell away
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4. The seed that
fell on good ground & brought forth fruit
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Those
who held to the rod, partook of the fruit, and did not fall away
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“The
parable of the sower taught by Jesus is generally considered to describe how
the word of the Lord is received by different individuals as it is preached.
Consider for a moment how the same parable may apply to you in different
circumstances in your life, as you face challenges or come under strong
influences.” -Elder Richard G.
Scott, Full Conversion Brings Happiness, Ens. May 2002
