4 And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.
Lehi’s response is not a rebuke to his wife, nor is it even an expression of anger or frustration. He freely admits to being a visionary man. Unlike those who complain against visions, though, Lehi sees it as a good thing that saved him and his family from certain destruction had they stayed in Jerusalem. Besides, to deny that you had seen the Lord in a vision would not be a good thing. Joseph Smith was right on when he said, “who am I to withstand God? I had seen a vision; I knew it and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.” (JS-H 1:25)
Lehi was looking at a real, physical manifestation of the Proverb that tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” (PRO 29:18) This is true on several levels, not just the physical sense, as it seems Lehi refers to here. A careful reading shows the most important way visions can help us: to know the goodness of God. Once we know that, we can leave the “world” or worldly attitudes that would cause us to perish spiritually.
- Joseph Smith—History 1:24–25
- Proverbs 29:18
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