1 Nephi 8:19

19 And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.

I’m not totally sure that I completely understand or appreciate the importance of holding to the iron rod. I do know a few things about it, however. This iron rod, or the word of God, is the only thing that I have found that will take us safely through the perils and temptations of the world. And it’s more than just knowing the words, it’s holding to them, following their teachings. It takes determination, and it takes faith to stay with it and obey. The Liahona was also compared to the word of God. (see Alma 37:43–45) It only worked according to faith and diligence in following it. Interestingly, these are both fairly passive tools. The rod of iron doesn’t reach out and grab your hand, and the Liahona doesn’t ring a bell or grab your attention every time it has new directions. Just the opposite is true. We have to hold to the rod with our own effort; we have to look for direction with our own desire to find it. And yet, once we take that initiative to live by the word of God, it somehow changes into a very powerful tool. In telling us to put on the “whole armor of God,” the apostle, Paul, describes the only offensive weapon in the armor as the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Once we take possession of the word of God, it gives us power to not only defend ourselves, but to help others find the Tree of Life. Someone holding to the rod can hold another’s hand and lead them to the rod, but only if the first person is holding to it. In the dark, just talking about the rod doesn’t get either one to it. This is very powerful doctrine, yet such simple imagery.

• Ephesians 6:13–18
• Revelation 22:14
• 1 Nephi 11:25
• 1 Nephi 15:23–24
• 2 Nephi 31:17–21
• Alma 31:5
• Alma 37:38–47

1 Nephi 8:17–18

17 And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.

18 And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit.

If a prophet’s joy (or any parent’s joy) is greatest when their own families accept the gospel and come to Christ, how great must be their disappointment and sadness when they choose to not partake. I’m sure that as much trouble as Laman and Lemuel caused, Lehi still loved them and wanted them to join him and the rest of the family at the tree. However, it should be noted that he didn’t want to be together with his sons enough to leave the tree. It was still up to Laman and Lemuel to come and partake; the tree could not go to them, nor could Lehi take some of the fruit to them. I know of some parents who, in an attempt to befriend their children and have a positive influence over them, have become caught up in the same problems the children are having. As parents, we need to teach and encourage, but never lower ourselves to the standards of a wayward child.

1 Nephi 8:14–16

14 And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go. 15 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit. 16 And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also.

Lehi must have been very pleased that Sariah, Sam, and Nephi came to partake of the fruit of the Tree of Life. A prophet’s calling is to invite and encourage all people to come unto Christ, but they must feel a particular joy and satisfaction when their own families partake of this precious fruit. Verse three tells us that Lehi has reason to rejoice because of these three family members. Like Lehi, I have had great joy over the years as I watch how my family has come to the Tree and partaken of this fruit.

• D&C 18:14–16

1 Nephi 8:13

13 And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.

What an interesting image that is used to symbolize the division between the wicked and the righteous. This is the interpretation that was given to Nephi in 1 Nephi 12:16–18. Not only does it separate the wicked from the Tree of Life, it represents the depths of hell. This is the illustration I think is so interesting here: the contrast between the love of God and its rewards, and the depths of hell. The tree is solid and bears delicious fruit, while the river is shifting and ever changing its filthy contents. It has no fruit, but the water conforms its standard to whatever its surroundings happen to be. It is always trying to erode its banks or boundaries, so those standards, if you will, are always shifting. Satan works that way and would have us believe that truth itself and standards of righteousness are what is shifting relative to their circumstances. This includes situations you are in and where you happen to be in history. In other words, whatever the standards of the world are determines whether something is right or wrong. Standards of morality, for example, are based on what is acceptable and tolerable to the society in general, not on what is acceptable to the Lord. If adultery is not punishable by law, it must be ok, for example. Another example of that is plural marriage. In some societies it is acceptable, in others it is not. The Lord’s standards are not based on what is socially acceptable, but man’s standards often are. So I think the shifting nature of a river is an appropriate symbol for hell.

• 1 Nephi 15:26–27 (26–29)

1 Nephi 8:12

12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

This verse has a couple of significant points. First is the joy Lehi felt after partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Life. The whole purpose of man, or at the main purpose of man, is to have joy (2 Nephi 2:25). We gain that joy by coming to Christ and partaking of His love. Lehi found that joy was the most desirable thing, “above all other fruit.” It seems that a person’s main objective in life is to find joy or true happiness. Realizing this, Satan provides many activities that provide a false or counterfeit form of happiness, but as Alma says, “Wickedness never was happiness.” (Alma 41:10) The more fully we keep the commandments, the more we are encircled in God’s love, and the more joy we feel, even to a fullness of joy.

The next point in this verse is that once you fully partake, you want to share with your loved ones. If you love someone, you want him or her to feel the same joy and happiness you feel. Not so much with Satan’s counterfeit. The person pursuing Satan’s version of “happiness” may want others to be in the same situation they are in, but the feeling is pretty selfish. The cliché, “Misery loves company,” applies here. They may want to drag others in, but it’s not so the others can feel happy, it’s more so the one doing the dragging can feel like they aren’t the only one messing up. You can plug in any kind of vice (i.e. Satan’s addictions) here, and see that the motivation is different from Lehi’s motivation to share the fruit with his family.

• 2 Nephi 2:25
• Psalm 16:11
• John 15:7–11
• Alma 41:10

1 Nephi 8:11

11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.

The Tree of Life, or Love of God, is offered freely to all, but only those who make the effort to go to the tree, actively seeking that love are able to enjoy its fruit. And the fruit of this tree is desirable. It is white, or pure, more pure than anything we can experience in this life. The closest we come is charity, which Mormon defines as the “pure love of Christ.” (Moroni 7:47) Charity is one of the fruits of the Tree of Life. Again, the tree is offered to us all, but it doesn’t come to us without effort on our part. We must approach the Tree. If we wait for the Tree to come to us, we miss the mark. It must be our effort that brings us the fruits of God’s love.

• Moroni 7:47
• Matthew 7:17–20
• 3 Nephi 14:17–20

1 Nephi 8:10

10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

I’ve been studying and pondering this Tree of Life and its meaning for several days now, and I don’t think I yet comprehend all the implications of it. So I’m glad this will not be the last chance to write about this tree and its fruit.

The Tree of Life is a symbol of God’s love, and interestingly is found in several ancient civilizations. The fruit of that love makes us happy and fulfilled. As I think about people who clearly have come to this tree or partaken of its fruit, the personal traits they possess are things like self-confidence, peace, and an understanding of who they are. It’s interesting to note that while the tree is offered and available to all men, only those who make the effort to come to it get to partake of its beauty and fruit. I had a religion teacher at BYU, Joseph R. McConkie, who taught us that God’s love is conditional, contrary to what the world, and often the members of this Church teach. It’s conditional on us making that effort to come and partake of it. Yes, it is offered to all unconditionally, but only those who come to Him actually receive the benefits of His love. If you consider love and hate as verbs instead of feelings, this is more easily understood. The Lord loves and supports His people more than His enemies. In that sense the love of God is conditional on us becoming His people. The way we signify that is through taking on us the saving ordinances, such as baptism. In other words, we make a covenant.

The relationship we have with God has been compared many times in the scriptures to a marriage covenant, and it’s a great metaphor. I have a covenant relationship with my wife and children that sets them apart from everyone else in the world. That doesn’t mean I don’t love other women and children, but I certainly don’t have the kind of relationship with them that I do with my own wife and children. The covenant makes all the difference. And just like that, the Lord loves all of us, but I believe He holds a special place in his heart, or has a special kind of love and relationship with those who are willing to make a covenant with him. In this case, that covenant is symbolized by taking the fruit of the Tree of Life.

• Revelation 22:1–6
• 2 Nephi 2:15,25

1 Nephi 8:9

9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.

After praying for deliverance from the dark and dreary waste, Lehi is shown a large and spacious field. In other scripture the field represents the World (see Matthew 13:38; 1 Nephi 8:20, for example), which Lehi could not see before he prayed to essentially have the Light of Christ. After he received that light he was able to see the world (field). There are people who think that those who accept the Lord are not being realistic, that they are blinding themselves to the world around them, that faith is God is blind faith. I think the opposite is true. I think that through the light of Christ we can have a more clear view of what the world really is. We can not only see the problems, but we also see the love of God, as Lehi will describe in the next verse as a tree with desirable fruit. Whitout that light, all there is to the world is darkness and dreariness — no hope, no life. That’s a sad state to be in, and much less realistic that a life with Christ.

1 Nephi 8:7–8

7 And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.

8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

If this dark and dreary waste is representative of a life without God, then the only way to leave that condition is to pray for His mercy to forgive you for being in that condition and take you out of it. In other words, by inviting the Lord into our lives, He can take us out of the “dark and dreary” condition. Proverbs 29:18 tells us that where there is no vision we (the people) perish. That vision or revelation comes from the Lord through prayer. This is how we get out of our own personal “dark and dreary waste” where there is no vision and no hope. Dark = no vision; dreary = no hope.

• Proverbs 29:18

1 Nephi 8:5–6

5 And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.

6 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.

It’s not clear whether this man in the white robe is the Lord Himself, or an angel sent for the purpose. But he seems to be a sort of tour guide, leading Lehi through this dream.