8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.
9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all.
The use of a tree to represent the Love of God is particularly fitting, and there are some interesting side thoughts. Such as, why was the tree white? I am not aware of any tree in nature that is close to being white. They all have green leaves or needles. I’m no scientist, but I think it’s the chlorophyll that makes them green. The New Standard Encyclopedia says, “Together with light, water, and air, chlorophyll makes it possible for plants, through the process of photosynthesis, to manufacture food, which is eaten by animals and man. Without chlorophyll there would be almost no life on earth…Chlorophyll is formed only when there is light…” This tree, being representative of the love of God, was a light source of its own and didn’t need chlorophyll, so it’s white. The white also symbolizes the purity of God’s love. The fruit of the tree is renewable and available to all who will take it. As we eat the fruit, it becomes a part of us, particularly as we nurture this love. If we don’t nurture it, it does not prosper within us. There are so many analogies that make this tree a fitting symbol of God’s love, it seems like whole chapters could be written.
- 1 Nephi 11:22 (22–25)
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