1 Nephi 11:8–9

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)

1 Nephi 11:7

7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.

The Spirit describes to Nephi what he will be shown in this vision, namely the tree that Lehi saw, then also the coming of the Son of God. He seems to be priming Nephi for the interpretation of the dream. He tells Nephi that seeing the coming of the Son of God will be a sign.

1 Nephi 11:6

6 And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.

To me, the most important part of this verse is that Nephi is shown this vision as a result of his belief. If he had not believed, the vision would not have come to him. But there is another part of this scripture that is interesting to think about. For me, it’s pure speculation, but kind of fun to wonder about.

The question is, which member of the Godhead is appearing to Nephi? The next few verses make a definite distinction between the Spirit of the Lord, who has appeared to him at the beginning of the chapter, and the angel who appears a little later. I may discuss this in more detail later, but here it sounds like the Holy Ghost bearing testimony of the Lord, the most high God. Later on it seems like the case could be made that this is the pre-mortal spirit of Christ himself. Again, this is not critical, but it is fun to think about.

1 Nephi 11:4–5

4 And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?

5 And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.

It’s clear that the Lord gives to those who will receive. The Spirit of the Lord asks Nephi right off if he believed his father’s dream. I suppose that if he had answered negatively, we would not have the next few chapters. But Nephi’s answer tells us that not only did he honor his parents, but because of his belief, he was ready to receive further light and knowledge. The World would say that seeing is believing, but in many cases, believing is seeing. This is especially true with regard to spiritual matters. Understanding is after believing. One of our main purposes for coming to earth is to learn to live by faith. Understanding comes as a bonus.

• 1 Nephi 15:6–11
• 2 Nephi 28:30
• Mosiah 26:3

1 Nephi 11:2–3

2 And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou?

3 And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw.

I wonder why Nephi felt such a need or desire to see his father’s vision. He clearly believed Lehi’s account, and I’m glad for the additional insights we gain from Nephi, but it’s just curious to me why. I suppose Nephi may not have fully understood the vision, but he also could have asked Lehi for clarification. I think the key is in verse one, where Nephi was pondering for understanding and confirmation. Nephi’s faith, coupled with his calling as a prophet, may have been a deciding factor in why he was given the vision and its interpretation. He needed that first-hand testimony.

1 Nephi 11:1

1 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.

Nephi is shown this great vision as a result of him pondering (in an attitude of faith) the things that his father had taught. The importance of pondering and meditation along with sincere and quiet scripture study cannot be overestimated. The voice of the Lord, or the instruction of the Spirit comes in a still, small voice. In order to hear that still, quiet instruction, we must be still and quiet. In some cases, as recorded by a few prophets, the Spirit will take them away to mountains, usually to receive further instruction. My guess is that these mountains are like temples in that they allow you to be separated from the world for awhile. The Lord does not usually give us this kind of instruction until we demonstrate our readiness to receive it.

• D&C 138:11 — this section was received as a direct result of Joseph F. Smith pondering some scriptures.
• 3 Nephi 17:3 — Christ tells the people to go home and ponder the things He had taught them.

1 Nephi Chapter 11 Overview

Nephi sees the Spirit of the Lord and is shown in vision the tree of life—He sees the mother of the Son of God and learns of the condescension of God—He sees the baptism, ministry, and crucifixion of the Lamb of God—He sees also the call and ministry of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Between 600 and 592 B.C.

This is the beginning of a vision that is shown to Nephi and covers the next four chapters. In this chapter Nephi is shown the Tree of Life visions that Lehi saw. Nephi asks some questions about interpretation, so we get the meaning of this great vision. This really must be a significant vision that it is recorded twice. And I think there is evidence of it being shown to other cultures as well. It seems I saw something to that effect once, but I can’t say where or when.