23 And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?
This seems to be another sincere question from Laman and Lemuel. Based on some assumptions made in verse 22, it could be that they didn’t remember anything about a rod of iron in the traditions they learned regarding the Tree of Life. This rod of iron thing didn’t fit into what they already knew about this tradition.
22 And I said unto them: It was a representation of the tree of life.
I find it interesting that when Nephi asked the angel what the tree meant, he was shown a vision of Mary and the birth of Christ, then he was asked to draw his own conclusions. Then when Laman and Lemuel ask what if means, Nephi just tells them it represents the Tree of Life. My guess is that they already knew about the Tree of Life, or thought they did, because they did not ask any follow-up question. So now I’m curious to know more about the Tree of Life.
For instance, is this tree of life the same as the Tree of Life from the Garden of Eden? One of the footnotes to this verse refers to Moses 3:9, which is a reference to that tree. However, when Nephi is first shown the vision back in 1 Nephi 11 he does not call it the Tree of Life. That seems to be something he either didn’t write down, or that he made the connection later on. So just what is this Tree of Life?
In the context of Lehi’s vision it doesn’t matter if the Tree of Life was an actual tree in the Garden of Eden, because it is decidedly symbolic here. As I said before, Laman and Lemuel recognized it, although I’m sure they didn’t have the depth of understanding to see it for much more than a story from the traditions of their fathers. I would like to explore briefly what the tree means in this dream.
When Nephi is first shown the tree, he describes it by saying, “the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.” The Spirit of the Lord then asked Nephi what he wanted, to which he replied that he wanted to know the interpretation of the tree. In answer he was shown the Virgin Mary. Here’s how he describes her: “she was exceedingly fair and white” (1 Nephi 11:13). When asked by an angel this time what he saw, he replied, “A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins” (1 Nephi 11:15). These are almost the exact same terms used to describe the tree. Nephi then saw the birth of Christ and is asked if he knew the meaning of the tree. He answered that it is “the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore it is most desirable above all things” (1 Nephi 11:22). So in one sense the tree could be representative of Mary, while the fruit is Christ, which we take into us and it becomes a part of us. That’s a bit like the sacrament.
Another direction interpretation of the tree could go is exactly as Nephi said, “it is the love of God” (1 Nephi 11:22). The fruit could then be the covenant that we make, allowing us to fully participate in that love. That seems to be the obvious answer, but then we have to ask if the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden also was a representation of the love of God. John 17:3 states, “And this is life eternal [which certainly has some relevance to a discussion about the Tree of Life], that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” In the imagery of the Tree of Life, coming to know God and Jesus Christ could be partaking the fruit, or internalizing it. If God is the personification of love, the Tree could represent him, then the fruit would be Christ.
So this interpretation Nephi gives is deeper than the first glance reveals. There could be any or all of several interpretations, in large part because Nephi identifies the tree in Lehi’s dream as the tree of life. My guess is that Laman and Lemuel didn’t understand the full significance of the tree, but were just responding to what they had heard in traditional stories about it as they grew up.
21 And it came to pass that they did speak unto me again, saying: What meaneth this thing which our father saw in a dream? What meaneth the tree which he saw?
Now that Laman and Lemuel have humbled themselves they are ready to learn. You have to humble yourself enough to realize that you don’t have all the answers, and then you have to ask someone who does have the answers. Sometimes that is another person, sometimes a book or other source. Nephi knew this and asked the Lord. Laman and Lemuel asked Nephi. I just wonder why they didn’t ask Lehi?
20 And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake concerning the restoration of the Jews, or of the house of Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again. And it came to pass that I did speak many words unto my brethren, that they were pacified and did humble themselves before the Lord.
Laman and Lemuel are great examples of how forgiving the Lord is. As often as they messed up, as often as they murmured and abused Nephi, if he could just get them to repent, the Lord forgave them. And they usually did come around, at least until Lehi’s death. That seems to have been a point of no return for them. But until that point, when Laman and Lemuel repented and humbled themselves, it was apparently real and sincere. That says something about Laman and Lemuel, but it says just as much about the Lord and His forgiving nature. He wants to forgive us of our sins, even those ones that we struggle with over and over again. These brothers had recurring issues and temptations, like an addiction. Every time they sincerely “kicked their habit” they were forgiven, and the family was able to move on. Then they would eventually give in to the temptation yet again, Nephi would correct or chastise them, they would repent (for something they had already repented of before!), and they would be forgiven, again. I think this should give us great hope regarding our own recurring temptations. As long as we sincerely resist and repent of them, we will also be forgiven when we stumble. That makes me feel good.
19 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake much unto them concerning these things; yea, I spake unto them concerning the restoration of the Jews in the latter days.
Now Nephi finishes explaining the comparison of the house of Israel to the olive tree. He tells them of the gathering of Israel and “grafting” all the scattered branches back into a single tree again. I wonder if this had any significance to Laman and Lemuel, who were so concerned with this life and their generation that they didn’t, or couldn’t take the long view. Nephi is talking about an event that would take place literally thousands of years after they were dead. What did they care? This points up one big difference between spiritual and worldly people. Those belonging to the Lord tend to take a more eternal perspective to life than those who are worldlier. An interesting contrast.
18 Wherefore, our father hath not spoken of our seed alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant which should be fulfilled in the latter days; which covenant the Lord made to our father Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
The Abrahamic Covenant seems like one of those things that is simple on the surface, but there’s more to it when you dig into it. For instance, the covenant was made with Abraham, and we always look to the Jews or the tribes of Israel to be the lineage through which that covenant would be fulfilled. Certainly that is the case, especially considering that Jesus Christ himself is of that line. But there is also the fact that the Gentiles would play a major role, especially in the latter days, in fulfilling the covenant to bless all the kindreds of the earth. So did the Jews give up their privilege to be the ones who would fulfill this covenant? After all, they were scattered, and the ancestors of today’s Jews rejected and even crucified Christ. So for the most part, they are in apostasy and not fulfilling the covenant. Enter the adoption of others into the covenant, the Gentiles. So we see that a spiritual lineage is at least as valid as the blood lineage. Abraham 2:11 (8–11) makes a clear distinction between the literal seed of Abraham, and the covenant seed. Verse ten says that those who “receive this gospel shall be called after [Abraham’s] name, and shall be accounted [his] seed.” There just seems to be more to this covenant than is immediately apparent. But maybe I’m making it more complicated than it needs to be. The simplicity of it is that those who make a covenant with Christ through baptism by the proper authority are in the Abrahamic Covenant and are subject to the responsibilities and blessings of that covenant.
17 And this is what our father meaneth; and he meaneth that it will not come to pass until after they are scattered by the Gentiles; and he meaneth that it shall come by way of the Gentiles, that the Lord may show his power unto the Gentiles, for the very cause that he shall be rejected of the Jews, or of the house of Israel.
So much history would have been different in this world if the Jews or the House of Israel had not rejected Christ. But for the very cause that they rejected Him, the Gentiles were the instruments through which the Lord is humbling His true covenant people. Through the Gentiles the Jews are scattered; through the Gentiles they are gathered. Abraham must have been one very special man for the lord to make such a strong and history-consuming covenant with him. It shows me that the Lord keeps His end of covenants, no matter what, as long as we keep our end. And Abraham must have kept his end, because the Lord is keeping His end, even though Abraham’s descendants have gone through many periods of apostasy, including the time when they crucified the very One who made the covenant in the first place.
