Yesterday Elder Bednar spoke at the BYUI devotional in Rexburg about how the Lord teaches through repetition. He gave the example of Moroni’s visitations to Joseph Smith and how essentially he gave Joseph the same message every time, but also each time it was given something was just a little different, and by paying attention to the patterns in repetition and what is repeated, what is not, and what is said differently is one way we receive line upon line and precept on precept. He said that in all their travels, he often is assigned and gives the same message to dozens of places. Sis. Bednar started keeping notes of patterns and differences she noticed in how he explained things or presented ideas and as they reviewed it they both had an increased understanding of the principles being taught. It was a good devotional.
So in the spirit of seeking patterns and differences I wanted to share a new insight my home teachers shared on Sunday. I’ve heard the story of the Tree of Life hundreds of times. Our home teacher had us read 1 Ne 8 (Lehi’s Vision) and 1 Ne 11 (Nephi’s Vision). Everyone seemed a bit burned out with all of the lessons at church having *just* been given that day on the Tree of Life, but we stuck with it and were glad we did. First, from Chapter 8:
24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
28 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.
30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.
If you compare these two groups of people who partook of the fruit, both groups used the iron rod and pressed forward until they partook of the Love of God. One difference in the group that stayed is when they arrived at the tree and before they partook they fell down. It’s so interesting to see in Nephi’s vision where he is given interpretation, the scene where people “fall down.” After rejoicing in Nephi’s testimony, the angel goes on to say “Look” and shows Nephi scene after scene from the Savior’s life, representing the Love of God (the Tree of Life) that is available for all to partake.
21 …Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.
When I think of falling down at my Savior’s feet to worship Him I am feeling low, humbled, unworthy, gratitude and love. I think of being willing to give up everything else in my life to follow him and feel God’s love continuously. It (falling down) certainly keeps me coming back to partake of the fruit. It seems to be the same principle that was taught in Planted, you must be planted in Christ. Your deepest conversion must be to Christ. If you are converted to other programs or principles of the gospel more than Christ things may go off the rails.
The other thing I realized is that this Tree of Life story isn’t a story about enduring to the end, the Tree isn’t eternal life. The Tree is God’s Love, which we partake of over and over again all throughout our lives. Clinging to the rod isn’t something that guarantees that we partake and stay. This isn’t the moral of the story, it’s not the point – it’s a means to an end. I don’t think this is a story about people staying in the church, because there are plenty of people in the Church who might not regularly partake of the Love of God in their lives, they might have lost their way. And I think there are plenty of people outside of our Church who partake of the love of God regularly in their lives. This has me rethinking this whole vision. What do you think? are people leaving the tree leaving the church or the love of God?
Wheat & Tares 
Great thoughts, thanks!
I think Lehi’s vision is more about the love of God. It’s the love of God that makes us whole and that, ultimately, saves us. There are things we can do that make it easier to feel and partake of that love, and there are things we can do that turn our backs to it.
I agree with your thoughts on being planted in Christ. It’s all too common to see people in the church going through the motions while “running on empty”. It doesn’t need to be that way!
“If you are converted to other programs or principles of the gospel more than Christ things may go off the rails.”
Amen. The Book of Mormon hits that point so often and so heavily, it’s a wonder that we sometimes miss it, and no wonder that the church has been condemned for not taking the Book of Mormon seriously.
With respect to the tree of life, I would emphasize that it is not just God’s love generically, but rather that it is God’s love specifically as it was demonstrated through sending his son to be born of a woman, the “condescension of God,” as the angel puts it. Jesus is the fruit of the tree because he is the fruit of the father’s love. (“For God so loved the world,” etc.) And Mary is, in a symbolic sense, the tree because she physically, literally bore the fruit of the father’s love.
The great thing about symbols is that they can have many levels of meaning. It’s understandable to interpret it as accessing the love of God via the saving ordinances which provide eternal life. Therefore, sticking near the tree would be more akin to sticking with the church as the only institution capable of administering those ordinances at this time.
I think that a more broad view of accessing the love of God (unbound by institutional restraints) has a stronger case. In Alma 5:26 Alma asks the people if they have ever had that mighty change of heart, if they’ve ever felt to sing the song of redeeming love. Then he asks if they currently feel the same. Clearly it’s something internal that can come and go, even if it appears a permanent conversion in some (the Lamanites in Alma 23:6). When Nephi goes into the church of the Lamb of God vs. Church of the Harlot in the latter-day vision stuff, they are clearly broad categories cutting across sect/religious lines (BRM’s original Catholic viewpoint notwithstanding). There are many similarities with the description of the church of the Harlot with the great and spacious building, which would naturally associate the church of the Lamb of God with those at the Tree of Life.
James Farrell wrote a book titled Falling To Heaven that opens with this same premise about the Tree of Life. He develops it in some really neat ways. I believe he recently released the whole thing chapter by chapter over at Meridian Magazine.
Yes, I said Meridian Magazine.
Ok, so it us just excerpts, and it is James L. Ferrell.
http://ldsmag.com/article-1-14261/
The ordinance/institutional interpretation of the tree of life requires you to narrow the scope considerably. Consider it all within the context of the church, where those at the beginning of the path have already been baptized and have accepted the gospel. So the test then becomes, can you “press forward, feasting upon the word of God, and endure to the end” in your path as a disciple of Christ? (2 Nephi 31:20) Laman and Lemuel were at one end of the path, and they were full aware of what it would entail to get eternal life. They appeared contrite in the scriptures several times when forced by heavenly powers, but Lehi mentioned that they stayed at the head of the river – they never even bothered going down the path on the first place. Clearly being born into the right lineage and being dragged along with prophets and hearing them teach the scriptures didn’t seem to count as being on the path. Then you have all those multitudes of people who were just trying to get *to* the path, so that *then* they could start on that journey towards the tree of life. The mists of darkness didn’t hit people till *after* they had commenced on the path. It appears that those temptations were for people who had already found the path and traveled a bit holding on to the iron rod.
Nice post Kristine A!
To play devil’s advocate a bit on this slow bloggernacle evening, I often wonder why we’re prospecting instead of enjoying meaty revelation.
I used to think people needed to join the church to feel the love of God. That’s what I even taught people in the mission field. I have since learned I was wrong. People can still feel the love of God completely without the Mormon church, and they do everyday. Having traveling extensively out of happy valley USA, I have come to see the love that God has for all of his children and he blesses them and opens up the windows of heaven just the same as he does for LDS people. They don’t need the brainwashing and rituals of the mormon church to live in his presence. They just don’t. Lehi’s vision is interesting. If you read the original history of Joseph Smith, by his mother – page 58 & 59 – Lucy describes Joseph Sr. As having that exact same dream in about 1811. He told his family about it many times. Joseph Jr added it to the •Book of Mormon later on.
Thanks for pointing out this idea of falling. I don’t ever recall having had that feeling of wanting to fall down and worship at Jesus’ feet, and maybe that is at the root of some of my issues. If I imagine myself at the cross, I can’t imagine myself going right up to it and kneeling down in front of it. I think I would sort of hang back from it in contemplation. I would go, but not to the front. Falling down on one’s knees feels a bit desperate to me, a bit too eager or even fanatical. I wouldn’t want to be “seen,” exactly like those who don’t like to be mocked by those in the great and spacious building.
But when I visited Jerusalem, I was quite moved by all the pilgrims who prostrated themselves, full of emotion, at the various sites. There’s is a different kind of faith from mine, but one perhaps I should aspire to.