Tree of Life Vision: A Doctrine of Christ Primer
The Doctrine of Christ presents us with the only true path back to the Savior. The Lord covenants with us that if we offer up unto Him a broken heart and contrite spirit that He will baptize us with fire and the Holy Ghost (first comforter). Then, if we endure to the end, feasting on His every word, He will reveal to us those things we must do to partake of the fruit spoken of in Lehi’s tree of life vision (second comforter).
- Broken heart & contrite spirit
- First comforter
- Endure to the end
- Second comforter
The Journey
Nephi understood the Doctrine of Christ well and had entered into the new covenant. In fact, his journey to the promised land was a symbolic representation of the complete path. When his family first left Jerusalem, they wandered in the wilderness for 8 years. Eventually, they learned to rely on the Lord for survival and bore their struggles without murmuring. This is symbolic of offering up a broken heart and contrite spirit. When they finally entered the land Bountiful, they rejoiced exceedingly because it had been prepared by the Lord with much fruit and honey. This is symbolic of receiving the first comforter.
Not long after settling in Bountiful, the Lord called Nephi up into the mountain to instruct him on how to build a ship. The Lord’s continued instructions to help Nephi in his journey across the waters is symbolic of enduring to the end. Arriving in the promised land itself is symbolic of receiving the second comforter. The Lord said “after ye have arrived in the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God” (1 Nephi 17:14).
When Nephi teaches the doctrine of Christ, he refers to entering into the new covenant by offering up your broken heart and contrite spirit and receiving the first comforter as entering “The Gate.” Once you enter the gate, he says you must press forward and receive your 2nd comforter as “The Path.” For example, “we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path” (2 Nephi 10:20). He describes in detail the second comforter using various words and phrases, each adding a new layer of meaning.
Nephi most frequently refers to the second comforter as eternal life. In D&C 14:7, the Lord calls eternal life “the greatest of all the gifts of God.” Elsewhere, Nephi says that the tree of life (or love of God) is “the greatest of all the gifts of God” (1 Nephi 15:36). So, which is the greater gift: eternal life or the love of God? Well, it turns out these gifts are the same thing. They are both a part of receiving the second comforter. This is something I never understood until I began to see that Lehi’s Tree of Life vision is actually a visual representation of the path back to the Lord outlined in the Doctrine of Christ.
The Darkness
In Lehi’s dream, a man dressed in a white robe (false messenger) led him into a dark and dreary waste. He traveled in darkness for many hours and began to pray unto the Lord asking for mercy (1 Nephi 8:5-8). Only after he finally prayed, did he see the large and spacious field and the tree of life.
How many of you desire to seek Christ, but currently feel like you may be wandering around in darkness? For most of my life, I’ve depended on my own strength. That pride is hard to give up. Not too long ago, I had an important decision to make that I could not figure out on my own. In desperation, I reached out to the Lord. That was the first time I had enough of a broken heart and contrite spirit to hear an answer. The Lord’s response to me opened my spiritual ears so that I could hear. It was a tender mercy, just as it was for Lehi when the Lord led him out of the darkness.
Admitting you’re in darkness is not always easy. Darkness is a result of being in bondage to sin. “And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness…” (D&C 84:49). Why are we under the bondage of sin? It is because we do not come to the Lord. We don’t call out to Him. We’re usually not acquainted with His voice enough to hear Him when He speaks to us (D&C 84:50-52). A broken heart and contrite spirit includes recognizing when you’re in darkness because other things are between you and God.
When you humbly call out like a child, you too will hear the word of God through His spirit. It is the Spirit of Jesus Christ that breaks through the darkness and gives us light. Everyone that hearkens to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father. And the Father will teach you about how to enter into this covenant (D&C 84:45-48).
In 2 Nephi 31, there’s details on what it means to offer up a broken heart and contrite spirit. This includes all of those things you must do to enter the gate:
17 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall [1] follow the Son, with [2] full purpose of heart, [3] acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but [4] with real intent, [5] repenting of your sins, [6] witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
Crying out to the Lord with no duplicity or double mindedness is easier to say than do. Sometimes we need refining fires or heavy burdens to humble us enough, so we can call out with real intent. That seems to be the normal path, that we need difficulties to help us to pray more earnestly. But that’s not an absolute requirement. Some can break their own hearts and become contrite simply by finally admitting they are in darkness. That there is no way out but through the Lord. It doesn’t matter how you get to that humble state, just get there so you can follow the Lord and enter the gate.
The Fruit in the Tree of Life Vision
After Lehi prays to the Lord for mercy, he envisions the large and spacious field and the tree of life. He eats the fruit and describes it the sweetest he’s ever tasted and whiter than anything he ever saw. Partaking of the fruit filled him with exceeding joy. Perhaps the Lord referred to this fruit when He appeared to those at the temple in the land Bountiful. While teaching them about His doctrine He said to them, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” (3 Nephi 14:20).
The Lord taught them about the straightness of the gate (first comforter) and the narrowness of the way ( second comforter). Afterward, he warned about false prophets who would seek to corrupt His doctrine and His covenant with us. Thus saith the Lord about these wolves in sheep’s clothing, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” (3 Nephi 14:20).
I cannot emphasize this enough. The Lord tells us the true fruit of coming unto Him and obeying His voice. The fruit is that He will baptize us with fire and the Holy Ghost (3 Nephi 9:20). We shall see His face and know that He is (D&C 93:1). This is the entire point of Lehi’s dream, to point us to the true fruit, which is Jesus Christ. Beware of anyone who proclaims to know the way back to God but does not teach the Doctrine of Christ.
What fruit are you seeking after? There are so many delicious fruits in this world to choose from. Whichever fruit you seek will lead you to those who claim to know how to obtain it. These days my own focus is on those who preach from the Doctrine of Christ. In other words, how to enter into the new covenant and receive the two Comforters. Nowadays, I have a hard time listening to anyone who says these gifts aren’t meant to be experienced in mortality.
Every Book of Mormon prophet received at least their first comforter and most also received their second comforter while still in their mortal probation. All of them shared their own experiences and taught their people the doctrine of Christ. This led many thousands to enter into the new covenant for themselves. We are so blessed to have access to their revelations and prophecies. Truly the Book of Mormon is a record meant to teach the people in our day how to enter the gate and walk the strait path.
The River of Filthy Water
Once Lehi ate the tree of life’s fruit, he looked for his family so that he could invite them to also come and partake of the fruit. This is what a true messenger of the Lord does! They testify in no uncertain terms to come where they have come to meet the Lord for themselves. As Lehi looked for his family, he noticed the river of water running along near the tree of life. He saw Sariah, Sam, and Nephi standing at the river’s head, as if they didn’t know where to go (1 Nephi 8:14).
Lehi saw the river, but not the filthiness of the water, because his mind was swallowed up in other things. When Nephi saw the filthy water, he described it as the awful gulf which divides the wicked from the saints of God and the tree of life (1 Nephi 15:28). Lehi saw that gulf too, but described it as “the justice of God” which divided the wicked from the righteous. “Aand the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire” (1 Nephi 15:30).
This terrible gulf between the wicked and the righteous, which Lehi called the “justice of God” and Nephi called “the word of the justice of the Eternal God” (1 Nephi 12:18) obviously made a huge impact on Lehi. It caused him to fear exceedingly that his sons, Laman and Lemuel, would be cast off from the presence of the Lord (1 Nephi 8:37). You can see how the dread of that gulf weighed heavily on his mind. From his great sermon in 2 Nephi 2 about the need for opposition in all things.
5 By the law, no flesh is justified. By the temporal law, all men are cut off, by the spiritual law, we all perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever.
Absolutely no flesh can cross the gulf and dwell in the presence of God except through the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is the Lord’s sacrifice that answers the ends of the law but only unto those who Lehi says have a broken heart and contrite spirit. You cannot cross the gulf without entering into the new covenant and seeking for the first and second comforter. Unto none else can the ends of the law be answered (2 Nephi 2:7). Truly, the only thing coming between us and the Lord is not having a broken heart and contrite spirit.
When Lehi finally saw his family in the darkness, he called out to them “with a loud voice” that they should come to him. And they came and partook of the fruit, but Laman and Lemuel would not. Half of Lehi’s children listened to him and the other half didn’t. That sounds heartbreaking, but in my experience, that’s pretty good. Many of those I know who are on the path are alone. Most of our family members including parents, siblings, spouses, and children, are not yet ready to enter this covenant regardless of how loudly we call out to them. There is no way to accept this reality without a broken heart and contrite spirit. If you are not prepared to cross the gulf alone, that might be preventing you from hearing the word.
The Rod of Iron Leading to the Tree of Life
What is the word? After Lehi saw two of his sons refuse to come to him, he looked and beheld a rod of iron which extended along the bank of the river and led to the tree of life. Nephi explained that the iron rod represents the word of God. Whoever would seek for and follow the word of God would be led to the tree (1 Nephi 15:24). We obtain God’s word by faith. Part of offering up a broken heart and contrite spirit is to seek after, receive, and follow personal revelation. Seeking the Lord means following the commandments He will give you to make it back to Him.
The word of God comes to us through four voices, which are the voices of:
- The Father
- The Son
- The Spirit
- His servants
Most hear about the new covenant for the first time in this life through the voice of His Servants. That might be through the scriptures or from someone who entered the covenant themselves and received authorization from the Holy Ghost to speak the word of God to others. After Nephi heard his father’s experiences, he wanted to have his own witness of those same things.
17 And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men.
Nephi understood that the new covenant applies to all men, past, present, and future. God prepared it from the foundation of the world for all that would repent and come unto Christ. When Nephi exhorts us to diligently seek after these things, that God will unfold the mysteries to us, he does so with the authority of the Holy Ghost. When someone speaks by that power, if you ignore or deny their words, you will be held accountable (1 Nephi 10:18-22).
The Path to the Tree of Life
After Lehi sees the rod of iron, he also sees the strait and narrow path. Interestingly, you cannot hold to the iron rod without simultaneously being on the path. However, if you are on the path, but not holding to the rod, you will not make it to the tree of life. Those numberless concourses pressing forward who finally find the path, but don’t hold to the rod, fall away as soon as they encounter the mist of darkness.
What is the path? Nephi doesn’t mention the angel giving him the meaning of the path in his interpretation of the dream. But the fact that the path was strait and narrow is a big clue that Nephi knew exactly what it meant. In 2 Nephi 31, Nephi gives a commentary on Lehi’s dream as he explains the doctrine of Christ in much more detail.
18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.
19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
First, we enter the gate, which is receiving the first comforter, by following every commandment you receive by personal revelation. Then we press forward on the strait and narrow path which leads us to eternal life, which is the promise of the second comforter. We could not make it to the path without the word of Christ. To endure on the path, we must continue to feast on the word of Christ (hold to the iron rod).
The Mist of Darkness
According to Nephi, the mist of darkness is the temptations of the devil, which only grows more intense after you enter the gate and commence on the path. Nevertheless, if you hold to the rod by hearkening to the word of God, the temptations and fiery darts of the adversary will not be able to overpower you (1 Nephi 15:24). You cannot make it to the tree of life without seeking for, receiving, and acting on personal revelation. There is no other way.
One group of people did everything they could to make it to the path, only to be lost in the mist of darkness because they would not hold to the rod. I used to be in that group. I relied on other people for my spiritual welfare rather than going directly to God myself. You cannot hold the rod if you won’t let go of your dependence on the arm of flesh.
Letting go of your spiritual safety net feels like stepping out from the choir and singing a solo, which scares most people half to death. When you are singing on your own, you can’t hide the flaws in your voice by blending it with others. All of your weaknesses are exposed. Everything you were hiding from other people cannot be hidden from the Lord. If you refuse to grab hold of the iron rod, or go to the Lord directly, the adversary will be able to craft the exact temptation necessary to take advantage of your fear and weakness. You will not make it to the tree of life.
Shame
A different group, who struggles to find the path, finally makes it there and catches hold of the end of the rod of iron. They cling to the rod which guarantees them to make it to the tree of life. Curiously, this particular group partakes of the fruit and then falls away as if they were ashamed. How on earth could this happen?
As soon as Lehi sees they were ashamed, he looks around for the cause and notices the great and spacious building on the other side of the river. It looked like it was high above the earth and the people that filled it dressed in exceedingly fine clothing. They were mocking and pointing their fingers at those partaking of the fruit.
Just how powerful of a tool is shame? Apparently, the adversary can use shame to derail people even after they have received their second comforter. Immediately after Adam and Eve partook of the fruit in the garden, Satan convinced them to hide themselves from the Lord because they were naked. Once he made them feel shame, they more easily complied to his will. He uses the same tactic constantly against us today.
The Great & Spacious Building
Others will mock you, try to shame you, point their fingers at you, and scorn you for attempting to make it to the tree. I’ve never been that worried about the great and spacious building until I realized who was in it. I always thought it would be the high and lofty minded people of the world, whose opinions I couldn’t care less about. As it turns out, the people in the building are your family. They are your friends. They are your church leaders and the other members with whom you’ve worshiped your entire life. Leaving them to seek the tree is a threat to their tradition and few people react kindly when someone questions their cherished beliefs.
You may do everything in your power to try and bring those you love with you on your journey, but eventually you will realize why the path is narrow. You must travel it alone. That doesn’t mean there won’t be other people on the path supporting each other. But it does mean you cannot rely on anyone else’s answers. You must get your own answers from the Lord for how to proceed.
Falling Down Before the Lord
Nephi did not speak all the words of his father. To be short in writing, he only mentioned one other group that pressed forward and made it to the tree by holding fast to the rod of iron. And when they made it to the tree, they “fell down” and partook of the fruit. I hope I also fall down at the tree before partaking of the fruit.
That imagery of falling down before the Lord captures everything it means to me to have a broken heart and contrite spirit. Kneeling before Him with humble awe and gratitude for His new and everlasting covenant is the only thing I have to offer Him. I don’t deserve the path He so willingly offers, none of us do. Through His atonement, He bound Himself to us for eternity. He will never stop trying to help us. Our eternal welfare is the focus of His concern. Why would He do that?!
He reaches down in pure love to lift us up and we seem to reject Him at every turn. How could our Lord and our God be so continuously merciful and kind to us? Truly the fruit of the tree is the greatest of all His gifts to us. Experiencing the love of God (even for a moment) is how He heals us. We seek Him because He loved us first. I seek Him because He loves even me, and he loves you too.
My heart breaks for those people feeling their way through the darkness towards the great and spacious building. I feel the saddening sting of losing those who fall off the edge of the gulf and drown in the depths of the fountain. I know if they could just feel even the tiniest sliver of the love of God, they would open their eyes and see the escape out of the darkness. But they refuse. They will not listen to the tender feelings of a parent like Lehi who has tasted the fruit and calls out to all to come and do the same. What more can Lehi do but bid us to keep the commandments of the Lord until he must cease speaking.
The Power of Speaking the Words of the Dream
Lehi’s dream ends there, but the eternal consequences of sharing his vision continue to expand. It was Lehi’s dream that inspired his son Nephi to ask the Lord for a knowledge of his own standing before Him. That led Nephi to his own second comforter experience where the Lord revealed to him all things from the beginning to the end. After receiving the Holy Spirit of Promise, Nephi grieved for his brothers, Laman and Lemuel, and the hardness of their hearts. Nevertheless, after he regained his strength, he spoke to them, desiring to the know the cause of their disputations concerning what their father had taught them.
“We cannot understand the words our father spoke,” Laman and Lemuel said. Nephi asked them, “Have ye inquired of the Lord?” To which they replied, “We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.”
It’s just downright frustrating when someone tells you that they cannot receive revelation, that they don’t have that gift, or that the Lord speaks to other people but not to them. It’s not true! He speaks to everyone. He will find a way to speak to you. But you can’t harden your heart against him. Ask Him in faith, with hope that you will receive, and be diligent in following whatever commandments He gives you. If you do this, the Lord can make known unto you all things you must do to enter into His presence in the fulness of His glory. This is the covenant He offers to make with everyone.
Nephi goes on to answer his brothers’ questions and explain the meaning of their father’s dream about the tree of life. And then something miraculous happens. Teaching them about the tree of life results in them humbling themselves before the Lord. For possibly the first time ever, Nephi believed there was a chance his brothers would enter into the new covenant with the Lord to receive the First and Second Comforters for themselves.
This is the power of the vision of the tree of life. It humbles those who hear it. It teaches us the true Doctrine of Christ and reveals the covenant He has offered to us. This is the way out of the darkness that engulfs the entire world.
My Own Experience Seeing the Tree of Life Vision
I received my own vision of Lehi’s dream and I highly recommend everyone ask for the same experience. During one part, I was holding on to the iron rod when the mist of darkness grew so thick, I could barely see anything. I kept struggling to see what was going on around me and I couldn’t tell where I was going. Eventually, I just had to close my eyes because keeping them open was only making things worse. I had to feel my way through the mist by concentrating only on the iron rod. I was holding on with both hands and would only let go with one hand at a time and quickly grab it again as I made my way forward. But I never let go of the rod and I made it to the tree! What I saw in that vision has sustained me every day since.
When it seems impossible to continually offer up a broken heart and contrite spirit, I remember who is waiting at the end of the path. I don’t know everything I’ll need to do yet to get there, but I trust in Him and know His ways are perfect. I can’t wait to partake of the fruit and feel His love again.
Come Unto Christ
Come unto Christ, repent, and be baptized in water to show you are willing to keep His commandments. This is how you offer Him up your broken heart and contrite spirit and enter into His covenant. If you fulfill your oath to Him, He will fulfil His oath to you. He will baptize you with fire and the Holy Ghost. You will be clean. He will heal you. You will have received the first step on the path of ascension. You will become His son or daughter.
Then, if you endure on the path, holding to the iron rod, He can take up into the high mountain, or “seventh heaven,” where you will meet the Lord face to face. This happened to Nephi as well as Moses. And Lehi, and Jacob, and King Benjamin, and Mosiah, and Alma, and Alma the younger, and Helaman, and Helaman’s son Helaman, and Nephi and his brother Lehi, and Nephi’s son Nephi, and the Brother of Jared, and Ether, and Mormon and Moroni. All of them ate of the fruit in this life and they all testify that we can do the same.
Justin
