The Answers Are in There (1 Nephi 8)

by | Jan 6, 2016 | Scripture Study | 2 comments

thumb_creativity.jpg

When I was a young person, my parents used to take me to MBA every week. (Parents: Do you still do that?) One week, our MBA class read 1 Nephi 8 in which Lehi’s wonderful dream is recorded. After reading through the imagery of a dark and dreary waste, a tree with desirable fruit, a straight and narrow path with a long rod of iron next to it, etc., our MBA teacher gave us an assignment to come back the next week ready to describe what each element of the dream represented.

At the end of the meeting, I asked my friends, “How are we supposed to figure out what each part of this dream means?” One of the older kids spoke up and said, “Oh, just look a few chapters later and all of the answers are in there.” Really? Was I supposed to believe that The Book of Mormon was like my high school algebra book with the answers to the odd-numbered questions in the back of the book? (Of course, my algebra teacher assigned the even-numbered questions for homework).

Well, imagine my surprise when I read Chapters 11 and 12 and discovered that the answers really were in there:

Element of Dream Represents Reference
Tree with desirable fruit The Love of God 1 Nephi 11:25
Rod of Iron The Word of God 1 Nephi 11:25
Great and Spacious Building Pride of the World 1 Nephi 11:36
River of Filthy Water Depths of Hell 1 Nephi 12:16
Mist of Darkness Temptations of the Devil 1 Nephi 12:17

 

 

 

 

In life, we are faced with many questions, some of a spiritual nature and some of a temporal nature. Regardless of the type of question, God has the answer, and it can usually be found in His word. Here are just a few examples:

Question Where the answer can be found
What happens to a soul after death? Alma 40
What should I do when I’m sick? James 5:14-15
Should little children be baptized? Moroni 8
How can I donate when I struggle to pay my bills? Malachi 3:10
Who should I go to with questions and concerns? Alma 37:37

In Lehi’s dream, the Word of God was represented by the rod of iron that people held onto so they could stay on the straight and narrow path that led to the tree of life. The symbolism is obvious, as God’s Word keeps us on the right path in life that leads to the kingdom of God. If we have questions along the way, open the books — the answers are in there!

It’s Coming Next Week…

Can you guess what we’ve got in store? Watch this week for more clues.

teaser 2 rev 

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.

Author

  • Brother Jerry Valenti

    Brother Jerry lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with wife Sister Pat and daughter Maria.

    View all posts Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ. Books, pool, and sun (preferably all together). The four gospels and The Book of Mormon.

2 Comments

  1. Cristal

    Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. Alma37:37

    Reply
  2. Teri-Lyn Tunno

    Thank you for such an awesome blog!! I loved the breakdown of the dream and explanation of each part. 🙂

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further Reading

Praying for the Prodigal

Jesus continues to address the Pharisees who have been critical of Him spending time with sinful people. He has already shared two parables with them that liken sinners to a sheep that wanders away and gets lost and to a coin that someone loses. In both parables,...

Read More

Finding Lost Coins

Jesus is in the midst of addressing the Pharisees who have been critical of Him spending time with sinful people. He has shared a parable with them that likens the sinner to a lost sheep that causes the shepherd to rejoice when it is found. Now, Jesus shares a...

Read More

Never Miss a New Article

Subscribe to Our Email List
Sign up and get every new blog post sent straight to your inbox so you always have the day’s devotional at your fingertips.

We never share your email address with anyone for any reason, and we use it only to send you Gospel Blog emails. Just articles, not ads!

Your Story for God’s Glory

Share Your Testimony on Miracle Monday

We devote Miracle Monday to sharing miracle stories. From finding a lost wedding ring to healing cancer on the spot, Jesus Christ has done it all, big and small.

And we want to hear about what He’s done for you.

The Gospel Blog Is Open for Submissions

We encourage devotional-style or scripture-based articles in the ballpark of 500 words. We are open to any topic that glorifies God and unites the Church.