Today, we’re pausing Brother Jerry’s series on the Life of Jesus, and we’re bringing you this article from the past. The series will resume next Wednesday.
When I was a young person, my parents used to take me to MBA (the youth meeting) every week (Parents: Do you still do that?). One week, our MBA class read 1 Nephi Chapter 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 |
| Mists 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 Answer Can Be Found |
| What happens to a soul after death? | Alma Chapter 40 |
| What should I do when I’m sick? | James 5:14-15 |
| Should little children be baptized? | Moroni Chapter 8 |
| How can I donate when I struggle to pay my bills? | Malachi 3:10 |
| Who should I go to with my 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!
This article has undergone ministry review and approval.
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