Week 2: Tree of Life

The reading for this week was 1 Nephi 8-15.

I wrote a post on 1 Nephi 8 earlier this year, so I won't rehash that material right now.

Some other thoughts I had which I didn't cover before:

-The iron rod. I noticed how close the iron rod was to many of the dangers, such as the river. Wouldn't it make sense to move the rod a little further away? Then I realized that would make it harder for people trying to make their way back to reach the rod, or for those holding the rod to reach out and help others.

-The sole purpose of the GSB (Great and Spacious Building) seems to be for people to dress up really nice and point fingers at those eating the fruit. Sounds like a good time. All who gave heed to the GSB, "fell away into forbidden paths and were lost" (1 Nephi 8:28) while the faithful "heeded them not" (1 Nephi 8:33). In the eternal scheme of things, no matter how sophisticated or cunning the arguments sound as they come from the GSB, it can't amount to more than a pointing finger.

Chapter 9. Nephi takes a break to let us know the Lord told him to make another set of plates. The Lord has a "wise purpose" and Nephi is obedient even though he doesn't know what that purpose is. It's enough to know that "the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning..." and "...he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words..." (1 Nephi 9:6). 

Chapter 10. After hearing Lehi's account, Nephi desires a first-hand witness. It seems from Nephi's account in Chapter 11 that Lehi didn't explain the dream, because Nephi told the Spirit that he wanted "to know the interpretation thereof". 

"For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." (1 Nephi 10:19). 

Chapters 11-14. Nephi is carried away in the spirit as he sat pondering the vision of Lehi. One of the benefits I've noticed already from following the reading schedule is how liberating it is to know I have seven days to finish seven chapters. I don't feel as pressured when I pick away at a chapter throughout the day. There's no rush to move on to the next chapter right away and I have more time to think about what I'm reading. A quick quote from Pres. Eyring:

"... reading, studying, and pondering are not the same. We read words and we may get ideas. We study and we may discover patterns and connections in scripture. But when we ponder, we invite revelation by the Spirit. Pondering, to me, is the thinking and the praying I do after reading and studying in the scriptures carefully." (Pres. Henry B. Eyring, Serve with the Spirit, Oct 2010 Gen Conf)

And one from Elder Scott:

 "...I start reading a passage of scripture; I ponder what the verse means and pray for inspiration. I then ponder and pray to know if I have captured all the Lord wants me to do. Often more impressions come with increased understanding of doctrine. I have found that pattern to be a good way to learn from the scriptures." (Elder Richard G. Scott, "How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life", April 2012 Gen Conf)

Notice how many times during Nephi's vision the Spirit, and later the angel, tells him to "look". I used to think that was a little weird. After all, Nephi asked to see the vision, what else is he going to be doing? The angel isn't telling him to put his phone away and pay attention, I think there's so much going on in the vision that the angel needs to direct his attention to the key elements. I think it's not so much "look" (implying he wasn't looking before) as it is "look over there". By Chapter 13, Nephi seems to have "caught up" to the point the angel no longer needs to keep telling him where to look and transitions from "look" to "thou hast beheld".

Chapter 15. Nephi goes back to his father's tent and his brothers were "disputing" about some of the things Lehi told them. I don't know how I missed it before, but the next part never really clicked in for me. In verse 5 Nephi says "...I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall." Nephi came out of a great spiritual experience, being privileged to see the Savior's mortal ministry and His post-resurrection appearance to the Nephites. I never really grasped the impact it would have after seeing those wondrous events to then witness the destruction of the Nephites because of their wickedness. No wonder he had to wait to receive his strength again before dealing with his brothers.

They told Nephi, "...we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken..." (vs 7) and "... the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us." (vs 9).

The prophet Joseph Smith taught:

"God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them" (Teachings, p. 149, emphasis added).

It's one thing to explain something to a person who really wants to understand. It's a completely different experience to have to explain something to someone who should know but doesn't want to put in the effort to find out for themselves (Call me one more time to ask me about something I covered in the staff meeting...). Points to Nephi for not trying to beat it into them with the brass plates.

I like the "If... Then..." statements in the scriptures. They make it easy to follow along and replicate the results. Nephi quotes a scripture in vs 11:

"...If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you."

If these things are not being "made known unto [us]", then we must not be meeting all the required conditions. Failure to meet any one of the conditions will result in not receiving the promised blessing.

Another point I just noticed this week and find very fascinating is how Nephi handled the little Q&A session. In vs. 8 he asks, "Have ye inquired of the Lord?" and could have easily added something along the lines of, "I asked and the Lord showed me the vision too." Not once does he mention to his brothers that he had a personal witness of Lehi's vision.

I also wonder if the brothers ever picked up on the fact Nephi was explaining points of Lehi's vision which Lehi himself didn't notice? Nephi pointed out that Lehi didn't notice the river of water was filthiness because he was so caught up in other things (vs 27). "If Dad didn't notice, how do you know?"

So, that's a very brief overview of the reading for week 2. Week 3's assignment is 1 Nephi 16-22. Feel free to comment with anything which impressed you during the week. Don't be shy...

Moroni's Quest: Week 1

Since I'm not teaching any more, I figured this would be a good way to keep me studying on a regular basis. Our stake is doing Moroni's Quest in July and they handed out the reading assignments, so I thought I'd follow along in my book and make notes here of things which impressed me.

Week 1: 1 Nephi 1-7

I wonder how Joseph Smith felt as he translated Lehi's experience in Chapter 1. Lehi described "a pillar of fire" (1 Nephi 1:6) and an incredible vision where he saw Christ and was taught many things only to be mocked later by the people he was trying to save. Truman Madsen indicated some of Joseph's earlier accounts of his First Vision used the word "fire" instead of "light" as well as his amazement that the trees around him did not catch fire.

In Chapter 2, Lehi is commanded to take his family into the wilderness so he leaves everything behind and takes his family on a camping trip. At this point, it doesn't seem like the Lord has told them where they are going or how long they'll be gone. God said, "Go" so Lehi left.

Later in Ch 2, Nephi prays to the Lord and had his heart softened "that I did believe all the words of my father" (1 Nephi 2:16). He doesn't say that was the specific intent of his prayer, but it seems likely. Did Nephi doubt his father? That doesn't seem to fit his character. I think he recognized a need for a spiritual conversion stronger than what he already had. He then prayed on behalf of his stubborn older brothers and the Lord tells him, "...inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord" (1 Nephi 2:21). Notice He didn't say, "if thy brethren shall rebel against thee". Every time Nephi exhorts his brothers to be faithful, remember that he already knows they are going to be cut off.

Chapter 3, Lehi tells the boys to make the 12-14 day trip (around 180 miles) back to Jerusalem to pick up the brass plates from Laban. I've been in the car not two minutes away from my house and not turned back to get something I have forgotten. I can't imagine travelling for 2 weeks one-way to pick something up. If the plates were so important, why couldn't the Lord say, "Don't forget to pick those up on your way out of town"? Nephi would've missed the opportunity to find out how obedient he really was, and Sariah wouldn't have received her witness either.

Chapter 4. Nephi goes out to get the plates, knowing only that God has "prepared a way" to accomplish His commands. How many times in my life have I felt frustrated because I couldn't see how things would end up? Nephi sets the example by doing everything in his power to be obedient and trusting the Lord will pick up the rest.

Nephi finds Laban passed out drunk, then gives us a detailed description of Laban's sword and the metals used to make each piece. Based on this, and Nephi's ability to molten ore and make tools, I think he worked in the trade.

Chapter 5, the boys return with the plates. Mother Sariah has been a little worried because they were taking so long. Lehi & family offer sacrifice and burnt offerings in thanks. Upon receiving the brass plates, Lehi "did search them from the beginning" (1 Nephi 5:10).  There are examples in Church history of those who received the Book of Mormon in a similar spirit. Parley Pratt recorded of his experience:

“I opened it with eagerness, and read its title page. I then read the testimony of several witnesses in relation to the manner of its being found and translated. After this I commenced its contents by course. I read all day; eating was a burden, I had no desire for food; sleep was a burden when the night came, for I preferred reading to sleep. 

“As I read, the spirit of the Lord was upon me, and I knew and comprehended that the book was true, as plainly and manifestly as a man comprehends and knows that he exists” (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, 3d ed., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938, pp. 36–37).

I've had the Book of Mormon all my life and I don't think I've ever read it with that much enthusiasm.

Chapter 6, "Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men" (1 Nephi 6:6). Everything Nephi and the following writers chose to include is "of worth unto [us]".

Chapter 7, Lehi sends the boys back to town to pick up Ishmael and his family. What would you say to another family to convince them to leave the comforts of home and wander in the wilderness. What would it take for me to drop everything and go?

On the way back, Laman & Lemuel want to go back to Jerusalem. Nephi tries to talk them out of it and they tie him up and leave him to be eaten by wild animals. The interesting part to me is that after they left Nephi, they kept going in the wilderness rather than going back like they said they would. What changed their minds? They had the perfect opportunity to go back, but they didn't. It's also amazing to me that Nephi "did frankly forgive them" (1 Nephi 7:21) after they were sorry and asked to be forgiven. Nephi doesn't seem to be the type to hold a grudge.

So, there's week #1 in a nutshell. I'm happy for the excuse to go through these scriptures again with a very specific reading schedule which makes me slow down and think about what I'm reading. Please feel free to comment on anything which sticks out to you.

Reading for Week 2: 1 Nephi 8-15

Deliverance

No, not the kind with the paddles and banjos... A friend's post has had me thinking a lot about the theme of deliverance throughout the Book of Mormon. And since I recently listened to the entire Book of Mormon in the car over a 2.5 week period, some of the examples are still fairly fresh in my mind. 

The Book of Mormon writers (and abridgers) wanted to make sure we understood that Christ delivers the faithful and those who put their trust in Him. What really stuck out to me this time is the thought that very seldom are we spared from trials/tribulations/etc. or rescued immediately. The Lord's timing can be as instructive as is our delivery by His hand.

Nephi had an awesome attitude and never faltered in his faith. He and his brothers are sent back to Jerusalem to retrieve the brass plates. Their first two attempts didn't go well and they end up hiding. Laman and Lemuel proceed to beat Nephi and Sam with rods. An angel appears, and asks why they are beating their younger brothers. If it were me, I'd probably be asking the angel if he was stuck in traffic or stopped to get a snack. This sort of intervention would've been great before the beatings started. But Nephi doesn't complain and takes the opportunity to give his older brothers a pep talk.

On the way back from picking up Ishmael and his family, Nephi gets tied up and left to be eaten by wild animals. He prays and receives the strength to burst his bands. No waiting, just pray and receive; immediate deliverance.

FFWD >> Laman & Lemuel didn't like Nephi correcting their rude behavior on the boat, so they bind him with strong cords for four days. They eventually untie him when they realize they are about to be killed in the storm. Nephi grabs the liahona and prays to the Lord. My prayer would've included, "... and if Laman and Lemuel should happen to accidentally fall over the side, please let them get eaten by sharks", but Nephi just prays and gets the ship back on course. So, what does this teach me about deliverance? Do you think at some point during those four days Nephi may have prayed, "O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound" as he did in the wilderness (1 Nephi 7:17)? It worked the last time. Each previous time Nephi had been delivered, it had been with minimal waiting. Why did the Lord wait so long this time? It doesn't seem fair that Nephi had to suffer so Laman and Lemuel could be taugh a lesson. Maybe Nephi needed to learn something about himself which he couldn't learn in any other way?

What about the story of Alma and Amulek? Their time in Ammonihah did not go well. They end up being cast into prison where the judge and several of the people take turns hitting them and spitting on them, and  taunting them for a few days while depriving them of food and water. They finally stand and plead with God, "How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance." They break their bands, the prison comes tumbling down around them, killing their captors, and the two men walk out free and unharmed. Score one for miraculous deliverance.

Alma was "constrained by the spirit" not to use the priesthood to prevent the faithful women and children from being burned in the flames. Could he also have been constrained not to use it to free themselves from prison and the related abuse? Do I have enough faith in the Lord and His plan to sit patiently, often enduring great hardships, until He says it's time to use the "get out of jail free" card?

So, where am I going with all this? The thought which keeps coming to mind is that God does deliver the faithful. No question there. But, the desired deliverance almost never comes how we expect it, or even when. For Abinadi, deliverance came through his martyrdom in flames. The women and children of Ammoniah who were thrown into the fire? The "Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory". The Army of Helaman was miraculously delivered in battle, even though each of them were wounded. Nephi and his brother Lehi were delivered from the Lamanite prison after being starved for a few days. The Nephites who believed Samuel's message of the Lord's birth were delivered, almost literally, at the last minute.

I do not doubt the Lord will deliver me from trial and hardship. I do, however, wonder a little bit as to whether I will play the part of Nephi and burst my bands right away, Alma the Elder whose burdens were made light so he couldn't feel them, Alma and Amulek who endured and witnessed great suffering before the prison comes down around them, or even Abinadi whose deliverance came in death. Whatever the Lord has in store for me, I just hope I can hold on long enough for the deliverance to come.

Stay on Your Mountain

The lesson (in our ward anyway) for next week is #31 and is the start of the "war chapters" in Alma. This is one of my favorite sections in the Book of Mormon. I'll admit, it's easier to read about all the wars and fighting than it is to read something like Jacob 5, but I am starting to see more of the value behind these chapters.

Let me start with a quote from Elder M. Russell Ballard which helps make it easier to apply the war chapters to our lives today:

“We are in a war.  This is the same war that raged in the premortal world. Lucifer and his followers are committed in their evil direction. But we must never forget this about Lucifer: he is a liar. He is the father of all lies and has been from the beginning. He was cast out of Heavenly Father's premortal kingdom because of his disobedience, and now he has one goal, one eternal commitment that has never changed from the time of the war in heaven until the present day. His sole purpose is to make you and me as miserable as he is, and the best way for him to accomplish that is to entice us into disobedience.” (BYU Devotional, March 12, 1996)

I don't think we'll have many times in our lives when we'll be required to put on our breastplates and armor, grab our sword, and run off into battle. But we can apply many of the things Mormon chose to include in the abridgment to our lives to help keep us safe from the adversary and his forces.

I'm going to start with Chapter 47 because this went from being just a cool story to something I could really understand. Amalickiah and his group join the Lamanites, he gets the king wound up to go to battle against the Nephites, the majority of the Lamanite army doesn't like the idea and went up to the top of Mt. Antipus so they wouldn't have to go against the Nephites. The king gave Amalickiah command of the army and told him to "compel them to arms". Amalickiah says, "Excellent, this fits into my plan to become king."

Now, I'm not going to claim any interpretive ability here as that's not my job. I will, however, suggest this is one possible application. Put yourself in Lehonti's place for the story (he's the leader of the army who has "fixed in their minds with a determined resolution" not to go against the Nephites). Where has he and the army taken refuge? "...upon the top of the mount..." (Alma 47:7). Does that mean we should go hide out in the wilderness to avoid the influence of the world? No... the Lord wants us to be "in the world, but not of the world." What comes to my mind is the scripture in Isaiah 2:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it."

The "mountain of the Lord's house" is the temple. Pres. Hunter taught, "we again emphasize the personal blessings of temple worship and the sanctity and safety that are provided within those hallowed walls. It is the house of the Lord, a place of revelation and of peace." (Oct General Conference, 1994).

Obviously we can't spend all day every day in the temple, but if we work to stay worthy and honor the covenants we've made, that protection will follow us home.

So if we're assuming the part of Lehonti, who is playing Amalickiah? Hmm... who else has an overwhelming desire to destroy our freedom and make us miserable? Who tries to get what he wants through lies and deceit? Oh yah, that would be Satan.

So Amalickiah takes his army to the foot of the mountain, waits for night then sends a "secret embassy" to get Lehonti to come down. Lehonti is no dummy, he refuses to come down. Amalickiah tries three times unsuccessfully before changing his tactic. This time he goes up the mountain, "nearly to Lehonti's camp" and asks Lehonti to come down with his guards. After all, Amalickiah was only concerned about Lehonti's comfort and safety and had his best interests at heart. Seems legit, right? You don't want to watch that R-rated movie with the graphic depictions of sex? No problem, how about you watch this one instead? It doesn't actually show anything, but they talk about it all the time and show enough that you'll know what's going on. The one I heard the most growing up was, "You can repent in time to serve a mission." That rarely ended well either.

Lehonti fell for it and met with Amalickiah, who tells him, "Sneak down during the night, surround my army, we'll surrender, and you'll be in charge of the whole army. All I ask is to be second in command." Again, seems like a good deal. Lehonti gets what he wants (doesn't have to go against the Nephites), plus a bonus.

Everything goes according to plan. Unfortunately, it was Amalickiah's plan and not Lehonti's. We need to remember that every time Satan offers us a deal, it fits his plan and not ours. Whatever Lehonti had planned for his new position didn't last long. Amalickiah had one of his servants "administer poison by degrees" to Lehonti. Notice he didn't kill him outright, any more than Satan gets us to jump straight into the deep end. That's not his style. Rather than try to come at us head-on, he usually sides-up beside us so he can put his arm around us and pacify us, get us to let down our guard, and before we know it we're on the wrong path (See 2 Nephi 28:21). Lehonti probably didn't even know he was being poisoned.

Lehonti dies, Amalickiah becomes leader of the whole army, visits the king, has him killed, and is now king of all the Lamanites. If Lehonti had stayed at the top of the mountain, he would've been safe. Amalickiah could not have gained an advantage, and would never have become king.

So, the moral of this story: "Don't come down off your mountain!" Not even a little bit.

Experiment on the Word

I really need to work on updating this one more often. I'm such a slacker...

Anyhow, I recently had the opportunity to fill in for our Gospel Doctrine instructor for a few weeks and really was meaning to post a few things here (really, I was). The last lesson I did was on Alma 32, which was a bit of a challenge. Most everyone in the class is likely to know the story line already (Alma & co. visit the apostate Zoramites in an effort to bring them back on-side, they find a group of the poor & humble who are receptive to the message, Alma teaches them about faith and experimenting on the word of God). So, how do you present the material in a way that doesn't put everyone to sleep?

First, let's dispel a lingering myth. At no point in chapter 32 (or anywhere else I can find) does Alma compare faith to a seed. You can look all you want, but you won't find it because it's not there. What he says is, "...we will compare the word unto a seed" (Alma 32:28).

Here are some of the points which jumped out at me:
-Verse 11, am I a "Sunday Mormon"? Or do I live it 7 days/week?

-Verse 26-27, it's interesting to me that Alma gives the humble Zoramites the "scientific method" for discovering truth right after the story of Korihor, who basically said "if you can't prove it scientifically, it doesn't exist."

-Alma's discourse on the seed seems to be a continuation of the Parable of the Sower. He's talking to those who's hearts are "good soil", so he can spend more time talking about nurturing the seed rather than the condition of the ground.

-The biggest insight I had this time came from two quick references in verses 13 and 22:

13 And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.

22 And now, behold, I say unto you, and I would that ye should remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name; therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe, yea, even on his word.

I've read this passage many times, I've had many lessons on this chapter, but this was the first time this idea occurred to me. And when it did, it was like someone had highlighted and underlined it for emphasis and I had one of those, "how long has that been in there?" moments. Before Alma starts talking about faith and making room in their hearts for the word of God, he plants the idea that God is merciful. He says in verse 13 that everyone who repents will find mercy. Those are pretty good odds. Then he says God is merciful to everyone (again, loving the odds here) who believes on his name.

So now I have to ask myself, "Why is it so important to Alma that these Zoramites understand the mercy of God?" Maybe because they had dissented from the Nephites and perhaps had doubts they could be accepted again. Satan is quick to tell us that we've come too far to turn around, regardless of what we've done. Not only had these people left the church, they actively built another one to teach there would be no Christ (oops... awkward).

Then it hit me again in chapter 33. Alma wants to really drive home the point that these people don't have to come to the synagogue to worship, so he uses a scripture about prayer to back up his point (Alma 33:3-11). Okay, so we can pray in the wilderness, the field, our houses, closets, when we're alone or surrounded by people... that's comforting. Alma could've used any number of scriptures to back up his point. There are many great examples of prayer which would help illustrate how you don't have to be in church on Sunday to pray. He chose this one for a reason. Count how many times in those nine verses where God's mercy is mentioned. It's okay... I'll wait for you to come back...

Six times in nine verses. It really seems like Alma is trying to get this idea to stick. So, hidden in a story I thought I knew was this wonderful underlying message that God is merciful. Not just some of the time either. All the time. And not just to the preferred customers, but "whosoever repenteth shall find mercy" because "God is merciful unto all who believe on his name".

Thanks to that insight, this passage now has a new depth of meaning for me. Experiment on the word, plant it in your heart and nourish it until it grows. I've done that with various aspects of the gospel and it has never failed. And now I can add the understanding and reassurance of God's mercy to the process.

The Tree of Life

Yah, I know... it's been a while since my last post here. I haven't actually been the Gospel Doctrine instructor since the ward boundary change last year. I came across something which helped me understand Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life a little better than I had before. Amazing what happens when I actually read the lesson material before class...

The lesson manual pointed out there were four groups of people described in the vision:
A. Those who started on the path, but became lost in the mist of darkness (1 Nephi 8:21-23)
B. Those who managed to partake of the fruit, but then became ashamed and fell away (1 Nephi 8:24-28)
C. Those who partake of the fruit and remain faithful (1 Nephi 8:30)
D. Those who go straight for the GSB (Great and Spacious Building) without even getting on the path (1 Nephi 8:31-33)

I had one of those "how long has that been there??" moments. I'm not sure what the trigger was this time, but I realized, "This sounds an awful lot like the parable of the Sower!"

Let's look at the four groups of people described in Matthew 13:
1. Those who hear the word, don't understand, and are caught away by Satan (Matt 13:19).
2. Those who receive the word with joy, but fall away after tribulation or persecution (Matt 13:20-21)
3. Those who receive the word, but let the cares of the world take over (Matt 13:22)
4. Those who receive the word and bear fruit (Matt 13:23)

This reminded me of the matching sections on exams where you link items from one column to the corresponding item in the other column. I like it when things break down into pieces I can understand.

Here are my answers:
A3. They start off on the path, but their desires to reach the fruit get choked by the desires of the world.

B2. These people experience the joys of the gospel, but become ashamed or offended and fall away. This to me is the saddest group. They had first-hand experience of the fruit and how it was "desirable to make one happy" (1 Nephi 8:10). They ate the fruit and left. Not because the fruit didn't taste good, but because of how others made them feel about it. Maybe some of them came back, but too many do not. It reminds me of Lyman E. Johnson's story. He was the first apostle chosen in this dispensation, but eventually fell away and was excommunicated. He once told the brethren:

"I would suffer my right hand to be cut off, if I could believe it again. Then I was full of joy and gladness. My dreams were pleasant. When I awoke in the morning my spirit was cheerful. I was happy by day and by night, full of peace and joy and thanksgiving. But now it is darkness, pain, sorrow, misery in the extreme. I have never since seen a happy moment." (As cited by Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. (London: Latter-day Saints Book Depot, 1854-86), 19:42.)

He should be the poster boy for the GSB.

C4. These people went through all the same hard spots on the journey, passed through the same mists of darkness and endured the same tauntings from the GSB residents and still remained faithful.

D1. These guys thought the GSB looked more appealing than some glowing fruit and didn't even get on the path. Maybe they didn't understand how that little piece of fruit was worth all the effort. Maybe they didn't see how it could make them happy. Everyone at the window pointing their fingers seemed to be having fun.

A few other observations I had...
-I've often wondered about the man "dressed in a white robe" (1 Nephi 8:5) who was Lehi's guide at the beginning of the dream. He tells Lehi to follow, and that's the last we read of him. Was Lehi's experience similar to Nephi's? Did the 'man in white' stick around and explain things as they went along? What was Lehi thinking as he was walking through the "dark and dreary waste... for the space of many hours"? After all, he was being obedient and still found himself in a dark place.

-I found it a little interesting there was a very clear-cut path, albeit strait and narrow, and a rod of iron leading travellers to the tree of life and the fruit, but the way to the GSB was shrouded in the mist of darkness to the point where those trying to make their way had to "[feel] their way" (1 Nephi 8:31), which tells me they were walking blind. Many of them were drowned, many were lost, all just trying to get to the GSB so they could have fun pointing out the window at people eating fruit (sounds like a good time to me). Don't get distracted by the GSB travel brochures, read the fine print. Satan doesn't care if you get lost or drown along the way, he just wants you off the path and away from the iron rod, "for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (2 Nephi 2:27)