First Nephi 8 All

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 1

• Was Nephi's description in this verse affected by Old Testament verses such as 1 Chr 28:14?

Verse 2

• Was Nephi quoting Lehi when he wrote the phrase "in other words"?
• Is there a difference between a dream and a vision? What might qualify a dream as a vision?

Verse 3

• How might Laman and Lemuel have felt to be unflatteringly compared to their younger brother?

Verse 4

• Is it possible that Lehi might have inadvertantly pushed his older children--who obviously did have some serious issues--further away by comparing them to their younger siblings?

Verse 5

• As members of the church, who leads us to the tree?
• Who was this man that Lehi followed?
• Is there special significance to the man's robe being white?

Lexical notes

• "Dreamed a dream" and "seen a vision" are equated in verse 2. There are many contexts in which these phrases might have different connotations.

Exegesis

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The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 6

• Was the phrase "bade me" influenced by OT verses such as 2 Sam 14:19?

Verse 7

• What level of consciousness or awareness was Lehi describing with the phrase "beheld myself"?
• What happened to the angel that Lehi was following? Did he abandon Lehi in the darkness?

Verse 8

• If the word "hours" does not appear in the Old Testament, then was it New Testament usage that influenced the translation of this verse?
• How does one distinguish "many hours" of travel in a dream? What was this experience of traveling in darkness like?
• Why would Lehi pray for mercy while traveling in the darkness? Was there something more to the dream than just being in the dark?
• What does the "multitude of...tender mercies" mean? Does this imply that there are more than one type of mercy, and what might make them tender?

Verse 9

• Why doesn't the word "spacious" appear in scriptures outside the Book of Mormon?
• Is the word "spacious" in this verse related to the word "space" in the previous verse?
• Why doesn't the field appear until after Lehi prays?

Verse 10

• Why does this verse echo the phrase "a tree to be desired to make one wise" found in Gen 3:6?

Lexical notes

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Exegesis

In verse 7, Lehi finds himself in a dark and dreary waste where he wanders around for hours. He wanders around for hours before he prays to the Lord for mercy, after which he see the tree of life and partakes of the fruit. It is interesting that the iron rod is never mentioned in Lehi's partaking of the fruit.

• It is interesting to note that as soon as Lehi begins following the Heavenly messenger, he finds himself in a dark and dreary waste. Often times, it seems that when we make an effort in our lives to do what's right, we end up passing through trials and temptations, and it may seem that the Lord is not with us or doesn't care about us. But, if we are patient and faithful, calling upon His name, He will hear us AND deliver us.

Verse 10

• The tree of life symbolizes the Love of God. There is nothing in this life that can bring us as much happiness as partaking of the fruits of his love. These include his spirit, the atonement, and much more.

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The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 11

• Why does the word "sweet" require the modifiers "most" and "above" while the word "white" only requires "exceed"?

Verse 12

• Why does the Bible say nothing about the soul being filled with joy?

Verse 13

• Was Lehi's wording in this verse influenced by Isa 60:4?

Verse 14

• Why was this sacred tree located at the bottom of the river, rather than in an elevated spot?

Verse 15

• Was Lehi using a messianic phrase when he invited his family to "come unto me"?

Lexical notes

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Exegesis

Verse 11

Verse 12

Verse 13

Verse 14

Verse 15

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The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 16

• Why is it necessary for both the words "and" and "also" to appear in this verse?

Verse 17

• Why did Lehi choose to not repeat his "come unto me" message when calling for Laman and Lemuel?

Verse 18

• Does this foreshadowing vision of Laman and Lemuel not going to the tree of life, or not coming unto Christ, mean that they will never come unto the Savior? What about their agency? Does this de-motivate them to try?

Verse 19

• Why was it necessary for the iron rod to follow the route of the river from its head to the tree?

Verse 20

• Was the path located on the bank, between the iron rod and the river, or was the iron rod located in between the river bank and the path?

Lexical notes

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Exegesis

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The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 21

• Given how the word "concourses" is used in the Book of Mormon, should we assume that Lehi was trying to say there was something angelic about the people in this first group?

Verse 22

• How is it possible that all of these people started out on the same side of the river as the path?

Verse 23

• Why did everyone on the path at that moment "lose their way"?

Verse 24

• What were the odds that, in total darkness, these people could find the direction they needed to take in order to find the iron rod?

Verse 25

• Was this verse influenced by Neh 6:16?

Lexical notes

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Exegesis

Verse 24

Lehi sees that they are "clinging" to the rod of iron. In such a dark setting you might expect people to be holding hands. But nothing is said of people clinging together. No person is leading another by the hand. Maybe the significance of this is that the rod of iron, or as we learn later, the word of God, must be grasped directly, individually, of our own choice. We must know the truth for ourselves. Others can "beckon" us, as Lehi did his family, but we each need to grasp the word of God individually if we are to press forward.

Clinging to the rod implies a force pulling in the opposite direction--that is why they clung to it. Those who "continually held fast" seem to not have the opposite pull. The "clingers" did not "fall at the tree" but simply partook and then were ashamed. I think "clingers" could compare to those who view the Gospel as something they should do, but the pull of the world is very real in their lives, so they cling because they know they should, not that they really want the Gospel. That is why they did not fall down when they partook of the fruit; they didn't recognize the great gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They were like the nine lepers who had been cleansed and never thanked Christ. However, because they clung to the rod and partook of the fruit, not because they really wanted to but because they were "supposed to", they eventually fell away or gave into that force that had been pulling at them the whole time.

Related links

Verses 23-24

• Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[W]hen those mists of darkness enveloped the travelers in Lehi's vision of the tree of life, it enveloped all of the participants—the righteous as well as the unrighteous, the young along with the elderly, the new convert and seasoned member alike. In that allegory all face opposition and travail, and only the rod of iron—the declared word of God—can bring them safely through. We all need that rod. We all need that word. No one is safe without it..."

• "Clinging" vs. "holding fast." See this post by NathanG at the Feast blog regarding the "clinging to" wording here in contrast to the "holding fast" wording in verse 30.

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 26

• How did it happen that both the ashamed (vs. 25) and the confident (vs. 26) cast their eyes about?

Verse 27

• Why does the word "attitude" not appear in the Bible?

Verse 28

• Why wasn't it possible for these individuals to avoid feeling ashamed?

Verse 29

• Was Nephi speaking and writing these words simultaneously?

Verse 30

• What does it mean that the people "fell down"?

Lexical notes

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Exegesis

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Verse 30

We often talk about clinging to the rod of iron and holding fast to the rod of iron similarly. Both are descriptors of how we should approach the word of God, or the scriptures. If we follow those who cling to the iron rod to their conclusion, they become ashamed after they have partaken of the fruit of the tree life (verse 28). The group that holds fast to the iron rod (verse 30) comes to the tree, falls down and eats the fruit. Is there a difference, then between clinging and holding fast to the iron rod? Can this difference help us understand how to better approach the scriptures?

Cling is often used in a negative connotation. It also carries a sense of desperation. I envision someone putting their whole attention on the object to which they cling. In the vision, these people may have been clinging to the rod for their life. Or, they were looking to the scriptures to save their life. However, the scriptures are not meant to be the source of life, but something to lead us to the source of life, the tree of life, the love of God, or simply Jesus Christ. Perhaps the mist of darkness and their focus on the iron rod resulted in them not even understanding what they were going to. When they finally arrive at the tree, they partake, but it is not what they expected because this was the life they thought they had received, and they fell away. Perhaps this approach is making the scriptures something they were not intended to be, and maybe this is what wresting the scriptures means.

Contrast holding fast. Fast implies firm and secure. It is similar to fasten. Fastening something together (such as a seatbelt) brings to things together and joins them as one. It gives a sense of safety, without occupying one's entire attention. These people on the path could pay more attention to what was happening and where they were going. Perhaps through breaks in the mist, they could see the tree. They came to understand that the tree would offer them life. They then arrive at the tree and fall down in a worshipful manner and partook of the fruit.

When Nephi and Lehi understood that the rod of iron was a representation of the word of God, they probably thought first and foremost of the Law of Moses. If we apply the two approaches to the rod to the Law of Moses, we can clearly see the history of the Jews in a simple form. There were many who clung to the Law as though it was the source of life. They rejected Christ. There were others who understood that the Law led to Christ. These people continued to follow the law, but it was secondary to their focus on Christ.

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The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 31

• Does use of the word multitude connote a line of descendants (see Gen 48:4)?

Verse 32

• How does Nephi know what these people were doing if his father was unable to relate their fate in his telling of the story?

Verse 33

• Why is Nephi switching, apparently without an explanation, from third person in the previous verse to first person in this verse?

Verse 34

• Were these people powerless to escape once they listened to the song of the sirens?

Verse 35

• Which group were these two in and did they even get close to the tree?

Lexical notes

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Exegesis

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The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 36

• Was Lehi's vision so prophetic that Laman and Lemuel were destined, from that time on, to work against the will of the Lord?

Verse 37

• If "exhort" means to "force or impel in an indicated direction" and "tender" means "given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality," then how do these words work together?

Verse 38

• Did Lehi think this was the last chance he would have to convince his sons to change their ways?

Lexical notes

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Exegesis

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