CFM BOM with Sam Week 3 - 1 Nephi 8-10
It's a great new week for Come Follow Me! Below I compare the tree of life vision with the second missionary lesson, talk about the forgotten importance of the beginning of the vision walk through some of the finer ideas in the vision, and finish up with the point that most people skip, but it seems that Come Follow Me was made to focus us on.
I mentioned in my previous post that it almost seems as though 1 Nephi 1-7 is handcrafted to help us understand the first missionary lesson. We can draw many comparisons between 1 Nephi 8-15 and the second missionary lesson, but with a key difference. The second missionary lesson teaching points are:
1. Premortal Life: God's Purpose and Plan for Us
2. The Creation
3. Agency and the Fall of Adam and Eve
4. Our Life on Earth
5. The Atonement of Jesus Christ
6. The Spirit World
7. The Resurrection, Salvation, and Exaltation
8. Judgement and Kingdoms of Glory
This gives a wide, somewhat chronological view that is cohesive end-to-end. It is made to give new members and friends an overall understanding of the path. It isn't made to deep dive into any single part.
Lehi's Tree of Life, on the other hand, is the deep dive we need. It focuses specifically on the two parts of the plan that we are most connected to currently: Life on Earth and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Both of these renditions of the plan of Salvation compliment each other. A new friend or member can learn the wider picture from studying the missionary lesson, and then gain a deeper understanding of their role and purpose by studying the tree of life vision in these chapters.
This is another witness to me of the inspired nature of the book. in chapter 9 of this week, Nephi says he makes "these plates for a wise purpose, which purpose I know not". This was written by a young believer over 2000 years ago, and translated 200 years ago by someone humble enough to simply trust in God, and yet it reads like a glove for anyone who is seeking to grasp the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is something that I think neither writer, nor translator foresaw, nor could have created themselves, but was directly designed by God for us.
There are some key verses before the vision really opens up that we usually skip over rather quickly. I believe they are actually the key to why Lehi recieved the vision in the first place. Check it out:
It says that after he had traveled for the space of many hours(?!) in darkness, he began to "pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies". This is something like gratitude, remembrance, and humble supplication. Compare this to Moroni's plea before the famous verses to ask if the Book of Mormon is true.
Is not Lehi doing the same thing as Moroni is asking us to do? is he not remembering how merciful the lord has been according to the multitude of his tender mercies?
We can find similar events at key points of revelation in the scriptures. Feel free to comment below if you know of others.
There are a number of great places to get walk-throughs on all the symbols. LDS Living has one that is pretty good here:
http://www.ldsliving.com/Book-of-Mormon-Lesson-3-The-Vision-of-the-Tree-of-Life/s/67223
There are three pretty awful elements in this vision, each teach us a different way to avoid getting caught away from the path.
1. The Mists of Darkness - these represent the tempations of the Devil which Blind the eyes and and harden the hearts of everyone. The good, the bad, the ugly... The only place I don't think the mists of darkness are, is under the Tree of Life itself. But for the rest of us, even those on the path holding onto the scriptures and the gospel, we are in the mists of darkness too. :(
We just need to hold on and not let go and keep seeking the Tree of Life.
2. The River of Filthy Waters - these represent the depths of Hell. This is sin and separation from God. Lehi says that on the other side is the great and spacious building. This is what no one tells you about that damned edifice - to get into the great and spacious building, you have to go through the filthy waters. No matter what you do you are going to be soaked and filthy if you make it. You will probably drown before you do. What no one says is that if the great and spacious building weren't built on a foundation of air, it would rest on the corpses of the damned who died while lusting for it. Those in the building are much fewer than those who wish to be and never made it. Talk about a pyramid scheme.
On that happy note...
3. The Great and Spacious Building - the pride and the vain things of the world. It is so easy to get twisted up in this, especially because when you are on the path it is so simple, and the building is always there, looking amazing, mocking your efforts.
Terry Pratchett's first published work was a short story about building a theme park in Hell for the devil. the theme park is so awful that the devil himself repents because he can't stand it anymore.
Well, I think Terry Pratchett hit onto something, even though he was only 13 or so at the time. I think that even though the great and spacious building looks fantastic 9 days out of 10, those in the building are in a place that is so awful, it is worse than Hell. Maybe those swept away by the filthy waters are the lucky ones.
At first I thought cutting it here was just a simple way of focusing on the tree of life vision for 2 weeks. Now I'm not so sure it was convenient happenstance. It ends walking through how Nephi explains how he was able to receive the vision. And it is really powerful. read verses 17-22.
If you look closely at chapter 9, you can see that Lehi saw many things that we don't have. in ch 11-15, Nephi shows there were things that were there that Lehi did not notice. I know of a member who also prayed with real intent to see the tree of life. He said there were other things that neither mentioned that were there. Don't go off the deep end, with this, I'm just saying you should do what Nephi is telling you to do in these last verses.
Maybe the biggest lesson Nephi, or God, wished to teach in the vision is not the vision itself, but that anyone who has great desire to know the mysteries of God, and seeks Him, and makes room for the Spirit, can relieve all that he or she needs to know to avoid the awful hell on earth and come back into His Presence, whether in times past, times present, or times to come.
The Tree of Life Vision and the 2nd Missionary Lesson
I mentioned in my previous post that it almost seems as though 1 Nephi 1-7 is handcrafted to help us understand the first missionary lesson. We can draw many comparisons between 1 Nephi 8-15 and the second missionary lesson, but with a key difference. The second missionary lesson teaching points are:
1. Premortal Life: God's Purpose and Plan for Us
2. The Creation
3. Agency and the Fall of Adam and Eve
4. Our Life on Earth
5. The Atonement of Jesus Christ
6. The Spirit World
7. The Resurrection, Salvation, and Exaltation
8. Judgement and Kingdoms of Glory
This gives a wide, somewhat chronological view that is cohesive end-to-end. It is made to give new members and friends an overall understanding of the path. It isn't made to deep dive into any single part.
Lehi's Tree of Life, on the other hand, is the deep dive we need. It focuses specifically on the two parts of the plan that we are most connected to currently: Life on Earth and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Both of these renditions of the plan of Salvation compliment each other. A new friend or member can learn the wider picture from studying the missionary lesson, and then gain a deeper understanding of their role and purpose by studying the tree of life vision in these chapters.
This is another witness to me of the inspired nature of the book. in chapter 9 of this week, Nephi says he makes "these plates for a wise purpose, which purpose I know not". This was written by a young believer over 2000 years ago, and translated 200 years ago by someone humble enough to simply trust in God, and yet it reads like a glove for anyone who is seeking to grasp the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is something that I think neither writer, nor translator foresaw, nor could have created themselves, but was directly designed by God for us.
What happened to Lehi before the Vision!?
There are some key verses before the vision really opens up that we usually skip over rather quickly. I believe they are actually the key to why Lehi recieved the vision in the first place. Check it out:
5 And it came to pass that I saw a aman, and he was dressed in a white brobe; and he came and stood before me.Just like Nephi in chapter 3, Lehi is trying to do the right thing and it gets harder because of it. But he perseveres, and becuase of his perseverance, he receives things greater than he could have at first imagined.
6 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.
7 And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.
8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have amercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.
9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious afield.
It says that after he had traveled for the space of many hours(?!) in darkness, he began to "pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies". This is something like gratitude, remembrance, and humble supplication. Compare this to Moroni's plea before the famous verses to ask if the Book of Mormon is true.
3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how amerciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and bponder it in your chearts.
Is not Lehi doing the same thing as Moroni is asking us to do? is he not remembering how merciful the lord has been according to the multitude of his tender mercies?
We can find similar events at key points of revelation in the scriptures. Feel free to comment below if you know of others.
What all the symbols mean in the tree of life.
There are a number of great places to get walk-throughs on all the symbols. LDS Living has one that is pretty good here:
http://www.ldsliving.com/Book-of-Mormon-Lesson-3-The-Vision-of-the-Tree-of-Life/s/67223
Differences between The Mists of Darkness, the River of Filthy Waters, and the Great and Spacious Building
There are three pretty awful elements in this vision, each teach us a different way to avoid getting caught away from the path.
1. The Mists of Darkness - these represent the tempations of the Devil which Blind the eyes and and harden the hearts of everyone. The good, the bad, the ugly... The only place I don't think the mists of darkness are, is under the Tree of Life itself. But for the rest of us, even those on the path holding onto the scriptures and the gospel, we are in the mists of darkness too. :(
We just need to hold on and not let go and keep seeking the Tree of Life.
2. The River of Filthy Waters - these represent the depths of Hell. This is sin and separation from God. Lehi says that on the other side is the great and spacious building. This is what no one tells you about that damned edifice - to get into the great and spacious building, you have to go through the filthy waters. No matter what you do you are going to be soaked and filthy if you make it. You will probably drown before you do. What no one says is that if the great and spacious building weren't built on a foundation of air, it would rest on the corpses of the damned who died while lusting for it. Those in the building are much fewer than those who wish to be and never made it. Talk about a pyramid scheme.
On that happy note...
3. The Great and Spacious Building - the pride and the vain things of the world. It is so easy to get twisted up in this, especially because when you are on the path it is so simple, and the building is always there, looking amazing, mocking your efforts.
Terry Pratchett's first published work was a short story about building a theme park in Hell for the devil. the theme park is so awful that the devil himself repents because he can't stand it anymore.
Well, I think Terry Pratchett hit onto something, even though he was only 13 or so at the time. I think that even though the great and spacious building looks fantastic 9 days out of 10, those in the building are in a place that is so awful, it is worse than Hell. Maybe those swept away by the filthy waters are the lucky ones.
Why Does Come Follow Me end on 1 Nephi 10 this week!?
At first I thought cutting it here was just a simple way of focusing on the tree of life vision for 2 weeks. Now I'm not so sure it was convenient happenstance. It ends walking through how Nephi explains how he was able to receive the vision. And it is really powerful. read verses 17-22.
If you look closely at chapter 9, you can see that Lehi saw many things that we don't have. in ch 11-15, Nephi shows there were things that were there that Lehi did not notice. I know of a member who also prayed with real intent to see the tree of life. He said there were other things that neither mentioned that were there. Don't go off the deep end, with this, I'm just saying you should do what Nephi is telling you to do in these last verses.
Maybe the biggest lesson Nephi, or God, wished to teach in the vision is not the vision itself, but that anyone who has great desire to know the mysteries of God, and seeks Him, and makes room for the Spirit, can relieve all that he or she needs to know to avoid the awful hell on earth and come back into His Presence, whether in times past, times present, or times to come.
Had this question in my mind when reading this chapter: who are privileged to eat the fruits and receive the second comforter? what means "receive him in the world" and "know him"?
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