The Book of Mormon
~600–592 BC

1 Nephi 8

After bringing Ishmael's family to the wilderness, the group gathers seeds. Lehi shares a dream of a tree bearing fruit that brings great joy. A rod of iron leads to the tree through darkness. Many seek the tree, but some are distracted by mockers in a building. Laman and Lemuel refuse the fruit.

We had gathered seeds of every kind—grain seeds and fruit seeds, everything we’d need.

Lehi’s Vision Begins

While we camped in the wilderness, my father told us: 'I’ve had a dream—a vision from God.' 'What I saw gives me hope for Nephi and Sam. I believe they and many of their children will be saved.'

'But Laman and Lemuel—I’m terrified for you. In my dream, I saw myself in a dark, desolate wilderness.' 'A man in a white robe appeared and stood in front of me.' 'He told me to follow him.' 'As I followed, I found myself in a wasteland—dark and empty.' 'After walking in darkness for hours, I prayed to the Lord for mercy.'

'After I prayed, a vast field opened up before me.'

The Tree of Life

'I saw a tree with fruit that looked wonderful—the kind that makes you happy just looking at it.' 'I went and tasted the fruit. It was sweeter than anything I’d ever tasted—white and pure, brighter than anything I’d ever seen.' 'As I ate it, joy filled my whole soul. I wanted my family to taste it too—I knew this fruit was better than anything else.'

'Looking around for my family, I noticed a river running near the tree.' 'I traced the river to its source and saw your mother Sariah with Sam and Nephi. They stood there, looking lost.' 'I waved and called out loud: 'Come here! Taste this fruit—it’s wonderful!'' 'They came and ate the fruit.'

'I wanted Laman and Lemuel to come too, so I looked upriver to find them.' 'I saw them, but they wouldn’t come.'

The Path and the Iron Rod

'Then I noticed an iron rod running along the riverbank all the way to the tree.' 'A narrow path ran beside the iron rod to the tree, starting from the fountain and stretching into a field so vast it seemed like a whole world.'

'I saw countless people pushing forward, trying to reach the path to the tree.' 'They found the path and started walking.' 'Then a thick darkness fell—so dense that people lost their way, wandered off, and disappeared.'

'I saw others pushing forward. They grabbed the iron rod and held on tight, pressing through the darkness until they reached the tree and ate its fruit.' 'After eating the fruit, they looked around nervously, as if embarrassed.'

The Great Building

'I looked around too and saw a huge building across the river, floating in the air high above the ground.' 'The building was packed with people—young and old, men and women, all dressed in expensive clothes. They were laughing and pointing at those eating the fruit.' 'Those who had tasted the fruit felt ashamed when they saw the mockers. They left the tree, took forbidden paths, and got lost.'

I, Nephi, won’t record everything my father said. To keep this brief: He saw more crowds pressing forward. They grabbed the iron rod and held tight, never letting go until they reached the tree and ate its fruit.

He also saw crowds feeling their way toward that huge, floating building. Many drowned in the fountain’s depths. Many more disappeared from sight, wandering down strange roads. Huge crowds entered that strange building. Once inside, they mocked me and everyone eating the fruit. But we ignored them. My father said: 'Everyone who listened to the mockers fell away.'

Laman and Lemuel never ate the fruit.

A Father’s Warning

After telling us his whole vision—and there was much more—my father said he was terrified for Laman and Lemuel. He feared they’d be cut off from the Lord’s presence. With all the love of a worried parent, he begged them to listen. Maybe the Lord would show mercy and not abandon them. He preached to them with everything he had. After preaching and prophesying many things, he told them to keep the Lord’s commandments. Then he stopped talking.

Influences

  • 8:8 — Matthew 15:22 (KJV)
    And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
  • 8:12 — Matthew 2:10 (KJV)
    When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
  • 8:15 — Luke 1:22 (KJV)
    And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
  • 8:19 — Revelation 12:5 (KJV)
    And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
  • 8:23 — 2 Peter 2:17 (KJV)
    These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

Notes

  • 8:1-38

    Both Joseph Smith’s father and Nephi’s father are described as having multiple dreams. In her book, Lucy Mack Smith recounts several of her husband’s visions, which were likely shared often within the family. One of these dreams is dated sixteen years before Joseph Smith obtained the plates:

    "In 1811, we moved... to the town of Lebanon, New Hampshire. Soon after arriving here, my husband received another very singular vision, which I will relate..."

    Readers have noted similarities between this account and the dream of Lehi in the Book of Mormon.

    The following outlines parallels between Joseph Smith Sr.’s dream, as recorded in Lucy Smith's Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet and His Progenitors for Many Generations, and Lehi’s dream in 1 Nephi 8, along with Nephi’s expanded description of the same vision in 1 Nephi 11-14.

    1. Both Joseph Smith's father and Lehi state they were traveling (1 Nephi 8:8; Smith, p. 58).
    2. Both mention a field (1 Nephi 8:4,9; Smith, p. 58).
    3. Both dreams compare the field to a world (1 Nephi 8:20; Smith, p. 58).
    4. Both Joseph Smith Sr. and Lehi have a guide (1 Nephi 8:5-6; Smith, p. 58).
    5. Both mention a broad road or roads (1 Nephi 12:17; Smith, p. 58).
    6. Both mention a narrow path (1 Nephi 8:20; Smith, p. 58).
    7. Both mention a stream of water (1 Nephi 8:13; Smith, p. 58).
    8. Both mention something extending along the bank of the stream (1 Nephi 8:19; Smith, p. 58).
    9. Both mention a tree (1 Nephi 8:10; Smith, p. 58).
    10. Both mention the beauty of the tree (1 Nephi 11:8; Smith, p. 58).
    11. Both trees bore fruit (1 Nephi 8:10; Smith, p. 58).
    12. Both compared the whiteness of the fruit to snow (1 Nephi 11:8; Smith, p. 58).
    13. Both Joseph Smith Sr. and Lehi ate of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:11; Smith, p. 58).
    14. Both found the fruit to be delicious (1 Nephi 8:11; Smith, p. 58).
    15. Both wanted their families to partake of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:12; Smith, p. 58).
    16. Both families came and partook of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:16; Smith, p. 58).
    17. After eating the fruit both experienced great joy (1 Nephi 8:12; Smith, pp. 58-59).
    18. Both mention a spacious building (1 Nephi 8:26; Smith, p. 59).
    19. Both indicate the building reached high into the air (1 Nephi 8:26; Smith, p. 59).
    20. Both buildings were filled with people (1 Nephi 8:27; Smith, p. 59).
    21. In both buildings the people were finely dressed (1 Nephi 8:27; Smith, p. 59).
    22. In both cases the people in the building pointed the finger of scorn at those partaking of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:33; Smith, p. 59).
    23. Both state they ignored the people in the building (1 Nephi 8:33; Smith, p. 59).
    24. Both state the meaning of the fruit is the pure love of God (1 Nephi 11:21-22; Smith, p. 59).
    25. Both state two members of the family are not present (1 Nephi 8:17; Smith, p. 59).
    26. Both mention the fall of the building (1 Nephi 11:36; Smith, p. 59)
    27. Both imply that pride was connected with the building or its inhabitants (1 Nephi 11:36; Smith, p. 59).

    For a full treatment of this subject, including a side-by-side comparison of the above references, see Jerald Tanner and Sandra Tanner, Joseph Smith's Plagiarism of the Bible in the Book of Mormon, pp. 161–163.

  • 8:2

    "Smith's writings contain many similar phrases as the Book of Mormon...'Or, in other words' is another common phrase of Smith's but not in the Bible. This phrase is in the 1830 Book of Mormon Preface, the Bok of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Smith's revision of the Bible and other writings, such as his 1838 Liberty Jail letter published in the Times and Seasons." Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Joseph Smith's Plagiarism of the Bible in the Book of Mormon, p. 40.

    See Preface 1830 Book of Mormon; 1 Nephi 8:2; 1 Nephi 10:4; Mosiah 7:27; Alma 32:16; 3 Nephi 6:20; D&C 10:17; D&C 61:23; D&C 95:17; Luke 6:29-30 JST; Luke 17:37 JST; Mark 9:3 JST; Joseph Smith's 1838 Liberty Jail Letter, Times and Seasons, vol. 1 no. 6, p. 83.

    For additional examples Smith's common phrases, see: 1 Nephi 19:2; 2 Nephi 28:22; 2 Nephi 26:15, and 2 Nephi 28:16.

  • 8:12

    "Smith's writings contain many similar phrases as the Book of Mormon...'Exceeding great' or 'exceedingly great' is a phrase in the Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants and Joseph Smith's 1832 diary." - Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Joseph Smith's Plagiarism of the Bible in the Book of Mormon, p. 41.

    "Exceeding (or exceedingly) great" is found in 1 Nephi 8:12; 1 Nephi 8:23; Mosiah 4:11; Ether 11:4; Moroni 10:11; D&C 108:3; D&C 109:23; D&C 127:10; and Joseph Smith's 1832 Diary as recorded in An American Prophet's Record, p. 5.

    For additional examples of Smith's common phrases, see: 1 Nephi 19:2; 2 Nephi 28:22; 2 Nephi 26:15; Helaman 3:30; and 2 Nephi 28:16.

1 Nephi 71 Nephi 9