Post #163 – Come Follow Me – Week #
3 -- January 13–19. 1 Nephi 8–10: -- “Come and Partake of the Fruit”
Fear Family and
Friends
How are you doing
this week?? This morning was so nice, but by afternoon the cold wintery winds
were back. ☹ I don’t really mind the cold, but the
winds I can do without! Yes, I know that
the wind is important – it brings in the storms that we need, it cleans the
air, you know things like that and more😊 those are just the ones that come to
my mind at present.
>>>>>>*******>>>>> ***** I wanted to remind you about the devotional
coming up this week with Elder and Sister Christofferson. It is the Worldwide
Devotional for Young Adults. It is at 6pm MST this Sunday, January 12, 2020😊
I
think anyone can watch it, you can go here for more information: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng ******<<<<<<<******<<<<<<<<
I have told you about
my sleeping my Saturday away, right? Well, I have come to the conclusion that
maybe that is my day for my body to recharge itself, especially on my chemo
weeks. It does seem though that just about the time I feel like I have a little
more energy, its time for my chemo again! I guess that’s the time when I need
to get things done then😊
In today’s post our
lesson covers 1 Nephi 8–10 it is titled: “Come and Partake of the Fruit.”
I am here to invite each and every one of you to come and be partakers of the
fruit😊
The following comes
from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and families manual:
As you read 1 Nephi 8–10, consider what messages from Lehi’s
vision apply to you. Record the spiritual impressions you receive in your
scriptures, a notebook, or this resource.
A some of you may
know, Lehi’s vision has many applications for our day, for us as individuals
and for our families too!! . What were your / their insights as you and your family
members and friends read about this vision.
You should be sure to share some
very specific verses and the meaning you and your family members and friends have
found in those verses for your / their lives. The following comes from the
Come, Follow Me for Individuals and families manual:
Lehi’s dream—with its iron rod, mists of darkness,
spacious building, and tree with “most sweet” fruit—is an inspiring invitation
to receive the blessings of the Savior’s love and atoning sacrifice.
For Lehi,
however, this vision was also about his family: “Because of the thing which I
have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of
Sam. … But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you” (1 Nephi 8:3–4).
1 Nephi
8:3–4 Book of Mormon
3 And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I
have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of
Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will
be saved.
4 But behold, Laman and Lemuel,
I fear exceedingly because of you; for behold, methought I saw in my dream, a
dark and dreary wilderness.
When Lehi finished describing his vision, he
pleaded with Laman and Lemuel to “hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord
would be merciful to them” (1 Nephi 8:37).
1 Nephi
8:37 Book of Mormon
37 And he did exhort them then with all
the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that
perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my
father did preach unto them.
Even if you have studied Lehi’s vision many times,
this time think about it the way Lehi did—think of someone you love. As you
do, the security of the iron rod, the dangers of the spacious building, and the
sweetness of the fruit will take on new meaning. And you will understand more
deeply “all the feeling of [the] tender parent” who received this remarkable
vision.
When
we experience God’s love, we desire to help others experience it.
I have a question for
each of you to ponder on—well, maybe more than one question😊
but here comes the first one: Don’t you think that it is pretty normal thing
for us to share the things that we love with all of the people that we love??? So, what do you love? What would yo share?
I love my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, whois my Savior and each of yours too!I believe it is quite normal, but what do you think? I will be the first to admit, sometimes it is hard to share the gospel with the ones you love, but I still try to share with them the best things in my life😊
I love my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, whois my Savior and each of yours too!I believe it is quite normal, but what do you think? I will be the first to admit, sometimes it is hard to share the gospel with the ones you love, but I still try to share with them the best things in my life😊
My granddaughter who
is almost nineteen told me just the other day that she listens to me even when
I talk about God because I don’t get too preachy😊I
took that as a good thing—wouldn’t you think so? My little grandson who is six likes
to read the stories about Jesus – not all the time mind you, but he will come
and ask me to read him one of my stories about Jesus or he will ask if we can
watch one of our videos about Jesus😊
I am going to try
teaching him about Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life this coming week and see I
believe it will help him understand it better if I use some visuals – I found
some here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media-library/images/categories/book-of-mormon-videos-images?lang=eng
It’s natural to share
things we love with people we love, but sometimes we find it hard to share the
gospel. You too, might try a good discussion about Lehi’s vision as it may help you
and your family members and friends to find some good opportunities to share
the gospel with those around them.
Another thing that you
might try is to give a family member and / or friend a piece of fruit and ask
him or her to persuade the rest of your family study group to eat this fruit
regularly. Here is another question coming at you😊
How do you think that this object lesson is similar to Lehi’s experience in 1 Nephi
8:10–16?
1 Nephi
8:10–16 Book of Mormon
11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of
the fruit
thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before
tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness
that I had ever seen.
12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul
with exceedingly great joy;
wherefore, I began to be desirous
that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable
above all other fruit.
13 And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might
discover my family also, I beheld a river
of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking
the fruit.
14 And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the
head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother
Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi;
and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go.
15 And it came to pass that I beckoned
unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come
unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.
16 And it came to pass that
they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also.
You know what time it
is? You got it; it is question time😊What do we learn from Lehi’s experience
that will help us as we share the gospel? As part of your discussion with your
family members and friends, you may want to share the video “Good Things to
Share” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
I was unable
to find this video with sound, I am not sure if it originally h sound or not,
but you can still get the gist of what it is trying to teach you even without
sound😊 Wait!!! I found it here with sound ---
Yeah!!!! 😊
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media-library/video/2015-05-2011-good-things-to-share?lang=eng
Elder
David A. Bednar taught, “The fruit on the tree is a symbol for the
blessings of the Atonement” (“Lehi’s
Dream: Holding Fast to the Rod,” Ensign or Liahona, Oct.
2011, 34).
Something else you
might want to consider asking your family members and friends is to reflect on 1 Nephi
8:11–16
and think about questions like these: How would I describe the sweetness that
the Atonement of Jesus Christ has brought into my life? How have I beckoned to
others to taste its sweetness? (see verse 15).
How have others invited me to seek the
blessings of the Savior’s Atonement? What am I inspired to do as I read 1 Nephi
8:11–16?
This could possible be the beginning of a wonderful discussion with your family
members and friends😊 The following comes from the Come,
Follow Me for Individuals and families manual:
Ideas for Personal
Scripture Study
The word of God leads me to the Savior and helps me feel
His love.
Lehi’s vision offers an invitation to reflect on where you
are—and where you are going—in your personal journey to know the Savior and feel His
love. President Boyd K. Packer taught: “You may think that Lehi’s dream or
vision has no special meaning for you, but it does. You are in it; all of us
are in it (see 1 Nephi
19:23).
23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books
of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the
Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the
prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning
1 Nephi 19:23 Book of Mormon
One way to study 1 Nephi 8 could be to fill out a chart like the one shown here. To understand the meaning of the symbols, it is helpful to refer to the vision that Nephi had when he prayed to understand his father’s vision—see especially 1 Nephi 11:4–25, 32–36; 12:16–18; and 15:21–33, 36. As you study Lehi’s vision, consider what the Lord wants you to learn.\
| Symbol from Lehi’s vision | Meanings | Questions to ponder | |||
| Tree and its fruit (1 Nephi 8:10–12) | What am I doing to invite others to partake of the love of God? | ||||
| River (1 Nephi 8:13) | |||||
| Rod of iron (1 Nephi 8:19–20, 30) | |||||
| Mist of darkness (1 Nephi 8:23) | |||||
|
See also David A. Bednar, “Lehi’s Dream: Holding Fast to the Rod,” Ensign or Liahona, Oct. 2011, 33–37.
The
word of God leads us to the Savior and helps us feel His love.
One way to begin a
discussion about Lehi’s vision is to invite a few class members to draw a
representation of the vision on the board, using 1 Nephi
8:19–38
as a guide.
1 Nephi
8:19–38 Book of Mormon
19 And I beheld a rod of iron,
and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I
stood.
20 And I also beheld a strait
and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which
I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious
field, as if it had been a world.
21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom
were pressing
forward, that they might obtain the path
which led unto the tree by which I stood.
22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and
commence in the path which led to the tree.
23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist
of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that
they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off
and were lost.
24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing
forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and
they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging
to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit
of the tree.
25 And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they
did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.
26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other
side of the river of water, a great and spacious
building; and it stood as it were in the air,
high above the earth.
27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both
male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were
in the attitude
of mocking
and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of
the fruit.
28 And after they had tasted
of the fruit they were ashamed,
because of those that were scoffing
at them; and they fell away
into forbidden paths and were lost.
29 And now I, Nephi, do not speak all
the words of my father.
30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other
multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron;
and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down
and partook of the fruit of the tree.
31 And he also saw other multitudes
feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.
32 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths
of the fountain;
and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.
33 And great was the multitude that did enter into that
strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point
the finger of scorn
at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.
34 These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded
them, had fallen away.
36 And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the
words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of
these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and
Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the
Lord.
37 And he did exhort
them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to
his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them
off; yea, my father did preach unto them.
38 And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied
unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord;
and he did cease speaking unto them.
Or you could show the
picture of Lehi’s vision from this
week’s outline
in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/come-follow-me-for-individuals-and-families-book-of-mormon-2020/03?lang=eng
You could then invite
each family member and / or friend to find verses that give an interpretation
of one of the symbols in the drawing or picture—these interpretations can be found in 1 Nephi
11:4–25, 35–36;
12:16–18; and 15:21–33, 36.
As you and / or your family members and friends share what they found, you could ask them to discuss what these symbols teach us.
Are you all ready for
a few more questions??? Here they are😊 What does a great and spacious
building teach us about pride? What does a rod of iron teach us about the word
of God? You may also want to talk about how Lehi’s vision has helped you and /
or your family members and friends come unto Christ. How have you seen yourself
in others?
The importance of the
word of God is one prominent message in Lehi’s vision. It is symbolized by the
iron rod. Something that may help you to emphasize that message, is if you have
enough people in your little family study group, you could divide them into
four groups and ask each group to learn about the four groups of people that
Lehi saw, as described in the following:
Four groups of people in Lehi’s dream.
Group 1.
“In
1 Nephi 8:21–23 we learn about the first group of people who
pressed forward and commenced in the path that led to the tree of life.
However, as the people encountered the mist of darkness, which represents ‘the
temptations of the devil’ (1 Nephi 12:17), they lost their way, wandered off, and were
lost. Notice that no mention is made in these verses of the rod of iron. Those
who ignore or treat lightly the word of God do not have access to that divine
compass which points the way to the Savior.”
Group 2.
“In
1 Nephi 8:24–28 we read about a second group of people who
obtained the strait and narrow path that led to the tree of life. This group
‘did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron,
even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree’ (verse 24). However, as the finely dressed occupants of
the great and spacious building mocked this second group of people, ‘they were
ashamed’ and ‘fell away into forbidden paths and were lost’ (verse 28). … Even with faith, commitment, and the word
of God, this group eventually was lost—perhaps because they
only periodically read or studied or searched the
scriptures.”
Group 3.
“In
verse 30 we read about a third group of people who
pressed forward ‘continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came
forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.’ The key phrase in
this verse is continually holding fast to the rod of iron. The third
group also pressed forward with faith and conviction; however, there is no
indication that they wandered off, fell into forbidden paths, or were lost.
Perhaps this third group of people consistently read and studied and
searched the scriptures. … This is the group you and I should strive to join.”
Group 4.
“A
fourth group did not seek after the tree, desiring instead the great and
spacious building as their ultimate destination (see 1 Nephi 8:31–33).”
(David A. Bednar, “Lehi’s Dream: Holding Fast to the Rod,” Ensign or Liahona, Oct. 2011,34–36.)
Next, you and your
family members and friends could share with one another what you have learned. Then
you could take a few minutes for you and your family members and friends to
ponder what you individually or as a family feel impressed to do to ensure that
you are each individually and as a family are “holding fast to the rod of iron”
(1 Nephi
8:30). The following
comes from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
Why did Nephi make two sets of plates?
The Lord’s “wise purpose” in having Nephi create two
records became clear centuries later. After Joseph Smith translated the first
116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon, he gave the pages to Martin
Harris, who lost them (see Doctrine and
Covenants 10:1–23).
But Nephi’s second set of plates covered the same time
period, and the Lord commanded Joseph Smith to translate these plates rather
than retranslate what had been lost (see Doctrine and
Covenants 10:38–45).
For more about the plates mentioned in 1 Nephi 9, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/9?lang=eng see “A Brief
Explanation about the Book of Mormon”;
God
will reveal truth to us if we diligently seek it.
What do you think are
the Mists of darkness that obscure our path and the confusing messages the
world is sending like the mocking voices from the great and spacious building that
can make it hard for us to find the truth? It may be beneficial for you and
your family members and friends to be reading together about Nephi’s example as
a seeker of truth?
One way to begin the
discussion with your family members and friends would be by asking them to
identify some of these Mists of darkness and the confusing messages. Here’s
another question for you and your family members and friends: What worldly
ideas did the prophets and apostles warn us about in the October 2019 general
conference?
You might want to consider
making a list of the things that your family and friends come up with of the
Mists of darkness and the confusing messages that the world is sending us today
and write them on a piece of poster board of the steps that Nephi took to gain
his own witness of the truth of his father’s vision (see 1 Nephi
10:17–19;
11:1).
How can we each
follow His example as we earnestly seek to find the truth? The following comes
from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/come-follow-me-for-sunday-school-book-of-mormon-2020/03?lang=eng
Ideas for Personal
Scripture Study
Ancient prophets knew about Jesus Christ’s mission and
testified of Him.
The account of Lehi’s vision surely made an impression on
his family, but he still had other eternal truths to teach them about the
Savior’s mission. As you read 1 Nephi
10:2–16, think about why the Lord would want Lehi’s family—and all of us—to know these
truths.
Consider what you could tell your loved ones to invite them
to turn to the Savior. After studying Lehi’s vision and teachings, what are you,
like Nephi, inspired to learn “by the power of the Holy Ghost”? (1 Nephi
10:17).
I remember giving a
lesson in primary a few years back on Lehi’s dream and we did the following
activity:
Have two children stand in front
of the class, one on one side of the room and one on the other. Have the first
child hold the card labeled Birth, and have
the second child hold the card labeled Eternal Life.
Blindfold a third child. After turning the child around a few times, see if he
or she can walk from the first child to the second child without help.
Then
have the two children stretch the rope or string between them, each holding an
end. Have the blindfolded child try again to go from the first child to the
second child, this time holding on to the rope. Discuss why the second time was
easier than the first. Explain that while we live on earth we are all trying to
return to Heavenly Father. He has given us something to hold on to so we can
find our way back to him.
- What has Heavenly Father given us to lead us back to his presence? Our Heavenly Father has given us the scriptures, the living prophets, and the Holy Ghost. I used the following handout with the lesson:
The tree. (1 Nephi 8:10)
The love of God in giving the world
his Only Begotten Son. (1 Nephi 11:21–22; John 3:16)
The fruit. (1 Nephi 8:11)
Eternal life. (1 Nephi 15:36; D&C 14:7)
The rod of iron. (1 Nephi 8:19)
The word of God. (1 Nephi 15:23–24)
Mist of darkness. (1 Nephi 8:23)
Temptations of the devil. (1 Nephi 12:17)
Great and spacious building. (1 Nephi 8:26–27)
Pride of the world. (1 Nephi 11:36)
I believe that
sometimes it is easier to understand things when we do them at our children’s
level and then move up as we learn the subject better. So if you are new to the
Church oreven if you are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, or if you have young children in your family study group you may want to
consider this as well😊 another resource for this lesson you is lds living, you can dis it here: http://www.ldsliving.com/Book-of-Mormon-Lesson-3-The-Vision-of-the-Tree-of-Life/s/67223
God will reveal truth to me if I diligently seek it.
How do you respond when you encounter a gospel principle
that you don’t understand? Note the differences between the way Nephi responded
to Lehi’s vision (see 1 Nephi
10:17–19; 11:1) and the way Laman
and Lemuel responded (see 1 Nephi
15:1–10). Why did they respond in these ways, and what were the results of their
responses?
Consider writing about a time when you wanted to know if a
gospel teaching was true. How did the process you followed compare with what
Nephi did?
See also 1 Nephi
2:11–19; Doctrine and
Covenants 8:1–3.
The following comes from the
Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Family
Scripture Study and Family Home Evening
As you read the scriptures with your family, the Spirit can
help you know what principles to emphasize and discuss in order to meet the
needs of your family. Here are some ideas.
Your family members might enjoy reenacting Lehi’s vision or
drawing pictures and using their drawings to tell about it. Or you could show
the artist’s depiction of Lehi’s vision that accompanies this lesson and invite
family members to point out details and look for scriptures that describe what
these things represent.
The hymn “The Iron Rod” (Hymns, no. 274) goes well
with this chapter. You might also watch a video depicting Lehi’s vision (see the
Book of Mormon
Videos collection on ChurchofJesusChrist.org or
the Gospel Library app). https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media-library/video/categories/book-of-mormon-videos?lang=eng&_r=1
For an interactive experience for you and your family,
download the Tree of Life AR app here. Available now
for iOS and Android devices.
Who could we invite to come closer to Jesus Christ and feel
the sweetness of His love? What can we do to “[beckon] unto them”?
When have we followed a commandment without fully
understanding the reasons for it? How were we blessed?
1 Nephi 9:5–6 Book of Mormon
5 Wherefore, the Lord
hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.
6 But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he
prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for
behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus
it is. Amen.
How is being physically unclean similar to being
spiritually unclean? What can we do to make sure we are remaining spiritually
clean?
1 Nephi
10:20–22 Book of Mormon
20 Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt
be brought into judgment.
21 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly
in the days of your probation,
then ye are found unclean
before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God;
wherefore, ye must be cast off forever.
22 And the Holy Ghost giveth authority
that I should speak these things, and deny them not.
For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s
outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/come-follow-me-for-primary-book-of-mormon-2020/03?lang=eng
Our readings for next
week will be covering 1 Nephi
11–15,
you can ask your family members and friends to find out what the following
images have to do with Lehi’s dream: the infant Jesus, a cross, the mother of
harlots, multitudes gathered together to battle, and books.
I know that there are
so many more things for us to learn from Lehi’s Dream, so I will be continuing
my study on this subject as I am going to challenge each one of you to do as
well. I also know that we will be covering Lehi’s Dream later on in another
lesson,
when his son Nephi
desires to learn more about his father’s dream😊
I hope and I pray that you have learned a lot in your study this week about Lehi’s
Dream😊 please do continue studying with me,
and your cyber study buddies! Don’t forget to check out the following videos as
well. They are wonderful.
Book
of Mormon videos.
Consider showing a video that
depicts events from these chapters (see the Book of Mormon Videos collection on ChurchofJesusChrist.org or the Gospel Library app). https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/videos/book-of-mormon-videos?lang=eng
Please remember who
you are!! --- You Are a Child of God😊 Continue to say your prayers and
remember it has been said that when you want to talk to God – you pray, when
you want God to talk to you, you red and study your scriptures. And this
includes the words of our Latter-day Prophets😊
As always, I hope,
and I pray that each one of you are learning a lot with our study time together.
Please continue to keep the commandments and serve and help one another. Share
what you are learning with your family members and friends as it is important
for everyone to learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Well, everyone it is
getting late here – or very early, depending on how you look at it. Anyway, I am
going to close this post for today, so until my next poet, please make it a spectacular
week😊
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