So we're reading scriptures the other night. We've recently started reading the Book of Mormon over again (we'd finished a couple of weeks ago) and we read in 1 Nephi chapter 8 where Lehi gets the vision of the Tree of Life.
What occurs to me is the difference in the two versions of the Vision that are recorded in the Book of Mormon. Lehi's is one chapter, with the different aspects of the Vision presented pretty much as they were seen in the Vision, with very little exposition or commentary. Nephi's subsequent vision, which occupies 4 chapters (chapters 11-14) focuses actually very little in the specific details of the vision. Instead, his vision is much broader in scope. Nephi actually gets the meaning and interpretation of the things, and as a result his vision is much more nourishing and complete, putting things in the correct context and focusing on Christ as the central part of the plan and history of the world.
As I pointed this out to Elise, we talked about why this would be the case. To me, it boils down to the two verses in chapter 11, verses 3 and 11, where Nephi is asked what his desire is and he responds with the desire to see what his father saw, and to know the interpretation of the things. It's that word - desire - that is key to this difference. Nephi WANTED to know more. He wasn't satisfied with just seeing again what his father had seen. He had a desire to know what it meant, what the implications were, and how it affected his life. We discussed how there are people in the world who are satisfied with a Lehi's Vision portion of the thing - that we can get things easy and simple, without delving deeper into the whithertos and whyfors. But, I said, that's like licking the outside of the watermelon. One can do so and know what a watermelon tastes like, n'est ce pas? But have they had a true experience with the watermelon? No. When you eat a watermelon, first you must cut it open. Then you must get INTO the watermelon, even as the watermelon gets into you. Eating a watermelon is not a passive experience. It is active and two-way... And ONLY THEN can you say you've had an experience with the watermelon.
It's the same way with the things of the Spirit. People SO OFTEN only want to have a casual, passive relationship with the Spirit. They want things spoon-fed to them, not delving deeper, not truly FEASTING on the Word... (see 2 Nephi 31:19-20) I don't know what kind of experience they have, but it seems that they lack desire, true commitment, and real conversion. This doesn't mean that those of us who do desire such things are better or more perfect... Quite the contrary - with greater knowledge comes greater responsibility. But it seems to be that there is no salvation possible in this lukewarm relationship with the Lord and with things of the Spirit. There just isn't.
I'm reminded of Abraham's desire:
2 And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers. (Abraham 1:2 - emphasis added)
This very closely matches my own desires. I'm no Nephi or Abraham, but in my heart, that's what I truly desire.
What occurs to me is the difference in the two versions of the Vision that are recorded in the Book of Mormon. Lehi's is one chapter, with the different aspects of the Vision presented pretty much as they were seen in the Vision, with very little exposition or commentary. Nephi's subsequent vision, which occupies 4 chapters (chapters 11-14) focuses actually very little in the specific details of the vision. Instead, his vision is much broader in scope. Nephi actually gets the meaning and interpretation of the things, and as a result his vision is much more nourishing and complete, putting things in the correct context and focusing on Christ as the central part of the plan and history of the world.
As I pointed this out to Elise, we talked about why this would be the case. To me, it boils down to the two verses in chapter 11, verses 3 and 11, where Nephi is asked what his desire is and he responds with the desire to see what his father saw, and to know the interpretation of the things. It's that word - desire - that is key to this difference. Nephi WANTED to know more. He wasn't satisfied with just seeing again what his father had seen. He had a desire to know what it meant, what the implications were, and how it affected his life. We discussed how there are people in the world who are satisfied with a Lehi's Vision portion of the thing - that we can get things easy and simple, without delving deeper into the whithertos and whyfors. But, I said, that's like licking the outside of the watermelon. One can do so and know what a watermelon tastes like, n'est ce pas? But have they had a true experience with the watermelon? No. When you eat a watermelon, first you must cut it open. Then you must get INTO the watermelon, even as the watermelon gets into you. Eating a watermelon is not a passive experience. It is active and two-way... And ONLY THEN can you say you've had an experience with the watermelon.
It's the same way with the things of the Spirit. People SO OFTEN only want to have a casual, passive relationship with the Spirit. They want things spoon-fed to them, not delving deeper, not truly FEASTING on the Word... (see 2 Nephi 31:19-20) I don't know what kind of experience they have, but it seems that they lack desire, true commitment, and real conversion. This doesn't mean that those of us who do desire such things are better or more perfect... Quite the contrary - with greater knowledge comes greater responsibility. But it seems to be that there is no salvation possible in this lukewarm relationship with the Lord and with things of the Spirit. There just isn't.
I'm reminded of Abraham's desire:
2 And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers. (Abraham 1:2 - emphasis added)
This very closely matches my own desires. I'm no Nephi or Abraham, but in my heart, that's what I truly desire.
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