Bitter and sweet -- Part 2

I didn't label the last post on this topic part 1, because I didn't know there would be a part 2 at the time. That seems to happen a lot these days. In the first post I connected the bitter/sweet contrast in the scriptures to the the trees in the Garden of Eden and its fruit. Tree symbolism in the scriptures often go together with water. See for instance this post and this post. So I came to think about the bitter and good waters that Mormon talks about in his sermon in Moroni 7. He says

For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil. (Moroni 7:11) 

We know examples of trees producing good/sweet fruit and bad/bitter fruit. Zenos' allegory in Jacob 5 is perhaps the most extensive treatise of this subject. Jesus teaches the Nephites:

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (3 Nephi 14)

A very similar sentiment to what Moroni presents, only that Christ talks about trees and Moroni talks about water. The ultimate fruit and source of "good water" is the fruit of the tree of life and the fountain of living waters. They are both found together in Lehi/Nephi's visions in 1 Nephi 8 and 11 and John's vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22:1-2.

It is interesting that Mormon chooses this analogy with water, considering the fact that his own name can be connected to the fountain of living waters. The first time his name is mentioned in the Book of Mormon, it is the name of the place he is named after.

Now, there was in Mormon a fountain of pure water, and Alma resorted thither, there being near the water a thicket of small trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime from the searches of the king. (Mosiah 18:5)

Notice how Mormon goes out of his way to inform the reader that there also were trees near that fountain of pure water. 

So there are several references to pure/good/living waters in the scriptures. Where did the bitter water come from? This contrast is found in Lehi's dream/Nephi's vision, where there is filthy water as a contrast to the pure. But Mormon and his audience might also have been aware of another story with bitter water. Evidently, the Exodus story was found on the brass plates. In Exodus 15, we read about an interesting event

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them

For the record, "marah" means bitter in Hebrew. So the water was bitter, but became sweet when Moses tossed a tree into it (can also be translated as "wood"). This is another example of the connection between trees and water. According to this article, the Zohar suggests that it was wood from the tree of life thrown into the water.

I am not sure I understand all the aspects of this symbolism. But we have seen before how trees connect to God/our potential and the atonement. God's power manifest in the atonement is a healing power that turns bitter to sweet. The weird story of a tree thrown into the bitter water to make it sweet, makes sense when we consider

• Trees and water often go together as symbols in the scriptures, just like food and drink are both necessary to sustain physical life
• Christ was "hanged on a tree" (Acts 5:30) after suffering in a garden of olive trees. His atonement turned bitter into sweet. He drank the "bitter cup" so that we wouldn't have to.

In the next verse after the ones I quotes from the Exodus, God makes sure to inform:

I am the Lord that healeth thee

I have noticed that tree/fruit/water symbolism in the scriptures generally can refer to either

• God's love/power to save/the atonement or the power and influence of the devil
• Our own deeds, either good deeds/entering into and keeping covenants, or bad/breaking covenants). In other words, to what degree we let either of two sources of influence affect our lives.

To summarize:

• In the first verse I quoted in Moroni 7, Mormon clearly equates the bitter water with the devil and the good water with Christ. 
• In the Exodus story, the atonement (tree), turned the bitter water sweet. 
• In Lehi's and Nephi's visions, the tree of life and the living waters represented the love of God.
• In Mosiah 15, where converts gathered to enter into a covenant, there was a fountain of pure water and a thicket of trees. 
• This one has not been mentioned yet, but in Alma 5:3, Alma reminds the people of this covenant mentioned in the point above. Then in verse 34-35:

34 Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;
35 Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire