Today is Palm Sunday. As I read the relevant passage from the Gospel of Luke recounting Jesus' triumphal return to Jerusalem, this part really caught my attention:
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19, NIV)
This is the positive form of a theme we find in many scriptures, in which the elements of creation praise the Creator. Psalm 148 is a great example of this
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. 2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. 3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. 4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created. 6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: 8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: 9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: 10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: 11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: 12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. 14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 148)
Here are a few of the thoughts I had as I studied:
As we are spiritually recreated in His image, we will echo these same sentiments. We will praise Him in our thoughts and our actions. In this sense, good works are an effect of the spiritual recreation, not its cause.
Psalm 148:5 applies equally to the physical creation of the world and the spiritual recreation of man. The physical creation took place by the power of the word (see John 1:1-3; Hebrews 11:3). It was prepared from the beginning to create a probationary state for mankind, to allow for repentance (see Abraham 3:25). The spiritual creation which then occurs in the heart of man takes place as we each heed God's commands and participate in sacred ordinances, also performed by the power of the word. In both cases, "He command[s] and they [are created]."
Once again, we find harmony between the doctrines of creation and covenant-making. There is a deep connection between these concepts, so much so that they share a primitive Hebrew root. It is just as natural for the children of Christ (see Mosiah 5:7) to praise Him as it is for the sun, moon, stars, and mountains to do so.
I'll close this post with the words of Alma-2 following his remarkable conversion, which were given to him by the Lord:
25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. (Mosiah 27)
Mortality is a place of co-existing contrasts held in tension by the agency of man. This is not a coincidence, it is by design:
24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
26 And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever. (Abraham 3)
The physical creation had a purpose in place before it was created -- it was designed to be a place where order could be brought out of chaos. In this post, I'll demonstrate how taking the time to understand the original context of Genesis 1 can help us appreciate the intimate connection between creation and covenant.
As we've pointed out in various contexts in many posts, certain words have meanings that are so deeply embedded in our culture that their meaning goes without being said. This fact can be problematic to our understanding of the scriptures -- particularly the Old Testament -- because its cultural context is vastly different from our own.
For example, from our modern worldview, the word 'creation' tends to center on material existence. A thing does not exist prior to its creation.
MODERN -- Creation: to bring into existence
Anciently, this was not the case. To create meant to order and give meaning and purpose to a thing.
ANCIENT -- Creation: to give purpose and meaning to the existence of a thing.
The distinction between these two meanings is fundamental to understanding the purpose of the creation. In this post, we'll look at three Hebrew words (tohu, bohu, and chosek) used to describe the 'pre-creation state' and how they connect back to covenant-making, covenant rebellion, and symbols such as the desert.
In Hebrew, "formless" (tohu) ... designates a situation in which positive values such as purpose and worth are lacking. As a result, it is more appropriate to translate "without function" rather than "without form," the idea being similar to the Egyptian "nonexistent." (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, footnote to Genesis 1:2)
Other translations of this word in the Old Testament include:
desolation
confusion
empty place
without form
nothing
(thing of) nought
vain
vanity
waste
wilderness.
At the end of this post, we'll see how these concepts are connected with covenants. As covenant people begin to embrace vanity and pride, they become confused as to their true purpose and begin to weaken and become a spiritual wilderness.
This word only appears three times in the Old Testament, each time in connection with 'tohu' and each time in a similar context as 'tohu'. Given this and the similarity in sound and meaning, some scholars believe the combination of these two words is meant to give special emphasis. In Genesis 1:2, the emphasis is on the lack of form/function before God speaks/creates. In Jeremiah 4:23, the wickedness of the people is compared to the pre-creation state. (This post discusses that in more detail.) Isaiah 34:11 uses both terms "juxtapose[d] in the judgment against Edom to describe the total depopulation and destruction of the land so it is a waste fit only for desert animals." (NIDOTTE, Vol. 1, p. 606)
This Hebrew word for 'darkness' is the third descriptor of the pre-creation state. Interestingly, it is also the description of the state of the world at the time of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in Isaiah 29:18 --
18 ¶ And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
19 The meek also shall increase theirjoy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
21 That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought. (Isaiah 29)
This is one example of 'tohu' and 'chosek' showing up in a passage together. It is interesting to me that this prophecy of the Book of Mormon, spoken of heavily by Nephi, includes a comment about how the 'terrible one' will be brought to nought as 'the poor among men ... rejoice in the Holy One of Israel' and the wicked are cut off. There's more to say about this passage but that will wait for a future post.
Likening the state of wickedness to the pre-creation state (or the wilderness)
Tohu can mean desert or waste. That is the interesting detail that caught my attention and led to the study that produced this post. Recall how Lehi describes the initial setting in his dream:
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.
5 And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.
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... (1 Nephi 8)
In a subtle yet undeniable way, Lehi is telling us that he found himself in a pre-creation state of chaos, until the "exceeding whiteness" of the fruit of the tree of life gave him a purpose. Emulating the creation, Lehi turns and speaks "in a loud voice" to his family members and beckons them to come and partake. Some of them hearken, but this act of speaking also creates a division the obedient and the rebellious.
If we look at other example uses of 'tohu' and 'chosek' (or their English equivalents in the case of the Book of Mormon) in proximity to one another, we see a pattern. The best example might be Job 12, in which Job connects creation imagery with righteousness. He declares that "the souls of every living thing and breath of all mankind" is in God's hand (verse 10). "Speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee" (verse 8). This beautiful and poetic chapter ends with an example of 'tohu' and 'chosek' used together.
22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
24 He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wildernesswhere there is no way.
25 They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. (Job 12)
Conclusion
The wickedness of a once-righteous covenant people can be likened to the formless, functionless and dark state of the pre-creation. Creation, like covenants, bestow purpose and light. The prophets have seen the heavenly glory that awaits all those who will hearken. This is why the wickedness of God's children brings them sorrow:
10 And when these things have passed away a speedy destruction cometh unto my people; for, notwithstanding the pains of my soul, I have seen it; wherefore, I know that it shall come to pass; and they sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and their foolishness they shall reap destruction; for because they yield unto the devil and choose works of darkness rather than light, therefore they must go down to hell.
11 For the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man. And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man then cometh speedy destruction, and this grieveth my soul. (2 Nephi 26)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints boldly and uniquely teaches that the gospel was preached from the beginning. Jesus Christ did not introduce it, he only restored what had existed since the days of Adam
58 And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holyangels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost.
59 And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance, and the Gospel preached, and a decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until the end thereof; and thus it was. Amen. (Moses 5)
Even though the gospel would be in the world until the end thereof, there have been times when it was absent in its fullness for most people and needed to be restored. These restorations are referred to as gospel dispensations and I am writing this series to demonstrate that it is inseparably connected to the everlasting covenant. We have seen examples of that in the first three dispensations here, here and here.
I love the verses quoted above. Especially the part about all things being confirmed unto Adam by a holy ordinance in conjunction with the gospel being preached. We have seen Enoch and Noah too being ordained after the holy order and entering into covenants. This is often described in a text with lots of references to the creation, hinting at a connection. Next up is Abraham and we see the same trend here.
Abraham
I have already written on Abraham recently in a similar context so I will not repeat all the details but some of the main themes apply in this context as well. The beginning of the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price describes him as someone seeking after the blessings of the fathers. Since his biological father was an idolater, he is most likely talking about righteous priesthood holders of the past like Adam, Enoch and Noah. He sought after the blessings of the gospel and the eternal covenant. As we know, God made a specific covenant with Abraham, where his seed would be blessed, just like he had sought after and obtained the blessings of his fathers (of whose seed he was).
As mentioned, a new dispensation is often connected to the creation. We normally don't think about Abraham in those terms, but one of the creation accounts in our standard works is from the Book of Abraham after all. Not to mention that the other creation accounts in the Book of Moses and in the temple come from two of the other heads of gospel dispensations, namely Moses and Joseph Smith. The way the covenant with Abraham ties into the creation is really neat and something I have never considered before. Here are the terms of the covenant with Abraham
9 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations;
10 And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father;
11 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal. (Abraham 2)
In Abraham's seed, all families of the earth shall be blessed with the gospel and the possibility of eternal life. This is part of the eternal covenant of which the marriage covenant is the crown. This is according to the order of God to have seed in this life and the next. In the revelation on the marriage covenant in D&C 132, Abraham is mentioned by name 20 times.
After the covenant has been established, Abraham is shown the stars in Abraham 3.
And it was in the night time when the Lord spake these words unto me: I will multiply thee, and thy seed after thee, like unto these [i.e. the stars that he had just been shown]; and if thou canst count the number of sands, so shall be the number of thy seeds. (Abraham 3:14)
So Abraham's seed is connected to the stars that he is being shown. The Lord goes on to compare the stars to intelligences or spirits, implying that many of the noble and great ones would be in the priesthood line of his seed.
Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones (Abraham 3:22)
The stars and the comparison to spirits and their assembly in the great pre-mortal council is the prologue of the creation account in the next chapter.
24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them (Abraham 3)
"Them" in "we will prove them herewith" actually refers specifically to "the noble and great" spirits that were "good" from the verses prior to this. The creation account is contextualized by the need for the noble spirits to have an earth to dwell on to become Abraham's seed and bless the families of the earth. This adds a beautiful perspective to the creation-covenant connection. Also, those who eventually become like God and become creators themselves, become so as a result of the eternal covenant. They have been married for eternity with the proper authority, they are Abraham's seed and have eternal posterity themselves. It is only reasonable to assume that God is God as a result of covenants himself.
It is interesting to note that almost every scripture I have used to connect the gospel dispensations to the everlasting covenant in this series so far, have come from the Pearl of Great Price or the Joseph Smith Translation. It only confirms the words of the angel to Nephi
And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away. (1 Nephi 13:26)
Joseph Smith, the head of another dispensation that we will get to, restored the covenants which had been taken away.
One noteworthy difference between this gospel dispensation of Abraham and his predecessors is Abraham's lack of preaching. The others are ordained after the holy order and preach. Enoch gathers his followers in a city, Noah warns the people of the flood. Abraham is not a preacher. He does seek after and obtains the priesthood after the holy order. But the main focus is on him becoming a father and having a righteous posterity that will bless the rest of God's children. The children of Abraham's blood line were brought into bondage by the Egyptians where Abraham many years prior had taught about the universe, spirits and creation. That leads us to the delivery by Moses and the next Gospel dispensation, which is the topic for the next post.
This post continues the exploration of an endowment pattern found throughout the Book of Mormon in which a new covenant group is formed and called by God to:
leave the fallen world behind,
enter into the wilderness,
learn to be led by the hand of God, and
find a promised land.
In previous installments of this series, we've focused on many symbols and details shared in these stories, and then discussed the meaning of those symbols. I've mentioned that I believe this pattern is typified by the story of Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of Eden into the world to fulfill the first commandment given to them by God, that they should "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over ... every living thing that moveth upon [it]." (See Genesis 1:28.) In this post, we'll look at other ancient stories which also follow this endowment pattern, at least to some degree, and see what we can learn.
There are two comprehensive examples, Abraham and Moses, followed by a few partial examples. We'll begin the Abraham, as found in Genesis and the Book of Abraham. With each example we cover, I'll begin by giving references to the symbols we've already discussed, then I'll give a general assessment of how the endowment pattern relates to that story.
Abraham
Cry unto God: Abraham 1:15 "...I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God, and the Lord hearkened and heard..."
Warned to depart: Abraham 2:3 "Now the Lord had said unto me: Abraham, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee." Also Genesis 12:1.
Escape secret plans to murder: Abraham 1:7, 12, 15
Bring all who will hearken: See also Abraham 2:6 for a connection to a promise contained in the Abrahamic covenant that all who hearken to God's voice will be given to Abraham as his "seed" for "an everlasting possession."
Pass through a wilderness: Genesis 12:9 makes reference to the Negev, a desert region in the south of Palestine.
"Many days": Not specifically found, but we know from the chronology of the story that the journey was long.
Tents: Genesis 12:8; Abraham 2:15, 20
Animals: Genesis 13:2.
Seeds: A reference to bringing physical seeds or grain is not found. Abraham 2:15 mentions "all our substance that we had gathered." See also Genesis 12:5. There is an important connection to the word "seed" in Abraham 2:6 (see note about "hearken" above). See also Abraham 3:14.
Inherit a new land: Abraham 2:3
New Name: Genesis 17:5.
Obedience to Commandments: Genesis 22:18.
"Prosper": Genesis 13:2
Led by a righteous patriarch/king: Abraham 1:2-3 contains father/son language (he sought "the blessings of the fathers" and desired to be "a father of many nations" and "a rightful heir" and "a prince of peace." Verse 3 describes Adam as the Firstborn and the first father.)
Moses
Cry unto God: Exodus 2:23 - "...the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage." See also Exodus 3:9.
Warned to depart: See Exodus 3:8-10.
Escape plans to murder: Pharaoh's plan for the Israelites is bondage and captivity.
Bring all who will hearken: Exodus 3:16-18 - "Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me ... And they shall hearken to thy voice"
Pass through a wilderness: Exodus 13:20.
"Many days": The Israelites wandered forty years in the wilderness.
Tents: The tent/tabernacle of the congregation is a major topic of the later chapters of Exodus. See Exodus 39:32 for example.
Animals: Exodus 12:38. Of additional note, Moses was keeping the flock of his father in law at the time of his call on Horeb.
Seeds: Manna, which fed the children of Israel of forty years, is described as "like coriander seed" in Exodus 16:31.
Inherit a new land: Exodus 3:17.
New Name: Interesting note -- In Numbers 13, Moses sends twelve spies to assess the land of promise. He gives a new name to Hoshea, the head of the tribe of Ephraim in Numbers 13:16 (This will be the topic of a standalone post in the near future.)
Obedience to Commandments/"Prosper": Deuteronomy 29:9 - "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do."
Led by a righteous patriarch/king: Moses has a dual lineage. He is a Levite by birth (Exodus 2:1) but was raised in the house of Pharaoh (Exodus 2:10).
The story of Moses is long and complex, but these symbols offer fascinating insights into deeper meaning. For example, notice in Exodus 9 how the fiery hail destroys the Egyptians' cattle and some of their crops (interestingly only those which had fully ripened -- more about this in a future post). See Exodus 9:19-22, 31-32. The cattle of the Israelites had been gathered to Goshen and were unaffected (see Exodus 9:26).
Incomplete examples
From this point on, we won't be dealing with complete patterns. The following examples contain a few of the symbols, but I'm not sure how interpret these examples aside from pointing out the symbols that are present.
Christ
The story of the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry breaks the pattern in some ways, but many of the same symbols are present when we look at the ministry of John the Baptist.
Mark describes it like this:
12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. (Mark 1)
Cry unto God: We don't have a direct mention of Christ crying to God (at least not at the beginning of His ministry), but we do see John the Baptist in the wilderness. John is described as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness" (Matthew 3:3).
Warned to depart: See Matthew 3:7.
Pass through a wilderness: Matthew 4:1, Luke 4:1.
"Many days": Forty days in the wilderness
Seeds: Wheat mentioned in the context of gathering in Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17.
Animals: "with the wild beasts" in Mark 1:13
Enos
This example is almost a counter-example in some ways. The Nephites are in decline as covenant-keepers.
Enos uses some familiar language as he describes his conversion process:
3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. (Enos 1)
He is reminded of the central promise connecting obedience and that promised land, as well as the covenant God made with the Nephites:
10 And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind again, saying: I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them this land, and it is a holy land; and I curse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity; wherefore, I will visit thy brethren according as I have said; and their transgressions will I bring down with sorrow upon their own heads. ...
16 And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bringthem forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
17 And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
He also contrasts the Nephites and Lamanites using some of these symbols, but the meaning doesn't seem completely clear:
20 And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently to restore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. But our labors were vain; their hatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil nature that they became wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness; feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in tents, and wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads shaven; and their skill was in the bow, and in the cimeter, and the ax. And many of them did eat nothing save it was raw meat; and they were continually seeking to destroy us.
21 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi did till the land, and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of herds, and flocks of all manner of cattle of every kind, and goats, and wild goats, and also many horses.
I honestly don't know how to interpret these verses. On the one hand it seems the Nephites are trying to bring about the promises of God to restore the Gospel to the Lamanites, but they are unsuccessful due to their own wickedness (see verse 22). Wandering in the wilderness and feeding upon beasts of prey makes sense in this symbolic context, but why does Enos describe the Lamanites as dwelling in tents? Perhaps he's simply documenting the facts as they are, or perhaps he's indicating symbolically that the Lamanites had not yet found the rest of the Lord. Verse 21 seems more obviously in line with the endowment pattern. Even though I don't understand all of the deeper meaning here, it is certainly interesting to ponder how these symbol impact the message of Enos' account.
Lehi's dream
This example is an endowment pattern embedded within another endowment pattern. Just after leaving Jerusalem, as his family was camped in tents in the wilderness, Lehi has this dream of the tree of life. It is interesting to note that in the first edition of the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 6-9 were all one chapter. Notice how the vision of the tree of life is embedded within a larger narrative -- beginning right after the brothers take wives and right before Nephi closes the chapter by describing his plates and their content.
Notice 1 Nephi 8:1-2, which opens the account of the dream --
1 And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.
2 And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision.
And 1 Nephi 9:1, which concludes the account of the dream --
1 And all these things did my father see, and hear, and speak, as he dwelt in a tent, in the valley of Lemuel, and also a great many more things, which cannot be written upon these plates.
Cry unto God: "I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies."
Bring all who will hearken:
14 ... 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.
17 And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.
18 And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit.
Pass through a wilderness: "a dark and dreary wilderness" in verse 4
"Many days": "many hours in darkness" in verse 8
Other examples
This pattern is found in other stories as well. Consider the story of Isaac in Genesis 26 and see how many of these elements are contained in that account. Consider what it means that Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness and the Lord hear Hagar's cry and blessed them with water (see Genesis 21:12-21). As we deepen our understanding of each individua symbol and also of the pattern as a whole, we can find beautiful new messages in these familiar stories.
Conclusion
This post is very long and contains far more references than I normally include in a single post. I sincerely hope you will take the time to look these up on your own and study these examples for yourself. I hope this exercise has been fruitful for you.
This pattern is so intimately connected to covenants, and yet (aside from the accounts of Abraham, King Benjamin, and Alma-1) covenants are not really ever the central focus of the stories. This is a great example of how hidden wisdom is contained in the scriptures, waiting to be discovered by those with eyes to see.
In my next post -- which I intend to be the final post in this series -- we will turn to the Doctrine & Covenants and look at hos some of these same symbols are found in latter-day revelations. For me, this brings the message out of the ancient past and right into my heart. It is clear that God stand ready to bless us with the same blessing he gave His people throughout human history.
