Ancient religious significance of trees

Genesis 12:6 in the KJV Bible reads like this

And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

Reading a different translation last week, I noticed that "plain" is from the Hebrew word, "elon". This appears to be a bad translation. Elon means oak or terebinth tree and virtually every other translation agrees. It presents a challenge because the tree is mentioned as if the reader knows which tree the text is referring to. There are billions of trees so what was special about that one tree in Moreh? We don't know. But even though most translations use the singular form, some claim that it might refer to a grove of trees. My knowledge of Hebrew is not even close to adequate to determine who is right. In any case, I assume the tree or grove is mentioned for a reason. It marks a sacred spot. The Lord appeared to him there and gave him promises, and Abraham built an altar. Interestingly, there is no mention of a sacrifice, which is usually the case when there is an altar. In fact, no ancient Near Eastern document refers to altars used for anything other than sacrifices in the presence of deity. Whatever happened at Moreh, other than the little information we get from the text, it was significant and God was present.

The NRSV cultural backgrounds study bible states:

No hint is given that trees themselves were worshiped, but notable trees became places where various sacred rituals were performed. The significance given to certain trees in the Biblical text suggests that they designated sacred space (cf. 13.18; 35.4,8; Deut 11.30; Judg 4.5; 6.11; 9.37). Note the eventual indictment of the Israelites that they set up sacred stones and Asherah poles “under every green tree” (2 Kings 17.10). Moreh. The name given to the oak here has been interpreted as suggesting that oracular information was gained here (Moreh means “teacher”).

This Hebrew word for tree has both a masculine and feminine version, elon and elah, respectively. Some scholars believe that elon means oak and elah means terebinth. I'm speculating here, but I believe this may be because of the strength of the large oak that can be associated with masculinity and the feminine nurture and protection that the terebinth tree gives in the form of fruit and shade (it is very dense). People in some parts of the world, like myself, don't usually value shade very highly since the hot sun is a relatively rare occurrence. But I understand it was very different for people in the Near East. See for instance Genesis 18:4, where Abraham shows his hospitality by offering his visitors to rest under a tree, among other things. 

The other thing about these words, elon and elah, is the close resemblance to El and Eloah, meaning God. As explained in this post, there is close linguistic resemblance between the tree and God that follows the same pattern as the resemblance between the ground and man.

I have written extensively about trees and tree symbolism in the scriptures before. But this detail from Abraham's life was new to me. There is a very similar description in Genesis 13:18:

So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD. (This is from the English Standard Version since the KJV keeps insisting on "plain")

So we have another grove followed by the building of an altar. In Genesis 18:1, the Lord appears to Abraham at that grove. As I have written before, I think that most of the tree symbolism in the scriptures can be traced back to the Garden of Eden and the House of Israel symbolism in Zenos' allegory. There is a relationship between the covenant people and the tree of life. As the story of Abraham indicates, trees may have been a more important part of ancient Israelite worship than we might think. Especially considering the fact that Josiah's reform included the destruction of all the Asherah/tree symbols.

This all makes me think of Alma-1 in the Book of Mormon. As we know, he was one of King Noah's priests, believed Abinadi's words and secretly starting to teach the people. They gathered at a place called Mormon.

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)

The "small trees" is not a fitting description for the oaks of Abraham and with a different flora in the Americas, there were probably no terebinth trees either. But the symbolism is familiar, the trees offer protection and gives Alma a place to hide. It is also coupled with a fountain of pure water, just like the tree of life in Lehi's dream and in Revelations 21. It was certainly considered a special place

the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever. (Mosiah 18:30)

Pondering on this, my thoughts go to the sacred grove in Palmyra. This was certainly a monumental event, but there is something sacred about the place too. Considering the role of trees in the story of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Alma and the ancient tree symbolism associated with the divine, it is interesting to me that a grove of trees is where the Father and the Son appeared to Joseph Smith, ushering in the restoration in the fullness of times. They appeared amidst ancient symbols of the divine and gave young Joseph instructions, like Abraham in the grove of Moreh (Hebr. teacher).

Old Testament Temple Symbolism -- Exodus 25

 My list of topics to study almost always far exceeds my time constraints.  As a result, I often find myself unable to get to something in a reasonably timely manner.  When I do manage to go back and study that topic, I inevitably find myself wishing I had learned those lessons earlier!

This post is an example of that.  In the April 2019 General Conference, Elder David A. Bednar spoke about preparation to enter the temple.  In his talk, Elder Bednar quotes a talk given by President Nelson in 2010, inviting members to prepare by reading Exodus 26-29, among other suggestions. This has been on my "to do" list ever since, and today I finally began to check it off.

This excellent video gives an overview of some of the symbols of the ancient tabernacle.

I'd like focus this series of posts on symbols found in Exodus 25-29 which can also be found in the Book of Mormon. I added Exodus 25 to my studies and found a few notes worth sharing. I don't intend for this list to be comprehensive. Instead, I'll limit my focus to symbols of the ancient tabernacle which readily connect to Book of Mormon themes.

An offering from the heart

With that introduction out of the way, let's start in Exodus 25.  There is an important verse which caught my attention at the very beginning of this chapter:

2 Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive the offering for me. (Exodus 25, NRSV)

Moses was to receive offerings, given willingly according to the promptings of the heart by the children of Israel, from which he would construct the temple.

This is beautiful. A gift given freely from the hearts of the covenant people to build the house of God, wherein man and God may become one.

The Book of Mormon speaks volumes about the importance of having a soft, willing heart. It is the key to understanding the word of God. Consider this post, in which Stisa demonstrates the connection between a soft heart (soil), the word of God (a seed), and the tree of life (harmony with God) which will spring up in our hearts as we nourish and nurture the word. Alma-2 touches on these topics in Alma 5, Alma 12, and Alma 32.

This leads us quite naturally to the next symbol -- the lampstand.

The lampstand, a symbol of the tree

31 “Hammer pure gold to make a ·lampstand [L menorah]. Its base, ·stand [shaft], flower-like cups, buds, and petals must all be joined together in one piece [C its tree shape suggests that the Tabernacle represented Eden where God and humans lived in harmony]. ... 40 Be very careful to make them by the ·plan [pattern] I showed you on the mountain [25:9]. (Exodus 25, Expanded Bible)

The Expanded Bible is a study tool I particularly like.  The dots and brackets indicate places where multiple readings are worthy of mention. 'L' indicates a literal reading of the Hebrew. 'C' indicates a comment by the translator. Notice the comment at the end of verse 31, which tells us that the tree shape should point our minds to Eden, "where God and humans lived in harmony."

When Alma teaches us to plant the seed in our heart, he builds the case that by so doing we will find everlasting life:

41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you. (Alma 32)

The description of the fruit in verse 42 mirrors Lehi's description of the fruit of the tree of life (see 1 Nephi 8:11-12)

Note also that the lampstand is to be made of "pure gold," which suggests to me (as I'll demonstrate in future posts) a connection to the celestial realm. Furthermore, it is to be "all ... joined together in one piece," symbolizing unity and harmony with God. Alma's father speaks of this unity at scene of covenant-making at the waters of Mormon: 

21 And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.

22 And thus he commanded them to preach. And thus they became the children of God. (Mosiah 18)

Notice similar wording in Alma 32:41 above, where Alma exhorts us to "[look] forward to the fruit thereof." That fruit comes not only by looking to God but also seeking harmony with the saints.

The lampstand seems to be one of those symbols that was very well known to covenant-keeping Israelites, but might not be as familiar to us.  Learning about the importance of the lampstand in ancient temple worship, to quote President Nelson, "underscores the antiquity of temple work and the enduring nature of its ordinances.”

The lampstand sat in the Holy Place and provided the only light that was allowed in that space. In modern temple worship, lighting or physical progression/movement is used to symbolize rejecting the ways of the world and the philosophies of men and committing to live by the light of God's commandments. Only then are we prepared to receive a greater portion of the word. (See Alma 12:9-11)

The Book of Mormon presents two different versions of the "tree of life" theme. In one sense, we walk the covenant path, led by divine messengers (cherubim holding the word of God) upwards to the tree of life. This is found in 1 Nephi 8, Alma 5, Alma 12-13, for example.  In the second sense, we prepare our own ground, our heart, and plant the word of God there. Over time, with faith and great diligence, we find the tree of life springing up inside us and bringing forth fruit. This is found in Alma 32 and to some degree in Mosiah 18.

Both presentations are beautiful, and each version emphasizes different aspects of the purposes of mortality. 

It is worth taking the time to read this excellent post from Stisa summarizing many Book of Mormon connections to creation themes. There is a deep interconnectedness in the scriptures, pointing us to this rich and rewarding line of study.

Conclusion

I'll end this post with the final instruction of the Lord to Moses regarding the creation of the lampstand:

40 Be very careful to make them [the lampstand and lamps] by the ·plan [pattern] I showed you on the mountain [25:9].

The temple is indeed the sacred space between heaven and earth, where we can learn God's patterns. Just as Nephi went to the "mount oft" and there was shown "great things" by the Lord (see 1 Nephi 18:3), so we prepare to live with God through our temple worship. 

The next post in this series will cover temple symbols in Exodus 26.

More on food/drink metaphors appearing together with judgment

I admit it's a strange connection that I posted about before, but there seems to be more examples than what can be brushed off as coincidence. I gave four in the last post. There are more. But first, let's recap:

• Book of Mormon prophets talk about standing before God to be judged according to our works
• The concept of the two ways (joy and misery) is used to explain different outcomes of that judgment
• This is frequently somehow associated with food and drink!

Lord Wilmore just posted about Alma 36, and I realized it's another example of this pattern. In that posts, there are some quotes with subtle hints to Lehi's dream with fruit and water. This connection is strengthened by the fact that Lehi uses the word, "taste" about the joy he experienced (see Alma 36:24). Since these metaphors were involved again, I was curious to see if this was another case of the identified pattern. Sure enough, we read in Alma 36:15

be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.

The chiastic pattern of Alma 36 highlights the two ways where his torment turns into joy, and as already mentioned, Alma seems to connect them to the fruit and water in Lehi's dream.

Other examples that I found include 2 Nephi 9

22 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day...

44 O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I take off my garments, and I shake them before you; I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood.

45 O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation.

46 Prepare your souls for that glorious day when justice shall be administered unto the righteous, even the day of judgment, that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may not remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty—but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery.

47 But behold, my brethren, is it expedient that I should awake you to an awful reality of these things? Would I harrow up your souls if your minds were pure? Would I be plain unto you according to the plainness of the truth if ye were freed from sin?

48 Behold, if ye were holy I would speak unto you of holiness; but as ye are not holy, and ye look upon me as a teacher, it must needs be expedient that I teach you the consequences of sin.

49 Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God.

50 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

and Alma 12

12 And Amulek hath spoken plainly concerning death, and being raised from this mortality to a state of immortality, and being brought before the bar of God, to be judged according to our works.

13 Then if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned.

14 For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.

15 But this cannot be; we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance.

16 And now behold, I say unto you then cometh a death, even a second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness.

17 Then is the time when their torments shall be as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever; and then is the time that they shall be chained down to an everlasting destruction, according to the power and captivity of Satan, he having subjected them according to his will.

18 Then, I say unto you, they shall be as though there had been no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to God’s justice; and they cannot die, seeing there is no more corruption.

19 Now it came to pass that when Alma had made an end of speaking these words, the people began to be more astonished;

20 But there was one Antionah, who was a chief ruler among them, came forth and said unto him: What is this that thou hast said, that man should rise from the dead and be changed from this mortal to an immortal state, that the soul can never die?

21 What does the scripture mean, which saith that God placed cherubim and a flaming sword on the east of the garden of Eden, lest our first parents should enter and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and live forever? And thus we see that there was no possible chance that they should live forever.

22 Now Alma said unto him: This is the thing which I was about to explain. Now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God; and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people.

23 And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou shalt surely die.

Note that verses 16-19 deal with the misery part of the two ways and later in the chapter the "joy" part is described several times as "enter into his rest".

While studying this concept, I came across this article. It's a good read but it doesn't talk about the connection with judgment that appears frequently. It does show that eating and drinking metaphors are very common in the Book of Mormon so it might be a coincidence that they appear in all these "stand before God to be judged" passages that I have shared so far. Still I think this particular connection and pattern is too frequent to be coincidental. If so, what is the explanation?

Could it simply be that Lehi's dream was considered so pivotal that other Book of Mormon prophets (Alma in particular) naturally thought of the gulf in the dream, representing God's justice, when talking about judgment day, and connected it to the tree and water metaphors that are central parts of the dream? As I mentioned in the previous post, I find it more likely that this connection has deeper and older origins, perhaps from portions of the brass plates not found in our current Bible. An interesting passage that we do have in our current Bible, but may have existed in an expanded version on the brass plates, is in the Garden of Eden. Here these two concepts of justice and food are found together: The flaming sword, representing God's justice, guards the tree of life with its fruit. Alma talks about this both in Alma 12 and 42, two of the chapters I have shared as examples of this pattern.

The idea of returning to the Garden of Eden is central in Judaism. Perhaps the Book of Mormon prophets imagined judgment day as the point where we symbolically stand by the gate of the way leading to the tree of life and God, according to his justice, determines if we get to partake or not? But there is probably more to it. Many of the food/drink metaphors seem to refer to things we should do in this life to prepare for that judgment, as well as rewards or punishment after the judgment.

I don't know if I will ever get quite to the bottom of this, but that's what I like about the Book of Mormon. There's always a reason to study further.

Alma's teachings on "the word"

Compare Alma 32:28

28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

 with Alma 5:7-9

7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them.

8 And now I ask of you, my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, they were not.

9 And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved.

I'm beginning to understand that giving place/making room/softening our hearts for the word of God to enter, is a key message in the Book of Mormon, not only in Alma 32. When we do, this leads to

• A swelling/expansion/enlargement. Perhaps it can be interpreted as more room, i.e. the ability to receive more. 2 Nephi 28:30 and Alma 12:9-10 come to mind
• An awakening from a spiritual sleep
• A movement from darkness to light
• Loosening of bands and chains
• Arising from the dust. An ascension from the ground to the heavenly realms, symbolized by the growth of a tree producing "good fruit"

This is not only based on these two examples but these elements are common themes in the Book of Mormon. Redemption is all about liberating us from this sleep/darkness/chains, but we need to receive his word by making room in our hearts and then start "tilling" it by entering into a covenant with our Redeemer who can help us grow. Interestingly, both the sermons in Alma 32 and in Alma 5 contain lots of tree symbolism and end with partaking of the fruit of the tree of life.

40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.

41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you. (Alma 32)

62 I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life. (Alma 5)

What if the "Rod of Iron" in Lehi's dream wasn't a handrail?

In this paper by David Calabro, an interesting Egyptian wordplay is pointed out:

Matthew Bowen has pointed out that the rod of iron in Lehi’s dream, which signifies the word of God, according to 1 Nephi 11:25 and 15:23–24, has an interesting parallel in the Egyptian word mdw, which means both “staff, rod” and “speech, word”; Bowen argues that Nephi’s record, which was written in “the language of the Egyptians” (1 Nephi 1:2), contains a wordplay on the two senses of this word. 

This point is interesting enough, since Nephi clearly had familiarity with the language of the Egyptians, and the Book of Mormon clearly links the "rod of iron" with the "word of God."

23 And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?
24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction. (1 Nephi 15)

I noticed, however, that Lehi never describes using any kind of rod to get to the tree.  Instead, he describes his journey to the tree like this:

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, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.
9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.
10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. (1 Nephi 8)

A man in a white robe said to Lehi, "Come, follow me," and he did.  This is how he got to the tree.

Why is Lehi's journey to the tree so different than everyone else's?

What if it wasn't?  What if the journey to the tree involves being led to the tree by a divine messenger/minister leading a person to the tree with a "rod of iron?" What if getting to the tree involves following a person who is leading by example rather then just walking along a handrail?

The paper continues, making this point about the symbolism of rods in the ancient Near East?

Nephi’s understanding of the significance of the rod may even have been informed by his knowledge of this word’s two meanings. John Tvedtnes has also shown, again in connection with the rod as the word of God in Lehi’s dream, that shepherd’s rods and royal scepters were symbolically linked with the word of God in the cultural milieu of the ancient Near East. If the evidence cited by Bowen and Tvedtnes is appropriate, however, then this would imply that the rod of iron was actually a rod or staff and not the usually-depicted railing. Zachary Nelson observes that railings are “seldom seen in ancient architecture,” and he argues that the rod of iron in Lehi’s dream was a kind of staff or walking stick. “Though railings were rare in Lehi’s world,” writes Nelson, “rods or staffs were not.”

This flies in the face of every piece of artwork I've ever seen depicting this dream, and for that reason alone I'm inclined to be dubious, but I have to admit that this notion fits in nicely with the concept of "the two ways" and also the concept of the Holy Order of the Priesthood, both of which have been on my mind quite a bit lately. Part of being converted is sharing the glad tidings, as Lehi does in his account:

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.
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. (1 Nephi 8)

Notice there is no mention of a rod of iron, just an invitation from a loved one who has tasted of the fruit. See an angel, be an angel.

Is it possible the "rod of iron" is a staff held by a divine messenger resulting in a personal, one-by-one journey to the tree of life?  I don't know, but I really like the symbolism here. This sets up a contrast between the personal, loving invitations to be led to the tree of life and the fountain of living water, contrasted with the mocking from the great and spacious building, which leads to a fountain of filthy water.

There are temple themes here as well, when we consider a divine messenger finding the man Lehi in the dark and dreary waste and teaching him how to walk to the tree of life.

One last point to consider.  Nephi describes the rod of iron twice, once in 1 Nephi 15, while speaking to his brothers, and one other time, describing his vision:

24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.
25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; (1 Nephi 11)

It is very interesting to me that in Nephi's vision, as he is learning the meaning of various elements of the dream, he does not describe seeing people reading the scriptures when he learns about the rod of iron.  He sees Christ "going forth among the children of men," presumably inviting them to follow Him, and the people "fall[ing] down at his feet" to "worship [H]im." This is more personal.

(Update) What about 1 Nephi 8:19-20?

A few readers mention a point that flies in the face of this idea. Verses 19 and 20 describe the rod this way:

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. ( 1 Nephi 8)

Calabro explains these verses as follows in his paper:

It may be difficult to see how this fits with Lehi’s statement, as recorded in 1 Nephi 8:19, that the rod “extended along the bank of the river and led to the tree by which I stood.” However, this problem may be solved by the double meaning of another Egyptian word, m3C. This verb means both “lead, guide, direct” and “extend.” If the text used this Egyptian word, then the original meaning of 1 Nephi 8:19 could have been something like “it guided (people) along the bank of the river, up to the tree by which I stood.” The current translation could arise from an assumption that the “rod” was a railing. The idea that this Egyptian word was used in the text is especially likely in view of Bowen’s arguments about the Egyptian word mdw. In fact, there may be a similar wordplay at work with the word m3C, since the homonymous Egyptian adjective m3C means “true (of speech); just, righteous.” The wordplay would imply that the word of God is true and that it leads people in righteous actions.

So I guess the visual interpretation of this theory would suggest that Lehi saw people being guided along the bank of the river to the tree (presumably by divine messengers who are not directly mentioned who are holding the rod in their hand and inviting people to grab a hold). Why would they not be directly mentioned? Perhaps due to the sacred nature of this calling and possible temple connections. The path is the covenant path, and the guides are divine messengers akin to the cherubim and flaming sword authorized by Jehovah to guard the way of life.

Conclusion

So was the rod of iron in Lehi's dream a hand-rail or a shepherd's staff?  In the end I don't think our salvation rests on it, but my understanding of the dream, and its relevance to the conversion process, has been deepened by thinking about this alternative explanation.

Psalm 96, redaction, and the Tree of Life

In this series of posts (part 1 part 2 part 3), I outlined some of the things I've learned from Margaret Barker's Temple Theology and what impact it has on my understanding of the Book of Mormon.  In short, quite a bit.

One of the points she makes in that book is that adherents to the "Law of Moses tradition" (which largely rejected revelation and the need for a Messiah) altered the scriptural record to remove passages which supported the alternative "High Priestly tradition."

One such example is quite interesting. Justin Martyr (100-165 AD) was an early Christian writer. He created a written document titled Dialogue with Trypho, which details a debate with a contemporary Jew. Justin accuses the Jews of the day from altering Psalm 96:10 from its original reading:

"Say among the nations, the Lord ruleth by the wood,"

Barker prefers the translation of that last phrase as "from the tree."

Either way, this is an interesting claim, especially in the context of Nephi's vision of Christ:

21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things. (1 Nephi 11)

He is then shown a vision of Christ's mortal life, including his death on the cross:

32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.
33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world. (1 Nephi 11)

We also know that this tree of life was a central fixture in the Garden of Eden, and that the purpose of this life is to learn all those things that are necessary in order to return to partake of that tree.

Dust and fruit: Symbolism in the Garden of Eden and beyond

Long post warning! I have been fascinated with symbols and symbolism in the gospel for a long time. Finding meaning in symbols is a great way for me to learn eternal truths. I do realize that others might find different meanings in the same symbols teaching them equally important truths. I don’t think there always is necessarily one and only one correct interpretation. So what I’m about to share is just how I see things, not necessarily the "correct" interpretation.

Lately, I have been contemplating the Garden of Eden story. Perhaps this is more of an Old Testament note than a Book of Mormon note, but the thoughts I’m posting now are at least in part a result of previous posts on this blog and a verse in Alma 42 that caught my attention.

Lord Wilmore has posted both on the topic of nakedness and dust. In another post, I linked both of these to the Garden of Eden. The passage in Alma 42 that caught my attention is in verse 2:

the Lord God sent our first parents forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground, from whence they were taken

Alma is quoting Genesis, so this passage is also found there. There is a certain irony in the statement. Adam is cultivating the very substance he is created from. Indeed, we learn that Adam’s physical body is created from the «dust of the ground» (Genesis 2:7). To keep us humble, we are reminded of this throughout the scriptures (e.g. Ecclesiastes 3:20, Psalms 103:14, Mosiah 4:2, Helaman 12:7). For ancient Israelites, this reminder was even constantly there as part of their language. In Hebrew, the word for ‘ground’ is ‘Adamah’. The ‘ah’ ending is really just the Hebrew letter corresponding to the Latin, ‘h’, usually not pronounced at the end of a word. Consequently, the Hebrew word for 'ground' is very similar to and pronounced more or less the same way as ‘Adam’, the word for ‘man’ or ‘mankind’.

So in Hebrew, the dust/ground is associated with man, but the physical/carnal side of him. Keep in mind that it was the body of Adam that was formed from the dust of the ground and it had no life until it had a spirit. (It is usually translated as 'breath', but the Hebrew word 'ruach' can be translated as 'breath', 'wind' or 'spirit'). As opposed to the serpent, who was confined to the ground to eat dust, Adam had the potential to rise above the ground and even cultivate it.

What happens when Adam or mankind "arise from the dust" (2 Nephi 1:14) and start cultivating it? It produces fruit! Elder Neil L. Anderson just gave a talk on fruit this last General Conference. Fruit can be good or bad but Jacob 5 is a good illustration of how much God wants his children to produce good fruit. Elder Anderson quotes John 4:36, where Christ invites us to gather "fruit unto life eternal". He also talks about Lehi's dream, where people had to hold on to the iron rod and overcome obstacles like the mist of darkness and the mockery from those in the great and spacious building, to taste the fruit from the tree of life. Another example from the Book of Mormon is Alma 32, where we exercise faith, patience and diligence to plant a seed and nourish the tree, before we can finally partake of the fruit of the tree of life.

Alma 42:5:

5 For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and partaken of the tree of life, he would have lived forever, according to the word of God, having no space for repentance; yea, and also the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated.

Alma reminds us that the tree of life was there and Adam could just "stretch out his hand" but God prevented it. Instead, he wanted us to go through all the trouble described in 1 Nephi 8 and Alma 32. Why? Because it is a necessary part of his plan that we partake of this mortal experience, use our agency and knowledge of good and evil to rise above the ground/dust/flesh/carnal to till/cultivate/master it. In this way we produce fruit and ultimately get to taste the sweetest fruit of them all, the one from the tree of life. If Adam/mankind could just stretch forth his hand without any other effort and in their current state, "the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated".

In Mosiah 16:3-4 we read

3 For they are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil.

4 Thus all mankind were lost; and behold, they would have been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people from their lost and fallen state.

If we are carnal, we are confined to the ground (which is the substance the flesh is created from) where the serpent/devil has dominion and we become subjects to him. But because of the redemption from God, we are able to arise. When we arise and cultivate the ground instead of crawling on it like the serpent, fruit becomes the result. In fact, the ultimate act of arising is the resurrection, which Abinadi talks about only a few verses later. Because of his resurrection, Christ became the "firstfruits of God" (2 Nephi 2:9). The sweetest fruit is the one on the tree of life that represents God's love manifest in Him sending his Son. In other words, the fruit can represent Christ himself. Just as the juice is squeezed out of a grape or oil squeezed out of the olive, blood was squeezed out of Christ. Blood in Hebrew is 'dam', also related to the word, 'mankind', it's Adam without the first letter, aleph. Acts 5:30:

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree

1st Corinthians 15:22:

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive

The atonement is the reversal of the fall! The fall came about when Adam took the fruit from the tree. The atonement came about when the firstfruit of God was hanged on the tree. The fall was figuratively a fall to the ground, to the carnal and the captivity of the devil. The atonement enabled mankind to rise, to "cultivate the ground", i.e. to become master of the carnal instead of subject to it. It enables us to eat fruit instead of dust. John 15:5:

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

When we come unto Christ, his grace enables us to "till the ground" and produce good fruit and ultimately taste the fruit of the tree of life. Then we're back in the Garden of Eden, back in God's presence, we just needed this detour to learn and grow and come back differently from how we started. Like a tree arises from the ground as it grows, so must we.

Perhaps this all seems a bit jumbled, but I find much meaning in these symbols. I think we lose out when we are more concerned with what's historical than what we can learn from this story. The layers of symbolism are there for us to uncover.