A Light in the Darkness

The First Book of Nephi

Chapter 8


As we dwelt in the wilderness, gathering all sorts of seeds, our father came to us and told us of a dream he had had.

A man dressed in a white robe came to Lehi and told him to follow him. They travelled for a long time in a dreary wasteland, and Lehi prayed that The Lord would have mercy on him. They came to a large open field, and he saw a tree.

Lehi knew that the fruit would make a person happy, and he picked a fruit and tasted it. It was sweeter than anything that he had ever tasted, and it was whiter than any whiteness he had ever seen. It filled his soul with joy, and he wanted his family to taste it too.

As he searched for his family, he saw a river, and as he looked up it, he saw my mother, Sariah, and me, and my brother Sam. We looked as if we didn't know where to go. Lehi called to us, telling us to come to the tree and taste the fruit, and we did. Father also wanted Laman and Lemuel to taste it, but they would not come.

Father then saw an iron rod along the river bank that led to the tree, with a strait and narrow path along the iron rod. The path and rod started at the head of a fountain through the large and spacious field.

People were pressing forward, trying to get to the path to come to the tree, but a dark mist fell upon everything, and many were lost. There were others who took a hold of the rod, and they made it to the tree and tasted of the fruit, but after, they turned away, looking ashamed.

Lehi looked for why they would be so ashamed about tasting something so wonderful, and as he looked, he saw a great and spacious building floating in the air, and the people were dressed vainly and were mocking the people who had tasted of the fruit. Those who listened were ashamed and they fell away and were lost.

Lehi saw many others. Some pushed forward on the rod and tasted the fruit and stayed. Others made their way to the building. There were many that were drowned in the fountain, and there were many more that were lost on strange roads. And others joined those in the building, mocking those who tasted of the fruit.


To read the actual story go to 1 Nephi 8

The next part of the story is Nephi asking about what the dream means and seeing a vision of his own.  Before we jump into that, what do you think everything in the dream means?  What does the tree symbolize?  The iron rod?  The river? The great and spacious building? The strait and narrow path?  What do you think these things mean?  I want to hear what you're thinking?  Any questions?