These are my notes on the story of Lehi’s Vison, 1 Nephi 8:9-24.
Lehi wanted his family to have the fruit too.
The fruit represents the gospel. He wanted to share it because the gospel makes us joy. Joy above all else, because the gospel is the reason we came to earth so we are happy to understand the plan of why we’re here and where we’re going and all the tiny details in that plan like the fact that Jesus will be here caring for us in everything.
We’re all a heavenly family, so when Lehi said he wanted his family to have the fruit, that can be taken as he wants everyone in the world to have the fruit. We should also share the gospel with the whole world. Going on a mission, or just sharing the gospel as a member missionary, could seem like a chore or a task that has to get done, but if we truly understood the gospel, we would also have that joy that Lehi had and we would do everything we can to share it with everyone.
In other words, Lehi wanted to share the gospel with everyone, and he did share it with everyone he could. While traveling in the wilderness, he was only able to share it with his family, but I’m sure he would have shared it with others too if he had the chance.
Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Alma 36:24
For the people to partake of the fruit, they needed to cling to the rod of iron and follow it until the end.
“partake of the fruit” – how do we partake of the gospel? If we are eating a very yummy fruit, we want to eat as much of it as we can. We wouldn’t leave any part of it. If we are partaking of the gospel, we should make sure to get every part of the gospel. Don’t skip parts that you aren’t interested in. For example, maybe you want to follow the gospel, and you follow it all, but for example you decide you don’t want to follow the Word of Wisdom and you want to drink coffee. Then, you are leaving part of the fruit uneaten. You have to eat the full fruit of the gospel to get the full joy. When Moses parted the Red Sea, he had to step in and get his feet wet first. There may be things you don’t like (such as giving up coffee for example), but if you grin and bear it, the joy you get from it will be much more than your joy in any worldly thing. And God will help us bear it.
“cling to the rod of iron” – we must “cling” to the iron rod, or the scriptures. We can’t just read a verse and call it a day. We have to read, think about what we read, then apply what we read to our life. We have to live the scriptures 24/7. We must cling to them. Not just pick them up 15 minutes a day.
“follow it until the end” – they’re walking in a midst of darkness. It’s hard for them to see. They don’t know when the end is. It could be just 2 steps away, or 100. But they have to keep waling until the reach it, or else they will fall away and be lost. When we have trials, it can be hard for us to see the light at the end of the path. We don’t know if it’s 2 days away, or 100. We might see the light of the tree, but then realize our path turns and goes a long way around. But if we just keep walking, and have faith, we will eventually reach the end. And the scriptures will help us have that faith. And without faith that there is an end, we will never find it. You can’t find what you’re not looking for.