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The central theme of Lehi's vision of the tree of life is holding to the Word of God and rejecting peer pressure to the contrary.

In Lehi’s vision, he sees a path leading to life, hope, and indescribable joy. The only way to arrive safely at the tree, to taste the fruit, was to cling to a rod of iron representing the word of God and scripture.

After Lehi’s vision, scripture became the foundation of his family, and eventually the Nephite civilization. Whether it was Alma the Younger using scripture to encourage his son Helaman or help his son Corianton overcome struggles with immorality—or whether it was King Mosiah founding the Nephite republican government on the brass plates—the Nephite fathers used scripture to save their children.

Likewise, the righteous forefathers and colonists of the United States of America—those praised by Nephi as “humble”—relied upon the Bible as the foundation of their government and education. The entire Pilgrim and Puritan culture was centered on scripture, much like in the founding era of the Book of Mormon. In each, we have persecuted Israel fleeing the Old World, coming to America and founding a mighty nation based on the principles found in the word of God.

In Lehi’s vision, he sees multitudes pressing forward to the Tree of Life, but they are assaulted by an “exceedingly great mist of darkness” which attempts to make them lose their grasp of the iron rod/scriptures and become lost (1 Nephi 8:23).

Nephi, in his own experience witnessing the Tree of Life and its interpretation, witnesses tyrannical governments and apostate religious leaders during the Dark Ages corrupt the Bible and withhold it from the general masses—leading to horrific persecution, torture, and death for hundreds of years. A more detailed treatment of the Reformation and martyrs during this period can be found in “Lesson 2: Fighting for Scripture: Lehi & the Reformation Martyrs.”

An example of this war being waged today can be seen in President David O. McKay’s inspired and prophetic warnings concerning the removal of prayer from government schools in 1962.

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Host: L. Hannah Stoddard https://josephsmithfoundation.org/l-h...