Showing posts with label Gospel Commentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gospel Commentary. Show all posts
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Friday, December 26, 2008
Matthew 8:19-20 - Priorities
19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
(New Testament | Matthew 8:19 - 20)
I love these short and simple verses. Jesus, He who created the world, lived very humbly in it. It’s not difficult to find Ebenezer Scrooges (pre-conversion) all around. The media fawns over the rich and famous and tells us that we should idolize great wealth. Yet, He who placed the riches into the earth, never went searching after them.
I’ve heard certain televangelists boast of their great wealth as they preach the gospel of greed. We need to remember, I need to remember, that Jesus was not concerned about wealth, prestige, or fame. He lived a humble life, frequently dependent on others for His temporal welfare. He sought to do His Father’s will and not His own.
20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
(New Testament | Matthew 8:19 - 20)
I love these short and simple verses. Jesus, He who created the world, lived very humbly in it. It’s not difficult to find Ebenezer Scrooges (pre-conversion) all around. The media fawns over the rich and famous and tells us that we should idolize great wealth. Yet, He who placed the riches into the earth, never went searching after them.
I’ve heard certain televangelists boast of their great wealth as they preach the gospel of greed. We need to remember, I need to remember, that Jesus was not concerned about wealth, prestige, or fame. He lived a humble life, frequently dependent on others for His temporal welfare. He sought to do His Father’s will and not His own.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
It's True Isn't It?
I started blogging last December. I have thoroughly enjoyed jotting down my various opinions on different subjects and I have also enjoyed reading the musings of others. I frequently find myself reading LDS based blogs. I have been enlightened by much of what I have read. There is one subject/point that still confuses me; it would be the postings where people adopt an “I like the LDS church but…” attitude.
Don’t get me wrong; there are several issues that I don’t understand. There are doctrines I don’t fully understand and there are also historical issues that some day I hope to understand the why of.
In the final analysis all that should really matter is: Is it true? If it is, then the rest of the peripheral issues will take care of themselves. I’m certainly glad that when Nephi was commanded to smite Laban, that he didn’t balk. He expressed minor concern about it, but then did what seemed very contrary to what he had been taught his entire life. Likewise, when Abraham was commanded to kill his son, I’m grateful that he didn’t ask for an alternative option…”Um, Lord would it be ok if I offered up my nephew, Lot’s, wife instead? I never really liked her much anyway.”
In Isaiah 55:8 it states, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” It appears as though I don’t need to know exactly what the Lord is thinking; I just need to make sure that I’m on the same side with Him.
I am reminded of a April 2007 General Conference talk by Neil L. Andersen, “It’s True, Isn’t It? Then What Else Matters? It reads in part:
“I take as my subject today something President Hinckley said in general conference in April of 1973.
I had just returned home from my mission. So much seemed ahead of me. Would I be able to consistently make the right choices throughout my life?
Then-Elder Gordon B. Hinckley spoke of meeting a young naval officer from Asia. The officer had not been a Christian, but during training in the United States, he had learned about the Church and was baptized. He was now preparing to return to his native land.
President Hinckley asked the officer: “Your people are not Christians. What will happen when you return home a Christian, and, more particularly, a Mormon Christian?”
The officer’s face clouded, and he replied: “My family will be disappointed. … As for my future and my career, all opportunity may be foreclosed against me.”
President Hinckley asked, “Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?”
With his dark eyes moistened by tears, he answered with a question: “It’s true, isn’t it?”
President Hinckley responded, “Yes, it is true.”
To which the officer replied, “Then what else matters?”
Through the years, I have reflected on these words: “It’s true, isn’t it? Then what else matters?” These questions have helped me put difficult issues in proper perspective.
The cause in which we are laboring is true. We respect the beliefs of our friends and neighbors. We are all sons and daughters of God. We can learn much from other men and women of faith and goodness, as President Faust taught us so well.
Yet we know that Jesus is the Christ. He is resurrected. In our day, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the priesthood of God has been restored. We have the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Book of Mormon is what we claim it to be. The promises of the temple are certain. The Lord Himself has declared the unique and singular mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be “a light to the world” and “a messenger … to prepare the way before [Him]” even as “the gospel roll[s] forth unto the ends of the earth.”
It’s true, isn’t it? Then what else matters?”
I have listened to the words of the prophets, both those in prior dispensations and those living today. I have read the scriptures, the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I know for myself that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God on earth today. Yes, I still have questions, and I look forward to the day that I will get answers to them. In the meantime, I choose to remain faithful to the religion I believe.
Don’t get me wrong; there are several issues that I don’t understand. There are doctrines I don’t fully understand and there are also historical issues that some day I hope to understand the why of.
In the final analysis all that should really matter is: Is it true? If it is, then the rest of the peripheral issues will take care of themselves. I’m certainly glad that when Nephi was commanded to smite Laban, that he didn’t balk. He expressed minor concern about it, but then did what seemed very contrary to what he had been taught his entire life. Likewise, when Abraham was commanded to kill his son, I’m grateful that he didn’t ask for an alternative option…”Um, Lord would it be ok if I offered up my nephew, Lot’s, wife instead? I never really liked her much anyway.”
In Isaiah 55:8 it states, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” It appears as though I don’t need to know exactly what the Lord is thinking; I just need to make sure that I’m on the same side with Him.
I am reminded of a April 2007 General Conference talk by Neil L. Andersen, “It’s True, Isn’t It? Then What Else Matters? It reads in part:
“I take as my subject today something President Hinckley said in general conference in April of 1973.
I had just returned home from my mission. So much seemed ahead of me. Would I be able to consistently make the right choices throughout my life?
Then-Elder Gordon B. Hinckley spoke of meeting a young naval officer from Asia. The officer had not been a Christian, but during training in the United States, he had learned about the Church and was baptized. He was now preparing to return to his native land.
President Hinckley asked the officer: “Your people are not Christians. What will happen when you return home a Christian, and, more particularly, a Mormon Christian?”
The officer’s face clouded, and he replied: “My family will be disappointed. … As for my future and my career, all opportunity may be foreclosed against me.”
President Hinckley asked, “Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?”
With his dark eyes moistened by tears, he answered with a question: “It’s true, isn’t it?”
President Hinckley responded, “Yes, it is true.”
To which the officer replied, “Then what else matters?”
Through the years, I have reflected on these words: “It’s true, isn’t it? Then what else matters?” These questions have helped me put difficult issues in proper perspective.
The cause in which we are laboring is true. We respect the beliefs of our friends and neighbors. We are all sons and daughters of God. We can learn much from other men and women of faith and goodness, as President Faust taught us so well.
Yet we know that Jesus is the Christ. He is resurrected. In our day, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the priesthood of God has been restored. We have the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Book of Mormon is what we claim it to be. The promises of the temple are certain. The Lord Himself has declared the unique and singular mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be “a light to the world” and “a messenger … to prepare the way before [Him]” even as “the gospel roll[s] forth unto the ends of the earth.”
It’s true, isn’t it? Then what else matters?”
I have listened to the words of the prophets, both those in prior dispensations and those living today. I have read the scriptures, the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I know for myself that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God on earth today. Yes, I still have questions, and I look forward to the day that I will get answers to them. In the meantime, I choose to remain faithful to the religion I believe.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Thoughts on Grace Vs. Works
With a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints currently running for president, Mitt Romney, there have been many articles and questions I have heard regarding what does my religion teach on various subjects. I will strive to answer some of these questions to the best of my ability. Please note, the following are my views and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon Church), but they do reflect my opinions as a member of that church, and my understanding of the scriptures.
One issue I have often heard is that that we are not Christian because we do not believe that we are saved by grace. The argument seems to go that we believe that we are saved by our works. Let me preface my thoughts with, I do not know a single Mormon that understands his/her religion that believes we are saved by our works. The church is very clear in its teachings that we are saved by the grace of Christ. I will provide ample passages of scripture to support that view in a bit.
First, let me start with what I believe are some passages in the Bible that create confusion for some.
In Ephesians 2:7-9 it states, “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast. (King James Version)
This passage is often used by those that espouse an “all I have to do is say that I believe in Jesus Christ, and I am saved,” mentality. Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that read, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven,” ? I have a friend that follows this philosophy. He professed that he knew he would be saved, despite fornicating with his girlfriend on a regular basis. He knew that it was a sin, but he believed that since he “accepted Jesus as his personal Savior,” that whatever sin he committed, was acceptable to God, since he was a believer.
My response: I absolutely believe that I will be saved by grace, my works, in and of themselves, can not save me. However, the passage above in Ephesians needs to be kept in context with other scriptures. So where I believe Ephesians 2:7-9 to be true, I also believe 1 John 2:4 to be true when it states, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
Christ taught, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15
In the 2nd Chapter of James we read: (emphasis added by me)
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
And verse 24 where it states,
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Verse 24 clearly shows that, “faith only,” isn’t sufficient. If a person has honestly “accepted” Jesus as his personal Savior, then that belief will manifest itself in the works performed by the individual.
What’s more, even though I hope to eventually be saved by grace, I will be judged according to my works.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
(New Testament Revelation 20:12)
Additionally, Paul himself warned the Hebrews to remain steadfast/endure to the end, lest they fall. See Heb. 2:1-3, Heb. 3:12-14, and Heb. 4:1 & 11.
Christ Himself taught that not everyone espousing His name would be saved:
21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Q: If I am to be judged according to my works, then what is grace about?
A: Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
That means, it doesn’t matter how good my works are, I will sin and therefore fall short. Sin makes me unclean. Christ however, suffered for my sins, so I can repent of them. As I repent of my sins and, “endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Mark 13:13
The Book of Mormon states:
For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
(Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 25:23)
One final thought on belief in Christ not being sufficient to inherit heaven (though there are plenty more) can be found in Matthew 19:16-22
16 ¶ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
(New Testament Matthew 19:16 - 22)
Here, a rich young man, “believes” that Christ is the Master, but that wasn’t sufficient. In fact, when he asks what he needs to do to earn eternal life, Christ doesn’t say, “profess my name, and accept me as your Savior.” The young man already did that by calling Him Good Master. Rather Christ tells him to keep the commandments (works). The young man said he did keep the commandments, but he wasn’t completely pure, and Christ knew what his weakness was and told him. Unfortunately, the young man wasn’t ready to do everything that was required to inherit eternal life.
Another passage of scripture that can be confusing is found in Luke 23 where Christ is being crucified between two thieves.
39 ¶ And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
(New Testament Luke 23:39 - 43)
I can see where a well intentioned person could interpret that passage to suggest that the thief was in heaven with Christ that day. However, will a little more research; we can see that is not what Christ meant. Christ said, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” However, three days later when he was resurrected he told Mary:
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
(New Testament John 20:17)
So on the day he was crucified he was with the thief in paradise, but three days later he still hadn’t ascended to His Father. Clearly, heaven and paradise, as used by Christ in Luke 23:43, is not the same place. Perhaps I will expound that subject in greater detail in another post, but for now, we can see that they are not the same place. Therefore it would be inaccurate to state that the thief obviously made it into heaven by merely claiming a belief in Jesus as he was being put to death.
Salvation only comes through the Lord. Consider these passages:
And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
(Book of Mormon Mosiah 3:17)
And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
(Book of Mormon Mosiah 5:8)
Therefore in summary, I am saved by grace, because I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I can repent of my sins however, and if I do, and then keep the commandments, I can be saved at the last day.
Please feel free to comment on what I have posted whether you agree or disagree. Many of the anti-Mormon posts I have read recently state how we try to hide our beliefs. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have over 50,000 missionaries world-wide trying to answer any question they can about the church. On the side of my blog, I have links to the Church’s official web site, and other sites by the church devoted to answering questions about our beliefs. Finally, I will answer as many questions as time allows, but if you want to know more about the church, find two of those well dressed young men, frequently on bikes, with white shirts and ties on. Tell them I sent you. ;-)
Dan Olsen
One issue I have often heard is that that we are not Christian because we do not believe that we are saved by grace. The argument seems to go that we believe that we are saved by our works. Let me preface my thoughts with, I do not know a single Mormon that understands his/her religion that believes we are saved by our works. The church is very clear in its teachings that we are saved by the grace of Christ. I will provide ample passages of scripture to support that view in a bit.
First, let me start with what I believe are some passages in the Bible that create confusion for some.
In Ephesians 2:7-9 it states, “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast. (King James Version)
This passage is often used by those that espouse an “all I have to do is say that I believe in Jesus Christ, and I am saved,” mentality. Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that read, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven,” ? I have a friend that follows this philosophy. He professed that he knew he would be saved, despite fornicating with his girlfriend on a regular basis. He knew that it was a sin, but he believed that since he “accepted Jesus as his personal Savior,” that whatever sin he committed, was acceptable to God, since he was a believer.
My response: I absolutely believe that I will be saved by grace, my works, in and of themselves, can not save me. However, the passage above in Ephesians needs to be kept in context with other scriptures. So where I believe Ephesians 2:7-9 to be true, I also believe 1 John 2:4 to be true when it states, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
Christ taught, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15
In the 2nd Chapter of James we read: (emphasis added by me)
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
And verse 24 where it states,
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Verse 24 clearly shows that, “faith only,” isn’t sufficient. If a person has honestly “accepted” Jesus as his personal Savior, then that belief will manifest itself in the works performed by the individual.
What’s more, even though I hope to eventually be saved by grace, I will be judged according to my works.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
(New Testament Revelation 20:12)
Additionally, Paul himself warned the Hebrews to remain steadfast/endure to the end, lest they fall. See Heb. 2:1-3, Heb. 3:12-14, and Heb. 4:1 & 11.
Christ Himself taught that not everyone espousing His name would be saved:
21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Q: If I am to be judged according to my works, then what is grace about?
A: Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
That means, it doesn’t matter how good my works are, I will sin and therefore fall short. Sin makes me unclean. Christ however, suffered for my sins, so I can repent of them. As I repent of my sins and, “endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Mark 13:13
The Book of Mormon states:
For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
(Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 25:23)
One final thought on belief in Christ not being sufficient to inherit heaven (though there are plenty more) can be found in Matthew 19:16-22
16 ¶ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
(New Testament Matthew 19:16 - 22)
Here, a rich young man, “believes” that Christ is the Master, but that wasn’t sufficient. In fact, when he asks what he needs to do to earn eternal life, Christ doesn’t say, “profess my name, and accept me as your Savior.” The young man already did that by calling Him Good Master. Rather Christ tells him to keep the commandments (works). The young man said he did keep the commandments, but he wasn’t completely pure, and Christ knew what his weakness was and told him. Unfortunately, the young man wasn’t ready to do everything that was required to inherit eternal life.
Another passage of scripture that can be confusing is found in Luke 23 where Christ is being crucified between two thieves.
39 ¶ And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
(New Testament Luke 23:39 - 43)
I can see where a well intentioned person could interpret that passage to suggest that the thief was in heaven with Christ that day. However, will a little more research; we can see that is not what Christ meant. Christ said, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” However, three days later when he was resurrected he told Mary:
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
(New Testament John 20:17)
So on the day he was crucified he was with the thief in paradise, but three days later he still hadn’t ascended to His Father. Clearly, heaven and paradise, as used by Christ in Luke 23:43, is not the same place. Perhaps I will expound that subject in greater detail in another post, but for now, we can see that they are not the same place. Therefore it would be inaccurate to state that the thief obviously made it into heaven by merely claiming a belief in Jesus as he was being put to death.
Salvation only comes through the Lord. Consider these passages:
And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
(Book of Mormon Mosiah 3:17)
And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
(Book of Mormon Mosiah 5:8)
Therefore in summary, I am saved by grace, because I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I can repent of my sins however, and if I do, and then keep the commandments, I can be saved at the last day.
Please feel free to comment on what I have posted whether you agree or disagree. Many of the anti-Mormon posts I have read recently state how we try to hide our beliefs. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have over 50,000 missionaries world-wide trying to answer any question they can about the church. On the side of my blog, I have links to the Church’s official web site, and other sites by the church devoted to answering questions about our beliefs. Finally, I will answer as many questions as time allows, but if you want to know more about the church, find two of those well dressed young men, frequently on bikes, with white shirts and ties on. Tell them I sent you. ;-)
Dan Olsen
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Thoughts on the Tree of Life
Is the Tree of Life a literal tree with literal fruit or is it figurative? Answer, as with many things in the gospel, there are different layers of meaning that we can reach as we become more in tune with the Spirit. There may very well be deeper levels that I haven’t even begun to contemplate yet.
What do we know about the Tree of Life? “And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
(Old Testament Genesis 2:9)
Here we see that the Tree of Life was in the Garden of Eden. Was Adam and Eve allowed to partake of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden? Answer, Yes. “And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
(Pearl of Great Price Moses 3:15 - 17)
They were only forbidden to partake of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Some of the best information we have on the Tree of Life comes from I Nephi 11. Nephi is trying to obtain the interpretation of the dream his father had.
8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.
9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all.
10 And he said unto me: What desirest thou?
11 And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.
12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.
13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
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?
(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:8 - 21)
In answer to his request to know the interpretation of the Tree of Life, Nephi sees the birth of Christ.
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; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:25)
In this verse we see that the fountain of living waters is synonymous with the tree of life. What is the fountain of living water? “13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”
(Old Testament Jeremiah 2:13)
13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.
(Old Testament Jeremiah 17:13)
The fountain of living water is the Savior. When asking to know the interpretation of the tree of life Nephi sees the birth, life, and crucifixion of Jesus.
Conclusion: At least on one level, the tree of life is Jesus Christ. I could use several more scriptures to support this view, but I think what I have above should suffice.
But, when the angel states, “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?”
Nephi responds that he does and that the tree is the love of God. Does this conflict with the view that Christ is the tree of life? “16 ¶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
(New Testament John 3:16)
God’s love is most clearly manifested in offering his Only Begotten Son.
What does the fruit of the tree of life represent? 36 Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God.
(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 15:36)
7 And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.
(Doctrine and Covenants Section 14:7)
If the fruit is the greatest of all the gifts of God, and eternal life is the greatest of all the gifts of God, then the fruit equals eternal life.
This makes further sense with Christ being the tree of life. Where does eternal life come from? “17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.”
(Book of Mormon Mosiah 3:17)
While Adam and Eve were in the garden they were in the presence of the tree of life, Christ. It was only after the fall that they were cast out of the presence of the tree of life, Christ. What better way to describe being cast out of the presence of the Lord than, “31 So I drove out the man, and I placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life.”
(Pearl of Great Price Moses 4:28 - 31)
Look at how the Lord describes his visit with the brother of Jared. “13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.”
(Book of Mormon Ether 3:13)
That seems to tie into the above scripture very well for me, i.e. being redeemed from the fall means being able to get past cherubim and a flaming sword to re-enter the presence of the Lord.
If the tree of life is Christ, what is the tree of knowledge of good and evil? “15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.
16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.
17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.
18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.”
(Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 2:15 - 18)
It seems apparent to me that if the tree of life on some level is Christ, then the tree of knowledge of good and evil on some level is Satan. Let’s think about this for a second. What does Christ bring? Life, both temporal and spiritual. What did partaking of the forbidden fruit bring? Death, both temporal and spiritual.
When Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, whose counsel were they following?
How did the fall occur? Warning, I give the following as a possible opinion, I reserve the right to change my mind at any given moment, if I receive better guidance and inspiration. At the moment, I feel this to be more speculative than what I’ve stated above. Your mileage may vary. Also, if you have enlightenment to share on the subject, I would love to hear it.
How do we get to the tree of life? By holding onto the rod of iron that leads us to it. What is the rod of iron?
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
(New Testament Revelation 12:5)
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
(New Testament Revelation 19:15)
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.
21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood.
22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.
23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.
24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 8:19 - 24)
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; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:25)
The rod of iron is the word of the Lord. By holding onto it, i.e. listening to Christ’s commandments and following them, we can return to the tree of life.
In the Garden of Eden, whose counsel/commandments were Adam and Eve following when they fell? Who did they choose to follow? Obviously, at the time they didn’t know good from evil, which is why it is a transgression and not a sin.
Satan clearly must’ve thought that now that he had Adam and Eve following his counsel that he had frustrated the plan of God. Isn’t that the way it always goes though? If we dig a pit for others, we usually fall into it ourselves. Could the fall be that simple? i.e. they chose to follow Satan’s word, i.e. rod of something other than iron, and it brought them to him. By choosing to follow him, in ignorance, they were cast out of the Garden and mortality was brought into the world.
Could the fall have happened some other way? “22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.
23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.
24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”
(Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 2:22 - 25)
What do we know about the Tree of Life? “And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
(Old Testament Genesis 2:9)
Here we see that the Tree of Life was in the Garden of Eden. Was Adam and Eve allowed to partake of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden? Answer, Yes. “And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
(Pearl of Great Price Moses 3:15 - 17)
They were only forbidden to partake of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Some of the best information we have on the Tree of Life comes from I Nephi 11. Nephi is trying to obtain the interpretation of the dream his father had.
8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.
9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all.
10 And he said unto me: What desirest thou?
11 And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.
12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.
13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
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?
(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:8 - 21)
In answer to his request to know the interpretation of the Tree of Life, Nephi sees the birth of Christ.
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; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:25)
In this verse we see that the fountain of living waters is synonymous with the tree of life. What is the fountain of living water? “13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”
(Old Testament Jeremiah 2:13)
13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.
(Old Testament Jeremiah 17:13)
The fountain of living water is the Savior. When asking to know the interpretation of the tree of life Nephi sees the birth, life, and crucifixion of Jesus.
Conclusion: At least on one level, the tree of life is Jesus Christ. I could use several more scriptures to support this view, but I think what I have above should suffice.
But, when the angel states, “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?”
Nephi responds that he does and that the tree is the love of God. Does this conflict with the view that Christ is the tree of life? “16 ¶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
(New Testament John 3:16)
God’s love is most clearly manifested in offering his Only Begotten Son.
What does the fruit of the tree of life represent? 36 Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God.
(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 15:36)
7 And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.
(Doctrine and Covenants Section 14:7)
If the fruit is the greatest of all the gifts of God, and eternal life is the greatest of all the gifts of God, then the fruit equals eternal life.
This makes further sense with Christ being the tree of life. Where does eternal life come from? “17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.”
(Book of Mormon Mosiah 3:17)
While Adam and Eve were in the garden they were in the presence of the tree of life, Christ. It was only after the fall that they were cast out of the presence of the tree of life, Christ. What better way to describe being cast out of the presence of the Lord than, “31 So I drove out the man, and I placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life.”
(Pearl of Great Price Moses 4:28 - 31)
Look at how the Lord describes his visit with the brother of Jared. “13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.”
(Book of Mormon Ether 3:13)
That seems to tie into the above scripture very well for me, i.e. being redeemed from the fall means being able to get past cherubim and a flaming sword to re-enter the presence of the Lord.
If the tree of life is Christ, what is the tree of knowledge of good and evil? “15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.
16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.
17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.
18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.”
(Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 2:15 - 18)
It seems apparent to me that if the tree of life on some level is Christ, then the tree of knowledge of good and evil on some level is Satan. Let’s think about this for a second. What does Christ bring? Life, both temporal and spiritual. What did partaking of the forbidden fruit bring? Death, both temporal and spiritual.
When Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, whose counsel were they following?
How did the fall occur? Warning, I give the following as a possible opinion, I reserve the right to change my mind at any given moment, if I receive better guidance and inspiration. At the moment, I feel this to be more speculative than what I’ve stated above. Your mileage may vary. Also, if you have enlightenment to share on the subject, I would love to hear it.
How do we get to the tree of life? By holding onto the rod of iron that leads us to it. What is the rod of iron?
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
(New Testament Revelation 12:5)
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
(New Testament Revelation 19:15)
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.
21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood.
22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.
23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.
24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 8:19 - 24)
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; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:25)
The rod of iron is the word of the Lord. By holding onto it, i.e. listening to Christ’s commandments and following them, we can return to the tree of life.
In the Garden of Eden, whose counsel/commandments were Adam and Eve following when they fell? Who did they choose to follow? Obviously, at the time they didn’t know good from evil, which is why it is a transgression and not a sin.
Satan clearly must’ve thought that now that he had Adam and Eve following his counsel that he had frustrated the plan of God. Isn’t that the way it always goes though? If we dig a pit for others, we usually fall into it ourselves. Could the fall be that simple? i.e. they chose to follow Satan’s word, i.e. rod of something other than iron, and it brought them to him. By choosing to follow him, in ignorance, they were cast out of the Garden and mortality was brought into the world.
Could the fall have happened some other way? “22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.
23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.
24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”
(Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 2:22 - 25)
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