THE REJOICING OVER THE RECORDS--NEPHI AND HIS BROTHERS AGAIN
RETURN TO JERUSALEM--THEY CONDUCT ISHMAEL AND HIS FAMILY INTO THE
WILDERNESS--LEHI's DREAM--THE TREE OF LIFE--THE ROD OF IRON--THE
BOTURINI MANUSCRIPT--NEPHI's VISION.
(I. NEPHI CHAP. 5 TO 15.)
When Nephi and his companions reached their father's tent in the
wilderness their parents were exceedingly glad. Sariah had mourned
during their absence because she fancied her sons would never return
alive; and with those feelings she had upbraided her husband for
sending them away. She charged him with being a visionary man, who was
always giving heed to dreams in which she had little faith. All this
was changed when her boys got back; then she was willing to acknowledge
the inspiration of Heaven in her husband's visions.
The first thing Lehi did when his sons arrived was to offer a sacrifice
to the Lord, as a token of his gratitude for their safe return. Next
he examined the records, and rejoiced greatly to find that they
contained the five books of Moses and a history of the Jews to the
commencement of the reign of King Zedekiah. These plates also contained
many of the prophecies of the holy prophets, and a genealogy of Lehi's
fathers. We may be well assured how grateful Lehi felt to the Lord for
placing these sacred records in his hands, so that his people could
have the Law of the Lord and the history of their ancestors always in
their possession. It is a great stay and a help to any people, who,
like Lehi's family, are separated from the rest of mankind and who
are building up a new civilization to possess the annals of their
forefathers. It tends to keep them from sinking into idolatry, and
from corrupting the laws of heaven; it preserves the purity of their
language, and connects them with those from whom they have sprung.
But the four young men had to return once again to Jerusalem. God
intended to make of Lehi's posterity a great nation. This could
scarcely be done unless his sons married. But they had no young maidens
with them in the wilderness who would do for wives. So the Lord told
Lehi to send his sons to a man named Ishmael, of the tribe of Ephraim,
who dwelt in Jerusalem, and desire him and his family to join them on
their journey. The reason why God sent them to Ishmael was that he was
a good man and had a number of daughters. When Lehi's sons delivered
their message the Lord softened Ishmael's heart and he consented to go
with them; and soon he and his family were on the way to the valley by
the Red Sea where Lehi was encamped.
As they journeyed, however, they had the usual trouble. Laman and
Lemuel had another rebellious fit. They induced some of the family
of Ishmael to join them, and for a time there was great division in
the little company. Nephi, inspired with the Spirit of the Lord,
rebuked them for their folly. This so angered them that they bound
him with cords, intending in their cruelty to leave him to perish in
the wilderness, or to be devoured by wild beasts. But Nephi prayed in
great faith to the Lord to give him strength to burst the bands which
held him. The Lord answered his prayer and the cords were loosened from
his hands and feet. Being now free he again reproved his brethren,
which renewed their anger. Once more they sought to take his life, but
Ishmael's wife and one of her sons and a daughter so earnestly plead
for him that the hearts of the rebels were softened and they ceased
their efforts to slay him. By and by, when their anger had cooled
down, they felt very sorry for their great wickedness in trying to
kill their brother. Then they humbled themselves before him and sought
his forgiveness, which he, in the goodness of his heart, at once most
gladly granted.
When the company reached the tents of Lehi, after the usual custom they
offered burnt offerings and sacrifices to the Lord.
While Lehi dwelt in the Valley of Lemuel he had another remarkable
dream. It was like unto this: He dreamed that a man stood before him
and bade him follow him. This Lehi did. They traveled for many hours
through a dark and dreary waste. When they had thus journeyed for so
long a time Lehi began to pray to the Lord to have mercy on him. After
he had prayed he beheld a large and spacious field. In it grew a tree
whose fruit was very desirable to make one happy. Lehi partook of this
fruit. He found it whiter and sweeter than any fruit he had ever before
seen or tasted. When he had eaten his heart was filled with great joy,
and he was very anxious that his family should partake of it also. So
he looked around in the hope of seeing some of them, and in doing so
his eyes fell upon a river. Its waters were filthy, and it ran along
near the tree upon which the sweet fruit grew. Not far off was the
fountain from whence the river sprang; and near by he saw his wife
Sariah, and his sons, Sam and Nephi. They stood there hesitating, as if
they knew not where to go. Lehi there-upon beckoned, and called them
to come to him and taste of the fruit. Then they all three came and
partook of it.
Lehi now felt desirous that his two elder sons, Laman and Lemuel,
should also partake; but when he called them, they would not come.
Lehi also saw a rod of iron. It extended along the bank of the river
and led to the tree by which he stood. And there was a straight and
narrow path which ran along by the rod of iron to the tree. This path
led into a broad field, so spacious that it might have been a world. He
likewise saw vast numbers of people, many of whom were pressing forward
to get to the path which led to the tree. Then it seemed that as soon
as these people began to walk in the path there arose a great mist of
darkness, that many missed their way, wandered off, and were lost.
Others, by taking hold of the rod of iron, and clinging thereto, kept
in the narrow path, reached the tree and partook of its precious fruit.
Some of those who tasted the fruit appeared to soon grow ashamed; and
Lehi, casting his eyes across the river, beheld on the other side a
very large and fine building, which stood as if it were in the air high
above the earth.
This building was filled with men and women of all ages, whose style of
dress was very rich and grand. These people were mocking and ridiculing
those who ate of the fruit of the tree. Because of this taunting and
derision some felt ashamed, and they fell away into forbidden paths and
were lost. Lehi also saw other multitudes groping their way towards
the spacious building; and some were drowned in the fountain of filthy
water, and others were lost to sight wandering in strange roads.
The interpretation of Lehi's dream is this: The tree which bore the
precious fruit, of which Lehi, Sariah, Sam and Nephi ate, was the tree
of life. The rod of iron which led thereunto represented the word of
God, and whoso will hearken unto the word of God, and will cleave unto
it, will never perish, but partake of the fruit of the tree of life.
The river of filthy water showed the awful gulf which separates the
wicked from the tree of life and from the saints of God. The vast and
costly building represented the wicked world, with those who belong
thereto.
Lehi further saw that Laman and Lemuel ate not of the fruit of the
tree, and it gave him much sorrow.
We present a copy of a portion of an ancient Aztec map or chart.
The original map is about twenty feet in length, it was found in
Mexico more than a hundred years ago by an Italian gentleman named
Boturini.[2] On a previous page we have inserted a copy of the first
part of this map or panorama, which seems to show the departure of Lehi
from Jerusalem, his crossing some waters, his journey in the desert,
and the names of his family. In the second part we consider is yet
more clearly shown Lehi's dream. We can plainly see the tree of life,
with its twelve branches, with Lehi near by, the rod of iron that led
thereto, Sariah, Sam and Nephi partaking of the fruit; while Laman and
Lemuel are not touching it. Then the journey is continued, and we see
them all weeping over one man. This we think represents the death of
Ishmael, of which we shall speak hereafter. Above again appear the
names of the family.[3]
[Illustration: ANCIENT AZTEC CHART, SHOWING LEHI'S TRAVELS. NO. 2.]
Nephi was very desirous to have the same dreams as his father; and he
prayed earnestly to the Lord that this favor might be granted him. God
answered his prayers, and showed him many of the greatest events that
would take place in the future history of the world. For while Nephi
was pondering these things in his heart he was caught away in the
Spirit of the Lord, into an exceedingly high mountain, on which he
had never before set his foot. There the Spirit, which was in the form
of a man, showed him the things which he desired. After the Spirit left
him he was shown Jerusalem and other cities, especially Nazareth, and
therein a virgin exceedingly white and fair. While gazing upon this
scene, he beheld the heavens open, and an angel came down and stood
before him, who explained to him the various scenes that were brought
before his vision.
[Illustration: VISION OF NEPHI.]
The virgin that Nephi saw was named Mary; she was the mother of Jesus.
Next the angel showed him the virgin with the babe in her arms. The
angel also showed him the Savior; how he should be baptized of John in
the Jordan; how he went forth among the people preaching the gospel and
doing marvelous works, and how that he was taken and crucified, and
thus died for the sins of the world. Nephi further saw how the world
fought against the disciples of Christ, and how, in the end, all those
who contended against heaven and against God's servants were destroyed.
Furthermore he was shown the land of America filled with a numerous
people, who were the seed of his father. He also saw the terrible
earthquakes and devastating storms that took place on this land at the
time of the crucifixion of the Redeemer.
He saw the Savior visit this land, and how he chose twelve disciples
and here established his holy church. He saw the reign of profound
peace that continued for three generations, and also the time of awful
wickedness that followed this blessed era. And there were shown to him
the final wars in which the Nephite nation was destroyed.
Nor was this all. Like a vast panorama, the kingdoms and nations of
the Gentiles were presented to his view. He saw a man inspired by the
Spirit of God cross the great waters which separated the Gentiles from
the land on which the remnants of his father's seed dwelt, and that
this man was followed by numerous hosts of others who came out from
the nations and occupied the land. He saw the remnants of the seed of
his father, the Indians, abused, robbed and massacred by the Gentiles.
Then the war of the revolution was shown to him, the triumph of the
colonies, and the growth of the people of this land in power, riches
and pride.
And again he saw the rise of a great and abominable church which
exercised power and dominion over many peoples. It was the great
apostate Christian Church which held sway after the true gospel ceased
to exist on the earth by reason of the wickedness of mankind. Nephi
also saw the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the establishment of
the great Latter-day work, the preaching of the gospel to Gentile and
Jew, and the final triumph of God's cause. Indeed he saw to the end of
the world and thereafter; but much that he had revealed to him he was
told not to write, as the Apostle John would have the same things shown
to him in a later day, and John would be instructed of the Lord to
write the things which he heard and saw.
FOOTNOTES:
[2] Of Boturini, Humboldt observes. "This Milanese traveler had crossed
the seas with no other view than to study on the spot the history of
the native tribes of America; but in traversing the country to examine
its monuments and make researches into its antiquities, he had the
misfortune to fall under the suspicion of the Spanish government. After
having been deprived of the fruit of his labors, he was sent in 1736 as
a state prisoner to Madrid. The king of Spain declared him innocent,
but this did not restore to him his property; and this collection *
* * lay buried in the archives of the University of Mexico; those
valuable relics of the culture of the Aztecs were preserved with so
little care that there scarcely exists at present an eighth part of the
hieroglyphic records taken from the Italian traveler."
[3] The priests of the Roman Catholic Church who visited Mexico at the
time of and soon after the Spanish conquest were struck with the great
resemblance of so large a number of the customs of the Mexican people
to those of the ancient Israelites. To account for these resemblances
they invented the theory that the devil had imitated the Lord when he
delivered the Hebrews from their bondage in Egypt, by bringing the
forefathers of the American races from their original home to this
continent with many signs and wonders. Further, that Satan had revealed
to these people a spurious or bastard gospel, as near to the true one
as was possible, in order to lead their souls to eternal perdition.
Based on this theory,--that the devil was the real god of the Indians,
Torquemeda, in his "Indian Monarchy," and others, give the following as
the translation of the opening portions of this chart:
"Although they were all of the same race and lineage, still they did
not all compose a single family, but were divided into four tribes.
* * The Azticas, therefore, quitted their country under the guidance
of Zacpaltzin and Huitzon, in the first of the first circle; for
they commenced the computation of their years from that period; and
proceeded some stages on their journey, in which they employed the
space of a year, at the end of which they arrived at a place called
Hueycolhuacan where they remained three years. In this place (they say)
the devil appeared to them in the form of an idol, declaring to them
that it was he who brought them out of the land of Aztlan, and that he
would accompany them, being their God, to favor them in everything. * *
This being the beginning of the devil's proceedings among this people,
they marched from one place to another, where there was a large and
thick tree where he caused them to stop, at the trunk of which they
made a small altar, upon which they placed an idol, for so the devil
commanded, and they sat down under its shade to eat, but whilst eating,
a loud sound proceeded from the tree, and it rent in the middle. The
Azticas, terrified at this sudden accident, considered it a bad omen,
and surrendering themselves up to affliction, terminated the repast."