1 Nephi 6 to 10 – “Come and Partake of the Fruit”

January 15, 2024, to January 21, 2024

Lehi’s dream was an answer to his prayer for mercy. He finds mercy for himself and some of his family, but those who would not listen to the invitation of mercy were cut off from the Lord’s presence.

“Rethinking the Rod of Iron,” T. J. Uriona, BYU Studies, vol. 61, no. 3

Was the rod of iron like a handrail as often depicted in artwork by Latter-day Saints? This article examines the ancient Near Eastern and biblical background of the rod as a symbol of power, authority, and shepherding. It proposes that the rod of iron in Lehi’s dream can be understood as a shepherd’s rod extended by Christ to guide his people to the tree of life, rather than a handrail along the path.

“The Things Which My Father Saw: Approaches to Lehi’s Dream and Nephi’s Vision,” ed. Daniel L. Belnap, Gaye Strathearn, and Stanley A. Johnson

This book is the 2011 Sperry Symposium volume, which focuses on the doctrinal message, cultural setting, and symbolism of Lehi’s dream and Nephi’s vision. Each of the twenty chapters will be useful as a study of the text of 1 Nephi 8-15.

“Lehi’s Dream and Nephi’s Vision: Apocalyptic Revelations in Narrative Context,” Matthew Stenson, BYU Studies, vol. 51, no. 4

Apocalyptic literature is an ancient literary genre. Isaiah 49:23–26 portrays the Lord as a divine warrior. This theme of the Lord as a divine warrior protective of his people is also used extensively by the early Nephite prophets in their teachings to describe the eschatological dualism between righteousness and wickedness that will exist in the last days.

“The Book of Mormon as an Ancient Book,” C. Wilfred Griggs, BYU Studies, vol. 22, no. 3
How does the Book of Mormon compare with ancient Egyptian and Greek texts that were written as guides for faith adherents of their respective sacred traditions? This classic article shows that Lehi’s record, which was written to guide those who wish to be redeemed by Christ and find the path to the Tree of Life, has a demonstrable compatibility with the ancient Near Eastern origin which it itself claims. Its message retains enormous significance in a modern setting and cannot be ignored or taken lightly.