Comments on: Reading Nephi – 8:23-28

By: James Olsen

James Olsen — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 13:13:01 +0000

Thank you for your kind words mirrorrorrim. And no, there’s no expiration date!

By: mirrorrorrim

mirrorrorrim — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 09:08:36 +0000

Sorry for jumping around on your Reading Nephi posts. I’ve been busy, and am just having time to catch up on them now. There’s no expiration date for replying to articles, is there?

I really, really like this post. I had noted the difference between Lehi’s path to the tree and the one with the rod of iron followed by later travelers, but had never made the connection that Lehi’s way seemed to be in many ways preferable to the later one. I think it has been so ingrained into me that the rod of iron is good and essential, that I was unable to look and see, as you were able to, that in some ways it is flawed.

It’s also interesting to equate the Great and Spacious Building with Jerusalem. That seems like an obvious connection once you say it, but it is one I had never made. I’m really glad you’re doing this series.

By: Clark Goble

Clark Goble — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 17:51:32 +0000

I tend to think we have just a brief summary of Lehi’s vision. So items missing may not have been missing from the actual dream in question. It seems to me if, as Nephi points out, Lehi’s dream and his dream are common that Nephi waits for the later recital to get into more detail.

By: DQ

DQ — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 13:08:10 +0000

My thoughts on this from prior readings is essentially:
Lehi made it to the tree as a result of direct physical revelation from heaven.
His family made it by listening to the patriarchal order of the priesthood (Father Lehi’s voice).

In either case, the rod is a metaphor. They all made it by following the word out God, be it angelic, prophetic, patriarchal, or scriptural.