Fountain of All Righteousness

Yesterday I wrote how Isaiah used the imagery of water—the sea, rivers, streams, springs, etc.—to speak of the Savior and the spiritual nourishment He gives us.  There are many other passages of scripture that similarly use this theme to teach us about Christ.  For example, in the Book of Mormon, Lehi was inspired to use his natural surroundings to teach Laman: “And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!” (1 Nephi 2:9)  The Savior is a fountain of water, full of goodness and power to save us.  Later in Lehi’s dream the river he saw represented wickedness, but the fountain again was a symbol of the Savior.  Nephi explained, “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” (1 Nephi 11:25).  Alma also referred those “waters” that the Lord invites us to come to: “Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely” (Alma 5:34).  The water He gives us by obeying His gospel gives true life.  He later would similarly say to his son Corianton, “Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely” (Alma 42:27).  Moroni also spoke of the need for us to “come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved,” and he quoted the Savior’s invitation in these words: “I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness” (Ether 8:26, 12:28).  The Book of Mormon’s invitation is for us to come unto Him who is the fountain of righteousness and who offers to us the waters of life. 

            Other scriptures in the Bible likewise invite us to the Savior using water as the symbol.  Moses spoke of the “fountain of Jacob” and in the Psalms the Lord is referred to as “the fountain of Israel” (Deuteronomy 33:28, Psalm 68:26).  Twice Jeremiah spoke of the Lord as “the fountain of living waters,” the same language that Nephi used (Jeremiah 2:13, 17:13).  Ezekiel prophesied about how at the temple in Jerusalem in the last days there would be “waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward” which would heal the Dead Sea, and give life to everything in its path: “Every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh” (Ezekiel 47:1, 9).  His vision is a powerful allegory of the healing power of the Savior and the ordinances of His house.  When Christ came He likewise referred to Himself using the symbol of water.  To the woman at the well He promised to give “living water” and commented, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:10, 14).  He similarly invited the Jews openly at the feast of tabernacles at the temple: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).  Just as water provides life and healing to us physically, Christ gives us living water that heals and sustains us spiritually as we follow Him.  In his great visions John also used similar imagery.  He saw a “pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1).  He also wrote, “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters” (Revelation 7:17).  He likewise quoted the Savior’s invitation in the same language: “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” (Revelation 21:6).  The scriptures together affirm that the Savior is a fountain of goodness and truth and stands ready to give us the healing waters of life if we will but come unto Him.