The Impetus for Lehi's Vision

It struck me today that what happened in 1 Nephi 7 likely was the impetus for the vision that Lehi recorded of the tree of life in 1 Nephi 8.  In 1 Nephi 7, Lehi’s sons went up to Jerusalem again in order to get Ishmael and his family.  As they journeyed back to Lehi’s tent, Laman and Lemuel and some of the others started to rebel and wanted to return to Jerusalem.  After Nephi exhorted them with the words of the Lord, Nephi recorded, “And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly wroth, and they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts” (1 Nephi 7:16).  They had, in essence, left his for dead.  Nephi was able to escape through the power of the Lord, and ultimately his brothers repented and they all made it back to Lehi.  But surely when Lehi heard this story he was deeply troubled.  On the boys’ first trip Laman and Lemuel had beat Nephi physically, but it’s possible that Nephi downplayed this or didn’t even tell his father this detail.  But with a group of more than 15 on this second trip coming back with Ishmael’s family, there is no way the story of the rebellion remained a secret from Lehi and Sariah.  I have to think that this terribly troubling event—two of his sons nearly killing his other son—caused Lehi great anguish and he must have gone to the Lord for comfort and guidance.  What should he do?  How could he soften the hearts of Laman and Lemuel? How could he protect Nephi and others from the sometimes violent character of his two oldest?  These kinds of questions must have been weighing on his mind at the time the Lord gave to him the vision of the tree of life. 

                I believe the vision did give Lehi answers to these questions, and though we rightly find great applicability of the vision to us in our day, for Lehi the vision was primarily about his own family.  He introduced the vision with these words, “I have seen a vision. And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam…. But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you” (1 Nephi 8:3-4). 
In other words, the vision told him that he indeed should be troubled because of Laman and Lemuel, but that he could be at peace concerning his two youngest sons.  I believe this latter part must have been a great relief to him and encouraged him that not only would they spiritually thrive, but the Lord was going to protect them physically from Laman and Lemuel on their journey.  And, as we know, He did.  But the vision’s most important result for Lehi was to focus his attention on his two oldest and their precarious spiritual situation.  In the vision Lehi described, “I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them. And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit” (1 Nephi 8:17-18).  His final statement in the vision that Nephi recorded was this: “And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit.”  Nephi summarized, “Because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord.”  

Lehi did not interpret this as a final judgment on his sons but rather a call to action for himself to earnestly seek to rescue them spiritually.  So what did he do?  This was the result of the vision for Lehi: “And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them” (1 Nephi 8:35-37).  Instead of showing anger—which as far as we can tell Lehi amazingly never showed anger towards his sons, at least the Nephi recorded—this humble prophet reached out in love and tenderness towards Laman and Lemuel and pleaded with them to come unto the Lord.  Perhaps that was the great impact of the vision for Lehi; it was an invitation from the Lord to him to do just as he had done in the vision: stand at the tree and beckon to Laman and Lemuel to come and partake.  That’s what Lehi did the rest of his life, and though ultimately Laman and Lemuel rejected the path of the gospel, Lehi succeeded in continually inviting and exhorting them in love.  This vision and Lehi’s example stand as powerful invitations for us to likewise patiently and earnestly invite our children to come and partake of the fruit of the tree of life.