Comments on 1 Nephi 15 This chapter, and the text through 16:6, close off the Tree of Life vision by contrasting Nephi with Laman and Lemuel. While Nephi inquires of the Lord and receives revelation, his brothers argue with each other. v1-6 Nephi returns back to camp (v. 1) to find his brothers arguing about what their father has said (v. 2). The things Lehi said were difficult to understand unless the meaning is revealed by the Lord, and since they were hard-heated they didn't ask the Lord to reveal it to them (v. 3). When Nephi sees this he is grieved over it because he has witnessed the consequences of their heart-heatedness on later generations of their children (v. 4). He is overwhelmed by the vision he has seen (v. 5), and so must rest before he can put an end to his brothers contention (v. 6). v1 Nephi returns to the tent of his father. We are informed in 11:1 that Nephi sat and pondered, but we are not informed where. It would be safe to assume Nephi left camp and meditated somewhere in solitude. v2 The hard-hearted don't want to know the plain truth. They would rather debate, argue, and dispute over what the meaning is rather than find out what it really is. v7-12 Nephi asks them why they are arguing, and they say they cannot understand what Lehi has said (v. 7). Nephi asks them if they had asked the Lord to enlighten them (v. 8). They say they haven't because the Lord doesn't reveal things to them (v. 9). Nephi then asks a series of rhetorical questions intended to admonishes his obstinate brothers to seek assistance of the Lord (v. 10-11). Nephi then reminds them Lehi already presented the interpretation of what the olive tree is (v. 12). This discussion is not about the olive tree, but is about the deliberate ignorance of those who are hard hearted. Not only do they not ask the Lord for enlightenment, they ignore what has already been said concerning the matter. v9 They are trying to pin the blame for their own ignorance on the Lord. We didn't ask because He doesn't answer us. v13-20 Nephi explains the symbolism of the grafting of the olive tree. The core doctrine is that salvation is to go to all nations via the Abrahamic covenant (v. 18), and scattering Israel among the Nations, as a result of their rejecting the Lord and His Messiah, has become the Lord's means of achieving this. After explaining Lehi's vision on this matter, Nephi cites a number of related proof texts from the book of Isaiah (v. 20). v21-36 After Nephi explains the olive tree symbolism, his brothers quiz him with repeated questions concerning the vision of the Tree of Life. Note the staccato manner in which they fire off questions at him, as though they are testing him or trying to show that he doesn't know any better than they do. The text suggests there was no pause for reflection, no real conversation, no replies, only a rapid succession of questions. And, notice they do not ask him concerning the great and spacious building. Their resentment and lack of genuine interest is made explicit in 16:1. v22 Note Nephi doesn't have to explain to Laman and Lemuel what the Tree of Life is, he simply states it without explanation. Laman and Lemuel must have known what the Tree of Life represented from the Genesis account. v24 The reason Satan doesn't want us to study the Scriptures daily is because if we hold fast to them we cannot be overpowered unto blindness if we do. The less firmly we hold on to the iron rod, the more power he has over us. v26-27 On the river of water, compare the Jewish Publication Society (JPS) translation on Ps. 32, especially v. 6, as follows: Of David. A maskil. Happy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered over. 2 Happy the man whom the Lord does not hold guilty, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 As long as I said nothing, my limbs wasted away from my anguished roaring all day long. 4 For night and day Your hand lay heavy on me; my vigor waned as in the summer drought. Selah. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to You; I did not cover up my guilt; I resolved, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. 6 Therefore let every faithful man pray to You upon discovering [his sin], that the rushing mighty waters not overtake him. 7 You are my shelter; You preserve me from distress; You surround me with the joyous shouts of deliverance. Selah. 8 Let me enlighten you and show you which way to go; let me offer counsel; my eye is on you. 9 Be not like a senseless horse or mule whose movement must be curbed by bit and bridle; far be it from you! 10 Many are the torments of the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord shall be surrounded with favor. 11 Rejoice in the Lord and exult, O you righteous; shout for joy, all upright men! v27 "he beheld not", this indicates the revelation received by Lehi was interactive, in that he looked about and paid attention to the things that were important to him and overlooked details less relevant to him. At that point Lehi's concern was over Laman and Lemuel's refusal to heed his requests to come to the Tree. Thus, he overlooked some of the symbolic elements of the vision. This indicates revelation isn't simply information pumped into your head from the Spirit, where for some brief moment you are omniscient. The normal, human thought process and acts of perception are still at play, and therefore subject to error even though the message and messenger are flawless. Lehi's overlooking some of the details because "his mind was swallowed up in other things" also gives us some indication of Lehi's character. We know from 8:35-38 that he was very concerned about Laman and Lemuel's not partaking of the fruit. It is safe to assume Lehi was so concerned about his family, Laman and Lemuel in particular, that he overlooked some of the details of the vision. v31 shows Laman and Lemuel are entirely capable of interpreting the Scriptures. But, they choose to debate the possibilities rather than determine the intended meaning. v32-36 are a stern warning to Laman and Lemuel, hence their reaction in 16:1. The warning here is an expansion on his comments in 10:20-21. v36 Nephi's view on the Tree of Life changes somewhat at this point. In Lehi's vision the Tree is there for people to approach, but here the wicked are actively rejected from the Tree of Life. Nephi's view is presently an eternal setting, whereas Lehi's view was a temporal. In a temporal setting the Tree is there and people can approach it or not. However, in an eternal setting the choosing is over and Judgement (v. 32, 33) dictates who has access to the Tree and who is tossed into "that awful hell" (v. 35). Copyright © 2001 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.