The Voice of Rushing Waters

        As I sat waiting, with approximately 3,000 other people, for my daughter Caitlin’s high school graduation ceremony to begin, I noticed that most folks were visiting with one another.  As I listened, I found it interesting that the accumulative effect of these many voices had the sound of rushing waters.  This took me by surprise because I remembered that Joseph Smith described the Lord’s voice as rushing waters when He appeared in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836:

“…and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah”. --Doc. & Cov. 110:3

      Ezekial also described the Lord’s voice, “And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like the noise of many waters” [Ezekial 43:2].  John the Revelator likewise says the voice of the Lord was “as the sound of many waters” [Revelations 1:15, 14:12].

      After my experience in truly hearing this sound at the graduation ceremony, I decided to see if there were any scriptural references that compared the voices of people with rushing waters.      Even though Isaiah speaks of this in a negative way, he made this comparison in chapter 17.     

            “Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!” [verse12]

      John the Revelator, however, puts it in a much more positive light.  In chapter 19 of Revelations, regarding the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, a voice from under the throne of God says,

“Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters…saying,  Alleluia:  for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.  Let us be glad and  rejoice, and give honor to him:  for the marriage supper of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” [verses 5-7].

      On July 24, 1876 at a grand Sunday School celebration held in the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City in honor of the 27^th anniversary of entrance of the pioneers into the valley, a similar comparison  of many voices was recorded.

It was a most pleasing and meritorious celebration, and will be ever remembered by those who participated in it. …The singing exercises concluded with “Praise God From Whom All Blessing Flow”, in which the whole assemblage, including spectators, joined, making the sound like the rushing of many waters. The benediction was pronounced by President George A. Smith. [1]  

      Why would the Lord’s voice and the voices of mankind be described in similar terms?  It is interesting that right after the description of the Lord’s voice as “rushing waters” in the Kirtland Temple, the Lord introduces Himself with,

            “I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.” --Doctrine and Covenants 110:4

      Perhaps the depiction of the Lord’s voice as rushing waters is symbolic, not literal.  As the advocate for the people, His voice represents the people or the “voices” of mankind!  Symbolically, each of us represent a “droplet”, thus mankind as a whole, represents “many waters”.  Therefore the voice of Christ is as the voice of rushing waters as He pleads for us before the Father. 

     Rushing water is also symbolic of purity and the ability to make clean. Yet rivers can become impure because of pollutants and muddy when storms arise. Water can become stagnant when sitting for a long period of time.  After the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea, they traveled three days in the wilderness and found no water.  They finally found water in Mariah but were unable to drink the waters there because they were bitter.  The Lord instructed Moses to cast a tree into the waters and the waters were healed.[2]  Later, after the miracle of the manna, the children of Israel again complained of thirst.  The Lord commanded Moses to smite the rock in Horeb and water gushed forth from the rock for them to drink.[3]  Both the tree and the rock are symbolic of Jesus Christ and through His atonement for sin, “bitter waters” can be healed. 

      Ironically, in order to heal us, to make us clean, Jesus Christ had to drink the bitter cup of mankind’s sins in Gethsemane and was also “…smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities…and with his stripes we are healed” [Isaiah 53:4-5].  Jesus was “smitten” like the rock in Horeb, in order to bring forth the healing, thirst quenching waters of the atonement.

      When a person does not repent and receive the cleansing, healing “waters” of the atonement, they must drink their own bitter cup “for they are unclean…and consigned to partake of the fruits of their labors or their works, which have been evil; and they drink the dregs of a bitter cup” [Alma 40:26].

     Christ is known as the fountain of living waters[4] and it is through Him that the bitter and polluted rivers of humanity can be transformed into clear, pure streams of water. Even though Joseph Smith was speaking about the persecutions and troubles of the early Church, this statement could also apply symbolically to mankind.  He said,

Like the torrent of rain from the mountains, that floods the most pure and crystal stream with mire, and dirt, and filthiness, and obscures everything that was clear before, and all rushes along in one general deluge; but time weathers tide; and notwithstanding we are rolled in the more of the flood for the time being, the next surge peradventure, as time rolls on, may bring to us the fountain as clear as crystal (Jesus Christ), and as pure as snow; while the filthiness, flood-wood and rubbish is left and purged out by the way.  How long can rolling waters remain impure?[5] (parenthesis added)

     Jesus purposely used the metaphor of water to represent what He can do for each of us if we will come unto Him and “drink”. Jesus stood and cried, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink”^[6] and, as he told the woman at the well, “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 eternal life”.^[7]  There are several facts about water that beautifully correlate with Jesus Christ, the “living water”.^[8]

            1.  Without water, there can be no life.

                        “But these things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ,

                        The Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

                                                                                    ---John 20:31

            2.  Throughout history, water has been people’s slave and their master.

                        “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.” --John 13:16

                        “He that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the                                 greatest, notwithstanding he is the least and the servant of all.”   ---Doc. & Cov. 50:2

            3.  Great civilizations have risen where water supplies were plentiful.  The have fallen where these supplies failed.

                        “Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the                                       land.”--Jarom 1:9

                        “Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments, ye shall not prosper in                                  the land.” --Omni 1:6

            4.  Water is used and reused over and over again.  It is never used up.

                        “Jesus is the Christ, the eternal God.” --2 Nephi 26:1

            5.  Some regions have a water shortage because the people have managed their supply poorly.

                        “When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned                                   against thee.” --1 Kings 8:35

 

                        “If ye will cast out the righteous from among you, then…ye shall be                                           smitten by famine…” --Alma 10:23

6.  Water is known as the universal solvent.  Over time, water can dissolve almost anything.

                         “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”  --Isaiah 1:1

     Water is a beautiful metaphor for Jesus Christ.  As our Creator, it is through Him that life began and it is through Him that we can have eternal life. It is fitting that John the Revelator saw in vision water associated with God:

“And he shewed me a pure river of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb” which watered the tree of life [Rev. 22:1-2].

      As we turn our lives over to Him and keep His commandments, our lives will be enriched and we will be like a goodly tree planted by a river of water.

“Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice--yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord shall command--they are accepted of me.  For I, the Lord, will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream [running water!], that yieldeth much precious fruit”.  --Doc. & Cov. 97:9

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  And he shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”. --Psalms 1:3

     Isaiah used water to describe the millennial peace, “Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her…For thus saith the Lord, Behold I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream…” [Isaiah 66:10-12]  

     In conclusion, water is used a metaphor for Jesus Christ and also mankind and it is appropriate how both voices have the sound of rushing water.  To fulfill His role as advocate, Jesus Christ “drank the bitter cup” of mankind’s fallen nature, and mankind must partake of the “living water” that only Jesus Christ can offer in order to become clean, to be healed, and to have eternal life.

---

[1] Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 16, p.66 – 67

 

[2] Exodus 15:22-25

 

[3] Exodus 17:3-6

 

[4] Jeremiah 17:3

 

[5] History of the Church, Vol. 3, pg. 289–305, Doctrine and Covenants 121:33

 

^[6] John 7:37

 

^[7] John 4:14

 

^[8] Most of these facts came from the World Book Encyclopedia, 1990 edition, under the heading of water. 

 

The Trees of the Garden

In the parables of Jesus Christ, the processes of sowing seeds and growing plants, trees, and fruit have been used as metaphors for different aspects of the reception and utilization of the Gospel in our lives. It was a fruit tree that plunged mankind into mortality, and it is a fruit tree that secures us eternal life. Parables of trees that were planted, grafted, pruned, uprooted, hewn down and whose branches were burned are used frequently in the scriptures. Vines and wheat are also metaphors in the scriptures.

Why does the Lord use trees and plants as teaching tools? Certainly, because the cultivation of trees and plants is familiar to most of us; but, I believe, it is because trees, vines and wheat bear fruit, and it is the fruit with which the Lord is most concerned. As we consider these different trees and plants, we should bear in mind that it is the fruit the Lord is after, and which is “most precious” unto Him (Jacob 5:61). He is the Lord of the vineyard and it takes much work and labor to produce good fruit.

The story of life begins with two famous trees — the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life, which were planted by the hand of the Lord in the Garden of Eden. Understanding what these trees and their fruit represent is essential to our understanding the Plan of the Lord, because it is these two trees which represent the beginning and the desired end of our probation.

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17).

This scripture implies that God was giving a warning to Adam and Eve, to let them know that — unlike the other fruit in the Garden — the fruit of this tree had severe consequences to the person who ate it, including death. Remember, the fruit itself was not good and evil. The fruit was the knowledge of good and evil. That knowledge was essential in order to know how to choose the good from the evil!

Man’s knowledge of good versus evil and his decision to choose the good is the process by which mankind becomes like our Father in Heaven. Adam and Eve’s fall resulted from their yielding to the temptation of Satan and disobeying the Father.

Certainly, the fruit of the tree can represent mortality. It is through the experiences of this earth life that we learn the difference between, and the effects of, good and evil. Eve said, “Were it not for our transgression we…never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption…” (Moses 5:11). In choosing mortality, we all became subject unto death; and not only that, but suffering, pain, disappointment, sickness and all sorts of misery, as well. No wonder there was a strict warning!

Yet, as the Lord told Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, “…know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good” (Doctrine & Covenants 122:7).

Here, in mortality, we are veiled from the presence of God. Similarly, Adam and Eve — after being cast out of the Garden — were veiled from the presence of the Lord. This earth life is a time of testing. God said, “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abr. 3:25). Satan is allowed, as he was in the Garden, to tempt and to try us.

This tree also had the power to open one’s eyes. The serpent tempted Eve with the statement, “Ye shall not surely die; For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Moses 4:10-11). Adam said, “…because of my transgression my eyes are opened…” (Moses 5:10).

What was the first effect of having their eyes opened? “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they had been naked” (Moses 4:13). Adam and Eve had to have their eyes “opened” in order to see their nakedness. Nakedness in the scriptures often refers to sin.

Similarly, we need to have our eyes opened to see our “nakedness” or our sins. Many people are blinded to their own sins. It wasn’t until the shock of an angel telling him that what he was doing was wrong that Alma the younger saw “that he had rebelled against God (Alma 36:14). It was not until King Benjamin’s people viewed their own carnal state that they had the mighty change of heart (Mosiah 4:2).

C. S. Lewis wrote, “When a man is getting better, he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less. A moderately bad man knows he is not very good — a thoroughly bad man thinks he is all right” (Mere Christianity, p. 87). Unless we have these eye-opening experiences that motivate us to repent in this life, we must stand before God at Judgment Day and “shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness…” (2 Nephi 9:14).

The process of discerning good from evil or truth from error is not always easy for mortals in this fallen world. Often there seem to be “gray” areas. It is a fact of science, that when there are low levels of light, colored objects appear to be various shades of gray. It takes light in order for man to “see things as they really are” (Jacob 4:13). Truth is equated with light, and it is the light of truth that enlightens our eyes (or in other words, opens them to understanding).

When we are born into this world, we are all given a conscience (the light of truth) which gives us knowledge of good and evil. Jesus said, “I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:2). Thus, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is also representative of Jesus Christ. We must grow in light and truth, because “Light and truth forsake that evil one” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:37). Yielding to the temptations of Satan “taketh away light and truth through disobedience” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:39).

In this sense, we need to partake continually of the fruit (which is truth) of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Christ) so that we may grow in the knowledge of the Lord and be filled with light until there “shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:67).

Satan told Eve that by partaking of this fruit, she would be as God. Eve saw that this tree was, “good for food…and a tree to be desired to make her wise” (Moses 4:12). Some Christian writers condemn Eve for partaking of the fruit, implying that she was “grasping” for Godhood. Eve made the right choice, however, Godhood is not something that can be simply grasped and internalized.

Spiritually, we are little children and cannot understand Godhood by simply “partaking.” That would be like expecting a five-year-old child to understand the concepts of calculus before he learns the basics of arithmetic or algebra. The Lord does expect us to grow up into His likeness, however, and the knowledge of good and evil is essential to that process.

The fruit tasted sweet to Adam and Eve while in the paradise of the Garden. Ahead lay the trying years of mortality. They, as is the case with the rest of us, would find the fruit can also be bitter at times. In speaking about the two trees in the Garden, Lehi stated, “it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter” (2 Nephi 2:15).

We know that the fruit of the tree of life is “sweet above all that is sweet” (Alma 32:42), and so Lehi must have meant that the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was bitter. Life is hard for many people and sin is the cause of much unhappiness. Even having our eyes opened can be bitter as we see ourselves “as we really are” with all our weakness, sins and faults. But true repentance turns the bitter into sweet.

Many have wondered what kind of fruit the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil could have been. Apocryphal writings suggest that it could have been the fig tree [i] , the grape [ii] , or the olive tree [iii] . It is interesting to note that all three of these kinds of fruit are used in the same type of parables in the scriptures.

In Isaiah 5:1-7, we read about the Lord’s vineyard that produced wild grapes and the Lord asked, “What could have been done more for my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” Jesus gave a parable of a barren fig tree that dresser wanted to cut down. The Lord of the vineyard replied, “Let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it; and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down” (Luke 13:6-9).“I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness, I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree in her first time" (Hosea 9:10).

             These parables correspond very well with Zenos’ allegory of the olive tree in Jacob 5, with the trees representing the house of Israel. 

After having their eyes opened, Adam and Eve saw that they were naked, and made themselves aprons of fig leaves to hide their nakedness. One of my childhood memories is a huge umbrella-shaped fig tree in our yard, whose leaves almost touched the ground. It was the only fruit tree that I knew that “hid” its  ripe fruit.  One had to look under its leaves to find the ripe fruit.  I loved to climb that tree, but was careful not to brush against the leaves, because they itched and irritated my skin. I found it interesting that Adam and Eve made aprons out of fig leaves and I realized that this is what Satan tries to get each of us to do, like the fig tree, to cover up the “fruit” of our doings or, in other words, to cover up our sins.

Like the itchy fig leaves, our consciousness of sin will “irritate” our souls until we stop trying to hide our sin and repent. Fig leaves are not the answer to our nakedness. We must be clothed with the robe of righteousness — and it is Jesus Christ who clothes us, just as He clothed Adam and Eve in coats or robes of skins to cover their nakedness. This covering is symbolic of the atonement, which covers our sins. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:7).

In summary, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil can represent mortality, where we learn through our experience to distinguish the good from the evil. It can also represent the “eye-opening” light of Jesus Christ, with its fruit being truth. The fruit of the tree can also represent the spiritual condition of the posterity of Adam and Eve as illustrated in Zeno’s allegory, through the choices they made in mortality, some being bitter and others sweet.

The Tree of Life

After Adam and Eve partook of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the Lord clothed them with coats of skins:

And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24).

We learn from this scripture that the Tree of Life causes one to live forever and that it is guarded by cherubim. Cherubim also guard the Ark of the Covenant, where the Lord dwells. Isaiah exclaimed, “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubim…” (Isaiah 37:16) Cherubim also guard the temple (Ezekiel 10:3-5).

In the temple, Ezekiel saw four cherubim having four different kinds of faces full of eyes. John the Revelator also saw four cherubim with six wings, and with faces of a lion, ox, man, and eagle, near the throne of God. Isaiah saw a figure with six wings in the temple (Isaiah 6). Figures of cherubim were profusely displayed in the courtyard, forecourt, the Holy Place, on the veil, and in the Holy of Holies in King Solomon’s temple.

Why must there be guards? Joseph Smith explained, “the conditions of God’s kingdom are such, that all who are made partakers of that glory, are under the necessity of learning something respecting it previous to their entering into it… he must have been instructed in the government and laws of that kingdom by proper degrees, until his mind is capable in some measure of comprehending the propriety, justice, equality, and consistency of the same” (TPJS, p. 51). There must be someone to make certain they are prepared before allowed to enter.

We are taught, as Latter-Day Saints, that angels stand as sentinels or guards to determine our worthiness to enter into the Celestial Kingdom. Brigham Young stated, “Your endowment is to receive all those ordinances in the House of the Lord, which are necessary for you… to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being able to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the Holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation…” (Discourses of Brigham Young, comp. by John A. Widtsoe, p. 637).

There was also a flaming sword guarding the Tree of Life. Paul's letter to the Ephesians speaks of putting on the whole armor of God. One piece of that spiritual armor is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Doctrine and Covenants 27:18 states that the sword is the Spirit of God. From this insight, we can understand that the flaming sword that God placed in the hands of the cherubim is the sword of the Spirit or the Word of God.

Paul writes, “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of body and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). What an awesome weapon in the hands of the cherubim!

The two edges represent what the sword can do: “either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction” (1 Nephi 14:7). The cherubim are endowed with the Holy Spirit and wield that sword to guard the Tree of Life. Since their sword is a discerner of the heart and mind, there is no way that a person can deceive them. The Tree of Life is protected from the unworthy.

There are several ancient accounts of the Tree of Life symbolism. Among the closest parallel with Lehi’s dream are scenes that appear on a number of small gold plates dating from the fifth century B.C. to the third century A.D., engraved in Greek and found in Italy, Sicily, Crete, and Macedonia. These plates depict the dead, wandering in the world of the shades, and warn them to avoid a destructive spring on their left. They enjoin the souls to keep to the right, where they will encounter another spring beside a white cypress tree. After pausing for refreshment and nourishment from the spring and the tree, the wanderers continue to the lake of memory, where, after responding appropriately to questions posed by the lake guardians, the travelers receive eternal memories and enter into the gods’ presence. The texts on many of the plates state that those who successfully complete the journey become gods themselves (C, Wilford Griggs, “The Tree of Life in Ancient Cultures”, Ensign, June 1988, 27, (emphasis added)).

In the different cultures, the Tree of Life has been depicted variously as an olive tree, a palm tree, a cypress tree, a lotus plant, a persea tree and others. Joseph Smith’s father had a dream very similar to Lehi’s. In his dream, the Tree of Life was like unto a chestnut tree. He related:

…beyond me, was a low, but very pleasant valley, in which stood a tree, such as I had never seen before. It was exceeding handsome, insomuch that I looked upon it with wonder and admiration. Its beautiful branches spread themselves somewhat like an umbrella and it bore a kind of fruit, in shape much like a chestnut bur, and white as snow, or, if possible, whiter. I gazed upon the same with considerable interest, and as I was doing so, the burs or shells commenced opening and shedding their particles, or the fruit which they contained, which was of dazzling whiteness. I drew near, and began to eat of it, and I found it delicious beyond description. (He then invited his family to join him even though people in a large and spacious building were mocking them) …we all rejoiced together. The more we ate, the more we seemed to desire, until we even got down upon our knees, and scooped it up, eating it by double handfuls” (Lucy Mack Smith, The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, p. 57-58).

Neither Lehi’s dream nor Nephi’s vision mentions the cherubim or the guardians of the Tree of Life; but in both accounts there were four main groups depicted. These groups correspond very well with the four groups of seeds in the parable of the sower in the Gospels and are instructive on what and what not to do to reach the tree.

Two groups reach the tree, but only one stays. There are hints to why they didn’t stay. The one group did “press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron” (1 Nephi 8:24), while the other group did “press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron …and fell down and partook of the fruit” (vs. 30).

When one clings to something, it is because there is a force pulling him in the opposite direction. In this case, it was the desires of the world. The other group didn’t have any problem holding fast to the rod because they had lost the desires for the things of the world. But, once having arrived at the tree, the “clingers” were soon ashamed by the scoffings of the world. It is also noteworthy that this group did not fall down at the tree. Those who truly partake of the atonement of Christ, instinctively fall down in the most sublime reverence and gratitude. Christ is also representative of the Tree of Life.

The tree can be symbolic of Jesus (1 Nephi 11:21) and the love He has for us. The fruit is the evidence of His love, the atonement. Eve said that she was glad that she ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil because of the knowledge she had gained, but was also very joyful in her redemption from sin through Jesus Christ (Moses 4:11).

The tree of life can also be symbolic of Mary, with the fruit being her son, Jesus Christ.  Nephi described the tree with --  “the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow” [1 Nephi 11:8].  Asking for the interpretation of the tree, the angel showed him Mary.  Nephi described Mary in similar terms of the tree of life.  “And I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white…A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins” [1 Nephi 11:13, 15]. 

Alma (chapter 32) tells us that in order to grow a Tree of Life within ourselves, we must plant the seed (which is the Word, which is Christ) and nurture it with great diligence, until it bears fruit, that we will partake of, that is white and sweet beyond comparison. Alma is telling us that we must first believe in Jesus Christ, and then continue to learn of Him and emulate Him, until we reach a point where (like the brother of Jared) we are redeemed from the Fall and allowed back into His presence (Ether 3:13).

We must also be diligent like unto Nephi, who received this commendation from the Lord, “And thou hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever” (Helaman 10:4-5).

In the book of John (17:3) we read, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” Jesus also said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also” (John 14:6-7). There is no other way to return to dwell with Christ and our Heavenly Father.

Summary

In final analysis, both trees of the Garden represent Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, “I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (3 Nephi 9:18). Paul stated that Jesus Christ is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

As we journey from Tree to Tree, we need to grow in the knowledge of good and evil, continually choosing the good, enter into sacred covenants so that we are able to give the angelic sentinels the evidence or signs of our knowledge and good works and partake of the Tree of Life. In doing so, we become the firstfruits of the Tree of Life and may it be said of us, “These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb” (Rev. 14:4) and “Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the firstfruits of His increase” (Jeremiah 2:3).

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[i] Jewish tradition identifies the Tree as a fig tree. Rabbi Nehemiah said, “The tree of which the first man ate was the fig, the thing wherewith they were spoilt, yet were they redressed by it. As it is said: And they stitched a fig-leaf” Berahot 40a].

In the non-canonical Book of Adam and Eve, we find further confirmation of this viewpoint: “I sought a leaf to cover up my nakedness and found none, for, when I ate, the leaves withered off every tree in my plot except for the fig, and from it I took leaves and it made me a girdle, even from the tree of which I ate” [20:5].

According to Apocalypse of Moses 20, Eve ate the fruit of the fig tree. There is an interesting vision in Jeremiah (24th Chapter). The Lord showed Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs — “One basket had very good figs… and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil” (24:2-3). 

[ii] Charlesworth, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 1:667, n. 4q, notes that the tree is identified as the vine by the second-century sages: R Meir [TB Sanhedrin 70a] and R. Judah b. Llai [Genesis Rabbah 15:7] and that it is mentioned in Apocalypse of Abraham 23:1-10, the fruit of the tree with which Eve was tempted is described as “like the appearance of a bunch of grapes of the vine.

In the Apocrypha, Baruch states that an angel explained to him that the grape is the forbidden fruit, and notes how much sorrow has come from drinking wine. He then points out that the sacrament uses wine because of the symbolism that even as the Fall of man came from the grape, so also does salvation (from footnote in John Pratt “Decision Days Ahead”, Meridian Magazine, III Baruch 4:8,16-17. See Charles, R.H., The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament London: Clarendon Press, 1913, vol II, p. 536).

[iii] Even though, according to the Apocalypse of Moses, the Olive tree was considered the Tree of Life, there are problems. The olive tree best fits the description of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil whose fruit is bitter, yet is good for food and is also good for light. In Zenos’ allegory, the olive trees are capable of producing good and evil fruit, valuable roots and worthless roots, branches that are wild and tame.

In John Pratt’s Article, “Decision Days Ahead,” Meridian Magazine, he draws a comparison with the olive branch carried by the dove to Noah as representing the fruit given to Adam and Eve. “What if the day on which the dove brought Noah an olive leaf represented the day on which Eve brought some of the fruit to Adam?”

The Bread of Life

I have often made bread by hand, and one day while kneading some dough, my thoughts turned to Christ’s teachings regarding bread. It was then that I realized that He has given us a recipe, if you will, for bread. In John 6:51, Jesus stated, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever…” As we look at the ingredients of bread, we can come to more of an understanding of Christ as the Bread of Life and how we can truly eat of His bread.

Basic bread is made of mixing wheat flour and water. By adding oil, salt, leaven or yeast, honey and milk, a lighter, more flavorful bread is obtained. All of these ingredients were mentioned by the Savior for use in our lives and as a description of Himself and what He offers us.

 

Wheat

The main ingredient in bread is wheat. Of all the foods, wheat is the most eternal in nature. Wheat will keep almost indefinitely when properly stored. Like wheat, Christ’s word is eternal [D & C 1:39, Moses 1:4] and those who truly live according to the words of Christ will obtain eternal life [Alma 37:44, Moses 6:59]. Jesus Christ is also referred to as the Word in John 1:1 and He is eternal [Doc. & Cov. 20:17].

The word of Christ, like wheat, must be planted, cultivated, nourished and harvested. It takes effort. The Lord told Adam, “By the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” [Genesis 3:19]. Alma also emphasized that we must nourish the word by our faith with great diligence and with patience [Alma 32:41]. We cultivate the word of God through scripture study, ponderings of the Spirit, obedience to His commandments, Church and Temple attendance, fasting and prayer.

Jesus also spoke of Himself as wheat when He foretold about His death. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” He followed with “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” [John 12:24-25]. To become wheat ourselves, we must, like Christ, be willing to give up our lives, in other words, yield our will to His as He yielded His will to the Father.

In Matthew 13, Jesus also referred to righteous people as wheat in His parable of the wheat and the tares, saying, “The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one” [vs. 38] “Therefore, I must gather together my people, according to the parable of the wheat and the tares, that the wheat may be secured in the garners to possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory…” [Doc. & Cov. 101:65]

 

Water

The second most important ingredient to bread making is water. It cannot be made without moisture.  Without water, there can be no life. Jesus has told us that without Him, we could not abound or live [Doc. & Cov. 88:50].

Water is also eternal—there is as much water on earth today as there ever was or will be. Like the properties of wheat and water, Jesus Christ is eternal.

Water is also the universal solvent—over time, water can dissolve almost any substance, which is why baptism a beautiful symbol for its cleansing properties. The Lord has promised that “though our sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow” [Isaiah 1:18].

Water quenches our thirst. What makes us spiritually thirsty? In the parable of the rich man who ignored the beggar Lazarus, the rich man dies and finds himself in hell. He cries that Lazarus, who also died but is in heaven, will dip his finger in water and cool his tongue, for he is tormented with the flames of hell [Luke 16:20-25]. In this story, it is sin that makes us spiritually thirsty. Jesus said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink” [John 7:37]. When the children of Israel were thirsty in the Sinai wilderness, Moses smote a rock and water gushed out [Exodus 17:6]. The rock, symbolic of Jesus Christ, had to be smitten in order for the people to drink. Jesus Christ was smitten for our sins and sinful nature in order that we might drink, and be cleansed—that we might have eternal life.

Water, unlike wheat, does not take great effort to obtain. Mostly, we simply need to drink. Jesus has been likened to a fountain of living water [Jeremiah 2:13, 1 Nephi 11:25, D & C 10:66]. Christ’s atonement, like a fountain, quenches our thirst, cleanses us from sin, renews and refreshes our souls, and sustains our lives.

To the Samaritan woman he said, “Whosoever drinketh of 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 4:14]

 

Oil

To give bread better taste and consistency, oil is added. Olive oil, the oil primarily used in ancient Israel, not only was a nutritious ingredient used with bread and in cooking, but was also used in healing. The good Samaritan bound up the wounds of the sufferer with oil and wine. The wine, like alcohol, was used to clean the wound. The oil aided in the healing of those wounds. Christ is the source of true healing from our wounds of our earthly existence as exemplified by the many miracles of healing performed by Him in His mortal ministry. Alma said, “If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed” [Alma 15:8]. Through faith in Jesus Christ we can be healed of our spiritual sicknesses and wounds. We also, should offer assistance to those who are in need of healing, both spiritual and physical.

Oil is a source of light and was used in lamps in ancient Israel. Jesus said of himself, “Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you” [3 Nephi 18:16]. Jesus Christ is the light which we must follow to gain eternal life. By doing so, we become light ourselves and help bring others to the Source of Light. “Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do” [3 Nephi 18:24]. As the Holy Ghost is “one” with the Father and Jesus Christ, it is not surprising that the light of Christ and the Holy Ghost are often synonymous. In Doc. & Cov. 45:56-57, we read in reference to the oil in the lamps of the wise virgins, “For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived…shall not be hewn down… but shall abide the day.”

 

Salt

To bring out the flavor in bread, salt is added. Salt has been a precious commodity since ancient times. Anciently, it was often traded ounce for ounce for gold. It is used to enhance the flavor of foods and also is used in preserving certain foods. Paul counseled the Colossians, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” [Colossians 4:6].

Jesus Christ has asked us to be the salt of the earth [Matthew 5:13]. In Doctrine and Covenants 101:39-40 we learn that when we embrace the Gospel and its covenants, we are accounted as salt with the responsibility to be the savor of men. In the Old Testament, the Lord commanded, “…with all thine offerings, thou shalt offer salt” with the bread and grain offerings [Leviticus 2:13]. By helping to enrich the flavor of other people’s lives through service, our example and sharing the Gospel with them, we will, like salt, preserve our own lives [Doc. & Cov. 4:4].

 

Honey and Milk

Honey brings sweetness to bread, and milk adds flavor and moistness. Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price”[2 Nephi 26:25]. Our lives will be much sweeter and richer when we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is interesting that many of our early Ward dinners consisted entirely of bread and milk, sweetened with honey.

 

Leaven

Leaven is used to give rise to the bread and makes a softer bread. Jesus said that the kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened [Matthew 13:33]. Joseph Smith felt that this parable applied to the Latter-day Church, which has taken its rise from a little leaven that was put into the three witnesses and that it is fast leavening the lump and will soon leaven the whole [TPJS p. 100].

As yeast permeates and gives rise to a batch of dough, so can our personal spiritual growth by the inner workings of the Spirit, expand and lift our lives. And we, like leaven, can give rise to those around us. “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” [Galatians 5:9].

 

Knead and Bake

Essential to the elasticity and texture and shape of the bread, the dough must be kneaded. We can liken the kneading to the molding and shaping of our lives through our mortal experience. Like dough, we should be soft and moldable and become a “saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, …submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict” upon us [Mosiah 3:19].

After the bread is shaped, it is ready for the oven. We can liken the baking to the sanctification process by the Holy Spirit [Alma 5:54, 13:12]. This “baptism of fire” by the Holy Ghost transforms us from “dough” to “bread” and we become new creatures in Christ [2 Corinthians 5:17, Mosiah 5:7].

In conclusion, the symbolism of the ingredients of bread can teach us about Jesus Christ and what we must do to become “bread” as well. We can eat of the “bread” that Jesus offers by partaking and internalizing His word, serving and lifting others, and partaking of His atonement as we repent and become sanctified by the Spirit and the refining life experiences. We can become “bread” by incorporating the “recipe of bread” Christ has given us in the scriptures in our lives.

 

The Symbolism of Bread in the Scriptures

 

               Bread played an important role in the Old Testament sacrifices, feasts and festivals of ancient Israel. Jesus Christ also used bread as a symbol of his atoning sacrifice, and he described himself as the Bread of Life (John 6:48). Ironically, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which means “house of bread.”

On the eve of their escape from Egypt, the Lord commanded through Moses that each household of the children of Israel kill a lamb without blemish and put its blood on the doorposts. They were then to hold a “Passover feast” in order that the destroying angel would pass them by. They were to cook the lamb, symbolic of Jesus Christ, and eat the flesh along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. In future observances of that first Passover, they were to eat unleavened bread for seven days and completely remove any leaven from their homes during that period. So prominent was the focus of unleavened bread that the Passover Feast is also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

In Exodus 12:39 we read that the children of Israel baked unleavened bread that they brought forth out of Egypt, “for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry …” Egypt, symbolic of spiritual Babylon, was a place they were not to tarry and carry the “old leaven” with them, as Paul explained to the Corinthians:

 

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump … for even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (l Cor. 5:7-8).

 

Paul was counseling the Saints to remove their old sinful motives and sins — just as ancient Israel was commanded to leave behind any leaven from Egypt — and replace them with humble and obedient hearts.

Unleavened bread was also the required accompaniment to the Burnt and Peace offerings. In fact, the poor could offer grain offerings instead of an animal for these two sacrificial offerings. These offerings were voluntary, unlike the Sin and Trespass offerings, which were mandatory sacrifices for sin. Bread was not associated with these atonement offerings, since it is blood that is the expiatory ingredient. The Burnt offering was symbolic of dedicating one’s life to God and the Peace offering was a meal shared between the priest, the offerer and those around him, suggesting open communion and reconciliation with God and our fellowmen. The unleavened bread, like the unleavened bread of the Passover, represented the removal of the “fermenting” desires of sin and presenting ourselves as humble followers of Christ.

The next feast, held fifty days after the Passover, was called the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of the Pentecost. Ancient Israel was to offer the first sheaf of grain, along with a sacrificial, unblemished lamb to the Lord. They were also to present to the Lord two loaves of bread, baked with leaven. These loaves were called the firstfruits (Leviticus 23:17). The use of leaven in this feast can be symbolic of the new life one experiences when “born again” as one becomes “leavened” with the Spirit of God. Just as yeast permeates the dough and gives rise to the whole, the Spirit of God permeates our being and gives rise to a newness of life in Christ. Paul referred to firstfruits as being in conjunction with the Spirit, in describing the process of redemption, “… but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body” (Romans 8:23). It is no coincidence that on the Day of Pentecost, that the Apostles of Christ received the Holy Ghost (Acts 2). In speaking of those who have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, we read, “…These are they which follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb” (Rev. 14:4).

The third feast that was required by the Lord was called the Feast of the Tabernacles or the Feast of the Ingathering of Wheat. It was held at the end of the fall harvest and was the most joyous of the festivals of ancient Israel. While, specific uses of bread are not mentioned, sheaves of wheat were presented before the Lord, along with animal sacrifices. Near the temple, families would make booths from the boughs of trees to dwell in that week. This festival could be representative of Christ’s analogy, “There, I must gather together my people, according to the parable of the wheat and the tares, that the wheat may be secured in the garners to possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory, when I shall come in the kingdom of my Father …” (D & C 101:65).

After feeding the 5,000, Jesus gave a discourse on bread explaining that he was the true bread from heaven. He said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). He further said, “As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (vs. 57). To “live by” Christ is to live by his commandments.

Jesus continued, “This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever” (vs. 58). The people murmured, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (vs. 52) Jesus explained, “It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (vs. 63).

After hearing that the bread that Jesus offered consisted of his words and teachings, many of his followers went back and walked no more with him (vs. 66). Jesus asked the twelve apostles if they would also leave him. Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life” (vs.68). The living bread that Jesus offers is his words — his commandments and teachings that will lead us to eternal life if only we live by them.

Just as the children of Israel did not live forever eating manna, Moses told them what would give them eternal life. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Moses explained their journey:

 

And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live” (Deut. 8:2-3).

 

The manna was designed to teach the children of Israel that true bread, or sustenance, came from God. When Jesus was tempted to turn the stones into bread after his 40-day fast in the wilderness, his response to Satan was similar, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).

It is interesting that the Lord did not cause loaves of bread to fall from heaven, but that manna was as small as coriander seed (Exodus 16:31) and had to be gathered early in the morning. Each man gathered according to his eating (vs. 18) and they were not to hoard it (vs. 20) or gather on the Sabbath (vs. 26-27). Bread takes effort to make and Adam was told that by the sweat of his face he would eat bread (Gen.3:19).

Jesus compared his words to living bread. In this vein, obtaining the words of Christ takes effort and is small “like unto coriander seed.” This illustrates how we progress as we gather his words, “line upon line, precept upon precept” (2 Nephi 18:30).

Like ancient Israel, we gather his words according to our “eating” — or in other words, our ability to incorporate his teachings into our lives. Alma understood this principle when he explained that those who have had the mysteries of God given to them are “laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the head and diligence which they give unto him” (their obedience to what they had been taught) (Alma 12:9).

Symbolism can also be drawn from the miracle of feeding the 5,000. Jesus had compassion upon the multitude and did not want to send them away hungry. After taking the seven loaves and few fishes, he gave thanks and broke the bread and gave to his disciples first and then the disciples distributed the food among the people, which could symbolize how His word is given — first through His apostles and prophets and they, in turn give it to the people.

 

Sacramental Bread

      On the eve of His death, Jesus was with the twelve apostles in celebration of the Passover. He took bread, blessed it and broke it and gave to his apostles saying, “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

      The Joseph Smith translation of Mark 14:20-21 reads, “And as they did eat, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them, and said, Take it, and eat. Behold, this is for you to do in remembrance of my body; for as oft as ye do this ye will remember this hour that I was with you.” The JST translation of Matthew 26::26 reads, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave to his disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is in remembrance of my body which I give a ransom for you”.

After Jesus’ death, the disciples “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). In speaking to the Corinthians, Paul explained the symbolism of the sacrament:

 

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread” (l Corinthians10:16-17).

 

Paul then chastised the church for not being “one,” for have divisions and heresies among them. He reminded them that Jesus took bread, “and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me … For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord … and eateth and drinketh damnation to him self, not discerning the Lord’s body” (l Corinthians 11:24-29).

Paul was counseling the Corinthians that they were representative of the Lord’s body, and by living His commandments they became “bread.” If their lives were not in harmony with the Lord’s will, they should not partake of the sacrament. It is interesting to note that in the ancient temple, in the Holy Place, twelve loaves of bread were continually present, representing the twelve tribes of Israel.

When Jesus appeared to the Nephites, he commanded that bread and wine be brought unto him. He first gave to the twelve disciples and they ate and were filled. Then he commanded that they give unto the multitude. Regarding the bread, he said, “And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you (3 Nephi 18:7).

The next day, Jesus appeared to the Nephites again and broke bread and gave wine to them to drink, but this time He miraculously provided the bread and wine. Then he said, “He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled” (3 Nephi 20:8).

Moroni included in his record the Sacrament prayers as we know them today. Regarding the bread, the prayer states “…that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, … that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given the, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them” (Moroni 4:3).

Bread is known as the staff of life. In the scriptures, bread is used as a symbol of the words of the Lord, for he was known as The Word that was made flesh (John 1:1, 14), and that if “eaten” or internalized in our lives, would lead us to eternal life. We are also to become “bread” as we live our lives in harmony with God and our fellowmen and by doing so, we will always have his Spirit to be with us, Jesus Christ being the great exemplar.

Bread is also symbolic of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for sin. In the flesh he suffered beyond degree, “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit” (Doc. & Cov. 19:18). As we partake of the sacrament, we need to remember that these emblems are symbolic of Jesus Christ — his words, the example of the life he lived, and of his atoning sacrifice for all of us.

Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever” (John 6:51). As we truly partake of the bread Jesus offers, we, too, can have eternal life.