Nephi returns from his long and extraordinary vision (I wonder how long the whole thing took? Hours? Days?) and finds his brothers arguing about Lehi's original vision, the same one that Nephi had just reviewed and expanded upon for the last few chapters. What an unbelievable narrative coincidence! His brothers (Laman and Lemuel, presumably) told Nephi that they couldn't understand the symbolism in the dream.
Nephi: Did you, like, ask God?
L & L: Duhhhhh ... No.
Nephi: *rolls eyes*
In all fairness, I can be just as dense sometimes. Also, I think another reason why I'm siding with Laman and Lemuel in my head here is that I REALLY don't like Nephi's tone in these first few verses. Observe:
2 And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them.
3 For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be aunderstood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.
4 And now I, Nephi, was grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, and also, because of the things which I had seen, and knew they must unavoidably come to pass because of the great wickedness of the children of men.
5 And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine aafflictions were great above all, because of the bdestruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall.
Is it just me, or does he sound a little high and mighty here? Also slightly whiny. Bless his heart. I do like Nephi, but I definitely don't identify with him at all, is all I'm saying.
One sort of confusing/revealing thing that Laman and Lemuel say to Nephi, which is worth mentioning, is when Nephi asks if they have asked God about the meaning of the vision, they say, "No we haven't [asked], because God makes no such thing known unto us." This has several possible meanings. One, that they are extraordinarily dense concerning the standard method of receiving an answer to a question: Step one, ask. Step two, receive answer. Maybe they were dyslexic? Or maybe they realized on some level that God wouldn't answer their questions because of their wickedness? Food for thought. Or perhaps, that they recognized, at least on some level, that their lives weren't quite right with God and they weren't worthy of some of the blessings they had seen.
Next, Nephi gives an abbreviated explanation of the olive tree analogy: that their family is a branch of the house of Israel, and someday after Christ has come, their descendants will realize who they really are and who they need to believe in--that after the gospel is brought to the Gentiles, it will be delivered to the remaining Nephites and Lamanites who have dwindled in unbelief. Hence the being grafted onto the olive tree, because they were a part of the olive tree to begin with. Fact: this would all make a lot more sense if I knew more about landscaping. The olive tree allegory is one of my favorites, partly because of its obvious academe tone, and partly because it shows God's willingness to work with and accept and hand over multiple chances to His children. It's so parental, so awesome.*
Finally, Nephi quotes some Isaiah and does some more convincing, and L&L are prepared to hear the interpretation of the vision. Nephi explains it to them briefly and simply, which was kind of him. However, once he gets to the part about the awful Hell God has in store for the wicked and what happens to those who die in wickedness, Nephi lays on the gritty details. Was this because he had already seen in a vision that his brothers were going to end up wicked? Did he, actually? He knew that they were going to bear seed that would be wicked and destroy his seed, but did he know the outcome of his brothers' lives? I kind of hope not. That would be too awful a secret to have, even if one is a prophet, and it might make him give up. Nephi doesn't give up on them for at least a few more chapters, I reckon.
*Awesome in the traditional sense of the word.
Is it just me, or does he sound a little high and mighty here? Also slightly whiny. Bless his heart. I do like Nephi, but I definitely don't identify with him at all, is all I'm saying.
One sort of confusing/revealing thing that Laman and Lemuel say to Nephi, which is worth mentioning, is when Nephi asks if they have asked God about the meaning of the vision, they say, "No we haven't [asked], because God makes no such thing known unto us." This has several possible meanings. One, that they are extraordinarily dense concerning the standard method of receiving an answer to a question: Step one, ask. Step two, receive answer. Maybe they were dyslexic? Or maybe they realized on some level that God wouldn't answer their questions because of their wickedness? Food for thought. Or perhaps, that they recognized, at least on some level, that their lives weren't quite right with God and they weren't worthy of some of the blessings they had seen.
Next, Nephi gives an abbreviated explanation of the olive tree analogy: that their family is a branch of the house of Israel, and someday after Christ has come, their descendants will realize who they really are and who they need to believe in--that after the gospel is brought to the Gentiles, it will be delivered to the remaining Nephites and Lamanites who have dwindled in unbelief. Hence the being grafted onto the olive tree, because they were a part of the olive tree to begin with. Fact: this would all make a lot more sense if I knew more about landscaping. The olive tree allegory is one of my favorites, partly because of its obvious academe tone, and partly because it shows God's willingness to work with and accept and hand over multiple chances to His children. It's so parental, so awesome.*
Finally, Nephi quotes some Isaiah and does some more convincing, and L&L are prepared to hear the interpretation of the vision. Nephi explains it to them briefly and simply, which was kind of him. However, once he gets to the part about the awful Hell God has in store for the wicked and what happens to those who die in wickedness, Nephi lays on the gritty details. Was this because he had already seen in a vision that his brothers were going to end up wicked? Did he, actually? He knew that they were going to bear seed that would be wicked and destroy his seed, but did he know the outcome of his brothers' lives? I kind of hope not. That would be too awful a secret to have, even if one is a prophet, and it might make him give up. Nephi doesn't give up on them for at least a few more chapters, I reckon.
*Awesome in the traditional sense of the word.
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Verse 15: I've been noticing more lately the combinations of metaphors in the scriptures. In a single verse God is a rock, a salvation, a vine, and a shepherd. Why list four different metaphors for God in a row? Perhaps because any one metaphor conceals things about God in order to reveal others. Perhaps using four metaphors, Nephi conveys much more about what coming to know God can do for us than he could with three. It's worth pausing to consider what these metaphors are meant to illustrate:
1. God is a rock. Rocks are hard. They don't break easily. You can depend upon them. You can build a house on a big rock, and it won't fall down. It's a place of certainty. If you build your foundation on the rock of God, it will never crumble. People who build their lives on values like worldly possessions, political power, or personal accomplishments have lost what they fought for. Everyone loses what they have when they die or sooner; everyone loses their political power when they die or sooner; most people in history are soon forgotten. But those who believe in something beyond this world have reason to hope for something lasting.
2. God is salvation. Is this really a metaphor or more of a metonymy? Probably the latter. Anyway, God saves us. This has sometimes seemed a rather odd expression to me because at times it hasn't been obvious to me that I really need a Savior. Of course, I absorbed primary lessons about sin and the need to be clean, but having someone tell you that you need something doesn't always translate into an appreciation for it. This reminds me of something Brooke told me about what her brother Scott said about the temple. He said that he felt like he was handed something bizarre and unusual and told that he needed it. What's odd about that situation is that without a conviction that you do need it, you can't really feel that grateful for it. It's not until you realize that you did need it that you start to be grateful. Nephi is clearly at that stage, but L&L are probably not. Anyway, God has the power to save us from sin and death.
3. God is a vine. He gives us the energy we need. I've felt this lately. Not having God with me is depression. Well, no, there's two ways for me to deal with being far from God. One is to be depressed. The other is to invest in the things of this world. There's a certain amount of energy to be had from the latter, as long as you feel like you're succeeding or you probably will succeed. But when you aren't feeling either of those, it's hard to keep going. The only thing I know of that can motivate you to keep going is love and hope, and love and hope come from God.
4. God is a shepherd. He brings us together in unity. This gathering process is a very comforting idea to me. He gathers in all who are willing to be gathered. He gathers in his covenant people. He is faithful to his friends in gathering in their posterity because they asked it of him.
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