As you study the account of the vision of the tree of life, watch for the following symbols and their meanings:

Tree of life (1 Nephi 8:10; 11:8–25) The Love of God

Fruit of the tree of life (1 Nephi 8:10–18, 30; 15:36; see also D&C 14:7) Eternal Life, the Greatest of All the Gifts of God

Rod of iron (1 Nephi 8:19–24, 30; 11:25; 15:23–24) The Word of God

Mist of darkness (1 Nephi 8:23–24; 12:17) Temptation of the Devil

River of filthy water (1 Nephi 8:13, 26, 32; 15:26–29) Filthiness

Great and spacious building (1 Nephi 8:26–28, 31, 33; 12:18) Pride of the World

• • When Nephi was shown the tree of life, he asked to know its interpretation (1 Nephi 11:8–11). What did he learn that the tree represents? (See 1 Nephi 11:21–25.) What did Nephi see that helped him better understand God’s love? (See 1 Nephi 11:13–21, 24, 26–33; see also John 3:16.) The tree is a representation of God’s love for his children.  Nephi saw the condescension of God.  He saw Jesus come to this world and how he left it.
• • How did Lehi and Nephi describe the tree of life and its fruit? (See 1 Nephi 8:10–12; 11:8–9, 23; 15:36.) They described the fruit as being desirable above all other fruit.  White to exceed all whiteness.  The fruit filled their souls with exceedingly great joy that they were desirous for their whole family to partake of it.
• • In the vision, Lehi saw “numberless concourses of people” (1 Nephi 8:21). These people can be divided into four categories based on their attitudes toward the tree and the fruit. Read 1 Nephi 8:21–33, and look for these four categories. How are these categories manifest in the world today? In which category do you feel you are? Well, there are those who partake of the fruit of the tree of life.  Those who are in the great and spacious building that mock those partaking of the fruit.  Those who partake and then are embarrassed and fall away.  Then those who wonder.
  

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