Commentary on
1 Nephi 8
The Beginning of Another ‘Fold’
This essay is a short excerpt of my running commentary on 1 Nephi. I believe this is a very pivotal chapter that lays the foundation for God’s creation of another fold of His sheep. The vision that Lehi has will impact both his immediate family, his heirs, the Americas, and the LDS Church. This chapter lays the foundation for two folds of God’s sheep. It is within this chapter that one begins to see the formation and creation of a second fold of sheep and how Lehi will be called by God to be the prophet for this new fold. One must understand visions as they pertain to God’s revelatory nature to gain a full appreciation of how this vision unfolds. This chapter becomes very important as it lays a foundation and prophesizes on five distinct groups of lost people, yet the vision focuses on the need for a prophet for a particular group, a new fold. This unique prophet, Lehi, was used to call a distinct group of people from among those who are considered lost. I will break down the vision into several components and provide an explanation of visions, how God calls prophets, the five groups of lost people in the vision, and how Lehi was called to be a prophet to a distinct group within the lost. Once I have laid out these aspects of the vision, I will explain how this vision points toward a prophet of God who will be used to call God’s children who are outside the fold of Jerusalem. This new fold includes those who have been removed from their current system of prophets and are heading toward a new, far-removed land. Lehi becomes a prophet uniquely called by God for a specific purpose and is set apart to call on people who are of his own seed. Lehi’s seed will be distinctly different from the normative Judaism of 600 BCE and Judeo-Christianity of the present day because they are heading toward a new diaspora.
Let me first begin by explaining some general aspects of godly visions as they pertain to Lehi’s vision within the chapter. Lehi has a vision, and within this vision, Lehi gains an understanding from God that will directly impact his family -- not just his family, but also their seeds. The vision in this context will deal with both Lehi’s present time and his heirs’ future, but it also impacts today’s society. When a prophet shares a vision, it might have an immediate message meant for listeners, but also may have a futuristic message attached to it. In other words, visions may have a dual nature in which a message can apply to the time in which the prophet is speaking and also apply to another time in the future. We often see in the New Testament (NT) that Jesus and the apostles often restated prophecies of yore and applied them to current situations. Although visions at times do not give us a full understanding of how they will come about, they do lay out a general understanding, and a proper interpretation from someone called by God often is necessary to glean God’s revelation from these visions, such as Daniel and Joseph in the Old Testament, as well as modern-day prophets. Thus, spiritual truth attached to a vision may have applied to the past, but those truths also may be applied in the present.
True godly visions were necessary in guiding God’s people as the information provided by God often diverged from His written Word. Yet God’s revelation through visions often fits within the context of God’s Word and complements God’s Word. All visions explain more about God and what God expects from His children, both in the past and in the future. For this reason, one always must interpret visions within the context of God’s Word, as no vision ever will contradict God’s Word. These unique visions offer information about God and His people and are important for guiding His people. God uses prophets to help guide His people, and these prophets are uniquely used by God to offer additional information with His Word that is necessary for their guidance. There are many different aspects of godly visions, but for this essay, I want to point out a few that deal with Lehi’s vision. The first point is that God called Lehi as a prophet, but Lehi’s prophetic message focused on his family and his seed. Secondly, Lehi’s vision applies to both his immediate surroundings and to the future. Third, Lehi’s visions give us a greater understanding of God and God’s children.
Lehi has a vision, but this vision has many layers of understanding embedded within it. “Lehi sees a vision of the Tree of Life -- he partakes of its fruit and tells his family to do likewise. He sees a rod of iron, a straight and narrow path, and the mists of darkness that enshroud men — Sariah, Nephi, and Sam partake of the fruit, but Laman and Lemuel refuse” This is the introduction for this particular chapter written within the Book of Mormon, yet there is so much more to learn from this chapter than meets the eye. This vision sets Lehi apart as a prophet of God, which is important because this vision, although it has to do with Lehi and his family, also will impact all of God’s children. God’s visions are not meant for mere individuals; when He gives His prophets a vision, it has eternal meanings from which all people are meant to learn and glean godly instruction. Thus, this vision needs to be broadened in scope to understand just what God is trying to teach the rest of His children. With this concept of broadening the scope of Lehi’s vision, we can begin to glean new understanding, which will have a direct impact throughout the entire BOM and God’s current LDS Church. In fact, when one looks broadly at this vision, it will lay the foundation for this statement by Jesus: “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16) (King James version [KJV]), setting the stage for Joseph Smith.
We note in verse 5 that a man dressed in a white robe instructs Lehi to follow him. As Lehi follows, he finds himself engulfed in darkness. In his despair, Lehi calls on God to help him get out of the darkness, and God answers by placing Lehi in the midst of the Tree of Life, the fruit of which is the most desirable. One must note the way in which Lehi finds the Tree of Life; it will be distinctly different from others seeking to find the tree. Although the vision does not explain who the man in the white robe is, Lehi is compelled to follow him. Yet this person in the white robe did not lead Lehi directly to God; he instead places Lehi in a situation in which Lehi must call upon God for help. God then hears Lehi and delivers Lehi safely into the midst of the Tree of Life. I want to state at this point that the tree in this story represents partaking of God’s Word or Goodness. Of course, this tree has greater meaning, but for this vision’s setting, I will keep the examination within a simple, general understanding.
The way in which Lehi was brought to the Tree of Life came through God’s divine providence, which parallels Moses’ divine providence in the Old Testament (Exodus 1:1-2:10). A comparison between Lehi and Moses can be made, but for the sake of space, I will only make a general reference between divine providence, life-changing encounters (Exodus 3:1-10), deliverance of his people (Exodus 5-11), a long road traveled (Exodus 13-19), and the commandments of God (Exodus 19-30). God has called on Lehi, apart from anything Lehi has done, merely through God’s grace. This is unique because God often just selects His prophets, e.g., Moses, and we don’t understand why such people are chosen. They are simply chosen by God through His grace. At this point within Lehi’s vision, we must note that others who want to move toward the tree do so by God’s Word, which is represented by a rod of iron and a narrow path. Lehi is called upon as a prophet of God in this story, and as a prophet of God, the first thing Lehi wants to do is tell others how to come to God, but who Lehi wants to share the message with is extremely important and will make a huge difference.
Within the story, there are five groups of lost people, the first being Lehi’s family. Lehi wants to lead them to the Tree of Life so that they can partake of it, but his family is at a great distance away, and they seem lost. Although there are five distinct groups of people that are all lost within the story, Lehi focuses only on his own family. This is puzzling at first because God’s prophets speak God’s Word to everyone, not just a select few. It is true that prophets usually spoke God’s Word within a confined geographical area, since travel was limited, but God’s Word was for everyone within earshot of the prophet. Yet in this case, Lehi clearly sees numerous lost people, yet he decides only to focus on his family. The fact that he will only focus on his family will teach us a very important lesson. Lehi is concerned with his own family and leading them toward the tree, so he calls out to them so that they can find the way there. The question remains why Lehi would only focus on his family. Obviously, he loves his family, but prophets usually do not make distinctions between individuals, i.e., God’s Word is always shared with all who are lost within earshot. This focus on his family will become relevant. As a prophet of God, his purpose is to lead others back to God, and this is the very first thing Lehi wants to do once he has reached the Tree of Life, yet Lehi is only concerned with his family at this point.
As the vision progresses, Lehi needs to reach his family and they appear to be lost. The next thing Lehi notices is the path that leads toward the tree. The narrow path is next to the rod of iron, which represents God’s commandments, and following God’s commandments, one should not stray from their path, which is often considered narrow. In the Old Testament (OT), the rod of iron was associated with God’s Word, and those who followed it were led back toward God. Likewise, in the Book of Jeremiah, it is the rod of iron that leads the exiled people of God back home, toward the Promised Land. Thus, the rod of iron becomes a way of finding one’s way back to God, but on a narrow road. Lehi realizes that this is the way to get his family to where he is, beside the Tree of Life. It is interesting to note the way in which Lehi finds the tree and the way in which his family gets to the tree. The story notes that Lehi was delivered there by God’s grace, while Lehi was in a dark place and called out to God for help. The fact that Lehi was delivered to the tree represents how God chooses His prophets; He simply chooses them to share a message and sets them apart. At this point, Lehi now has a clear vision of how to reach the lost so that they also can partake of the Tree of Life -- down the narrow path alongside the rod of iron. As I mentioned earlier, at times, we do not understand why some are chosen by God, while others are not. Yet Lehi quickly understands that all others need to follow the narrow path along the rod of iron. As a prophet of God, Lehi begins instructing his family on how to get to the tree by following the narrow path. As a prophet of God, Lehi explains to his family to follow God’s Word and not to stray from it to reach the tree.
At this point, we also are introduced to the other lost people who are not part of Lehi’s family. A distinction needs to be made here because Lehi notices the other lost people, but he does not cry out to them as he did for his family. Thus, Lehi will not be a prophet to these other groups of lost people. As a prophet of God, Lehi is only calling out to his own family, yet there are other lost people who are trying to follow the narrow way along the rod of iron, and Lehi does nothing more than observe them. At this point, we are introduced to three other groups of lost people whom Lehi observes, but with whom he does not interact. He simply observes them and tells the reader about them. The first two groups of people are the lost pressing in to follow the narrow road along the rod of iron. Some begin to follow, but are quickly lost in the darkness and never make it to the Tree of Life, while another group endures the darkness and makes it to the tree, but they become ashamed and fall away. At this point, another group of lost people are introduced as living in a building that seems to be elevated above the ground. These people, dressed in fine clothing, are young and old, male and female, and they are pointing fingers and scoffing at those partaking of the fruit. They are so influential that those who had endured so much to reach the tree were dismayed, fell away, and were lost again. Yet Lehi saw many going toward that building where the scoffers are, but Lehi saw yet another group of lost pressing toward the tree along the narrow path, and they made it to the tree, remained there with Lehi and his family, and partook of the Tree of Life. It is important to note that in the end, Lehi’s family stays, and this last group of people that endured the path also stays in the midst of the tree. This will become important in understanding the second part of Jesus’ line about the two folds becoming one.
This vision teaches us about Lehi’s prophetic mission. God called on Lehi as a prophet, but Lehi only instructed his own family, and as we have noted, he only observes other lost people, yet never instructs them directly. Thus, Lehi’s prophetic ministry is toward his own family, but why is this distinction so important? Because it means that among the lost of the world, Lehi will have a distinct mission to lead his family out of darkness and to the tree. The vision clearly shows that Lehi only will serve as a prophet for his own family. The question is why would God only call on Lehi to prophecy only to his family? One particular reason is because Lehi’s family at this time was set apart from Jerusalem in the desert. Lehi is in the desert, preparing to leave and travel to a distant land, as directed by God. Thus, God needs to call a prophet who will accompany this group of separatist children of God. It is important that a prophet of God go along with these people, the children of Lehi, so that they can have a prophet in their midst when they arrive at their new home in the Americas. Thus, Lehi’s vision shows that his prophetic ministry on God’s behalf will particularly be to his own family and their seed because they are about to embark on a new journey that will take them far away from Jerusalem and from God’s other prophets. Thus, God has created a separate fold of children that will need godly instruction, to be led by a prophet of God: Lehi. Thus, Lehi now becomes a prophet and high priest of God’s chosen people, who will now take root in the Americas far removed from the established religious groups of Jerusalem and far removed from God’s other prophets.
God’s calling on Lehi as a prophet for his own family has an immediate impact, but it also will have a future impact. As the Book of Mormon progresses, we notice the succession of God’s prophets, which is directly related to Lehi’s prophetic calling by God. As noted in the beginning, I said visions can have an immediate truth attached to them and a future truth. We have noted how Lehi’s callings had an immediate impact and how they were passed down throughout the Book of Mormon, but they also had an impact on us today. God then called on a new prophet in the likeness of Lehi, Joseph Smith, to lead another group of God’s children apart from the established religious groups of our time. Using the same narrative of Lehi and Moses, stated earlier, Joseph Smith is now calling out toward God’s children and leading them back to God, down the narrow road along the rod of iron. Thus, this new prophet is calling out to all the world, but he does so from within a fold that is outside the established religious orders of our time, similar to Lehi. Smith is now called on to separate himself and continue the ministry of Lehi, becoming a prophet of God, which is not of the established fold. The Book of Mormon becomes another testament of Jesus Christ that Joseph Smith will use to draw others closer to God so that they might partake of the Tree of Life. Thus, the spirit of Lehi’s prophetic ministry now continues once again. We now have a new succession of prophets, beginning with Joseph Smith and continuing toward our present-day President Nelson. The difference is that now this new prophet will call out to all the lost, seeking to lead them toward God, via the prophetic line of Lehi. Where once Lehi was only concerned with his children and their seed, now his message will call out to all the lost to come to God via his prophetic lineage. It is important to note this because when Jesus spoke of another fold, he also concluded that in the end, we all will become one fold, with one shepherd, and today we are seeing this second half of Jesus’ prophecy coming to fruition, as now our Church calls out to everyone near and far to come together under one fold and one shepherd, Jesus Christ, but from a different “fold.”
This vision of Lehi in 1 Nephi 8 becomes a very important prophecy, both for his day and us today. In the broader scheme of Lehi’s vision, we notice his distinct calling from God, and the purpose of his prophetic ministry toward his family. We notice the necessity of God having to call someone whose ministry was solely focused on this group of people because they would soon find themselves in a distant land disconnected and isolated from the other fold of God’s children in Jerusalem in a U.S. diaspora. God always has worked through His prophets, and it would be absolutely necessary that a prophet of God be dedicated to this new fold and be set apart for this purpose. Lehi’s vision set the stage for God’s prophets to also come across the ocean with His people, ensuring that God has the necessary means of working among His children.
The vision clearly has meaning for Lehi’s time, but it also has a secondary meaning for us today. Joseph Smith is, in essence, also set apart by God to lead a separate fold of children that would be separated from the current norm of religious practices of our time. The Book of Mormon once again becomes a sort of new testament, leading toward God apart from the status quo of our times, yet still leading people to God along the narrow way, along the rod of iron. Joseph Smith and our current prophet continue to call out from within the lost to all those who will listen and harken to their words on how to come back to God. Yet our Church calls out to the lost using the road left behind by Lehi, making it a separate road, yet still calling out unto a lost world in an effort to bring them back toward God through His narrow road and the rod of iron. Today, we are fulfilling the second half of Jesus’ words, in which we will become one fold with one shepherd. Today, Lehi’s prophetic ministry continues once again, and our current prophets call out to all the lost using the Book of Mormon as our guide, another testament of Jesus Christ. This vision is important in laying the foundation for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and setting Joseph Smith apart as a prophet of God to lead His flock.