1 Nephi 8:30-EoC

Here, Lehi sees more and more people are making their way along the path toward the tree. They are arriving to the tree and partaking of the fruit. This is wonderful because earlier, many were getting lost in the mists of darkness. However, more and more people going to the great and spacious building. I think that this part could be analogous to the last days. Now, as the Second Coming approaches, the lines are being drawn, good versus evil. More people are following the world and more people are joining the church.

In Verse 32, it describes those that are not heading toward the tree or the building. They are getting drowned in the river and lost on strange roads. How I feel for those people. The truth is out there and they would embrace it, but they don't know where to find it. This shows me that they need us more than ever to reach out to them and show them the way to the tree, or the gospel. We need to reach them before they find their way to the great and spacious building.

In Verse 33, it tells again of multitudes entering the great and spacious building. When they do they point the finger of scorn at the people partaking of the fruit of the tree. Lehi describes that he, Nephi, Sariah, and Sam saw the people pointing their fingers, but they heeded them NOT. We may be in Lehi's family's situation. We must not heed the world. We must help them if we can. They might not want to at the time, but there will be a time when they are ready. Lehi then shares that some did heed them and fell away.

Lehi is telling everyone this because of Verse 35: the fact that Laman and Lemuel did not partake of the fruit. He was afraid for them and feared that they might be cast off from the presence of the Lord. We know how Laman and Lemuel are. We might know some people in our lives like them. Do we want them to be cast off from the presence of the Lord? Even thought they are mean and murmur a lot, I don't think that we would want that fate for them. I don't think that we would want that fate for anyone. I believe that this is why Nephi and Lehi are always exhorting them to follow the commandments. One way is by detailing the dream to them. Thus, Verse 37. Lehi pleads with them to listen to the words of a parent that has seen, metaphorically, what can happen. It is interesting that up until this point, Lehi has not described their fate. I think that the choice is still up to them. Will they commence on the path, or will they head toward the building? This leads me to ask, where are we headed? Do we have children or family members that need to be shown the joy of keeping the commandments?

In Verse 38, Nephi says that Lehi prophesied unto them many things. I wonder what they were? Judging that the most important things are included on these plates, that we know that the dream is more imporant that what he said. I have a feeling that Nephi will tell us in a little bit. (Last post, there were some scriptures that mention the importance of these small plates. Molly and I came across another last night in our reading. It was the counsel that Nephi gave his brother Jacob what he should write on the Small Plates just before he died, see Jacob 1:2. I've mentioned the Small Plates. Here is a link to an explanation of what the Small Plates means.) At the end of this chapter, Lehi again asks Laman and Lemuel to obey the commandments, and then ceases to speak to them.