1 Nephi 11:24-25

Verse 24 describes the current event in Nephi's vision. He is shown the life of the Savior. He went among the children of men. Many people did fall down at His feet and worshiped Him. It must have been really neat to be there to hear His sermons and to see Him work.

Next, Nephi learns more about the meaning of the objects in Lehi's dream. He sees that the rod of iron meant the word of God, and that it lead to the fountain of living waters and the tree of life. First, we can consider the fountain of living waters. In Verse 25, it says that the fountain (and the tree) are representations of the love of God. This love, symbolized by the fountain of living waters, was spoken of by Jesus Christ in the New Testament. In John 4:5, Jesus traveled to land of Samaria and to the city of Sychar. It is interesting that it says that this is the same land that Jacob gave his son Joseph. Jacob had a well there. Jesus was tired and sat on the well. It was the sixth hour. I wasn't sure when the sixth hour was. So I looked it up in the Bible Dictionary. The entry was interesting. They said that, "In the N.T. period the use of the hour was well established. The hours of the day were counted from sunrise, the hours of the night from sunset, and they varied in length at different seasons of the year." So, the time this occurred was probably the sixth hour after sunrise, which would translate to early afternoon, nearing the hottest part of the day. A woman comes to the well to get water. She is a Samaritan. Jesus asks for some water. The woman asks why He is talking to her. She asks if He knew that Jews don't talk to Samaritans? Eventually Jesus says that whoso drinks of this water will thirst again. But those who drink of the water I give shall never thirst, and it shall be a well within him springing up to everlasting life. The story continues on from there with Him testifying that He is the Messiah, the Christ who should come. It is very interesting. Even His disciples asked what He was doing talking with a Samaritan. But I think that this shows that the gospel is for all people, those who we get along with and those we don't.

Nephi said that the tree of life also shows the love of God and is one of its meanings. In Genesis 2:9, the tree of life was describes as pleasant to the sight, along with all the trees in the Garden of Eden. If someone ate the fruit of the tree of life, they would have everlasting life. Thus another interpretation of the love of God, the most desirable thing, and the sweetest above all is eternal life. Now, because of Jesus overcoming death, we will live forever or have eternal life. Imagine how sweet that is given these descriptions. If we use the atonement and repent of our sins and endure to the end while keeping the commandments, we shall be saved or receive salvation in the highest degree of heaven. Imagine what that must be like, but I'm not sure any of us can. So, let's keep the commandments and endure to the end so that we all can be there together.