1 Nephi 11:8-12

The Spirit of the Lord shows Nephi the tree like the one that his father had seen. Nephi shares that it is most beautiful, beyond anything that he had previously seen. The whiteness that was with the tree exceeded all whiteness, even beyond the whiteness of the driven snow. I had heard once that this verse was compared with the temple. When I heard that, I thought that it was a great analogy. I think that the San Diego temple fits that category. The few times that I've been there, it was sunny. The sunlight reflected off that building and standing next to it, I couldn't even look at it because it was so white and bright. So, if you ever go to the San Diego temple, bring your sunglasses.

Nephi then tells the Spirit that he has seen the tree that is most precious above all. The Spirit says, what desireist thou? Nephi responds with the comment that all of us are probably thinking. He wanted to know the interpretation thereof.

Next, Nephi writes a little about the nature of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost has the form of a man. When he appears to someone, which is rare, they speak to Him as a man speaketh to another. In Doctrine and Covenants 130:22, we read about the nature of the Godhead or Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. It says, "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us."

The Holy Ghost is a Spirit, but he looks like a man and one can speak to Him as one man speaketh to another. But His influence can be felt inside us all because His spirit can touch ours. In the end of today's selection, just after Nephi asks about the interpretation of the significance of the tree, he looks to find the Spirit, but the Spirit had gone from before his presence. But Nephi isn't left alone.