Book of Mormon (Plain English Version)/1 Nephi/Chapter 8
Lehi’s dream...
(compare 1 Nephi, chapter 8)
Before our family had left Jerusalem we gathered seeds so that we could raise every type of fruit and grain. While we camped in the wilderness, my father had a dream--a vision.
He told us, "Because of what I've seen, I rejoice in the Lord over Nephi and Sam. I believe they and many of their descendants
will be saved.
But I'm afraid for Laman and Lemuel, for in my dream, I saw them in a dark, dreary wilderness.
In my dream, a man dressed in a white robe came and stood before me. He told me to follow him. I followed but soon found myself in a dark, dreary wasteland.
After walking in this darkness for what seemed to be many hours, I began to pray to the Lord to have mercy on me according to His great and tender mercy.
After praying I came out of the darkness into a large, wide field. In this field, I saw a tree.
The Spirit told me the tree bore a fruit that could make one very happy, so I walked to the tree and ate of its fruit. It was sweeter than anything I had ever tasted, and whiter than anything I had ever before seen.
As Late, my soul was filled with great joy, and I wanted my family to come and taste it also, for I knew it was the best fruit of all.
Looking around for my family, I saw a river running near the tree. I looked upstream to see from where it flowed, and I saw a fountain as its source. Near the fountain were your mother Sariah, Sam and Nephi, wondering which way to go.
I cried out to them, 'Come over here and taste this wonderful fruit,’ and they came, ate the fruit, and were also filled with joy.
Again, I looked to the source of the river, hoping to see Laman and Lemuel. I saw them near the fountain and called out to them, but they would not come to eat the fruit.
Then I saw an iron rod running alongside the riverbank, which led to the tree. I also saw a straight, narrow path running alongside the iron rod, which also led to the tree.
From the fountain, the straight, narrow path led into a field, which seemed as wide as the whole world.
In this field, I saw numberless people from different levels, coming down into the field. Many were moving forward in their efforts to find the path to the tree. Many found the path and began coming toward the tree.
Then a great, dark mist came over the path. Those who had been walking on it could no longer see, and they wandered off the path and became lost.
Then other people came forward and took hold of the end of the iron rod. They came through the dark mist, holding tightly to the rod until reaching the tree, and they ate of its fruit.
After they had eaten, they looked around and were ashamed, for across the river was a large, spacious building standing in the air high above the earth. The building was filled with all types of people--young and old, men and women-all dressed in very fine clothes, laughing and pointing fingers at those eating the fruit.
After tasting the sweet fruit of the tree, many people were ashamed because of those making fun of them, so they left the tree and became lost on forbidden paths."
My father Lehi told us many other details of his dream that I'm not including in this record.
But to be short in writing, my father saw other multitudes of people take hold of the iron rod. Holding it tightly, they continued until coming to the tree, knelt down in humility and tasted its fruit.
He saw yet other multitudes feeling their way to the large, spacious building.
He saw many drowned in the fountain of filthy water and many lost on strange paths.
He saw a great multitude go into the large, spacious building and join in mocking me and those with me eating the fruit, but we ignored them.
All those who wanted the approval of the great multitude in the building left the tree and fell away.
Lehi saw that Laman and Lemuel never did come to the tree and taste its fruit. He was afraid they would be cast off from the Lord's presence, and he spoke to them with all the feelings of a tender parent, pleading with them to listen to him and keep the
Lord's commandments. He preached to them, hoping the Lord would be merciful and not cast them off.
Then my father prophesied many things to my brothers and again told them to keep the Lord's commandments.