https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2016/01/lesson-3-vision-of-tree-of-life.html
The Pacific Area Presidency counselled the Saints to liken Lehi's vision to ourselves and our own families. This made me ponder on my children and where I saw them in the vision. It made me sad yet hopeful that they could one day make their way to the fruit and avoid the great and spacious building. The first has made it to the tree while others are struggling to combat the great and overwhelming mists of darkness. Two have literally battled the mists of darkness. One was at home for two and a half years struggling with severe clinical depression. When I would look in his eyes I only saw a huge emptiness and darkness. He has managed to fight his illness and now struggles with the day-to-day challenges of being a university student with few social skills. Now, I have a second who has not left home for over two years. Her darkness came through the carelessness, even cruelty, of 'friends' who could not see the beautiful soul struggling within the mists of darkness. I need to shine my light so that it is bright enough to penetrate the darkness and guide them to the joys of partaking of the fruit. This is my challenge.
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| The Two Trees |
I listened to an exceptional explanation of the two trees, The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and The Tree of Life, represented in Lehi's vision. This talk was by Valerie Hudson Cassler, and can be found on YouTube (see below).
Valerie has written a lot about the two trees. She wrote down a story that she tells to her children that presents the story in beautiful simplicity. Her story is written below (from 'The Two Trees': https://www.fairmormon.org/conference/august-2010/the-two-trees).
When it was time for the children to grow up, the Parents made a
beautiful garden. In the Garden were Two Trees. One had fruit red as the colour
of blood. The other had fruit that was as white as the snow.
When
the Garden was ready, the Parents put one of their sons there. He was a very
valiant son, and they loved him. But it was time for him to become for himself,
and make his own choices. It was time for all the children to do this.
If
they made good choices, they would become like their Parents, and they could
all live together again. If they made bad choices, they would not want to live
with their Parents again because they would not be like Them.
Only
the children could shut the door to their Home and open the door to their journey.
This was the first real choice the children had to make. They had to walk away
from their Home and toward a new life, a life that they would make through
their choices.
The
door was the Red Tree. The Parents told their son that eating the fruit of that
tree would shut the door to Home and open the door to a life of real choice.
They told him not to eat it, so he would understand that once he chose the
journey, Home and Parents would be lost to view.
He
did not eat. He stood before the door of the Red Tree, and he knew it was not
his destiny to open it. He waited for the Parents to send the one whose destiny
it was.
She
came. The Parents sent one of their beloved daughters, courageous and true.
She
pondered what she knew of her Parents. She pondered her companion. Even an
enemy tried to influence her, warping truth in an attempt to gain power over
her.
She
stood on the threshold between Home and the Great Journey. The Parents had
decreed that if none of their daughters consented to the Great Journey, it would
not occur. Those who would bear the responsibility of bringing all of the
children through the doorway, and risk their life in this task, had the right
to make that decision. She weighed it all in her heart and her mind, counted
the cost to all of the daughters who would come.
But
the vision of her Parents and their happiness was foremost in her mind. If she
could be like them, and know what they knew, and love as they loved, the pain
and the sorrow would all be worth it.
She
took the fruit of the Red Tree, and opened that first door. At Home, all the
children shouted for joy that a daughter had consented to the Great Journey,
which meant that all would be able to join her . . .
.
. . if her companion agreed to join her first. She brought the red fruit to
him, and asked him to join her in the journey. He had waited for this moment,
waited to be the first soul that a daughter of God brought across the threshold
into this life.
He
hearkened unto her, and accepted the gift of the red fruit from her. And another
great shout of joy emanated from Home—the Great Journey had begun!
The
Parents were overjoyed at the courage and the wisdom of their daughter for her
choice to open the doorway of the Red Tree, and of the foresight and strength
of their son to accept the gift of his companion, their daughter.
The
Parents came one last time to see their son and daughter off on their journey.
They warned them of how difficult it would be, that real choices mean real
happiness, but also real sorrow.
But
the Parents also told them where they were going and how they would get there.
You see, their destination was the White Tree. The White Tree was also a
doorway—the doorway back Home for those who chose what was good and right in
their journey.
As
with the Red Tree, the White Tree, there was a gift to be given. The white
fruit would be the teachings and promises of the way of righteousness, which
would lead Home. This time, their son would be the giver of that good gift, and
their son would open the second doorway, the doorway Home.
The
Parents told their daughter that she had proven herself worthy by her opening
of the doorway of the Red Tree, and now their son would prove himself worthy by
his opening of the doorway of the White Tree. He would offer her the white
fruit, and she should hearken and accept it from him, as he had hearkened and
accepted the red fruit from her.
In
this way, both would be proven worthy, and he would rule with her as her equal
and beloved partner.
They
looked at each other, and could not help but smile. The Red Fruit of life and
choice and the White Fruit of the way of righteousness . . . each so necessary,
each so joyous, each given as a gift to the other by the hand of their own
beloved equal companion. They felt a glimpse of the love of their own Parents
for each other.
They
clasped hands, and together headed off on their journey. Our journey. And the
giving and receiving of the gifts of the Red Fruit and the White Fruit, and the
opening of the first and second doorways, continue to this day . . .
.
. . with you.
In a Conference Report (April, 2004), President Boyd K. Packer made suggestions on how we can keep our families spiritually nourished as we guide them along the path to the Tree of Life. Here are some ideas which are meaningful to me.
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| Pres Boyd K. Packer |
- Encourage our children and grandchildren, our youth, to have faith and not fear.
- Build our own faith through following Church principles.
- Study the truth in the scriptures.
- Be happy and enjoy the journey.
- Treasure children.
- Keep our homes in order.
- Face challenges with courage.
- Follow the leaders.
- Find our strength and safety in the Church.
- Allow the Atonement to have a special role in our lives.
It is my prayer that we will follow these suggestions, make our homes stronger, guide our children towards the tree, and turn to the Lord when the going gets rough!
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