The Scriptures Are the Word of God

By JoAnn Child and Cristina Franco

“Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3).

In the Book of Mormon, Lehi tells his family about his dream of the tree of life. In the dream, Lehi wanted his family to eat the fruit of the tree, which was “desirable above all other fruit” (1 Nephi 8:15). He saw many people walking along the path that led to the tree of life, but some got lost in mists of darkness and wandered away from the path. Others held onto the iron rod that led along the path toward the tree. They walked forward, holding tightly to the rod until they reached the tree and ate the fruit, which brought them joy. (See 1 Nephi 8.)

Lehi’s son Nephi prayed to know the meaning of the things his father had seen. Nephi was shown the same dream as his father. The Spirit taught Nephi that the tree of life represents the love of God. Nephi was shown Jesus Christ, the Son of God, teaching and blessing people on the earth. Nephi was also taught that the rod of iron represents the word of God. (See 1 Nephi 11.)

The scriptures are the word of God. Reading the scriptures is like holding onto the iron rod. We will know what Jesus wants us to do and say. We will have power to resist temptation and make our way to the tree of life and to feel the love of God.

Activity

Look up the scripture references on page 65 to discover the meanings of the things Lehi and Nephi saw in their visions of the tree of life. Cut out and use the drawings to share with others what you learn. You can also ask your parents if you can share the story in family home evening.