Am I a “Dipper” or a “Diver”?

In Lehi’s dream of the tree of life (see 1 Nephi 8), why do you think some people left the tree while others stayed by the tree to partake of the fruit? Some of the people who partook of the fruit fell away, ashamed by the jeering crowd in the great and spacious building. One key difference between those groups has to do with what they did before they got there: how they held on to the iron rod—the word of God.

Clinging or Holding Fast

Lehi saw those who were “pressing forward … clinging to the rod of iron” and those who “did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron” (1 Nephi 8:24, 30; emphasis added).

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles noted that three groups started on the path, but only two groups held on to the iron rod:

“[The second group] also had the added blessing of the rod of iron, and they were clinging to it! … Clinging to the rod of iron suggests to me only occasional ‘bursts’ of study or irregular dipping rather than consistent, ongoing immersion in the word of God. …

“The third group also pressed forward with faith and conviction; however, there is no indication that they wandered off. … Perhaps this third group of people consistently read and studied and searched the scriptures. … This is the group you and I should strive to join.”¹

Are we “dippers” or “divers” when it comes to experiencing the word of God? Although both dippers and divers get wet, divers have a more immersive and consistent experience that can bring ongoing enjoyment.