Lehi's Dream

Before our family had left Jerusalem we had gathered seeds so 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 have seen, I rejoice in the Lord over Nephi and Sam. I believe that they and many of their descendants will be saved. But I am 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 him, but I 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 seen. As I ate, 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 that a fountain was 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 of 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, but they would not come to eat of 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 large and as wide as the whole world.

“In this field, I saw numberless people at different levels coming down into the field. Many of them were moving forward in their efforts to find the path that led 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 their fingers at those eating of the fruit.

“After tasting the sweet fruit of the tree, many people were ashamed because of those who were making fun of them. So they went away from the tree and became lost on forbidden paths.”

My father, Lehi, told us many other details of his dream that I am not including in this record. But to be short in writing, my father saw other multitudes of people take hold of the end of the rod. Holding onto it tightly, they continued until they came to the tree, knelt down in humility, and tasted of its fruit.

He saw 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 that 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.