Lehi's Dream

"Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision" - Lehi

Much ink has been spilt on interpretations of Lehi's dream in the Book of Mormon.  

For example, Daniel Peterson has surmised that there is a connection between Asherah, the chief goddess of the Canaanites, the sacred trees of rabbinic literature, and the tree of life in Lehi's dream.  Charles Swift has interepreted Lehi's dream in light of the tradition of visionary literature.

In the most recent general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Kevin W. Pearson taught that "Lehi’s vision of the tree of life is a powerful parable on enduring to the end."

Not long ago, President Boyd K. Packer taught "You may think that Lehi’s dream or vision has no special meaning for you, but it does. You are in it; all of us are in it."

He continued, "Largely because of television, instead of looking over into that spacious building, we are, in effect, living inside of it. That is your fate in this generation. You are living in that great and spacious building."

Elder David A. Bednar also recently provided an interpretation of Lehi's dream in which he invited the reader to consider a searching question: "What lessons can and should I learn from Lehi’s vision of the tree of life and from the principle of continually holding fast to the rod of iron that will enable me to stand spiritually strong in the world in which we live today?

Much ink has been spilt on interpretations of Lehi's dream in the Book of Mormon.  Many lessons may be gleaned by carefully studying the vision, pondering the symbols, and applying the principles it contains.