Nephi reports that they gathered "all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind." (1 Nephi 8:1). In a way, as they are starting out on their own new beginning, these words hearken back to the beginnings in Genesis, where in the creation God provides every herb-bearing or fruit-yielding seed (see Genesis 1:29).
Lehi’s and Ishmael’s families knew that they were leaving their homeland and expected to be traveling for a long time. Wisely, they started putting together something of a seed bank, knowing that wherever they eventually settled, they would need to be able to plant seeds and harvest food to stay alive. This important endeavor likely occupied much of their time. How did they know where to find seed? Perhaps, they talked to caravanners passing by.
What kinds of seeds might there have been? From archaeobotany, it is possible to know a bit about what would grow in the area where they most likely camped (a river valley known as Wadi Tayyib al-Ism). Such foods as barley, dates, and olives were available there. They didn’t have a lot of food options compared to all that we have today. And they did not know yet where they would eventually end up. But, at a minimum, these seeds no doubt came in very handy for them as they continued to travel and camp for about a dozen years in various regions of the Arabian Peninsula.
I find it interesting that Nephi began this chapter about Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life by mentioning seeds. In the previous chapter, Lehi’s party was rightly focused on ensuring their own posterity—or, in other words, their seed. And next they gather seed crop. You never know what will trigger a dream or a vision. The group had been caravanning now for several months. They would have been thinking a lot about seeds and about how each little seed, when planted and cared for, would grow into some kind of useful plant. Some seeds they gathered would eventually grow into wonderful trees that could bear fruit to keep them alive. At this time when the families were focused on seeds, plants, and trees, Lehi received a prophetic vision and was inspired with a deep understanding of the Tree of Life, the mission of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and eternal life.
We may also want to remember here Alma’s discussion of the seed of faith in Alma 32. You plant the seed, you get faith as it grows, and you can know that it’s a good seed, and so on. If you plant a mustard seed, you get a mustard tree. If you plant an olive seed, you get an olive tree. But if you plant the seed of faith in Christ and then nurture it as Alma describes in Alma 32, what does he say will grow up in you? "[I]t shall be a tree springing up unto eternal life" (v. 41)—in other words, a Tree of Life within you, bearing fruit "which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure" (v. 42). This is a reference to Lehi’s vision, which evidently became a well-known revelation or religious symbol that endured throughout Nephite history (see 1 Nephi 8:11; 11:8; cf. 3 Nephi 19:25).
The symbolism of the Tree of Life in Lehi’s dream is very powerful and attractive in our culture as well, inspiring artists from all over the world to capture its vivid imagery in paintings, sculptures, and other media. It is the most painted or sculpted single symbol and scene in the Book of Mormon.
Book of Mormon Central, "Have the Valley of Lemuel and the River Laman Been Found? (1 Nephi 2:6)," KnoWhy 286 (March 13, 2017).
"Fruits and grains are found growing naturally at Wadi Tayyib al-Ism (see 1 Nephi 8:1), and the wadi’s sheer granite walls rising about 2000 ft. are among the most impressive in the region, easily invoking Lehi’s description, ‘firm and steadfast, and immovable’ (1 Nephi 2:10). Most significantly, there was a small stream running through the wadi, and return visits made at various times of the year confirmed that water flowed in the stream throughout the year."