1 Nephi 8:29-35

Brant Gardner

Nephi has told his father’s dream for two reasons. First, it reinforces his continued characterization of Laman and Lemuel as enemies. The second, his father’s dream became the springboard to his own experience. Nephi wants to get on to that experience.

Nephi therefore breaks into his narrative. He speaks directly to his readers and tells us what he is doing. He has told us all the details that he cares to from his father’s dream. The next sentences quickly summarized the whole of the dream. Some people caught the rod of iron and made it to the tree. Some were distracted by the great and spacious building.

Finally, Nephi brings the grand imagery of all of God’s children back to the personal. He notes that those who had fallen away “did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit.” It would be easy to cynically note that Nephi has found a way to make it all about him, but that misses the point. This really is all about him. That is the entire purpose of 1 Nephi. It wasn’t self-pride, but an argument for his descendants to show how and why Jehovah put him in the position to be the ruler and teacher over his brethren.

Nephi closes by summarizing Lehi’s point of the dream. Laman and Lemuel “partook not of the fruit.”

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