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Sweetness and Joy

And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen. And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.
—1 Nephi 8:10–12

Thoughts, Insights, and Observations

You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink. Similarly, you can lead souls to the tree of life, but you cannot make them eat. We yearn for our friends and often our family members to “go forth and partake” of righteousness, and we are pained when they do not or will not. Lehi beheld the tree, and “did go forth and partake” and it filled his soul with joy.

Lehi used very strong words to describe the fruit of the tree—“most sweet above all that I ever before tasted” and “desirable above all other fruit.” Clever marketers also use strong words to advertise their products, but discerning ears can hear that sometimes strong words conceal averageness. For example, if I advertise that my laundry detergent is so effective that “nothing cleans better than Super Duper,” I’m really saying it’s possible that all laundry detergents clean about the same. So, in that case, of course it’s true that nothing else cleans better. But I’m not really saying much at all about the effectiveness of Super Duper.

Lehi, however, gave us no wiggle room in his description. In unmistakable terms, he described the fruit as the very best he had ever tasted—not “nothing tastes better,” but “desirable above all other fruit.” As more and more elements of the dream and vision were revealed, the fruit of the tree of life still remained the very best and the most desirable objective in the dream. It was superior. The most wonderful thing available. “Far beyond” anything else (1 Nephi 11:8). Interestingly, Lehi used testimony-bearing language when he expressed that he “knew” it was desirable above all other fruit.

Lehi partook of the fruit that not only satisfied his hunger, but filled his soul with joy. It goes without saying that this was no ordinary fruit, and no ordinary tree. Interestingly, Lehi never referred to the tree as the “tree of life.” Not until we come to Nephi’s vision of Lehi’s dream is the tree described as the “tree of life” and the fruit identified as the “love of God.” And yet, somehow Lehi knew before he had even tasted the fruit that the tree was a metaphor of something greater. It was desirable, not just to fill the stomach, but to make one happy. Happiness is what all sane people seek, and Lehi had found it.

Lehi had found joy, but his family was suffering. Uprooted from all they had ever known, and now traveling to an unknown destination in an unfamiliar and dangerous wilderness must have shaken them to the core. Doubtless Father Lehi knew of his children’s struggles, and just before he died, he took the time to give some final counsel and encouragement to each of his sons.

If you were Lehi, what would you say to your son Jacob? He was born in the wilderness, and he had never seen Jerusalem or the land of his family’s inheritance. He experienced the difficulties of the journey, and he must have witnessed the near constant discord within the family. It was in this context that Lehi shared some of his most profound teachings on the Fall. Lehi taught his son, not surprisingly, that there must be “opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11). And perhaps because Jacob had seen such opposition since his earliest years, Lehi also gave him hope with this memorable and oft-quoted verse, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25). The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:

Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God. (Teachings, 255–56)

Applying the Dream to Our Reality

As mortals, we occasionally complain “I’m just not happy,” as if that were somehow unique, unusual, or unfair. If we’re expecting to be 100 percent happy 100 percent of the time, we’re going to be 100 percent disappointed. This life is called a “probationary state” (Alma 12:24). It is not the “state of happiness” that comes after this life (Alma 40:12). Even with a testimony of the gospel, life will have its ups and downs, to be sure. The Savior taught, “in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full” (D&C 101:36). “In him,” in Christ, is the only place where the possibility of a fullness of joy lies.

When Lehi discussed the Fall with his son Jacob, he taught, “Men are, that they might have joy.” Note the careful wording: “they might have joy.” I remember one particular day in high school when I was having a rough time. My father said to me, “This too shall pass.” And he was right. It did pass. On another day, things were going really well and I was on top of the world. My dad shocked me when he repeated the same words, “This too shall pass.” Indeed, on some days, we might have joy. Then again, we might not. Those are days of “misery and woe” (Moses 6:48). Each of us experiences what Lehi called opposition in all things. But there is always hope, because joy is possible, and we learn from Lehi’s dream that joy is found at the tree of life, and joy is our ultimate destination if we follow the Savior.