John Bytheway [Bytheway - Lifestyles of the Great and Spacious

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bytheway, John, 1962 author.

Lifestyles of the great and spacious / John Bytheway.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-60907-371-8 (paperbound)

1. Lehis dreamCriticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Tree of lifeSymbolic aspects. 3. Symbolism in the Book of Mormon. 4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsDoctrines. I. Title.

BX8627.B94 2013

289.3'22dc232012048088

Printed in the United States of America

RR Donnelley, Crawfordsville, IN

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Introduction

Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision.
1 Nephi 8:2

Its only thirty-two verses, or 982 words in length (1 Nephi 8:435), but its a life changeran unforgettable and highly applicable metaphor. We call it Lehis dream. The basic elements of the dream: the tree of life, the rod of iron, the mists of darkness, and the ominous great and spacious building have become the subject of books, articles, lessons, paintings, plays, and hymns.

With very little effort, we can identify things that happen to us every day that remind us of the dream. It is, in one instant, specific to Lehi and Sariahs family, and in another, universal to all the sons and daughters of God. Indeed, everything can be found within the dreamlight and darkness, love and contention, agency and bondage, purity and filthiness, peer pressure and steadfastness, conformity and individualism, happiness and misery. Its all here. All of life fits into this metaphor.

The Lord chooses his own methods of revelation, and he could have tutored his prophet in many different ways. He could have given Lehi a book to read (which he did in 1 Nephi 1:11), he could have taught him the doctrines and principles within the vision using words alone, or he could have shown him the elements within the dream. But the Lord didnt make Lehi a mere spectator, watching and learning and taking notes from afar. Instead, the Lord taught his prophet by taking him out of the bleachers and placing him right in the middle of the action. Lehi became literally a character within the plot, and he saw himself and his family interacting in this miniature world.

Similarly, we can each find ourselves in this remarkable dream, which is exactly the purpose of this little bookto help us find ourselves within Lehis dream. Particular emphasis will be given to the great and spacious building, since it is, in large part, the world in which we currently struggle to survive.

The better we understand Lehis dream, the better we will be able to hold fast on our way, recognizing the lures, temptations, and mists of darkness for what they are, and arriveand remainat the tree of life.

So, heres how we will approach our topic: First, well look at Lehis dream, and each element within it, verse by verse, with ideas on how we might apply what were learning. Next, well try to determine what the voices in the great and spacious building were actually saying, and why they had such power to lure partakers away from the tree. Finally, well examine how we might be strong enough to heed not the scoffing and derision, and instead seek tree-of-life moments in our lives.

Reason to Rejoice and Reason to Fear

And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved. But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you.
1 Nephi 8:34

Thoughts, Insights, and Observations

If the words of John the Beloved are true, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth (3 John 1:4), then it is also true that no greater sorrow can come than to hear that children walk in darkness. Lehi experienced both, as he witnessed the behavior of his sons Sam, Nephi, Laman, and Lemuel and felt both joy and fear.

The whole reason Lehi felt compelled to share this dream with his sons was because he feared what the vision said about their future. However, he believes his vision is only a prophecy of what might be, not necessarily of what must be, since, as Lehi concluded, he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent that they would hearken to his words (1 Nephi 8:37).

So while Lehis dream is a revelation, it was not necessarily a prophecy of his sons futureat least Lehi didnt believe it to be so, or he would not have tried so hard to persuade them to change. A similar example (although fictional) involved the critical question of Ebenezer Scrooge, who asked the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come, Are these the shadows of things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be only? (Dickens, A Christmas Carol, 143). Scrooge was shown a vision of what might be, unless he changed, which he did. Perhaps Lehis dream was a warning to Laman and Lemuel of what might be, but with the possibility of a better outcome for them should they choose to change.

Applying the Dream to Our Reality

Some of our sorrows we bring upon ourselves, and some come from watching those we love make poor choices. It is interesting to note that the Book of Mormon story does not begin with a model family that does everything right and keeps all the commandments. Rather it begins with an imperfect family, one might even say a dysfunctional family. In the course of their journey, two sons threaten to kill their brother, and the same sons threaten to kill their own father (that would qualify as dysfunctional).

We can only imagine how thrilled Sariah must be to have an account of her familys problems published among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples. How grateful we are to them, however, for sharing their family trials and triumphs with us. We feel for them, and because of their willingness to share, we find some comfort in knowing that ancient families struggled too.

The Wilderness Precedes
the Promised Land

For behold, methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness. And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me. And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.
1 Nephi 8:46

Thoughts, Insights, and Observations

As with most things in life, and as attested to in many stories within the scriptures, one must go through the wilderness to get to the promised land. The Fall came before the Atonement, and the Apostasy before the Restoration, and darkness and difficulty often precede light and peace.

While in this wilderness, Lehi saw a man dressed in a white robe. The phrase white robe appears only three times in the Book of Mormon: once here, a second time when Nephi sees an expanded version of the dream and is visited by an angel in a white robe, and once to describe the Saviors attire when he appeared to the righteous children of a different Lehi in the land Bountiful (3 Nephi 11:8). Similarly, the Prophet Joseph Smith saw Moroni, who wore a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness (Joseph SmithHistory 1:31). Clearly, Lehi trusted this man dressed in a white robe as a messenger from Goda messenger who, unlike Lehi, was not lost, since he asked him to follow, indicating he had a destination or a purpose for Lehi in mind.