1Ne 11: The Tree of Life...

Nephi believed his fathers words, but had a deep desire to see these visions for himself and find an understanding of what it all meant. So, he finds a private and quiet spot to pray to his Heavenly Father for understanding. Nephi received a vision as a result of his righteous desires and willingness to be obedient. As we each align our own desires and actions with the will of the Lord like Nephi, we too can receive personal revelation “by the power of the Holy Ghost”

What Nephi sees:

Interpretations of his Father's Dream

Tree of Life  = The Love of God, which is also known as the fountain of living waters –-->Nephi sees the city of Nazareth and a virgin, who was the mother of the Son of God; He then sees her bearing a child in her arms who was the Lamb of God.

• “The Spirit made explicit that the Tree of Life and its precious fruit are symbols of Christ’s redemption” Jeffery R. Holland
• "Partaking of the love of God means partaking of the blessings of the Atonement." Elder Neal A. Maxwell 

THE TREE OF LIFE = THE LOVE OF GOD = The Condescension of God, which is the life, ministry, & sacrifice of the Savior.---> chapter 11 Nephi sees John the Baptist, a prophet who prepared the way before the Savior, baptize Jesus Christ (vs27). He sees him ministering among the people (vs28), healing the sick & afflicted (vs31) and 12 others following him (vs29). Then the people of the world took him and judged him & lifted him upon the cross for the sins of the world (vs32-33).

Rod of Iron  = The Word of God, which led to the tree of Life --->He sees the son of God going forth among the children of men and many who fell down at his feet to worship him.

Large & Spacious Building = the pride & vain imaginations of the world ---> many gathered to fight the 12 apostles; the building tumbles to the ground just as the destruction of all those who fight against the 12 , against Gods words (vs35-36)

River of Filthy Water = depths of hell ---> into which the wicked fall

Mist of Darkness = The temptations of the devil ---> which blind people so they lose their way and cannot find the tree 

All of these "symbols" can easily relate to todays world. There is so much evil out there to tempt us and lead us astray. Filthy things that entice us to do wrong, including drugs, media & entertainment, language, dress styles, and so much more. It breaks my heart to see how quickly my little brother went down hill when we first moved to Utah. He was 12 when we moved, and he found himself in the wrong group of friends; sometimes, that is all it takes. Friends can be such an influence on what we do and the path we find ourselves on. He has been through a lot but luckily is beginning to turn around. Despite his bad decision & habits, the family still loves him to pieces and we enjoy having him around to keep us laughing. He has such a sweet heart and works hard to keep his life moving forward. He has been successful in starting his own mobil detail business and is dating an adorable girl (who has been really good for him!) He is such a great uncle and an amazing little brother. We have had our moments, but all siblings do, right? We all pray that he will see for himself the important things in life and have a desire to want the true happiness, the kind that never ends. We pray that at some point, he will be touched in such a way that I wants the spirit of peace and guidance in his life. For now, all we can do his show our love and concern for him and let him know how much we care! I couldn't' imagine life without him.

In this world today, we need to do everything we can to hold onto the rod, with confidence and not doubting what we know is right. We must read our scriptures, pray to our Heavenly Father, humble ourselves, offer service, and only allow things into our life that won't push away the spirit. I strive to be a better person every day. No, I am not perfect, far from it actually, but I am trying my hardest and that is all that matters. We all make mistakes, that is part of life. That is why the atonement is such a vital part of our  existence, our eternal existence. He suffered, so we didn't have to. He died, so we could live again. He has given us tools to guide us and to help us stay close to the rod, on our journey back into his presence.
-Sarah