all right this episode is brought to you
by scripture notes this is the
application that I use each day for my
scripture study I have found it far in
way the best option and the best tool to
use for studying the scriptures the new
AI function is absolutely insane it is
incredible you can ask Daniel the AI
assistant anything that you want it will
run through the scriptures pull back and
extract the information for you and give
you not only what you may be looking for
but many things that you may not be
looking for things you hadn't even
thought of trust me on this go to
scripture notes.com that's scripture
notes.com and give it a try here we
[Music]
go all right this episode is on the two
births and the meaning of the tree and
life especially in lehi's dream there's
been a lot of talk about this recently
very good discussions about the tree of
life being ashra and being the uh the
divine feminine Being Mary and these are
very good discussions and they add to
something that is missing and what I
believe are the plain and precious
things that are missing however in my
opinion and I believe this is based on
scripture itself in first Nephi 11 the
focus of the tree is Jesus Christ and
what I would say is
condescension this not only gives us
context for the tree of life itself in
lehi's dream but it also gives us
context for what's on the opposite side
of the gulf which is the great and
spacious building and within first Nephi
11 there are actually two births talking
about condescension that is the
condescension of God and what we must do
in order to also condescend and to be
more like Christ
so let's go into first Nephi 11 here I
want to show you what I'm talking about
and I really think this will pull back
the veil for you quite a bit first of
all first Nephi 11 the whole chapter is
about Jesus Christ that's what the
chapter is and even in the introduction
when you have the Angelic host here in
verse two it says and the spirit said
unto me behold what desirest thou is
what he says to Nephi and he says look I
want to see the whole things that my
father saw and then he comes back with
this qualifying question which is really
interesting the spirit says to Nephi
believest thou that thy father saw the
tree which he hath spoken so this is
this Center of what Lehi saw right it's
about the tree and Nephi responds and
say yeay thou knowest that I believe all
the words of my father okay so this is
huge so he says do you believe that he
saw the tree and he says yes I believe
all the words of my father so Hallelujah
hosana the spirit comes out and says
that is great
and blessed art thou Nephi and say he
says in verse 6 because because thou
believest in the son of the most
high that's the response of the spirit
to him believing in the tree of life and
so that's going to set the stage for the
entire chapter here then as we move on
into into verse 7 here right and behold
this thing shall be given unto thee for
a sign that after thou Hast beheld the
tree which bore the fruit which thy
father tasted Thou shalt also Behold a
man descending out of he heaven and him
shall ye witness and after you have
witnessed him you shall bear record that
it is the Son of God right so this is
crucial in understanding again how the
chapter is being set up here now son of
God is a very important title and one
thing I think we make a mistake of is
that when we are thinking about these
descriptors of almost looks like Like
Son of God or Prince of Peace the
counselor the father even when when
describing Christ we think that these
are simply descriptions of him but they
are not they are titles and these titles
have specific meanings so for example
the Son of God is used in a place where
we're talking about
condescension especially his mortal
birth but also with baptism at times
although lamb is used usually with that
and when he we're talking about him
taking on the sins of the world because
that is his condescension on Gethsemane
and on the cross even though he's being
lifted up we're going to get to that in
a minute so Son of God is is a title
it's kind of like King
Charles or one of the princes right
Prince Harry or whoever else it might be
they're going to have titles that are
given to them the Duke of this the Earl
of that Etc right these are titles that
have specific
meanings Son of God is in some ways and
I know some people aren going to like
this but in some ways it means more the
son of
Mary than it does of son of the father
there are other titles that talk about
the son of the Father the Son of God
means that is lower than the father
because he is
condescending down to earth to be born
of Mary and so the title Son of God is
us so of course when you're talking
about an entire chapter here that is
talking about condescension that is
lowering yourself below others you start
up here in verse 7 here and of course
you shall bear record that it is the Son
of God it is the exact title that you
should use now there are other titles in
here that's fine but but this is the
title that we should focus on for this
chapter now we get some descriptors of
the tree right which is uh the tree
which my father had seen and the beauty
thereof was Far Beyond yet exceeding all
the all Beauty and the whiteness thereof
did exceed the whiteness of the driven
snow right to me it was the the tree
which is precious above all we're going
to get some similar words and phrases
when it comes down to explaining About
Mary he says that he has been talking to
him as one man would talk to another the
spirit that is but then in verse 12
something interesting happens it says
and it came to pass that he said unto me
look and I looked as if to look upon him
and saw him not for he had gone before
my presence now Val Larson a scholar a
friend of mine says he believes that
What's Happening Here is that this was
actually the Lord this was Jehovah that
was speaking to him up to this point but
now in in the vision here that Nephi is
being shown well Jehovah is now going to
be in the vision right because he's
Jesus Christ and he's about to be born
of Mary so he leaves right for he had
gone before my presence because he's
going to actually be in the vision so to
speak and there will be another Angelic
host that is going to take over and he
says in 13 and it came to pass that I
looked and beheld the great city of
Jerusalem and also other cities and I
beheld the city of Nazareth and in the
city of Nazareth I beheld a vision and
she was exceeding exceedingly fair and
white right again this is a comparison
to the tree of life this is not her skin
color fair and white mean means pure and
virtuous
basically right the heavens open and
here again a virgin most beautiful
there's beautiful again just like with a
tree and fair above all other virgins
and then we get this and this is the key
to the entire chapter right here is
verse
16 and he said unto me knowest thou the
condescension of God that's his question
this is the Angelic
host see this is what the tree is it's
about condescension and condescension is
lowering yourself in the ancient mind it
is I'm going to lower myself below
others I'm going to take on their
burdens which we do at baptism I'll get
to that in a minute and I'm going to
take on the responsibility for
others that's called charity it's the
pure love of Christ it is
condescension and so I said and he says
it's love right here right because this
is how Nephi responds to knowest thou
the condescension of God he says and I
said unto him I know that he loveth his
children why would he say that because
he knows what condescension means
nevertheless I do not know the meaning
of all things and he says behold the
Virgin whom thou seest is the mother of
the Son of God there's our title again
after the manner of the the flesh it's
the exact right title that you would use
here surprise surprise for Joseph Smith
here so he sees uh the Virgin bearing
the child in her arms we get a couple of
other titles here the angel says Behold
the Lamb of God this is the one that
will be slaughtered and and and made the
Passover sacrifice right yeah even the
son of the Eternal Father that's a
different title than Son of God see we
look at it and think well these are just
descriptions they're not they titles and
then he says again after he's gone
through the condescension with Mary
being born to Mary that's God actually
coming down from heaven and being born
into a mortal
body he asks again right knowest thou
the meaning of the tree which thy father
saw and he says yay it is the love of
God so the love of God is a direct
directly looking at the condescension
of Jehovah coming down to be Jesus
Christ right now we get a little bit
more about Jesus and his mortal Mission
and his life right and after he had said
these words he said un me look and I
looked and I beheld the Son of God it's
all about condescension going forth
among the children of men and I saw many
fall down at his feet and worship him
and I beheld the iron Rod which my
father had seen was the word of God
which led to the fountain of Living
Waters this to me would also be a
representation of Christ or to the tree
of
life which is also a representation of
Christ and his condescension which
waters are representation of the love of
God so it's kind of like when Jesus goes
to the well right and meets The
Samaritan woman and he
says right I am the Living Water right
same same thing here and confirming
again that the tree of life and the
waters are a representation of the love
of God now he's gone through this whole
thing here about the condescension of
God being with with Jesus being born to
Mary but then he's not done see the
whole chapter is about condescension now
he's going to go back again you think
that that's all there is to
condescension and that's usually the way
we describe the condescension of God is
Jesus being born to Mary right the
nativity scene but that's not all there
is that's not all there is to
condescension he asks again in
26 and the angel said unto me again look
and behold the condescension of
God right and now he's going to go on to
something else and he says and I looked
and beheld the Redeemer of the world of
whom my father had spoken remember this
father is it's what they were going to
kill him for in Jerusalem was actually
speaking about Christ and I also beheld
this is always so interesting to me the
prophet who should prepare the way
before and this is John the
Baptist I believe that John the Baptist
was part of the temple drama
anciently this would be the one that
would prepare the way of what prepare
the way of the king in his
coronation so the preparer if you've
read Brian Sanderson the way of Kings
he's preparing the way of the King right
the King of Kings Being John the
Baptist so I beheld that prophet and the
Lamb of God went forth and was baptized
of him this is in regards to
condescension and after he was baptized
I beheld the the heavens open and Holy
Ghost come down out of heaven and abide
upon him in the form of a dove so here
we get two more examples you know how we
talk about the doctrine of Christ and
and it's kind of this checklist that we
get later in second Nephi what 31-33
kind
of and it is Faith and repentance and
baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost
this is baptism and the gift of the Holy
Ghost here
that is being used as
condescension in baptism he's being
lowered into the water and then he will
be lifted up important and then you have
the dove importantly mentioned that he
will descend from heaven and rest upon
him and so when we get the gift of the
Holy Ghost right there are the
priesthood holders that are above us we
are below them that is condescension
this is how they describe it now I want
to go over to John
3 and this is where Jesus is going to
talk to Nicodemus about baptism and
about being born
again and Jesus says to to Nicodemus
verily verily I say unto
thee except a man be born again
condescend right you need to lower
yourself and
submit into the the Waters of baptism
right he cannot see the kingdom of
God right so you must have condescension
which is submission to God which is an
act of love to God and Nicodemus saith
unto him how can a man be born when he
is old can he enter the second time into
his mother's womb and be born yes
because this is the second birth we talk
often times about the second death being
a spiritual death this is the second
birth it is a spiritual
birth and these are the two births in
first Nephi 11 the birth of Jesus to
Mary and the birth of the Son of God in
the waters of baptism with John the
Baptist both by the Angelic host are
represented by
condescension again Jesus says verily
verily I say unto thee except a man be
born of of water and of the spirit he
cannot enter into the kingdom of
God now I don't think it's a coincidence
here but this is something I talk a lot
about the nushan or the or the uh Brazen
serpent but as we come down here we've
been talking about
condescension right here in verse 14 and
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness lifted up even so must the
son of man be lifted up so in John
3 we are getting the same imagery of
condescension in baptism and then being
lifted up like the Brazen serpent right
and and this is where we get the most
famous scripture in all of scripture in
the world of Christianity right verse 16
for God so loved the world because of
condescension and then being lifted up
that he gave his only begotten son that
whosoever believeth in him should not
perish but have everlasting
life and we get this in 18 I just want
to follow up with this here 18 He that
believeth on him is not condemned but he
that believeth not is condemned already
because he hath not believed in the name
of the only
begotten Son of God the one who
condescends the one who
loves now if we also go to the renewal
of our baptismal covenants and the
baptismal prayers I I or excuse me the
sacrament prayers I don't think they're
kind of baptismal prayers right we're
renewing our our covenants at baptism
where we condescend where we promise to
Bear the burdens of others and mourn
with those who mourn it is love it is
responsibility for others and this is
how the prayers go right just I want you
to listen to this and think of it a
little bit differently verse three this
is I would grabing it from Moroni
4:3 oh God the Eternal Father we ask
thee in the name of thy son Jesus Christ
to bless and sanctify this bread to The
Souls of all those who partake of it and
then listen here that they may eat in
remembrance of the body of thy son right
the body that is wounded bruised scored
and
killed through
condescension and suffering the
suffering serpent this has to happen and
witness unto thee so we are to
witness oh God the Eternal Father that
they are willing to take upon them the
name of thy son so this is where we take
on the name of Jesus Christ and that
name means
condescension which is what we do at
baptism going into the baptismal Waters
it's the meaning of the tree of life it
is love and always remember him and keep
his Commandments which he hath given
them that they may always have his
Spirit to be with them amen right and
the same thing over here in in in the
blessing here it's on the wine in
Moroni that they do it in remembrance of
the blood of th son right which is sh
which was shed for them this is all
about his condescension on the cross in
Gethsemane Etc he is later lifted up in
Resurrection that they may witness un
thee oh God the Eternal Father that they
do always remember him okay so I just
want to say something on this if we
really understand what's going on here
we're not just
remembering what he did for
us right that's not really in my mind
that's part of this but what's really
saying here that we're going to witness
unto him by partaking of this that we do
always remember what he
did so that we can do the same
thing now we're not going to be going
through Gethsemane and we're not going
to be thrown up on a cross I I
hope but we're supposed to follow him in
his footsteps to do the same thing to
it's what we do in the Covenant of
baptism to Bear each other's burden
and mourn with those that mourn and
offer service right it's all in the book
of mosiah we're following the example
it's not just remembering what he did
it's remembering what he did so that we
do the same thing or in likeness of
him and that's what it is when we
partake of the fruit and consume
it we are becoming like him we are it's
we also condescend so to speak or take
on that condescension that love for
others it's not just about what we
receive it's our role and our
responsibility and our
participation okay let's finalize this
here so then we we've got the baptism
also as condescension now that's the
last time condescension is mentioned but
the rest of his mission is given here in
in in generalities right for the rest of
chapter 11 right he be we behold 12
others there are many multitudes that
gather around him there are 12 others
that are following him he's carried away
in the spirit he sees Angels descending
upon the children of men that Minister
unto them he beholds the Lamb of God
Among the children I beheld multitudes
of people who were sick this is this is
fulfillment of Isaiah also and who were
Afflicted with all manner of diseases
with Devils unclean spirits and the
angel spake showed all these things unto
me and they were healed by the power of
the Lamb of God the one who is
sacrificed right and so this is part of
what he does this is in a sense
condescension also he's serving others
and the angel speaks again to him and
says look and I looked and beheld the
Lamb of God he was taken by the people
ye the son of the Everlasting God was
judged of the world this is this is
condescension and I saw in be record and
then here we get the word this is
important and I I saw that he was lifted
up see this is just this is brazen
serpent imagery that this is why we're
healed because he was lifted up on the
cross that he was lifted up upon the
cross and slain for the sins of the
world and then interestingly he does
come to the great and spacious building
here in verse 35 and the multitude of
the Earth was gathered together and I
beheld that they were in a large and
spacious building so outside of the 12
and the followers of Christ you've got
the world and they're focused on the
opposite they are focused on Pride right
they are focused not on condescension
and so if if we look at lehi's dream we
can figure this out pretty well and look
at the tree of life as condescension it
is Charity it is the love of God as
we're told
specifically and on the opposite side is
the great and spacious building which is
pride now the Tree of Life Is We
condescend and lower ourselves
others
love and then we are lifted up through
resurrection and
exaltation by God not by
ourselves and the other side of the gulf
is the great and spacious building where
we lift ourselves up this is a play on
the words nashar and and Tish in in
Hebrew right and it's we lift ourselves
up in the great and spacious building
and then great shall be the fall
thereof and those are the two ways and
it really clarifies things when you
understand that imagery of the tree of
life because now you see it is the
opposite of the great and spacious
building it is not lifted up in fact in
the Tree of Life in lehi's Dream you see
they are going to lower themselves they
lower themselves and as in
worship that's exactly what you would
expect to see happen at the tree of
condescension so I know there's a lot of
talk about this and I fully agree of the
element of divine feminine and a mother
in heaven and Mary as representation on
the tree this is all true and and it's
important but it is clear to me in first
Nephi 11 that the focus of the tree is
Jesus Christ and to understand Jesus
Christ we must bring in a mother a an
Earthly mother and we can also say a
spiritual mother it's not an All or
Nothing thing for me as I go through
these things and I try to figure them
all out ultimately the scriptures are
the guide I hope that helps talk to you
next time
[Music]
