The Tree of Life: From Eden to Eternity

by John W. Welch, Donald W. Parry

No image of eternal life is more powerful or persistent than the tree of life. From the paradisiacal Garden of Eden to the apocalyptic New Jerusalem, the tree of life dominates the landscape, being mentioned explicitly thirty times in the scriptures and alluded to on many other occasions. From the temple to the cross, the tree of life invites all to come unto Christ, to become planted by rivers of living water, to bring forth and enjoy the fruits of God's love that are sweet above all else. This uplifting and beautifully-illustrated book contains original essays by leading LDS and other scholars—including Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, Andrew C. Skinner, John W. Welch, and Margaret Barker—that focus on the symbol of the tree of life in the Bible, early Christianity, and the Book of Mormon, as well as in Southeast Asian, Islamic, and Mayan temples, cultures, and art.

Genres: Religion, Lds

208 pages, Hardcover

First published July 6, 2011

About the author

John W. Welch is the Robert K. Thomas Professor of Law at the J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, where he teaches various courses, including Perspectives on Jewish, Greek, and Roman Law in the New Testament. Since 1991 he has also served as the editor in chief of BYU Studies. He studied history and classical languages at Brigham Young University, Greek philosophy at Oxford, and law at Duke University. As a founder of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, one of the editors for Macmillan’s Encyclopedia of Mormonism, and codirector of the Masada and Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition at BYU, he has published widely on biblical, early Christian, and Latter-day Saint topics.

from http://deseretbook.com/auth/420/John_...

Reviews

[Brett Folkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of essays, wonderful scholarship, really enjoyed it!! Highly recommend.

[Elizabeth Ricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were several chapters in this book that were incredible! I loved them. But there was some wading through symbols that I didn't care as much about in many of the chapters. Still, it opened my eyes to some things in the scriptures that I have missed. Come see what I'm putting on the wall above my bed. :)

[Kim Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the type of book that is really hard to give a rating. There were some articles in here that were very good. I was glad this was on Deseret Bookshelf Plus because I was able to easily put some notes into my scriptures. Other articles were much less enjoyable, and I waded through them. (Some were kind of an odd combination of both.)

Overall, though, this was a pretty good read.

[Clayton Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

The rich symbolism of the tree of life is central to world religions, culture, and creation myths throughout history. Its depiction by a vast variety of motifs, in multiple environments, and understanding of its meaning is remarkable and enlightening.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some essays were more interesting to me than others but I especially enjoyed Wilfred Grigg’s on the book of John.

[Jeff Crosby]

Essays.

[Sherrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have known anything edited by such heavy weights as John Welch and Donald Parry and published by the Neal Maxwell Institute would be a little over my head. It is a collection of articles by various folks who are experts in ancient studies and some papers were definitely written for other intellectuals and not for the working class. Still it is interesting to know that the tree of life has been a symbol in many different cultures and religions although differently interpreted. Until a few years ago I was not even clear that our religion sees two trees in the Garden of Eden, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Somehow I had not assimilated that which is so clearly explained in Alma. It was an thought provoking book but one that I doubt I will be reading again anytime soon.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me, the most enigmatic portion of the Bible is the story of the Fall, which ends with Adam & Eve being expelled from the garden of Eden, which contained the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life. This book is a collection of eleven scholarly papers regarding the Tree of Life, which is an archetypal symbol that appears in many different cultures. Each paper discusses a different cultural perspective of the Tree of Life, and is filled with thought provoking ideas and insights. I needed a month to read the book because, after reading each chapter, I had to stop to think about what I was reading. I also took time to discuss the ideas with friends and family, either face-to-face or via letters. One idea from one paper which excited my mind, and I will be pondering for a long time is that the trees may represent knowledge versus wisdom.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read. A series of articles researched and written by academics for academics exploring the relevance of the Tree of Life in various scriptures and religions past and present. Some of the research gets a little deep, but it pays off for the sincere reader in deeper insight into the journey of faith and the commonality among many believers. I've found that anything produced with the backing of the Maxwell Institute is always worth reading. This book will remain a great reference for me in future study of scriptures.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The chapters varied immensely in quality. Some of them provided absolutely fascinating insights into the role of the tree of life in various cultures' myths, beliefs, religious traditions, and histories. The chapter on Lehi's vision of the tree was life by far the most insightful scholarly examination of the topic I have ever read. Other chapters, however, were far less interesting to me, and of far less scholarly quality.

[Jeremy Orbe-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The essays are rather varied in quality, but Margaret Barker's 'The Fragrant Tree', Allen J. Chistenson's 'The World Tree and Maya Theology', Daniel Peterson's 'The Qur'anic Tree of Life', and John Lundquist's 'The Tree of Life in Asian Art, Religion, and Folklore: A Sampling of the Evidence' were worth the price of admission.