The Things Which My Father Saw: Approaches to Lehi's Dream and Nephi's Vision

by Daniel L. Belnap (Editor), Gaye Strathearn (Editor), Stanley A. Johnson (Editor)

A dark and dreary waste, a man in a shining robe, a rod of iron, and a tree of life—these symbols evoke powerful images in our minds and deepen our appreciation for the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The 2011 Sperry Symposium volume explores the rich symbolism of Lehi’s dream and Nephi’s vision, placing such symbols as the mists of darkness, the great and spacious building, and the church of the Lamb of God in the context of the last days. By introducing new perspectives to a familiar account, this volume offers a stirring reminder of the implications for Latter-day Saints.

Genres: Religion, Lds

368 pages, Hardcover

First published September 7, 2011

Reviews

[Ron Tenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many essays that are very worthwhile. My favorite essays (so far) are:
5. Nephi's Vision and the Loss and Restoration of Plain and Precious Truths.
- I have often wondered about the words of the Angel as reported my Nephi wherein we read of massive editing and tampering with original texts resulting in a watered down or even misleading Bible. At the same time, the Book of Mormon has a stated purpose (which it accomplishes admirably) in witnessing to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. So which is it: a faulty record irretrievably lost due to tamping with by the "Great and Abominable" or a true record? I have read enough to become skeptical of many Bible claims. But I LOVE the BIBLE so much. I appreciated this essay to reconcile all of these questions. I highly recommend it.
7. "The Presence of the Lord"
- Attended this lecture and was happy to be in the audience. I have read many of Jennifer Lane's essays in the past and appreciated this one as well. The bottom line for me: We can approach the Lord in daily life and especially in Temple Worship. We may be "cut off" or even "cast off" but we are always welcome to come back. The determining factor is our use of agency.
13. "Not Partaking of the Fruit: Its Generational Consequences and Remedies"
- In this essay I learn of the frequency that Laman et al are found "dwindling" in unbelief. There are insights new to me on even the possible Hebrew origin of the name Laman. I find it a stretch that in Fourth Nephi, the turning of the Laminates to sin is still being laid in part at the feet of their ancestors from a millennium before.

[Cami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had this book on my to-read list since it was referenced in an institute class about 4 years ago. I found the book at the library recently and decided to give it a try. (I did read an actual book, not a kindle edition, but I can't seem to find that edition on GoodReads.) Being a collection of scholarly essays, this wasn't a book I could carry around with me and read snippets here and there throughout my day, but when I did take time to sit down and read, I loved it. I was absorbed into most chapters and lightly skimmed others. The book begins with a moving chapter on inspired invitations. The chapter on Biblical dreams and interpretations was fascinating. I loved the chapter on being in the presence of the Lord and being cast off/cut off and the thought about being in His presence now (kinda like the book "An Early Resurrection"). There was some great discussion on the tree of life and it being the end goal of the covenant path, the meaning of the strait (not straight) and narrow way, and the relationship between the Garden of Eden and the temple. I enjoyed the various perspectives of and connections to Lehi's dream and made some of my own conclusions as well. The notes at the end of the chapters are fabulous, too! I now plan to buy this book and put it on my shelf at home for future reference.

[Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly, this collection of edited Sperry Symposium presentations captured my attention from the very beginning, and before I was 1/4 through I was underlining and marking in the margins with a pen. Chapter 19 "'It Filled My Soul with Exceedingly Great Joy': Lehi's Vision of Teaching and Learning" was especially impressive to me and was the single chapter I have recommended my wife should read. Other chapters which taught me a lot were 7 "The Presence of the Lord," 13 "Not Partaking of the Fruit; Its Generational Consequences and its Remedy," 15 "What Nephi's Vision Teaches about the Bible and the Book of Mormon," 17 "Bitter and Sweet: Dual Dimensions of the Tree of Life," and 18 "Sacrifice and Condescension: Types and Shadows for Latter-day Living." The last chapter 20 "Lehi's Dream and Nephi's Vision as Used by Church Leaders" illustrates how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through its 20 decades of existence, has gradually shifted its sources of foundational authority (and missionary approaches) from the Bible and Biblical traditions to the Book of Mormon and modern day revelation. "The Things which My Father Saw" will likely be kept on my shelf as a reference book.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a much bigger collection of essays than I anticipated. There are twenty and each is about 15-20 pages long. Some were better than others but all were good and the highlights were really, really good. Highly recommended for anyone wanting some more depth on Lehi's Dream/Nephi's Vision. Take your time reading through it. It's very concentrate but very good.

[Terrol Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven, as these kinds of books often are. The final two essays, especially the penultimate one on Lehi's dream as a model for learning and teaching, lifted it for me.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the essays were five stars and some not but interesting read and some new insights.

[Skylar Hatfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of scholarly articles about a small portion of the Book of Mormon. This portion, commonly referred to as Lehi's dream, is pivotal to understanding many key concepts in the belief system of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In fact, President Boyd K. Packer, president of the twelve apostles of the LDS church has stated that every human is represented in the dream and that , "there are prophecies in there that can be specifically applied to your life. All things that you need to know are there. Read it. And make it a part of your life."

I have read the Book of Mormon many times, and I have participated in discussions of the content of Lehi's dream throughout my life as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Still, this book opened an entirely new vista of the book. Also, many of the observations contained in this collection revealed to me new ideas, or deeper ideas, about the Bible and the LDS temple ceremony. I was quite surprised by how many points of view were included in the collection of approaches to Lehi's dream. I was humbled to realize that my thinking was only scratching at the surface of what might be available to me in my study of the Book of Mormon.

It did take me quite a while to finish this book. Some of the articles are dry. A few just didn't interest me at all. Also, I would not recommend leaving an article half read. It will aid comprehension to read each article separately and in one sitting each.

However challenging the reading was, I felt compelled to finish the book, because I was learning many new concepts.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very comprehensive collection of essays about Lehi's dream and Nephi's interpretation of it. As with all collections of essays from various authors, some reverberate more than others. The commentary and new ideas about these important scriptures will really spark thinking and contemplating of this wonderful allegory.

[Robb Menlove · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must have for anyone who loves Lehi's dream. Sometimes we love it so much, and look so hard that we see things that aren't really there. I think this happened a bit in this book.

[David Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave great insight into Lehi's dream and Nephi's vision. The symposium talks were good. I like the insights the presenters had.

[Erneilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays on the subject of Lehi's Dream from the Book of Mormon. The essays are of variable quality but several I found to be very intriguing and illuminating.