tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474893047560586212.post3168557834470720747..comments2023-03-28T03:17:58.320-07:00Comments on In The Doghouse: The Meaning of the Tree- 1 Nephi 11In The Doghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14168341244739209780noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474893047560586212.post-25929316642733464152011-03-25T20:55:07.506-07:002011-03-25T20:55:07.506-07:00I'd love to hear more of your thoughts about t...I'd love to hear more of your thoughts about this. This imagery is so powerful to me... the tree of life being linked to women and to motherhood in some way. I don't really understand it all but little by little I'm seeing more.Heather@Women in the Scriptureshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13840219710920268885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474893047560586212.post-17730483309819632252011-03-16T03:42:48.356-07:002011-03-16T03:42:48.356-07:00What God showed Nephi was a preview of Christ'...What God showed Nephi was a preview of Christ's birth and mission using cosmological imagery. That's why Nephi and the angel used the metaphor or imagery of a tree, a virgin and a descending man -- all three components of universal, ancient, sacred and cosmological imagery. It was part of the universal vision or One Story, as I term it, shown to all the prophets. It's origins lay in the ancient sky pageant seen by all mankind and recorded in their traditions. This pattern, according to comparative mythologists, is to be found in the sacred traditions of virtually ever antique civilization, as with the example of the Asherah/El (aster-ah or "star") tradition. It is imagery that is certainly not unique to Nephi or the Book of Mormon. But knowing this important connection of Israelite tradition with cosmoligcal tradition worldwide helps us appreciate that Joseph Smith translated an authentic ancient text. These traditions were unknown among scholars in his day. This authenticates and confirms his claims to translating and ancient text through the power of revelation. And that is the ONLY explanation, the only way Joseph could have so accurately portrayed such an archane tradition correctly. Peterson, bless his heart, knows nothing of the cosmological events that inspired this imagery in Nephi. Thus his scholarly analysis comes up a bit short. But he has it right as far as he goes. It's just that the truth is much more ample than his narrow, scholarly vision.Anthony E. Larsonhttp://www.mormonprophecy.comnoreply@blogger.com