A Tree Springing Up Within You

(Everlasting Life, Partaking of the Fruit of the Tree)

Content:

• 1 Nephi 2:40-91 (RAV)/ Chapter 8 (OPV) – Lehi’s Vision of the Tree of Life
• Alma 16:151-200 (RAV) / Chapter 32:27 – 33:23 (OPV) – Alma and Amulek’s invitation
• 2 Sefer Moses 9:10-18, 15:6-19 – Aseneth’s tree growing within

Objectives:

• Consider a practical method for applying Kabbalah as a Mysticism

Notes Before Reading:

I have bolded various phrases in the reading, including things that echo the kinds of language we have pondered on over this course.   I ask that you RESIST the urge to debate in your mind whether or not the existence of these phrases in the Book of Mormon is somehow “proof” of the plates of brass, or of Kabbalah, or some other thing.  The purpose of the highlights is NOT to make an attempt to show that Mormon scriptures are filled with kabbalistic ideas.

Instead, the purpose of the highlights is to point out that as you journeyed through this class, the terms that I have highlighted may have deeper meanings to you than they had before you started, and since these passages may already be familiar to you, the bolded words are to “remind” you that you can sink deeper into these passages and ask if the things you learned while studying this course brings new or deeper meaning to things you already know.

There is no “need” for me to convince anyone that kabbalah is “true”.  There is no need for anyone to have faith that it is “true” in order to decide it is meaningful.  The idea behind Kabbalah is that there are words, phrases, and mental pictures that are used as symbols throughout the scriptures, and they are intended to be used to understand each other better.   Kabbalah is just an organized approach to learning as much as you can about those symbols, and slowly building out the meaning you have discovered as you connect in more and more of the scriptures through pondering and seeking.  There is nothing inherently “true” or “false” about the idea that symbols deliver meaning, and understanding the symbols produces greater understanding.

So again, I invite you to set aside the “need” you might have to feel like I’m trying to convince you that these passages are written by kabbalistic prophets, and instead, practice that skill of pondering for these passages you may already be familiar with, and enjoy the depth that is available to you in the scriptures.

Engage:

Engage the Spirit through Contemplation

I have one question that I invite you to ponder. I recommend that you consider the meaning of the word “true” and what makes a passage of scripture “true”.

The plates of brass have several passages that seem to suggest that we are intended to see metaphorical or allegorical meaning in the things they are writing.  To the Kabbalist, all of these stories can be used as we reflect upon the journey of the soul back to the garden to partake of the fruit of the tree of life.  How important is it that the fruit of the tree of life be “literal”, like … we are literally going to the literal garden of Eden and eating literal fruit from the literal tree that the literal Adam and literal Eve were denied?  IF some or all of that depiction of the journey of the soul is not intended to be literal, does it make it less “true”?

Now, consider further:  If the story of Noah (or any other story really) is intended by the author of the plates of brass to be used by us allegorically, and it is intended to be instructive about how we can use the floods of mercy to wash away all of the fallen carnal things that inhabit our creation, leaving only the righteous parts of our inner soul, the rest being destroyed by the flood … IF the intended understanding of this allegory is the completeness of the resulting cleanliness of your inner creation, then, EVEN IF the original author actually had reason to believe that Noah’s literal food was a local flood and actually only caused catastrophic destruction to a small percentage of the earth’s total population at that time, but that set of details didn’t explain the journey of the soul in the way he intended for us to understand the allegory … then would it be more “true” if it were historically accurate, or would it be more true if it was more allegorically meaningful?  And, if applying the allegory to our soul would be more valuable for us if we understood the “adapted” details of the stories so we had a more clear picture of what was being taught … if historical accuracy was compromised in the process, would that make the scriptures less “true”?

I don’t ask that as a way of suggesting that you NOT believe the historical reliability of the scriptures.  Not at all.  I merely wish to point out that the most valuable way to understand the scriptures is allegorically, because no other way of interpreting the stories has the power to change our lives today in a meaningful way.  So I invite you to NOT invest yourself into wasting time arguing with yourself or with others over whether or not the stories themselves must be “true” in order to be “true” and instead invest your contemplation energies in asking what makes them meaningful and effective, and how they can be applied to you personally.   I invite you to ponder on the meaning of truth, and what is more valuable, true information, or true ideas.

Engage the Group through Discussion

When you meet together as a group I encourage you to reflect on the entire course and not just this week’s reading:

• Are “the mysteries of God” on the plates of brass?
• Is pondering those mysteries bringing you closer to God, or further away?
• Are you a “Mormon Kabbalist”?