Three Trees in the Book of Mormon

By John W. Welch

The tree is a primary symbol in three Book of Mormon texts: Zenos's allegory of the olive tree (Jacob 5), Lehi's dream of the tree of life (1 Nephi 8), and Alma's discourse on the seed of faith (Alma 32). Interestingly, these three symbolic uses of the tree reflect a shifting emphasis from one era to the next.¹

Zenos's Olive Tree The House of Israel Collective Salvation

Zenos lived in ancient Israel. In his day, prophetic leaders emphasized collective salvation. For example, in order for God to march at the head of the armies of Israel, the camp as a whole needed to be pure (see Joshua 7:12–13).

Accordingly, in Zenos's allegory the tame olive tree symbolizes the house of Israel as a whole, and the well-being of the whole is paramount. Main groups of people are seen as branches of the tree, while individuals are little more than leaves or olives. When a branch decays or bears bad fruit, it is cut out to save or improve the tree. Collectively speaking, the Lord does all he can to save his beloved tree—pruning, dunging, grafting, and burning as he deems best for the whole.

Lehi's Tree of Life The Love of God Blessedness

Lehi lived after Zenos. When Lehi and his family were physically separated from the house of Israel, the model of salvation shifted, for he knew that salvation was not to be found in the body politic of Jerusalem.

Instead, Lehi took a step away from the old image. Now he depicted salvation as a tree to which individuals have to come. In Lehi's dream, instead of being small parts of a collective tree, each individual is invited to come take a place in relation to the tree and to partake of its sweet, white, desirable fruit (see 1 Nephi 8:11).

Alma lived 500 years after Lehi. Society in Alma's day was pluralistically divided into groups containing all kinds of individuals. As he dealt with Zoramites, Nephites, Ammonihahites, and Gideonites, Alma knew that salvation was heavily a matter of personal choice (see Alma 5).

Alma's Tree of Righteousness Personal Righteousness and Testimony

In this light, the imagery shifted once again. Alma radically individualized the tree, comparing the word of God "unto a seed" and promising that if one would plant and internalize it, the seed would grow inside the person to become a tree "springing up unto everlasting life," bearing that same sweet, white fruit that Lehi saw (see Alma 32:28, 41–42).

These trees progressively served the particular needs of the prophets who used them. In their times, each tree illustrated an important truth about the Atonement. Behind them all, of course, stands the unifying reality that the Son of God would be raised up on yet another tree, that through him all might have eternal life, collectively, relationally, and individually.

Note

1. See John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch, Charting the Book of Mormon: Visual Aids for Personal Study and Teaching (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1999), chart no. 95.