Armed with Righteousness and with the Power of God

Brent Croxton (American, born 1955)

Lehi’s Vision (2019)

Digital giclee art print, 20 x 20 inches

Courtesy of the artist

croxtonbrent@gmail.com

There are many artistic interpretations of Lehi’s vision of the tree of life. Brent Croxton explored it with symbols. Christian symbols include a graphic vocabulary of shapes that date back to antiquity. Contemporary artists continue to engage with this rich tradition by creating new symbols. Brent Croxton’s interpretation of the symbols used in his art print are the following:

• The “square” or “balanced” or “peaceful” cross: Used often by the Greek Orthodox and others. It has different meanings to different people/cultures: “In ancient times, and still today the symbolism of the cross (specifically the equal-armed cross in which each protrusion is equidistant from the center) is indicative of the human desire to know and experience the unfolding mystery of life.” 

• Background color/Blue: The color blue is associated with imagination and inspiration. It is also understood to represent heaven or the divine, dating back to the tabernacle of Moses and across many cultures and religions.

• Center/Eye: It’s often called Lehi's dream but he also says “I have seen a vision.” The eye represents the mind’s eye or “the mental faculty of conceiving imaginary or recollected scenes.” It also represents the Eye of Providence or the all-seeing eye of God which is a symbol having its origin in Christian iconography, showing an eye often surrounded by rays of light. It represents the eye of God watching over humanity.  It is also found in a variety of symbols including those of the American founding. 

• Top, center/Tree of life: The tree is standing in the large and spacious field. There is a widespread belief in many cultures regarding a sacred tree. Lehi's tree was laden with fruit which represents the love of God.

• Bottom, center/Iron rod: People are holding onto the rod which is the word of God. The Word is also representative of Jesus Christ.

• Left/River of water: This represents filthiness according to Nephi, sins that separate us from the love of God and Christ.

• Left/Large and spacious building: The structure is floating in the air with people filing in.

• Right/Straight and narrow path: People are pressing forward on the path surrounded by wilderness.

• Upper left and lower right/Fruit: Joy is what Lehi experienced when he ate the fruit. Rings of never-ending joy are found inside the fruit.

• Upper right and lower left/Heads: This represent the Spirit of the Lord, Lehi's guide.

• All four sides/Pointing fingers: The good people of the world are surrounded on all sides by those that mock.

• All four sides/Moon, cloud and mist: The mists of darkness represent worldly temptations of every kind and surround those that strive to do good.

• Overall/Square: The square has four equal sides and four right angles. A symbol of both perfection and opposition.

• Overall/18 squares: The Hebrew word for “life” is חי (chai), which has a numerical value of 18.

Discussion Questions

• Art project: gather several twiggy branches from a tree and place them into a container. Write on white tags of paper evidences that you have experienced of God's love for you. Tie these tags onto your tree with string or yarn. Add additional tags onto your tree as you experience God's love in other ways. You or others in your family or group could also draw pictures on the white tags instead of writing words. (See 1 Nephi 11:21-25.)

• Nephi saw his vision as he "sat pondering in [his] heart" (1 Nephi 11:1).  How have you experienced pondering as part of the process of personal revelation?

• Nephi describes a "fountain of filthy water" (1 Nephi 12:16), and yet water is often a symbol of something being made clean.  What could have polluted the water to make something that is life giving and clean into something that is instead damning ("the depths thereof are the depths of hell")?  What other symbols have "two sides" like the water?

Questions for Youth & Primary

• Lehi told his son Nephi about his tree of life vision and Nephi wanted to see it, too (1 Nephi 11:1, 3).  Have your parents (or another adult that you admire) ever told you about something that they experienced that you wished you could experience, too?  Did you talk about that wish with your parents?  What happened?   Nephi asked a lot of questions.  How does asking questions help you to understand things better?

• Nephi saw his descendants fighting with the descendants of his brothers and he saw that the group that lost the fight was the group that had pride (1 Nephi 12:19-20).  How does pride make you weak?

• In many of the scriptures that we read this week, Jesus is called "the Lamb of God."  How is Jesus like a lamb?   You could draw a picture of a lamb in your scriptures to help you remember these thoughts (or list the common characteristics).