1 Nephi 8:8 - 8:12

1 Nephi 8:8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

Lehi travels for many hours in the depressing place. Thinking that he was going nowhere, Lehi prays for deliverance from where he is. (This whole vision or dream sounds like a near death experience.)

Lehi knows from his experiences of being saved from persecution and possibly death from the people of Jerusalem that he can be delivered from where he is now. The amount of mercy the Lord has is without limit. You can never weary Him with your partitions for help if they are righteous desires.

But then the Lord will allow us to have that would not be good for us, just teach us a lesson. Sometimes people seem to only learn the "hard way." We all have experiences of wanting something and then regretting it later. The Lord wants what is best for us. He is liken to a good parent who delights in giving his children the good things they need and want.

Lehi is delivered from this dark and dreary place. It is worth noting that the deliverance did not take place until Lehi asked for it. He could be wondering still if he had not asked. This is obviously a lesson for us. Help that we need of which we are aware and seek from the Lord only comes when we asked for it.

Obviously, there is help for things we are not aware of, but when we see a need we are to ask. The problem with the world is that they think they can handle it on their own. However, they fail pretty much all the time. They do not realize that the only correct ways are the Lords ways. Everything man tries will fail after a while.

We have six or so thousand years of man trying to create any kind of utopia and failing each time. There are no great governments or civilizations that are thousands of years old still in existence. Just how many rulers or political parties have there been throughout history for any ethnic group in the world? Greek have been around for 2500 years or so, but they have had a great many political parties and outright dictators ruling over them over these years. They still are in turmoil even to this day. It saddens that Lord that we do not ask Him for help and advice. He has the help that will work. He just loves to give it. Don't we all like folks to asked us for expert advice and help. It is only after getting beaten up or failing repeatedly that man will try what he thinks is the last resort and that is to ask God for help, when in fact, He should be the first person we think of.

1 Nephi 8:9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.

Lehi finds himself in a large and spacious field.

1 Nephi 8:10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

In this field, Lehi sees a tree. He either knows from tasting the fruit and telling us afterwards or can tell by looking at the fruit that its character was one that by eating it, it would make you happy, happy, happy. I can only wonder what kind of fruit it would be. Wonder if it was like unto the tree of life that Adam and Eve were blocked from partaking of in the Garden of Eden.

1 Nephi 8:11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.

The taste was very sweet. He had never tasted a fruit that was so sweet to the taste. He notices that the fruit itself is white, but with a whiteness more than he had ever seen. I think the fruit itself must have given off its own light so as to appear to Lehi as extremely bright. I guess that this will be the kinds of fruit trees one will find in the heavens. (Those who have had near death experiences report that the plant life appears to give off its own light.)

1 Nephi 8:12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

Eating the fruit gave him a sensation of extreme happiness. I’ve not eaten a fruit that did that to me. Anyway, like anyone who has experienced a good thing, they want to share it. Lehi thinks of his family and starts to look for them. He wants them to share in this same feeling that he just had.