The Tree of Life

Q:  Is the Tree of Life real, and can we eat the fruit?

Note:  I have separated my answer into three sections so that the reader can more readily access those sections which interest him or her.

I.  The Vision of The Tree of Life

II.  The Tree of Life and the Fall

III.  The Iron Rod, or, “Can we eat the fruit?”

A:  The tree of life and the fruit that it bears are powerful symbols of God’s love and the promise of eternal life in His presence through the person of Jesus Christ.  Some of the most sublime imagery in the scriptures is tied up in the symbol of the tree of life.

Most of what we know about the tree of life comes from the scriptural accounts of Adam and Eve and their time in the garden leading up to their eventual fall and expulsion from the garden.  We are also privileged to gain insight into the significance of the tree of life through Lehi and Nephi’s prophetic visions concerning the Tree of Life. 

The Vision of The Tree of Life

1 Nephi 11:25  And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.

Nephi perceived that the tree of life represents the love of God.  This seems fairly straightforward, but  elsewhere in Nephi’s vision we see that the tree of life also represents the Savior himself.

1 Nephi 11:20-22  And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.  And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!  Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?  And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

It is clear from this passage that the love of God is expressed to us through His only begotten son Jesus Christ.  Note that Nephi’s vision also strongly associates the tree of life with “the fountain of living waters” which is a symbol commonly used in the scriptures to represent Christ and his redeeming power (most notably by Christ himself).  Because the “living water” symbolism is more commonly used in the Bible than that of the tree of life it tends to be more generally understood and therefore it serves as a useful aid to us in understanding the full significance of the tree of life imagery.

John 4:7-14  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)  Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?  for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Psalms 36:9  For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

John 7:37-38  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

The symbol of the living water, and the related symbol of the tree of life both have to do with the love of God, and the eternal life that he offers us through his son Jesus Christ.  In fact, according to the Apostle John, God’s love has its greatest expression in the atoning sacrifice that he made by offering His only begotten son for our sakes in order that we might gain that eternal life.

1 John 4:9-10  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Modern day prophets and apostles support this interpretation, and they further emphasize that to partake of God’s love is to gain access to the blessings of the the atonement of His son Jesus Christ.

"Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles further emphasized that partaking of the love of God means partaking of the blessings of the Atonement. The tree of life is a symbol of God’s love and Christ’s Atonement: “The tree of life … is the love of God (see 1 Nephi 11:25). The love of God for His children is most profoundly expressed in His gift of Jesus as our Redeemer: ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son’ (John 3:16). To partake of the love of God is to partake of Jesus’ Atonement and the emancipations and joys which it can bring” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 6; or Ensign, Nov. 1999, 8)."  (Book of Mormon Student Manual, (2009), 19–25).

“Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that the tree of life represents the Savior and His Atonement: “The Spirit made explicit that the Tree of Life and its precious fruit are symbols of Christ’s redemption” (Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon [1997], 160).”  (Book of Mormon Student Manual, (2009), 19–25).

Interestingly, the earliest Christians seem to have recognized yet another way in which the tree of life is symbolically connected to the Savior and His atonement.  In the New Testament, both Peter and Paul refer to the cross upon which Christ died as a tree, and early Christians who taught in the decades and centuries following the death of the apostles also applied the tree of life symbolism to the cross of Christ.

"The New Testament also alludes to the cross of Jesus as a tree. (See Acts 5:30; Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 2:24.) Some have noticed that the Greek word used in these passages is the same as that used for the tree of life in the Septuagint [the Greek translation of the Old Testament that was in current use during the time of the Apostles], different from the usual New Testament word for tree. According to a number of sources, some early Christians thought of the cross as a tree of life. Later sources likewise relate the cross to the tree of life, as in some hymns attributed to St. Ephraem the Syrian:

“The tree of life is the cross which gave a radiant life to our race. On the top of Golgotha Christ distributed life to men. And henceforth he further promised us the pledge of eternal life.

“Our Savior typified his body in the tree, the one from which Adam did not taste because he sinned.”

Even a spare sampling of writings from the early Church Fathers shows their awareness of the power of the symbol of the tree of life in ancient Christianity. The Instructions of Commodianus, for example, states in chapter 35 that “by this tree of death we are born to the life to come; … therefore, pluck believingly the fruits of life.”

Cyril of Jerusalem writes that the cross fulfilled the Old Testament symbol of life coming from the wood in the temple, on the ark, and even on the rod carrying the bronze serpent. The same author adds, “The Tree of Life therefore was planted in the earth, that the earth which had been cursed might enjoy the blessing, and that the dead might be released.” Methodius called Jesus both the first principle and the tree of life, and John Chrysostom not only speaks of life through the cross, but calls the cross the fountain of life."  (C. Wilfred Griggs, “The Tree of Life in Ancient Cultures,”  Ensign, June 1988).

Let’s review what we have learned so far.  According to the sources that we have examined so far we see that the Tree of life represents the following things:

     1)  The love of God

     2)  The Savior Jesus Christ

     3)  The atonement of Jesus Christ

     4)  Eternal life through Christ

This may seem all well and good in a Sunday School sense, but what does this have to do with you and me as we try to follow God day in and day out?  Remember that the tree that appeared in both Lehi and Nephi’s vision bore fruit that was “desirable to make one happy” (1 Nephi 8:10).  Lehi described this fruit as being “white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen,” and he declared that “it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted.”  Lehi’s son Nephi also declared that the fruit of the tree of life “is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

This last phrase referring to “the greatest of all the gifts of God" is significant, in that it is a key to help us understand just  what the fruit of the tree of life actually represents.

D&C 14:7  And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

It is, in truth, a matter of simple logic.  If the fruit of the tree of life is the greatest gift of all the gifts of God, and eternal life is also the greatest of all the gifts of God, it follows that the fruit represents eternal life.

The Tree of Life and the Fall 

One aspect of eternal life is to live in God’s presence eternally.  During their time in the garden of Eden Adam and Eve dwelt in God’s presence (see Genesis 3:8), and would have done so forever had they not transgressed and been cast out of the garden and barred from partaking of the tree of life.

“When Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden, they were not yet mortal. They were not able to have children. There was no death. They had physical life because their spirits were housed in physical bodies made from the dust of the earth (see Abraham 5:7). They had spiritual life because they were in the presence of God. They had not yet made a choice between good and evil.” (“Chapter 6: The Fall of Adam and Eve,” Gospel Principles, 28).

2 Nephi 2:22  And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden.  And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.

When God placed Adam into the Garden, he gave him this commandment:

Genesis 2:15-17  And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

The scriptures make it clear that God planted many trees in the garden of Eden, even though the tree of the knowledge of good and evil gets most of the attention.   While Adam was laid under a strict injunction not to partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God makes it clear that Adam is welcome to eat of all other trees that were in the garden.  That includes the tree of life.

Moses 3:9  And out of the ground made I, the Lord God, to grow every tree, naturally, that is pleasant to the sight of man; and man could behold it.  And it became also a living soul.  For it was spiritual in the day that I created it; for it remaineth in the sphere in which I, God, created it, yea, even all things which I prepared for the use of man; and man saw that it was good for food.  And I, the Lord God, planted the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and also the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

As long as Adam and Eve remained in the garden and partook of the tree of life they would live forever, in a state of innocence, in the presence of God.  When you consider that the tree of life represents Christ himself, and the fruit of that tree represents eternal life,  it begins to become clear that as long as they could symbolically “partake” of the Savior, Adam and Eve would have eternal life (in the sense that they could dwell eternally in the presence of God).  This same symbolism remains in a slightly modified form in our observance of the ordinance of the sacrament as it was instituted by the Savior.

John 6:53-54  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

The parallels between the meaning behind our partaking of the sacrament and the symbolism of their partaking of the fruit of the tree of life are clear.  Both represent an opportunity to enter communion (i.e., to become spiritually united) with Christ by partaking of a symbol of His sacrifice for us.  It is my opinion that, while the tree of life in the garden may actually have been a literal tree, partaking of the fruit of the tree of life was largely symbolic for Adam and Eve in much the same way that partaking of the bread and water is a symbolic act for us (after all, we do not literally eat the body and blood of Christ). As long as Adam and Eve remained in the garden they had unrestricted access to this symbol of eternal life and the blessings of God's love and presence.  This changed when they transgressed and broke God's commandments, in much the same way that we are laid under the requirement to keep God's commandments if we expect to reap the blessings that come with partaking of the sacrament worthily.

“Until Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, there was no prohibition against eating the fruit of the Tree of Life. But once they had eaten from the Tree of Knowledge, access to the Tree of Life was taken from them:”  (C. Wilfred Griggs, “The Tree of Life in Ancient Cultures,”  Ensign, June 1988).

After Adam and Eve transgressed and ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge they were expelled from the garden, and the Lord commanded that they be prevented from partaking of the fruit of the tree of life.

Moses 4:28, 31  And I, the Lord God, said unto mine Only Begotten: Behold, the man is become as one of us to know good and evil; and now lest he put forth his hand and partake also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, So I drove out the man, and I placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life.

Why was it so important that Adam and Eve be prevented from partaking of the fruit of the tree of life once they had transgressed?  Alma explains:

Alma 42:1-6  Now behold, my son, I will explain this thing unto thee.  For behold, after the Lord God sent our first parents forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground, from whence they were taken—yea, he drew out the man, and he placed at the east end of the garden of Eden, cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the tree of life—Now, we see that the man had become as God, knowing good and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God placed cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of the fruit—And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God.  For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and partaken of the tree of life, he would have lived forever, according to the word of God, having no space for repentance; yea, and also the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated.  But behold, it was appointed unto man to die—therefore, as they were cut off from the tree of life they should be cut off from the face of the earth—and man became lost forever, yea, they became fallen man.

Alma 12:26  And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been void, taking none effect.

“Had Adam and Eve partaken of the fruit of the Tree of Life, the sentence of death brought upon them by partaking of the Tree of Knowledge would have been reversed. They would have lived forever in a sinful condition, separated from God. So he took the two away from Eden, away from the Tree of Life.”  (C. Wilfred Griggs, “The Tree of Life in Ancient Cultures,”  Ensign, June 1988).

“Tree of life symbolism permeates the Old Testament. The tree symbolizes not only eternal life but also God’s presence. For example, Adam and Eve’s exclusion from the tree was also exclusion from the presence of the Lord. Thus, whenever man regained God’s presence, a tree of life representation was used to symbolize that reunion.”  (C. Wilfred Griggs, “The Tree of Life in Ancient Cultures,”  Ensign, June 1988).

The Iron Rod, or, “Can we eat the fruit?”

We have all been placed in this same probationary and preparatory state, in which we have been granted the time and opportunity we need to prepare to meet God when we are eventually brought to stand in His presence once more.

Abraham 3:24-25  And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

D&C 29:43  And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation—that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe;

Alma 34:32  For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

Just as Adam and Eve suffered the spiritual and physical death that were the effects of sin and separation from God, so are we subject to those same conditions through our own sins.  Only by coming to Christ can we hope to overcome these two deaths that serve as an obstacle to our returning to live with God to enjoy the fruits of eternal life.

Alma 5:33-36, 62  Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.  Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely; Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire—For behold, the time is at hand that whosoever bringeth forth not good fruit, or whosoever doeth not the works of righteousness, the same have cause to wail and mourn.  I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.

In order to fully come unto Christ and to partake of the fruit of the tree of life we must also overcome the world, with the temptations, and the trials, and the ridicule that the world heaps upon all those who seek to follow Christ.  We can only accomplish this if we strive to keep the commandments and become born again through baptism and faith in the Savior.

1 John 5:3-5  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

To those that do overcome the world, keep the commandments, and are born again through Christ, the Lord has given the following promises:

Revelation 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Revelation 22:14  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Revelation 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

It is exactly this process which Lehi describes in his vision

1 Nephi 8:19-30  And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.  And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world.  And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood.  And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.  And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.  And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.  And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.  And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.  And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.  And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.  And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father.  But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.

Yes, we can eat the fruit from the tree of life, as long as we hold steadfastly to the word of God (the iron rod), and press our way forward until we can fall down at the feet of the Savior and partake eternally of the blessings of His life and redemption, His love, and His presence.

2 Nephi 31:19-20  And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done?  Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.  Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

The tree of life is a symbol, but the things that it represents are absolutely real.  The power of Christ’s redeeming love and the promise of eternal life through him make it possible for us to overcome all things in order to return to live in His presence.  The testimony of the living Christ is what gives us the strength to go on in the face of bitter opposition, and the harsh torrent of temptation.  The symbolic promise of the tree of life spurs us forward to greater heights of faith as we press forward with renewed diligence in the assurance that God keeps his promises.  All men are invited to make this journey, and all men who do so are entitled to the blessings of eternal life.

"...The greatest challenge of the vision of the tree of life...is not in tracing its history, however enlightening that experience may be. The greatest challenge is in making the truths it symbolizes an integral part of our lives. Most men continue to eat only the deadening fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life, however, is available to all who do not wish to live forever in their sins, and the Book of Mormon invites all people to approach and partake of the tree’s divine and eternal fruit."  (C. Wilfred Griggs, “The Tree of Life in Ancient Cultures,”  Ensign, June 1988).

1 Nephi 11:25  And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.

Alma 42:27  Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds.

D&C 63:23  But unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life.

Isaiah 12:3  Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

Here is a hauntingly beautiful performance of the hymn "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree," which was first written as a poem in 1761 and is set to music composed  by Elizabeth Poston.  It depends on the metaphor of the tree of life which we have been discussing, and it is one of my favorite Christmas carols.  I have included the lyrics below.