After having a vision wherein Nephi saw the destruction of his brothers and their descendants, he returns to the camp of his father where he finds Laman and Lemuel waiting for him. They are troubled concerning the words of their father and they want to ask Nephi to explain things to them. The memory of his vision fresh in his mind, he wants to convince them to change their ways, and his earnest desire, coupled with their newfound willingness to listen, leads to a discussion about repentance and the need to live righteously. Perhaps concerned about the fate of their own souls, Laman and Lemuel have asked about heaven and hell. Nephi is explaining it to them.
35. And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken.
Justice is the deciding factor in this equation—depending on the choices made in this life, we will either go to heaven or hell. This is not decided for us. Rather, we decide it ourselves as we make our way through this life.
36. Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desireable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God. And thus I spake unto my brethren. Amen.
Nephi is not speaking of the literal tree here; he’s using the symbolism of the tree to mean the love of God. When the wicked have chosen to pursue their unrighteous paths, they separate themselves from the love of God, which certainly is the most precious gift we could have.
Nephi closes his remarks to his brothers with the reminder that we have been given a great gift from God, that of the atoning sacrifice of the Savior. He wants them to know that there is still hope, that they can repent and turn their lives around. He has seen their destruction in a vision, but they can choose to change their fate, just as we all can. Sadly, we know from reading further that Laman and Lemuel did not repent, and that this moment of humble listening was a rare occurrence in their lives. But Nephi took advantage of this window they gave him and tried his hardest to help them understand the goodness of the Lord and His mercy to us.
Related Blogs:
A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit
Family Home Evening: The Tree of Life