Parallels Between Jesus’ Temptations and Nephi’s Vision of the Tree of Life

In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we find an account of Jesus being tempted by the devil while fasting in the wilderness. The scene parallels, in a a couple of significant ways, Nephi’s vision of the tree of life.

The Wilderness

First, “…Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” (Matt. 4:1) and Lehi’s vision begins with a wilderness as well and being led by a man in a white robe:

…methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness. And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me. And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him. And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.

1 Nephi 8:4

The Mist of Darkness and Iron Rod

Then, we see Jesus being tempted by the devil, which correlates with the mists of darkness that Nephi saw in his vision.

The only way through the mists of darkness, or these temptations, is to continually hold fast to the iron rod, or word of God.

The iron rod and the mists of darkness are two prominent features of Nephi’s vision recorded in 1 Nephi 11-14. Nephi observes “…that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God,” (1 Nephi 11:25) and that “the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil” (1 Nephi 12:17).

Jesus demonstrates this by replying to each of the three temptations presented to him with scripture – the word of God.

The devil does not seek to tempt us with things that are unappealing to us personally, quite the opposite. Temptations wouldn’t be such if they were not enticing, and if we seek to combat them alone, we may find that they will succeed in securing our involvement.

Temptations must be battled with the word of God, for it is the iron rod and the iron rod alone that will lead us through them. Jesus himself illustrated this successfully in his own life, and we can do the same.

The Great and Spacious Building

Jesus is taken up high to the pinnacle of the Temple, and then to the top of a mountain to be tempted with the kingdoms and glory of the world.

I think there is a parallel here to the great and spacious building being a temptation for the people in Lehi’s vision. Lehi described it as, “…a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.” (1 Nephi 8:26)

Lehi’s son Nephi gets a closer look at what this building represents and he describes it in a manner that could be equated with the idea of the kingdoms of the world and their “glory:”

And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it.

And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots.

And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church.

1 Nephi 13:6-8

As a side note, I think it’s interesting how some form of stones are featured in each of Satan’s temptations to Jesus and how the correlate to him personally:

• Stone 1: Transformed into bread that can be eaten to satiate hunger (Jesus as the bread of life – John 6:35)
• Stone 2: A stone of stumbling (Jesus as the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense – Romans 9:33)
• Stone(s) 3: A mountain on which the kingdoms of the world are seen (Jesus’ kingdom as the stone that smote the image in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth – Daniel 2:35)

The Tree of Life

In Lehi’s vision he observes people making their way through the mist of darkness 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.” (1 Nephi 8:30)

After their encounter with temptations and resisting the temptation with the word of God, they then fall down at the tree and enjoy the fruit of the tree which is interpreted by Nephi to be the love of God.

While the righteous fall down at the tree of life, Satan says to Jesus, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” (Matt. 4:9)

Lehi paid no heed to those mocking him from the great and spacious building: “…we heeded them not.” (1 Nephi 8:33)

Likewise, Jesus told Satan, “Get thee hence, Satan…” (Matt. 4:10)

Just as the righteous fell down at the tree to enjoy it’s fruit as a reward, “…behold, angels came and ministered unto [Jesus].” (Matt. 4:11)

Divine Archetypal Dynamism

It’s clear that there are striking parallels between many scriptural accounts, yet they aren’t identical—even Lehi and Nephi’s visions of the tree of life, though deeply connected, have unique elements. This suggests something deeper at play, beyond mere repetition.

What seems to be happening is the manifestation of archetypal elements rooted in God’s eternal mind and design. These elements adapt to the circumstances and needs of individuals, becoming personalized expressions of divine principles.

I propose a name for this phenomenon: “divine archetypal dynamism.” This refers to the way eternal principles and patterns, originating in God’s mind, are expressed in varied and dynamic forms to meet the specific needs, understanding, and situations of individuals or groups across time and space.

These archetypes—universal and foundational in nature—are not static or rigid. Instead, they are fluid, appearing in diverse ways such as:

• Visions: For example, Lehi’s and Nephi’s visions of the tree of life.
• Historical events: The Exodus, which symbolizes spiritual deliverance.
• Rituals and ordinances: The LDS temple endowment, which encodes archetypal truths.
• Symbolic narratives: Various accounts of creation and the Garden of Eden.

These archetypes can manifest as direct visionary experiences, real-life events, or sacred rituals and ordinances designed to prepare individuals for deeper divine encounters.

I believe this dynamic phenomenon is at work in the Garden of Eden narratives, the visions of Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Ezekiel, the Brother of Jared, and many others, as well as in the modern LDS Endowment.

These patterns are not fixed or static but shift in form, tailored to the audience, their era, and the purpose behind the manifestation.

I think in one way this can account for the shifting and changing nature of the form of the endowment over time. Some people see it as a problem and those concerns are certainly valid and worth hearing out, but what if the fluidity we witness is a feature, not a bug?

This idea deserves greater examination. It holds the potential to unlock new dimensions of understanding in scripture, rituals, and divine interaction—revealing God’s work in ways that resonate deeply with each of us in our personal journeys.