Partake of the Greatest Gift

1 Nephi 15:36 - "Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God. And thus I spake unto my brethren. Amen."

Elder Henry B. Eyring - "You and those you love will receive the word of God by obeying it. That will allow them to feel His love. That is one of the great blessings of the gift of the Holy Ghost. When we feel that love we can know that our course in life is approved of God. That is the feast of the delicious fruit described in the Book of Mormon." 

Elder Kevin S. Hamilton - "My brothers and sisters, we are a covenant people. We willingly make and keep covenants, and the promised blessing is that we will receive 'all that [the] Father hath.' As we continually hold fast to the rod by keeping our covenants, we will be strengthened to resist the temptations and perils of the world. We will be able to navigate this mortal life with all of its challenges until we actually reach the tree with the fruit 'most precious and most desirable above all other.'"

Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson - "These verses describe those of us who already have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives. Whether we were born into it or had to fight our way through mists of darkness to find it, we have tasted of this fruit, which 'is most precious and most desirable' and has the potential to bring us eternal life, 'the greatest of all the gifts of God.' We need only to keep feasting and not heed those who would make fun of our beliefs or those who delight to create doubts or those who find fault with Church leaders and doctrine. It is a choice we make daily—to choose faith over doubt." 

Seek this Jesus - A Book of Mormon Daily Podcast invites you to discover the joy and guidance that comes from studying the Book of Mormon everyday. This podcast would hope to just be a supplement to your studies. 

For a free copy of the Book of Mormon, click here.  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-book-of-mormon

For more information on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click here. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:12

Welcome to Speak this Peace, a daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps. In Lehi's vision, much attention is often given to the iron rod, the mists of darkness, the river, and the great and spacious building. But at the center of it all is the tree and the fruit. Nephi's words in first Nephi fifteen help us understand not only what that fruit represents, but what it means to remain worthy to partake of it. Today we focus on what Nephi calls the greatest of all the gifts of God. Nephi fifteen thirty-six. Wherefore the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable 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 unmistakably clear that the fruit of the tree of life is the greatest of all the gifts of God. Earlier in the vision, this fruit is identified as the love of God, which is charity, the pure love of Christ. This is not a casual or abstract love. It is deliberate, it is covenantal and deeply personal. God loves us so perfectly that he does not merely speak of his love. The fruit is there to be partaken of. It is not earned in the sense of being purchased by perfection, but it is received through humility, obedience, and proximity to him. The fruit does not move. The free, the tree does not chase. We must come, partake, and remain. Nephi also teaches that there is separation involved. The wicked are rejected from the righteous and from the tree of life. This is not because God withholds love arbitrarily, but because rejecting righteousness places us away from the tree that has the very source of that love. Distance from God results in distance from his gifts. The fruit remains available, but access requires staying near the tree. This invites an important personal question. Are we organizing our lives in a way that keeps us close to the tree? Or are we allowing ourselves to drift toward distractions that slowly pull us away? Elder Henry B. Iring helps us understand how we actually experience this fruit in our daily lives, not just symbolically, but spiritually and practically. Let's listen in.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

You and those you love will receive the word of God by obeying it. That will allow them to feel his love. That is one of the great blessings of the gift of the Holy Ghost. When we feel that love, we can know that our course in life is approved of God. That is the feast of the delicious fruit described in the Book of Mormon.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

This quote teaches something essential. Feeling God's love is deeply connected to obedience. Obedience is not about checking boxes, it is about alignment. When our lives are aligned with God's will, the Holy Ghost allows us to feel His love. That feeling becomes a confirming witness that our course is approved of God. Elder Irene calls this experience a feast. That matters. A feast implies abundance, nourishment, and satisfaction. The fruit of the tree of life is not a one-time taste. It is something we can feast upon continually as we obey, listen, and follow. If we ever wonder whether God loves us, one place to look is not only heavenward but inward. At how willing we are to receive and act on his word.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

We willingly make and keep covenants, and the promised blessing is that we will receive all that the Father hath. As we continually hold fast to the rod by keeping our covenants, we will be strengthened to resist the temptations and perils of the world. We will be able to navigate this mortal life with all of its challenges until we actually reach the tree with the fruit most precious and most desirable above all other.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

Covenants are not side paths in the vision. They are means by which we stay on the path. Holding fast to the rod is not passive. It is an active, ongoing commitment to live as covenant disciples of Jesus Christ. Elder Hamilton reminds us that covenants strengthen us against temptation and peril. They give us clarity and direction in a world full of competing voices. Most importantly, they lead us all the way to the tree, not just close to it, but to the point where we can partake fully. The promise of receiving all that the Father hath may feel overwhelming, but it begins here and now with small, faithful decisions to honor our covenants daily. Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson addresses an important reality that many of us have already tasted the fruit. She said, These verses describe those of us who already have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives. Whether we are born into it or had to fight our way through mists of darkness to find it, we have tasted of this fruit, which is most precious and most desirable, and has the potential to bring us eternal life, the greatest of all the gifts of God. We need only to keep feasting and not heed those who would make fun of our beliefs, or those who delight to create doubts, or those who find fault with church leaders and doctrine. It is a choice we make daily to choose faith over doubt. The challenge then is not always finding the fruit. It is continuing to feast. Distractions, doubts, mockery, and criticism all attempt to pull us away from the tree. Faith over doubt. Proximity over distance. Allowing ourselves to fall into the river or wander toward the great and spacious building separates us from the tree and from the gifts God has already given and still desires to give us. The fruit of the tree of life is charity, the pure love of God. It is offered freely, but it is not accessed casually. It requires staying near the tree through obedience, covenants, and daily choices of faith. So here is today's challenge. Today, identify one intentional action that will keep us closer to the tree. Whether through prayer, scripture study, covenant faithfulness, or resisting a distraction that pulls us away. Then act on it. So we can continue feasting on the greatest of all the gifts of God. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior, Jesus Christ. Please don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. I encourage you to open your scriptures, because when you study God's word personally, the Spirit will teach you things no podcast ever could. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.