1 Nephi 11

MDC Contents			1 Nephi 10:22 22 And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things, and deny them not. Chapter 11 1 Nephi 11:1 1 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot. Redactive analysis: While verse 22 of chapter 10 serves as a closure statement for the text preceding it, it is also a transitional verse for the one which follows. In verse 10:22 Nephi states that the Holy Ghost gives him authority, in verse 11:1 he begins by saying "For it came to pass. . ." Verse 1 of chapter 11 is the evidence of the assertion Nephi makes in 10:22 that the Holy Ghost has authorized his words. Scriptural analysis: Nephi begins to relate a tremendous spiritual experience. It is significant to note that the experience does not begin until after Nephi "sat pondering in mine heart. . ." The message for us all is clear, the Lord will inspire and lead us, but we are required to make the initial effort. We too must ponder before the understanding of the heavens are opened to us. Symbolic analysis: Nephi is caught away in spirit to an exceedingly high mountain. Why is that? What Nephi wants to see is a vision of things in a valley, not a mountain. Why does the vision begin there? Mountains are sacred places in Hebrew cosmology. They form a symbolic world axis (and are therefore symbolically similar to the world tree symbol). The tops of the mountains are conceptually in the heavens, and are therefore a logical place for meetings with deity (or the Spirit!). Moses meets with God on a mountain, which serves as a sacred symbolic place. In Nephi's dream the journey to the mountain reinforced Nephi's understanding of the nature of the guide who took him there. Symbolically, Nephi knows that he has entered upon sacred ground, and a fit place for the presence foo the Spirit of the Lord. 1 Nephi 11:2 2 And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou? 1 Nephi 11:3 3 And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw. Something about his father's vision struck Nephi more strongly than any other vision his father had received. Nephi did not ponder the vision which led them from Jerusalem - he believed. Nephi did not request of God a replay of the vision which sent the brothers back to Jerusalem for the brass plates. Nephi knew that they Lord would provide a way. Nevertheless, this vision impresses him tremendously. The reason for that impression is not in the symbology which Nephi has already described, but in the ultimate meaning of those symbols, the meaning of which is the part of the vision which so intrigued him that he would ponder it. 1 Nephi 11:4 4 And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? 1 Nephi 11:5 5 And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father. 1 Nephi 11:6 6 And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired. Scriptural analysis: These verse supply a fascinating interchange. The Spirit asks Nephi if he believes that his father saw the tree, and Nephi responds "Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father." Certainly Nephi has the right to assume that the Spirit would know his heart, why was he being asked to say the words? Many times we are in the same position. The Lord knows the desires of our heart, and yet we are required in one way or another to say the words. We are required to verbalize or in other ways externalize those things we hold in our hearts because in this world that is one way in which they are strengthened. Our heart's desires can be reinforced by expressing them in the correct contexts, hence we as a people should bear our testimonies often. They strengthen they bearer as well as the hearer. The Spirit's reaction to Nephi's declaration is interesting. It is understandable that the Spirit should be pleased with Nephi's firm belief, but notice the particular words that are used: "and blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God. . .". Where did this statement come from? What is its connection with what went before? The Spirit asked if Nephi believed the words of his father, and Nephi said that he did believe the words of his father. There is no mention of believing in the Son of God, yet the Spirit appears to equate Nephi's declaration of belief in his father's words as belief in the Son of God. That appears to be a contradiction. It does not logically follow. It does not follow unless we realize that the end of Lehi's recitation dealt with the Savior. The import of Lehi's words was that the Savior would come. In this context, Nephi's believing his father's words becomes evidence of his belief in the Savior, the Son of God. From this point on in Nephi's narrative, it is clear that the essential thrust of the entire vision of Lehi was to teach about the mission of the Son of God. 1 Nephi 11:7 7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God. The Spirit now opens the personal showing of the vision of Lehi to Nephi with a clear prefacing of what is to come. Nephi will have his wish to see what his father saw, and very specifically, to see the mission of the Savior. 1 Nephi 11:8 8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow. 1 Nephi 11:9 9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all. The Spirit foreshadowed the vision which Nephi was to receive, and Nephi's previous understanding of his father's dream and this introduction by the Spirit were certainly influential as the vision unfolds to Nephi. The vision begins simply, with the Spirit commanding that Nephi look. That simple mechanism shifted Nephi's focus from the personage who guided him to the vision itself, a technique which is repeated in verses 12 and 13 below. Nephi sees the tree, and now adds his description. In some way the visual characteristics of the tree were capable of impressing its value upon the viewer. It is probable that some of the visual characteristics do not translate well in the telling. It is hard to imagine a white tree with white fruit being beautiful, but this one clearly was. It is likely that the whiteness of the tree is connected with the whiteness of light that is described around beings of power. Note the descriptions of white and light in the following verses (emphasis added): Matthew 17:2 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 Nephi 19:25 25 And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them, and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof. Joseph Smith History 1:32 32 Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me. The last statement by Joseph Smith is somewhat less clear than the other two, but I believe is describing the same phenomenon. The physical glory of the celestial on this earth translates into a visual experience which can only be described in terms of light and whiteness. It is clearly in this context that we should see the whiteness of the tree and the fruit, and thereby understand why it was immediately appealing to Lehi and Nephi - it spoke to their soul directly of the glory and joy of the celestial world. 1 Nephi 11:10 10 And he said unto me: What desirest thou? 1 Nephi 11:11 11 And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof--for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another. This exchange is an apparent duplication of the exchange in verses 2 and 3 of this chapter, where the Spirit also asks what Nephi desires. In this case, however, the repetition is either a stylistic technique used by Nephi to emphasize the delving into the dream, or was actually used by the Spirit to urge Nephi to plumb the depths of his real desires. In any case, the effect is that Nephi progresses from his original simplistic desire to see what his father saw, to the real reason for his quest, which was understanding. Identifying the "Spirit of the Lord" There are two opinions about the identity of the Spirit of the Lord who introduces the vision to Nephi. One opinion is that it is the Spirit person of Christ, and the other is that it was the spirit person of the Holy Ghost. Bruce R. McConkie expressed the first view: "To gain a sound gospel understanding, the truth seeker must determine in each scriptural passage what is meant by such titles as Spirit, Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Lord, Spirit of God, Spirit of truth. In many instances this is not difficult; in some cases, however, abbreviated scriptural accounts leave so much room for doubt that nothing short of direct revelation can identify precisely what is meant. We know, for instance, that the Spirit personage who appeared to the Brother of Jared was the Spirit Christ, for he so identified himself. (Ether 3.) But when we read the account of the appearance of "the Spirit of the Lord" to Nephi (1 Ne. 11), we are left to our own interpretive powers to determine whether the messenger is the Spirit Christ or the Holy Ghost. Presumptively it is the Spirit Christ ministering to Nephi much as he did to the Brother of Jared, for such is in keeping with the principle of advocacy, intercession, and mediation, the principle that all personal appearances of Deity to man since the fall of Adam, excepting appearances of the Father and the Son together, have been appearances of Christ."1 (Mormon Doctrine, p.752 SPIRIT OF THE LORD) However, in other writings, Bruce R. McConkie understands the title Spirit of the Lord to mean the Holy Ghost (see The Mortal Messiah, Vol.1, p.413 - p.414). While the title is most often associated with the Spirit of the Lord, Elder McConkie apparently believed that the circumstances of Nephi's vision were sufficiently exceptional to hold for the interpretation that the Spirit of the Lord was, in that case, the spirit person of Jesus Christ before his birth. The opposite interpretation was espoused by B.H. Roberts and James E.Talmage, among others: "That the Holy Ghost is capable of manifesting himself in the true form and figure of God, after which image man is shaped, is indicated by the wonderful interview between the Spirit and Nephi, in which he revealed himself to the Prophet, questioned him concerning his desires and belief, instructed him in the things of God, speaking face to face with the man. 'I spake unto him,' says Nephi, 'as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in form of a man, yet nevertheless I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh to another.'" B.H. Roberts, (The Seventy's Course in Theology, Fifth Year, p.60) "That the Spirit of the Lord is capable of manifesting Himself in the form and figure of man, is indicated by the wonderful interview between the Spirit and Nephi, in which He revealed Himself to the prophet, questioned him concerning his desires and belief, instructed him in the things of God, speaking face to face with the man. "I spake unto him," says Nephi,"as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another." James E. Talmage, (Articles of Faith, Ch.8, p.159 - p.160) The virtually exact correspondence of these two citations indicates that either the one is citing the other, or that both are citing another document. I am unaware of the original source which both of these brethren would be quoting. To take a side in the issue, I suggest that the preponderance of "Spirit of the Lord" as a title for the Holy Ghost lends the greatest strength to that identification. 1 Nephi 11:12 12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence. The apparent function of the Spirit in this case was to move Nephi to the recognition of the real purpose for his desires, and once that was stated the Spirit opens the vision to Nephi and departs. The guide function filled to this point is replaced by an angel in the following verses (see verse 14). Nephi continues to have a dialogue with a heavenly messenger, but the person of that messenger shifts from the Spirit to an angel. 1 Nephi 11:13 13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white. At this point there can be no doubt that the real essence of the vision which Lehi related, and which Nephi also experienced, was to focus them on the mission of the Savior. Nephi desires to see what his father saw, sees the tree, and when asked what he really wants, declares that he wants to understand the meaning. The response to Nephi's request for meaning is the opening of the vision of the birth of the Savior. All of the explanations of the symbology of the dream come later, and after this significant fact: the meaning of the dream of the Tree of Life is Christ. That symbol unerringly points to him. As noted in the discussion of Nephi's assumptions of the Tree of Life, Nephi was prepared for life-giving powers to be associated with the Tree, and even with the association of the King with the Tree. Nephi is now shown how those concepts fit together. Christ is the King, and dispenses eternal life, not merely surcease of mortal suffering. Symbolic Analysis: The virgin is "exceedingly fair and white." With the genetically swarthy complexions of most Israel, it is highly unlikely that "white" refers to skin color. It is clearly desireable, but "fair and white" are best seen as descriptions of character rather than descriptions of a type of beauty. 1 Nephi 11:14 14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou? Nephi's new guide is an angel. The angel serves the same guide role as the Spirit. It is interesting that the didactive method of both of Nephi's spirit guides was that of asking questions. In at least this one way, the revelation to Nephi required his active participation and working out of understanding. Nephi is also required to participate in the process rather than having the information "poured" into his head. Nephi, even in glorious vision, retains his agency which must be used to form understanding from what he is being shown. 1 Nephi 11:15 15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins. 1 Nephi 11:16 16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God? 1 Nephi 11:17 17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things. 1 Nephi 11:18 18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. Verse 15 continues the possible discussion over the meaning of "virgin," which might have signaled "young woman" more than chastity. If Nephi is operating on purely visual information alone, certainly he could ascertain that he saw a young woman. If he was also cognizant of her virginity in the modern sense of the word, then extra information was communicated to him. In the exchange with the angel, however, the sexual state of the young woman is irrelevant. The critical information is her position as the mother of the Son of God. The angel does not rush into that statement, because he wants Nephi to correctly comprehend the import of that fact. The angel in verse 16 asks Nephi if he knows the condescension of God. Nephi responds that he knows that God loves his children, but freely admits that he does not know all. The spirit again begins revelation with a question, a point on which Nephi must work to place his mind in the correct frame for the revelation which will come. In this case, the condescension of God and the birth of the Savior are intimately linked. What is the condescension of God? To condescend requires a difference in status. It may only be done by one in a higher status, and indicates the person condescending physically or symbolically move from the higher status to a lower one. Thus it often has a pejorative tone, as we assume that the "higher born" condescend to deal with the masses, and that they do so unwillingly, or with some distaste. There is none of that latter connotation in the condescension of God. His condescension is in the extending of his mercy to us who are undeserving of it. That mercy is embodied in his Son, Jesus. Hence the angel precedes the introduction of the birth of Christ with a question designed to place that birth in its important context. What Nephi is going to see is the greatest expression of the condescension of God - the greatest expression of his love for us. 1 Nephi 11:19 19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look! 1 Nephi 11:20 20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. This is a quite tasteful version of the birth of the Savior. Without specifics, it conveys the important information that the child born of this woman is the result of the intervention of the heavens. 1 Nephi 11:21 21 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? After the brief introduction of the miracle of Christ's birth, the angel does two important things. The first is to identify the baby as the one who would fulfill the Messianic role, and the other is to clearly identify the Eternal Father as the very father of the child. The Messianic role is implied in the "Lamb of God" title by which Jesus is introduced. To Nephi, familiar as he was with the sacrificial laws of the Law of Moses, he could not have missed the import of the sacrificial lamb. That lamb under the Law would remove sin, this child, as the Lamb of God would do so in a way grander and more effective than all of the previous lamb offerings. The angel then continues to make the clear association of Christ and the tree by immediately tying the vision of the birth of the Savior back to the tree. Note again, however, that it is done with a question. Even in vision, Nephi must work our much of the meaning for himself. 1 Nephi 11:22 22 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. 1 Nephi 11:23 23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul. 1 Nephi 11:24 24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him. In verse 22 Nephi correctly identifies the fruit of the Tree as the love of God. The angel confirms this interpretation of the symbol, then expressly connects this symbol with Christ as the embodiment of the symbol. After discussing the fruit as the love of God, the Son of God is shown among men. Thus the love of God is brought to all mankind, and all have the opportunity to taste of its exquisite joy - through the teachings and person of the Son of God. 1 Nephi 11:25 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 had asked to do two things, to see what his father saw, and to understand the meaning of it. The angel proceeds to provide the answer to both requests simultaneously. Nephi begins to be carefully walked through the vision, but the meaning is inextricably woven into the vision itself. Rather than symbol only, Nephi sees precisely how Christ is the meaning of the dream, and the symbols are explicated by their relevance to the life and mission of the Savior. Verse 25 sets the stage of the vision again, after the important introductory vision of the birth and beginning of the ministry of Christ. In this verse we have the function of the iron rod made explicit. The rod was clearly a guide, and now that guide is clearly introduced as the word of God, and by implication, the words of Christ during his ministry, and Christ is the embodiment of the love of God, and that love extends to the words by which we should lived. 1 Nephi 11:26 26 And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the condescension of God! 1 Nephi 11:27 27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove. Verse 26 is similar to verse 16's "Knowest thou the condescension of God?". After that verse, the guide shows the birth of Christ. In this case, Nephi is not asked if he knows the condescension of God, he is commanded to behold the condescension of God. As in verse 18 where the answer is Christ, so too in verse 27, the condescension of God is the person of Christ. It appears that in this text, the term is not to be understood only in the linguistic connotation, but as a label for Christ himself. There is a direct ascription of "condescension of God" and Jesus Christ, where the former appears to function just like other titles of Christ do (such as Prince of Peace, Only Begotten, etc.). Each title dually marks both Christ as the one bearing the title, and a description of a quality or attribute which Christ embodies (thus allowing him to bear the title). 1 Nephi 11:28 28 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them. Nephi is being shown salient aspects of the Saviors earthly ministry. Among those is that the world many reject him. While this was certainly descriptive of Christ, it may also be that the appearance of this feature in the vision would have had a more direct effect on Nephi as he attempted to preach the world of the Lord to his brothers during his life. Nephi would also be rejected, and per haps looked back to this vision for understanding that even the Son of God would be rejected by many. 1 Nephi 11:29 29 And I also beheld twelve others following him. And it came to pass that they were carried away in the Spirit from before my face, and I saw them not. Nephi would rapidly understand the importance of the number 12 in this verse. Although the vision of them is short, and they are removed from the vision, Nephi would understand through this that there is some type of continuity in the message of the Savior and the twelve tribes of Israel. The association of the twelve with the tribes would have let Nephi know that they were important, even if their importance was not clearly defined in the vision. 1 Nephi 11:30 30 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again, and I saw angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them. 1 Nephi 11:31 31 And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out. Both of these verses show events of Christ's life with which we are familiar. Our very familiarity may obscure a possible meaning that Nephi saw in this information. Remember that for Nephi these where future events, not part of almost two thousand years of tradition as they are with modern audiences. For Nephi, the import of these things was likely not simply a recitation of the life of the Savior, but a description of particular events which would have extra meaning to Nephi. After the brief reference to twelve with its connotation of Israel, we have angels descending, and healings being performed. In the mythology associated with the Tree of Life, and with which Nephi would have been familiar, the Tree is a conduit between heaven and earth, and the source of the healing fruit (or liquid). When Nephi sees angels descending and Christ performing healings, the association of Christ and the Tree of Life is once again strengthened in Nephi's mind. 1 Nephi 11:32 32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record. 1 Nephi 11:33 33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world. 1 Nephi 11:34 34 And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the angel of the Lord. 1 Nephi 11:35 35 And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 1 Nephi 11:36 36 And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Once again, the vision of Lehi is interlaced with the life of the Savior. The interpretation of the vision, the meaning of the vision, is inextricably interwoven with the life of the Savior. In this case, when Nephi related his father's vision, he mentions a great and spacious building with mocking people. In his own vision, that building has very specific ties to the people who rejected Christ and had him crucified. Nephi's last definition in verse 36 takes that symbol from the specific back to the general. Not only is the great and spacious building full of the people who did reject Christ, it is full of those who would do so today through their pride which does not let their hearts feel the pull of the gospel. The fall of this building is still in our future. When he sees the fall of it, it is not in a chronological context, but rather a revelatory one which shows Nephi the ultimate defeat of the prideful by the gospel of Christ. The Image of Christ on the Cross in the Book of Mormon: In verse 33 Nephi sees Christ lifted up on the cross and slain. This event in the life of Christ had such a profound impact on the Christian community that the cross is the quintessential symbol for Christ throughout much of the world. The imagery of that death, and the language of the cross permeate the New Testament letters. How does this image appear in the Book of Mormon? The references to Christ and the cross are minimal indeed. Until Christ himself mentions it, there is only one verse which uses the term in a manner reminiscent of the New Testament: "Jacob 1:8 Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world. . ." As Nephi's brother, Jacob would most likely have known of the relationship of the cross and Christ's suffering directly from his brother. However, this is the last reference in the Book of Mormon until 3 Nephi 12:30 and 3 Nephi 27:14 where it is the resurrected Christ which talks of the cross. The cross was never a symbol in the Book of Mormon texts, and mention of the cross and Christ fade within perhaps the first hundred years. Why? Because the image was in vision only, and perhaps not as gruesome or impressive in vision as it was in person. For Nephi, the impact of the vision was not Christ's mode of death, but his life, mission, and resurrection. That view of Christ permeates the Book of Mormon, not the New Testament's glorifying of the instrument of torture. Historical note on the cross in the New World: The absence of the cross as an image in the Book of Mormon bears at least some mention in connection with the prevalence of the cross in Mesoamerica. The primary association of the Mesoamerican cross was the tree of life, and has no context at all as an instrument of death. If there were any connection at all between those symbols and the Book of Mormon, they would have entered after the visit of Christ to the Americas, and not as a result of Nephi's dream. The conflation of the tree of life with Christ, and Christ's mention of the cross might provide a context which would allow the development of the Mesoamerican themes associated with their symbol. This history in Mesoamerican is clouded in the mists of time, and there is no way to show that this is the way it happened. However, it does provide a context in which the cross and the tree image are merged, retaining almost exclusively the meaning of the tree, and having none of the associations of the Roman cross with death and torture.
			by Brant Gardner. Copyright 1998