1 Nephi 8:10-12

"And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.
And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted.  Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit."
1 Nephi 8:10-12


I've been hearing the story of Lehi's dream most of my life, and it is a really good analogy, but I think because I have heard it so many times that I sometimes don't take it as seriously as I should.  Today, I was thinking about how it would be if this happened to us. :)  We're trapped in darkness and it gets so bad that we pray for deliverance... and after we pray, we see a field, and there is this tree.  And you can tell, just by looking at it, that it will make you happy.  You can see it in the curve of the branch, in the purity of the light, in the perfection of beauty before you.  And so, obviously, you go to it and you partake.  And in this fruit there is no diminishing between what you see and expect and what you taste.  If anything, it is better than you could have imagined.  It fills you with joy, and you know it is the best thing that you've ever, ever eaten.  Worth the hours or days of being lost in the darkness that you went through to get here... by far.  Because now you are here, and you have everything.
I love that Lehi's first instinct is to share the fruit with his family.  I think that's fairly accurate for all of us as well.  When we experience something awesome, we want to tell people and let them see how cool it is.  The dream/vision goes on and shows how many people start out on the path to the tree, but some get lost, and some partake but then are embarrassed by the people making fun of them, so they wander away.  And some people hold onto the rod of iron that leads to the tree and are able to make it through the mists of darkness, and stay despite the mockery of the people in the great and spacious building and all the other distractions.  And in this little analogy, where are we?  Are we still enchanted by the fruit, and excited to share it with others?  Or have we lost sight of that light and perfection and gotten lost in the darkness again?  This is the fruit that will bring us joy.  If we've moved on to sadder fare, it's time to turn around and go back to the tree.  Today, let's try to recapture that feeling of wonder and pure joy that comes when we partake.  Let's read, and pray, and feel the spirit and the love of God filling us up to overflowing.