And when [Lehi] saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness! (1 Nephi 2:9)Nephi was sufficiently impressed to include this in his record. Nephi would later add an additional river/sea simile from Isaiah:
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. Thy seed also had been as the sand... (1 Nephi 20:18-19)Following Nephi's admonition to "liken all scripture unto us," let's see what these two passages can teach us about our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Into the Fount of All Righteousness
Lehi was thrilled to find a "river of water." Perhaps after some exploration, he saw that it connected to the Red Sea. He then waxed poetic, comparing the sea to Jesus Christ, the "Fount of All Righteousness." He told his son to flow into Jesus Christ like the river flowed into the sea. How do we flow into Jesus Christ? How can we be like the river?
1. Water. A river is only useful when water is flowing through it. Where do rivers get their water? From the sea, of course. Water evaporates from the sea, falls on the high places, fills the river bed, and flows back to the sea. Jesus Christ is the Living Water. Each of us has the potential to be a river of Living Water, but we are not the source of the water. It originates with Him. It descends on high places ("stand ye in high places"). It passes through us as we become channels for righteousness. Ultimately it flows back to Him. Without that source, we become rivers of sand.
2. Life. A river gives life to everything in its vicinity. Similarly, as the Living Water passes through us it enables us to share it's life-giving ability with all around us. The mercy and the grace that we receive from Christ we should freely give in his service
3. Emptied. Lehi's language in the beginning of verse 9 is particularly clear. He did not see that the river "flowed" into the Red Sea. He saw that the "waters" of the river "emptied" into it, which triggered his spontaneous poetry. Like the waters of the river, all of the glory for the righteous works that we do by His power should be returned to Him. All of it.
Peace as a River
Sometimes rivers are peaceful. Often they are not. However, to someone in the wilderness a river of water is always more peaceful than a dry riverbed. Again, Lehi was thrilled to have encountered a river of water. Knowing that the source of life is amply available inspires peace.
Similarly we have peace when we enjoy the blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ. As we wander through the wilderness of life, being far from Him creates fear and despair. But "sweet is the peace the gospel brings."
Righteousness as the Waves of the Sea
Consider the precise wording that Isaiah used. He didn't say "righteousness as the sea." He referenced the waves. He then went on to compare our posterity to the sand. What do the waves do? They are an extension of the sea, and they cover the sand repeatedly.
If we hearken unto the commandments of God, our righteousness, flowing from the Fount of All Righteousness, will be a blessing to generation after generation of our posterity, which will be as the sand of the sea.
Conclusion
As with other passages in the scriptures, the water similes passed to us by Nephi can give us deeper understanding and increased satisfaction. These verses teach us about how we can serve Jesus Christ. They show that through us He will bless our posterity, and those around us, if we will be "like unto this river" and if we will "hearken unto [His] commandments." These images are profound, and such is the power of scripture if we will "feast upon the words of Christ" and "liken all scriptures unto us."
For more discussions of Book of Mormon imagery, try Mists of Darkness or The Jaredite Journey.
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