"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his root: . . . And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious." ~ Isaiah 11:1, 10

The Isaiah scripture does seem but to reference the parts of a tree, a rod, stick or staff, a stem, a Branch, a root, etc. And as Joseph Smith's revealed answers relative to the 'tree' of Isaiah 11 also includes such as the house of Joseph (D&C 113:6), it may be well that we include in this anatomy of the tree the 'bough' of a tree. And it seems well to so analyze these various parts of a tree from a 'tender shoot', to a 'rod, stick or staff', to a stem, a branch and a bough, and even the root of the tree.

But before we get too far into that, perhaps one particular item of interest ought to be clarified. And that is the very nature of this type of tree which is being spoken of. There are certain trees which can only be grown from the seed of the tree. And then there are any number of trees which do not need or do not grow from a seed as they are and can be grown from but a 'cutting' of the tree, be it a stem, stick, branch, etc., which may be though of being and becoming the 'root' source when planted of a new tree from such a cutting. Such is the North Carolina Poplar which I grew in our yard from the top branch of one of the North Carolina poplar trees which grew in my sister's yard. Also and as well, so did I grow a number of Plumeria trees from just such single stem end cuttings. The point here is that this is the type of tree of which the scripture speaks and any number of resulting 'trees' and/or branches may be take from but one and the same source tree. That is, the 'root of Jesse' concept need not only apply to Jesus Christ but within a properly framed context, it may be applied to any such stem, branch or person which may also so come from Jesse.

Analogy of the Tree

Here then is a rough graphic of an analogy of 'the' tree. Yet as in all such anologies to attempt to carry the analogy too far is to twart the simple intent of the analogy, for certainly a real life circumstance can only so simply and roughly be compared to such a thing as a tree. Interestingly, many plant and a number of trees can be proliferated or grown from a mere cutting from the original. North Carolina poplars are such. You can take but a rod or stick from the original tree, plant it in the ground and it will grow a new tree. The Plumaria flower tree of Hawaii will do the same from a mere six inch 'stick' end. I have done both. Also guided by the skillful knowing hand, some trees may be shapped and spliced so that two branches of the same tree may be grafted or spliced back into just being one branch again. Such flexible natures make trees a worthy candidate for representations of real life situations such as the alagory of the tree so represented in Isaiah 11.

Now while Jesus is Jehovah, the God of the powerful creator Spirit God of the Old Testament, in the course of coming to earth to obtain his body, Jehovah as Jesus also descended below all men to perform the atoning infinite sacrifice for sin, which enables fallen man the way whereby they man gain God's presence and kingdom. In the symbolic dream of that tree of most precious fruit of Lehi's dream, the tree represents the love of God as well as that of both the tree of life and also of Jesus Christ himself as that provider of such eternally blessing fruit unto eternal life as told Nephi and expressed later in the Book of Mormon.

We will explore that relationship with the tree of life later, but for now let us turn to the parts of the tree, the 'tender sprout or plant', the rod, stick or staff, the branch, stem and even bough, as well as the trunck and the root. In terms of Jesus' life alone we may run through the various stages and parts of a tree. In Job it speaks of a tree struck down and dying, that:

" . . . there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root there of wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant." ~ Job 14:7-9

Over earth's history peoples have been so struck down, in Noah's day, in respect to the Jaredites, Israel and Judah being destoryed and scattered, the Nephite nation falling and even the Lamanites falling into their state of decay from what they once were in Christ. Yet with the preservation of a remnant, a part of the tree, a root, a stem or rod, etc., there is hope that in and through he who gives life that it may sprout and come again unto being a tree of life and of bearing of the fruit of life.

Now in that 'tree comparison' used in Isaiah 11, it speaks of a rod. The rod is but a stick which may be used as a 'staff' or some other tool of instrument of wood. In D&C 113, it speaks of such a tool being held in the hand of Christ (D&C 113:4). Thus any prophet, priest or servant of the Lord may so be seen as a rod or staff of use in the hand of Christ in bring to pass his purposes and plans. So might even Joseph Smith and such saints of the latter days be so considered as being worthy intruments of use in the hand of the Lord in carrying forth his gospel to the people of the world. It is therefore no far stretch to see Joseph Smith, the prophet of the restoration as being such in the hand of the Lord as described in D&C 113:4.

Now of Jesus, it is easy to see that from the ruins of house of David, through a 'stem of Jesse/David', Jesus may be born, a tender plant, a tender sprout, as the Christ child, growing up in that BRANCH so establishing the gospel upon the earth in his time and so solidifying the eternal plan of God in his maturity, so performing the atoning sacrifice and providing the lasting 'tree of life' unto men that if they but come and partake of the fruit thereof they may gain eternal if.

In Zenos' allegory of the olive tree, the 'roots' of the original tree were still good, but top, boughs, stems, brances, etc. had began to decay. The immediate solution was to graft in new branches from healthy though wild olive trees to preserve the strength of the good roots of the tree. And what few relatively healthy branches of the decaying tree as there were, were taken and grafted into the wild tree stumps or roots so that they might be preserved also. In Genesis 49:22, Joseph is compared to such a 'bough' which would run over the wall and so be fruitfully preserved. We understand from the Book of Mormon that Lehi's transplantation into the promised land of America was an account of one such remnant grafting of that branch of the house of Joseph which flourished here in the Americas.

The scriptures contain many references to the house of Israel being compared to that of an olive tree. It is likely that they have been handed down in the teachings of the Jews and even from Zenos' allegory and perphaps even before. That his Olive Tree of Israel may be thought of the Lord's tree of life, it stemming from him, being preserved by and through him as well as it providing the Lord's fruit unto salvation is all included in such analogies of the tree of life, the oliver tree of the house of Israel and even as that 'tree of life of Lehi's dream.

As Applied to the Tree of Life: Thus, now we may see Christ as that 'tree of life', the fruit of which will bring eternal life unto the children of men. Whether from the 'tree of life' in the Garden of Eden, which was given from God in association with obeying the truths of God and thus from God, to that more temporally associated 'tree of life' provided by Christ's infinite sacrifice, which if men come unto him in obedience to those same truths of God by their own free selection, repenting of the ills of the natural man; so that they may obtain eternal life by partaking of that tree. of life, that gospel plan of eternal progression which God has also so provided by way of Jesus Christ.

Now, we have already alluded to and so stated that this analogy of the tree may be that of Lehi's dream, the tree of life that he saw and also that the house of Israel may be so compared to an olive tree, and it even being seen as such a 'tree of life' unto the house of Israel if properly cared for and responed to as such. And so it is that we may even go as far as comparing Lehi's tree of life to that 'tree of life' in the Garden of Eden. And the fruit of Lehi's tree being that same fruit from the source of Christ as that as which gives life, even eternal life. The analogies of such do so run into each other thus. But what of those parts of the tree so presented in Isaiah 11 of which we have also spoken?

Of that tree Christ has been spoken of as the 'BRANCH' and in Joseph blessing given of Jacob, Joseph is presented as a fruitful bough which crosses over the wall or the ocean. And that particular bough of Joseph being but a remnant of Joseph. Thus we may consider Lehi's party as just such a bough of the house of Joseph being brought to the promised land of America, even that land were once Adam dwelt. The Book of Mormon so presents Lehi as being that remnant in 2 Nephi 3, Jacob 5 in Zenos' allegory and elsewhere. And from our own consideration here even Mulek's party may be seen as such a remnant of Joseph brought over the wall to the land of promised. But now lets turn just particularly to Lehi's groups, the Nephites, Lamanites and even the Ishmaelites. The Paracas candelabra/tree of life dates from 650-400 B.C.

The "Candelabra of Paracas' Peru has been thought by some to be a 'tree of life' representation. What if it were not only that but also a representation of the fruitful bough of the house of Joseph gone over the wall and so there divided? Indeed Lehi in his day did but see and understand his people as a particular branch or remnant of the house of Joseph. And thence perhaps the Lamanite, Nephite and even Ishmaelite divisions of that branch or bough of Joseph being so depicted in the candelabra tree of life of Paracas, Peru. Or perhaps it may be an allusion to such as the vision of Zechariah, where he sees the 'candlestick' or Menorah of the temple flanked by two olive trees. We will first persue this perspective.

" . . . What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the rightside of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. . . . What are these, my lord? . . . What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? . . . What be these two olive branches? . . . Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." ~ Zechariah 4:2-3, 4, 11, 12, 14

Israel's chosen coat-of-arms today is just such a similar depiction of Zechariah's vision, the temple menorah flanked by two olive branches/trees. Is this what is being pictured by the candelabra of Paracas? And who or what are the two 'anointed ones'? Some set forth they are the two of Revelation who die in the streets. Another possibility is that they are the two dominate houses of Israel, Judah and Ephraim/Israel, who so supply the light of Christ with the oil or persons to do the work of the Lord in shining forth the gospel or word of God before the nations of the earth. Certainly the Paracas image has the uncanny similitude to this vision of Zechariah with two olive trees flanking the temple menorah in the middle. A close look at the Paracas 'candelabra' reveals that the top of the center post does spread out into what may be distinguished as up to seven separate branches. And over time who is to say that this clarity has not been somewhat muddled?

And now we turn back to Lehi and his blessing to his son Joseph. Lehi speaks of the Lord speaking to Joseph of Egypt and giving him a promise of a 'righteous branch' to be raised up of Joseph but not to be confused with the Messiah branch which should also be so raised up of Joseph as so here in presented (2 Nephi 3:5). Lehi implies that his group was such a righteous branch or remnant of Joseph. And he then goes further into the particulars of this righteous branch, his branch as applied to his familes. And so likely thought of as being of Israel, those who would prevail in God by their righteousness unto eternal life.

Lehi's dream sees the tree (1 Nephi 8), and that Joseph's remnant bough of Lehi's group was a partaking part of it. Nephi sees the tree and speaks of it in 1 Nephi 11 and 15. Alma the younger in his missionary efforts speaks of the tree of life, its fruit and the need to be partakers of it (Alma 5) and in Alma 12 he answers guestions concerning the partaking of the fruit of the tree of life in the garden of Eden. In Alma 26 it is confirmed that the Nephites are a branch of the tree of Israel as it was also so established in the allegory of the olive tree (Jacob 5) and by Lehi (2 Nephi 3). And in Alma 32 and 33, Alma teaches the receptive poor of the Zoramites concerning the tree of life, that the nourishing of the word (seed) of Christ, that within them is will grow and produce the fruit, thus the tree springing up unto everlasting life (Alma 32:40, 33:23). And again Alma speaks unto his son concerning the tree of life in the garden of Eden (Alma 42). Now Alma does not distinguish that the 'tree of life' which may grow of the 'seed' of Christ is not that same 'tree of life' which yields everlasting life of God whether in the garden of Eden, as seen in Lehi's dream or spoken of him as here so stated. It is the same, and that tree, the love of God, is in Christ. He is that seed or cutting from whence it comes and is. And as Isreal who prevails with God, we are partakers of and a part of that tree analogy.

As Compared with the Temple Menorah: Traditionally the temple Menorah has been symbolically seen as an allusion to the seven days/periods of creation, the tree of life and even the house of Israel similarly to how the allegory of Zenos does with viewing Israel as an olive tree. In a Christian perspective it has been seen as the light of Christ imminating unto the world reminecent of its brightness and glory as seen in the dream vision of Lehi of the tree of life. And thus with these various perspectives there is now more to be considered relative to the various tree analogies of scripture, the temple Menorah, the tree of life and D&C 113's use of alluding to tree analogy. And thus the Temple Menorah may be seen as but a tree of life giving off its light unto man if he will but turn unto it. And in such representation we may see Christ as the central branch and even such as the dispensation heads as the those of the seven stars or lights thereof. And certainly Joseph Smith is one of them.

Now the true or temple Menorah is the seven branch Menorah, not to be so confused with the 'Chanukiah' containing nine branches, which was created to celebrate the later victory over the Greek army. Though the nine branch Chanukiah is frequently in error called the Menorh it is not the true Menorah of the temple of the scriptures as authorized by Moses, spoken of by such as Zechariah, and referenced in the book of Revelations. And its seven stars and churches or dispensational churches headed by dispensational leaders are not the immediate associated seven churches of the early church, for the Menorah was of the temple and spanned time in its representation. Christ being the central light as accompanied by the dispensational prophets, seers and revelators such of which Joseph Smith is the one of our latter day church or dispensation of the fulness of time.

This consideration of the tree of life relationship with the temple Menorah and the scriptures concerning it, seems to further bridge the gap of making the discussion of the tree of life, the tree of Christ and Isaiah's elements of the tree come to life. And thus it would seem that we are ready to further discuss Isaiah 11, D&C 113 and just who is who and what thereof.