Dwelt in a Tent

Living in Humility

"And my father dwelt in a tent." - 1 Nephi 2:15

If you have ever been in seminary or any sort of religion class, you surely know this scripture. The famous one-liner seems to have no meaning at all, and is often given jokingly as a devotional by the class clown.

It seems like such an obvious, pointless statement. The chapter begins with wise words of Lehi to his sons as they entered the Red Sea, and their reactions of murmuring or acceptance. Then we find the account that Lehi did indeed live in a tent while he was in the wilderness. We know that Lehi departed from Jerusalem after preaching their wickedness and coming captivity at the hands of Bablyon. We know he was on his way to the Promised Land of the Americas, where the Nephites and Lamanites would prosper. And now we know that he dwelt in a tent in between those stages.

The significance of Lehi’s dwelling lies in his inherent humility at this stage. He was a wealthy man in Jerusalem, and enjoyed many worldly possessions. He lived in peace and happiness with his family. Despite all this, Lehi willingly followed the Lord’s command to leave and go into the wilderness. He valued the Lord’s plan over his own wealth, and departed into the wilderness. He went from a beautiful home to a tent.

In chapter eight, Lehi describes his dream about the tree of life. He sees a grand field where people are wandering about. Some are carried away by a river, while others stand in a great and spacious building. The righteous are clinging to the iron rod, following the narrow path to the tree of life, which represents Jesus Christ and exaltation. Some come to the tree and merely partake of the fruit, only to fall away later. The truly righteous come to the tree, fall down, and then partake of the fruit. Out of humility, then fall down in gratitude at the feet of Christ.

We must lead lives of humility and gratitude. There are many twists and turns in our lives, just as Lehi had the challenge of leaving his home to dwell in a tent. We must always cling to the iron rod- the word of God- and let it guide us back to Jesus Christ. As stated in John 14:6, He is the way, the truth, and the life. Through Him we can reach our final goal, as long as we accept “dwelling in a tent” sometimes along the way.