Tree of Life

This is a commission I recieved. It is based on the following verses from the Book of Mormon.

These verses are from Lehi's vision, 1 Nephi chapter 8.

 8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

 9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.

 10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

 11 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.

 12 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.

 24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.

These are similar verses from 1 Nephi chapter 11, in which Lehi's son, Nephi, also saw the tree.

 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.

 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.

 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.

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The Book of Mormon and more information about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka the "Mormon Church") can be found at Mormon.org and lds.org. I'm also here to answer any questions.

También hablo español si tiene preguntas. Esta pintura es de la Árbol de la Vida del Libro de Mormón. Se puede encontrar el Libro de Mormón gratis y más información sobre el libro y la Iglesia a mormon.org y sud.org.

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Size: 24" x 18" inches.
Medium: Watercolor and colored pencils on Arches watercolor paper. Some pearlex pigment was added to make the fruit in the tree shimmer in the light as you walk by the painting. Unfortunately the effects were lost in the scan. D: You just have to see it in person I guess.
Time: About 20 hours.