TG Dreams 30 - 1 Nephi 8

Again, the line between dream and vision in the epoch of Daniel is a thin one.  Lehi says, "Behold I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision."  And Nephi, when he wants to see what his father saw, has a vision. 

The dream is solid type three, despite the appearance of a guide within the dream.  The images and happenings are symbolic and require an inspired interpreter to understand them.  The personage in Nephi's vision helps him work out the meaning of what his father saw, but Laman and Lemuel attempting to work out the meaning of the dream on their own were pointedly unsuccessful.

We are not given Lehi's understanding of his own dream, but we are given his reaction to it.  He awoke having been comforted about the eternal fate of two of his sons and fearful for the fate of two others. 

Nephi and his brothers approach this dream with a shared interpretive framework.  Individual objects in dreams have discrete meanings in an overall significance.  Nephi was shown the tree his father saw, and then desired to "know the interpretation thereof" (1 Nephi 11:11).  As he was shown more, he came to realize the "meaning of the tree" (11:20).  Similarly, the rod of iron "was the word of God," (11:25), and the waters of the fountain of living water were a "representation of the love of God" (11:25).  Laman and Lemuel likewise asked "what meaneth this thing which our father saw in a dream?  What meaneth the tree which he saw?" (15:21).  Similarly, "what meaneth the rod of iron" and "what meaneth the river of water?" (15:23, 26).  Nephi's responses were either expressions of identitity ("it was") or "it was a representation of" (15:22).

Joseph of Egypt speaks in terms of identity.  "The three branches are three days," "the three baskets are three days" (Genesis 40:12, 18), and "the seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years" (Genesis 41:26-27).  Daniel also speaks in terms of identity - "thou art this head of Gold" or likeness - "another third kingdom of brass"- or metaphor - "the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken" (Daniel 2:38,39,42).