The prophet Alma, living five hundred years after Lehi, was strongly impacted by Lehi’s vision of the tree of life. Alma, however, changes the imagery in an interesting way. He likens the word of God to a seed which is planted in the heart and then nourished. He states that if people will no more than desire to believe in Christ, the seed will sprout and grow, and they will feel a swelling inside as the seed enlarges the soul. The desire to believe, coupled with obedience, eventually turns to faith in Jesus Christ. – Merrill J. Bateman, “Coming unto Christ by Searching the Scriptures,” Ensign (CR) November 1992