Doctrine and Covenants
88:1 - VERILY, thus saith the Lord unto you who have assembled yourselves together to receive his will concerning you:
88:2 - Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and the angels rejoice over you; the alms of your prayers have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded in the book of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world.
88:3 - Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.
88:4 - This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom;
88:5 - Which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son--
88:6 - He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;
88:7 - Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.
88:8 - As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;
88:9 - As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;
88:10 - And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.
88:11 - And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;
88:12 - Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space--
88:13 - The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.
88:14 - Now, verily I say unto you, that through the redemption which is made for you is brought to pass the resurrection from the dead.
88:15 - And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.
88:16 - And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul.
88:17 - And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.
88:18 - Therefore, it must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory;
88:19 - For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father;
88:20 - That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified.
88:21 - And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.
88:22 - For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.
88:23 - And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory.
88:24 - And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.
88:25 - And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law--
88:26 - Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.
88:27 - For notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again, a spiritual body.
88:28 - They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened.
88:29 - Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
88:30 - And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
88:31 - And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
88:32 - And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.
88:33 - For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.
88:34 - And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same.
88:35 - That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy still.
88:36 - All kingdoms have a law given;
88:37 - And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom.
88:38 - And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions.
88:39 - All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.
88:40 - For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things.
88:41 - He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever.
88:42 - And again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a law unto all things, by which they move in their times and their seasons;
88:43 - And their courses are fixed, even the courses of the heavens and the earth, which comprehend the earth and all the planets.
88:44 - And they give light to each other in their times and in their seasons, in their minutes, in their hours, in their days, in their weeks, in their months, in their years--all these are one year with God, but not with man.
88:45 - The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun giveth his light by day, and the moon giveth her light by night, and the stars also give their light, as they roll upon their wings in their glory, in the midst of the power of God.
88:46 - Unto what shall I liken these kingdoms, that ye may understand?
88:47 - Behold, all these are kingdoms, and any man who hath seen any or the least of these hath seen God moving in his majesty and power.
88:48 - I say unto you, he hath seen him; nevertheless, he who came unto his own was not comprehended.
88:49 - The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not; nevertheless, the day shall come when you shall comprehend even God, being quickened in him and by him.
88:50 - Then shall ye know that ye have seen me, that I am, and that I am the true light that is in you, and that you are in me; otherwise ye could not abound.
88:51 - Behold, I will liken these kingdoms unto a man having a field, and he sent forth his servants into the field to dig in the field.
88:52 - And he said unto the first: Go ye and labor in the field, and in the first hour I will come unto you, and ye shall behold the joy of my countenance.
88:53 - And he said unto the second: Go ye also into the field, and in the second hour I will visit you with the joy of my countenance.
88:54 - And also unto the third, saying: I will visit you;
88:55 - And unto the fourth, and so on unto the twelfth.
88:56 - And the lord of the field went unto the first in the first hour, and tarried with him all that hour, and he was made glad with the light of the countenance of his lord.
88:57 - And then he withdrew from the first that he might visit the second also, and the third, and the fourth, and so on unto the twelfth.
88:58 - And thus they all received the light of the countenance of their lord, every man in his hour, and in his time, and in his season--
88:59 - Beginning at the first, and so on unto the last, and from the last unto the first, and from the first unto the last;
88:60 - Every man in his own order, until his hour was finished, even according as his lord had commanded him, that his lord might be glorified in him, and he in his lord, that they all might be glorified.
88:61 - Therefore, unto this parable I will liken all these kingdoms, and the inhabitants thereof--every kingdom in its hour, and in its time, and in its season, even according to the decree which God hath made.
88:62 - And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near--
88:63 - Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
88:64 - Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you;
88:65 - And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation.
88:66 - Behold, that which you hear is as the voice of one crying in the wilderness--in the wilderness, because you cannot see him--my voice, because my voice is Spirit; my Spirit is truth; truth abideth and hath no end; and if it be in you it shall abound.
88:67 - And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.
88:68 - Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.
88:69 - Remember the great and last promise which I have made unto you; cast away your idle thoughts and your excess of laughter far from you.
88:70 - Tarry ye, tarry ye in this place, and call a solemn assembly, even of those who are the first laborers in this last kingdom.
88:71 - And let those whom they have warned in their traveling call on the Lord, and ponder the warning in their hearts which they have received, for a little season.
88:72 - Behold, and lo, I will take care of your flocks, and will raise up elders and send unto them.
88:73 - Behold, I will hasten my work in its time.
88:74 - And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean;
88:75 - That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation; that I may fulfil this promise, this great and last promise, which I have made unto you, when I will.
88:76 - Also, I give unto you a commandment that ye shall continue in prayer and fasting from this time forth.
88:77 - And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.
88:78 - Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;
88:79 - Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms--
88:80 - That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you.
88:81 - Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.
88:82 - Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads.
88:83 - He that seeketh me early shall find me, and shall not be forsaken.
88:84 - Therefore, tarry ye, and labor diligently, that you may be perfected in your ministry to go forth among the Gentiles for the last time, as many as the mouth of the Lord shall name, to bind up the law and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come;
88:85 - That their souls may escape the wrath of God, the desolation of abomination which awaits the wicked, both in this world and in the world to come. Verily, I say unto you, let those who are not the first elders continue in the vineyard until the mouth of the Lord shall call them, for their time is not yet come; their garments are not clean from the blood of this generation.
88:86 - Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord comes.
88:87 - For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig-tree.
88:88 - And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.
88:89 - For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.
88:90 - And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.
88:91 - And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.
88:92 - And angels shall fly through the midst of heaven, crying with a loud voice, sounding the trump of God, saying: Prepare ye, prepare ye, O inhabitants of the earth; for the judgment of our God is come. Behold, and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
88:93 - And immediately there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together.
88:94 - And another angel shall sound his trump, saying: That great church, the mother of abominations, that made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, that persecuteth the saints of God, that shed their blood--she who sitteth upon many waters, and upon the islands of the sea--behold, she is the tares of the earth; she is bound in bundles; her bands are made strong, no man can loose them; therefore, she is ready to be burned. And he shall sound his trump both long and loud, and all nations shall hear it.
88:95 - And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled;
88:96 - And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him.
88:97 - And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven--
88:98 - They are Christ's, the first fruits, they who shall descend with him first, and they who are on the earth and in their graves, who are first caught up to meet him; and all this by the voice of the sounding of the trump of the angel of God.
88:99 - And after this another angel shall sound, which is the second trump; and then cometh the redemption of those who are Christ's at his coming; who have received their part in that prison which is prepared for them, that they might receive the gospel, and be judged according to men in the flesh.
88:100 - And again, another trump shall sound, which is the third trump; and then come the spirits of men who are to be judged, and are found under condemnation;
88:101 - And these are the rest of the dead; and they live not again until the thousand years are ended, neither again, until the end of the earth.
88:102 - And another trump shall sound, which is the fourth trump, saying: There are found among those who are to remain until that great and last day, even the end, who shall remain filthy still.
88:103 - And another trump shall sound, which is the fifth trump, which is the fifth angel who committeth the everlasting gospel--flying through the midst of heaven, unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people;
88:104 - And this shall be the sound of his trump, saying to all people, both in heaven and in earth, and that are under the earth--for every ear shall hear it, and every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, while they hear the sound of the trump, saying: Fear God, and give glory to him who sitteth upon the throne, forever and ever; for the hour of his judgment is come.
88:105 - And again, another angel shall sound his trump, which is the sixth angel, saying: She is fallen who made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication; she is fallen, is fallen!
88:106 - And again, another angel shall sound his trump, which is the seventh angel, saying: It is finished; it is finished! The Lamb of God hath overcome and trodden the wine-press alone, even the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God.
88:107 - And then shall the angels be crowned with the glory of his might, and the saints shall be filled with his glory, and receive their inheritance and be made equal with him.
88:108 - And then shall the first angel again sound his trump in the ears of all living, and reveal the secret acts of men, and the mighty works of God in the first thousand years.
88:109 - And then shall the second angel sound his trump, and reveal the secret acts of men, and the thoughts and intents of their hearts, and the mighty works of God in the second thousand years--
88:110 - And so on, until the seventh angel shall sound his trump; and he shall stand forth upon the land and upon the sea, and swear in the name of him who sitteth upon the throne, that there shall be time no longer; and Satan shall be bound, that old serpent, who is called the devil, and shall not be loosed for the space of a thousand years.
88:111 - And then he shall be loosed for a little season, that he may gather together his armies.
88:112 - And Michael, the seventh angel, even the archangel, shall gather together his armies, even the hosts of heaven.
88:113 - And the devil shall gather together his armies; even the hosts of hell, and shall come up to battle against Michael and his armies.
88:114 - And then cometh the battle of the great God; and the devil and his armies shall be cast away into their own place, that they shall not have power over the saints any more at all.
88:115 - For Michael shall fight their battles, and shall overcome him who seeketh the throne of him who sitteth upon the throne, even the Lamb.
88:116 - This is the glory of God, and the sanctified; and they shall not any more see death.
88:117 - Therefore, verily I say unto you, my friends, call your solemn assembly, as I have commanded you.
88:118 - And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.
88:119 - Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;
88:120 - That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord; that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord; that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High.
88:121 - Therefore, cease from all your light speeches, from all laughter, from all your lustful desires, from all your pride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked doings.
88:122 - Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege.
88:123 - See that ye love one another; cease to be covetous; learn to impart one to another as the gospel requires.
88:124 - Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.
88:125 - And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace.
88:126 - Pray always, that ye may not faint, until I come. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself. Amen.
88:127 - And again, the order of the house prepared for the presidency of the school of the prophets, established for their instruction in all things that are expedient for them, even for all the officers of the church, or in other words, those who are called to the ministry in the church, beginning at the high priests, even down to the deacons--
88:128 - And this shall be the order of the house of the presidency of the school: He that is appointed to be president, or teacher, shall be found standing in his place, in the house which shall be prepared for him.
88:129 - Therefore, he shall be first in the house of God, in a place that the congregation in the house may hear his words carefully and distinctly, not with loud speech.
88:130 - And when he cometh into the house of God, for he should be first in the house--behold, this is beautiful, that he may be an example--
88:131 - Let him offer himself in prayer upon his knees before God, in token or remembrance of the everlasting covenant.
88:132 - And when any shall come in after him, let the teacher arise, and, with uplifted hands to heaven, yea, even directly, salute his brother or brethren with these words:
88:133 - Art thou a brother or brethren? I salute you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in token or remembrance of the everlasting covenant, in which covenant I receive you to fellowship, in a determination that is fixed, immovable, and unchangeable, to be your friend and brother through the grace of God in the bonds of love, to walk in all the commandments of God blameless, in thanksgiving, forever and ever. Amen.
88:134 - And he that is found unworthy of this salutation shall not have place among you; for ye shall not suffer that mine house shall be polluted by him.
88:135 - And he that cometh in and is faithful before me, and is a brother, or if they be brethren, they shall salute the president or teacher with uplifted hands to heaven, with this same prayer and covenant, or by saying Amen, in token of the same.
88:136 - Behold, verily, I say unto you, this is an ensample unto you for a salutation to one another in the house of God, in the school of the prophets.
88:137 - And ye are called to do this by prayer and thanksgiving, as the Spirit shall give utterance in all your doings in the house of the Lord, in the school of the prophets, that it may become a sanctuary, a tabernacle of the Holy Spirit to your edification.
88:138 - And ye shall not receive any among you into this school save he is clean from the blood of this generation;
88:139 - And he shall be received by the ordinance of the washing of feet, for unto this end was the ordinance of the washing of feet instituted.
88:140 - And again, the ordinance of washing feet is to be administered by the president, or presiding elder of the church.
88:141 - It is to be commenced with prayer; and after partaking of bread and wine, he is to gird himself according to the pattern given in the thirteenth chapter of John's testimony concerning me. Amen.
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25 Comments
I think that the universe is such a large place that it would be hard to prove a model like this to be inaccurate.
I agree about your “stars falling from Heaven” comment. Much like Joshua’s long day, the observers said the sun stood still, when actually the earth would have stood still. Scriptures are given from our point-of-view.
I like the concentric circles.
The only thing I could suggest to account for is Abraham’s governing bodies. Where would the 15 governing powers of our solar system, Kolob, etc. fit into this?
I would recommend you read up on the research of Anthony E. Larson, a LDS, as his work also reveals that the temple is a model of the heavens, meaning it teaches us about the heavens (the planets, stars, etc.) He gets into plasma cosmology and plasma mythology, which I recommend you study up on, as it will throw much light on your study of the temple and the symbolic meanings found there.
I actually have been in contact with Anthony Larson, and have read some of his research. He has some very interesting insights. Thanks for the recommendation!
I’ve read one book, “The Kolob Theorem: A Mormon’s View of God’s Starry Universe” by Lynn M. Hilton and am currently reading “Earth: In the Beginning” by Eric N. Skousen. Both PhDs and both come to a similar conclusion. Both state that our God and Father’s “universe” or creations reside in the Milky Way Galaxy and that other galaxies are creations of other exalted beings in the same way as this galaxy is to our Heavenly Father. If I could find more resources on this, I would be very greatful as it is so faciniating. Also, if you look at hubble images of some of these galaxies, you can see a blue ring (outside Telestial), red ring (middle Terrestial), and core or center that is white (Celestial) that is the gravitational or governing force for the galaxy.
Very interesting comment. I’d be interested to know how they support their hypotheses.
It’s interesting that if you go to the greatest governing “planet,” which is Kolob, which I have to assume is the center of the physical universe, you still have only come close, or nigh unto God. But you still have not reached to where He is. How can this be? Where can you go, after you get to the center?
-David
I think that Kolob is generally referred to as a star, not a planet (Abraham 3:2-3). So if that is the case, then God would reside on a celestial urim & thummim type planet orbiting that great governing star, and thus be “near to it.” Kolob governs all the planets and other orbs that surround it (Abraham 3:3, 9).
This is where Nibley, Hilton, Skousen and I part company, PhDs not withstanding. What Abraham saw in vision was not the universe or even our Milky Way galaxy. What he saw was the ancient order of planets in our own solar system, which was vastly different than the order we see now. It’s the same order depicted in Joseph’s illustration of the ancient heavens he drew for Philo Dibble. It’s the same order of the heavens depicted on the exterior walls of the Salt Lake Temple. The temple–any temple, ancient or modern–is an admixture scale model of the ancient and current heavens. As so many prophets have written, the heavens and the earth we see now are not the heavens and the earth of antiquity. And what we see now will all change once again in the Last Days. Knowing this enhances one’s temple experience immeasurably. In fact, this is the only perspective that answers all temple symbolism, exterior and interior. It is an heritage from the past that LDS temples have in common with every other temple or sacred sanctuary erected by ancient cultures. They were all designed to recall elements of the ancient and current heavens. Upon restoring the temple traditions, complete with the traditional symbolism from antiquity, Joseph Smith reconnected us with our ancestors and the astral knowledge they held sacred. It’s a powerful witness to the validity of his calling and a testimony enhancing experience for and Latter-day Saint who wants to understand the temple. It’s actually a teaching tool, just like the scriptures. I’d be happy to share my conclusions and my sources with anyone interested in knowing more.
Mr. Larson, I would appreciate your sources because I like to look at all possibilities. I hope you’ve read the sources I listed so as to have a legitimate difference of opinion by way of understanding their position fully. Thank you in advance for your source listing.
I would like to submit an alternative view to those already presented here.
I believe that the temple is the template of: 1.) The Universe. 2.) The Plan of Salvation. Both of which I submit are the same thing.
But I do not believe it is a representation of the heavenly bodies in their organization, or our solar system. These organization are changing all the time,
What the temple is displaying is that there are three degrees of glory, and one degree not of glory. That we experience mortality in at least one of these degrees. The organization of physical universe and our solar system rests upon the unchangeable structure of three degrees or glories. That in fact these degrees of glory are actually dimensions, one stacked, or built upon another. This is how we live here on earth, and the spirit world is also here.
The universe is made up of three degrees of glory, the law we are willing to live determines what dimensions of glory we will have in the resurrection, and everything exists within these degrees.
I would refer you to a chapter I wrote on this topic if you are interested further: Glory
-David
For those who wish to see my evidence, I suggest you visit my webpage at http://www.mormonprophecy.com. Read all the articles there that were published in Desert Saints Magazine, a Las Vegas-based LDS publication. You can also see several of my video clips on You Tube, http://youtube.com/user/toeknee1943. If you want the arguement and the references specific to my assertions about modern temples, you can request my unpublished manuscript by sending me an email at the address posted on my website. I’d be happy to email it to you.
Thank you for this blog and all these posts. I am learning a lot from them. While I like how neatly the Kolob Theorem seems to “fit” into the pictures we have of the Milky Way and surrounding galaxies in our known Universe, one problem with "The Kolob Theorem: A Mormon's View of God's Starry Universe" and limiting our Heavenly Father’s creations to just one galaxy are statements made by the Apostles, including this recent Oct. 2007 General Conference talk by Elder Richard G. Scott (http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,89-1-775-32,00.html) in which he says, “What have we learned from the scientific approach to discovering truth? An example will illustrate. Try as I might, I am not able, even in the smallest degree, to comprehend the extent, depth, and stunning grandeur of what our holy Heavenly Father, Elohim, has permitted to be revealed by the scientific method. If we were capable of moving outward into space, we would first see our earth as did the astronauts. Farther out, we would have a grandstand view of the sun and its orbiting planets. They would appear as a small circle of objects within an enormous panorama of glittering stars. Were we to continue the outward journey, we would have a celestial view of our Milky Way spiral, with over 100 billion stars rotating in a circular path, their orbits controlled by gravity around a concentrated central region. Beyond that, we could look toward a group of galaxies called the Virgo Cluster, which some feel includes our Milky Way, estimated to be about 50 million light years away. Beyond that, we'd encounter galaxies 10 billion light years away that the Hubble telescope has photographed. The dizzying enormity of that distance is suggested by noting that light travels 700 million miles an hour. Even from this extraordinary perspective there would not be the slightest evidence of approaching any limit to God the Father's creations.” Anytime you pit a PhD against an Apostle I’ll go with the Apostle while at the same time keeping an open mind to all possibilities. Thanks again.
I don’t have a phd but it was my understanding that we were created in Gods presents or else why would we suffer a spiritual death when we were cast from thence? If we were created in the terestrial “ring” we would have already been removed, wouldn’t we?
I love the diagram, and I have pondered the “one galaxy” to a God idea, mostly because it is so neat and tidy to limit His creations to something that I can attempt to wrap my “tiny, tawdry” mind around. I am also a believer that all things in the plan/system testify of Christ, and recently I saw a presentation about December 2012 that beautifully illustrated the coming alignment of our sun [Son?] with the usually dark center of our galaxy (you all probably know this already)–a view that happens once every 26,000 years. That stunning illustration brought me back to this train of thought, and now I am reading this blog entry. What a wonderful time to be alive and discussing things so freely that once would have caused us to be burned at the stake!
Also, I’ve tried the link to David Littlefield’s “Glory” a number of times with no success. Any hints?
Ah, one more thing. I read Anthony Larsen’s early books when first published and had lost track of him. I’m glad to be connected to his web site. Thank you!
I have often thought about the universe and how it plays a role in God’s eternal plan. I have read both the books mentioned above, “The Kolob Theorem: A Mormon's View of God's Starry Universe" by Lynn M. Hilton and "Earth: In the Beginning" by Eric N. Skousen. They both offer interesting speculations but I defenitly don’t agree with everything they say, especially Skousen. I am new to Anthony Larson and have only read a couple of his articles. I don’t know what “theory” to hold on to. When I think of the galaxy being God’s creation and his “eternity” it is something that could make sense. However, what about when galaxies colide? I tend to think, and don’t know of anyone else who has the same opinion, that the Universe is all of God’s creation and that there could be an infinite amount of Universes. Any thoughts? I would love to know other people thoughts. If you read this post and are interested in having a conversation please reply.
I have little time for discussions. But, I have put my opinion, based on extensive research, into my monographs on my blog. May I respectfully suggest you consult those pertinent articles there. It’s not an easy read, and the perspective is unorthodox. But, I believe that it reflects the realities taught by Joseph Smith, rather than speculative constructs represented by others. Not only does it explain the Kolob question, it explains all of temple symbolism and ritual. Further, it makes prophecy plain. All this from one, central thesis: The ancient heavens were vastly different than those we see today. That comprehensive and inclusive ability alone argues for its validity–one thesis for all three questions. In that respect, in conforms to the Occam’s Razor principle. Give it a fair hearing, and you will see the value of this perspective.
SHANNA said "...it was my understanding that we were created in Gods presents or else why would we suffer a spiritual death when we were cast from thence?"
Good question! Would you then say that the Pre-existence is the same as the Celestial Kingdom where God dwells?
Sorry for the self-promoting plug, but here are my thoughts on that subject:
http://mormonmysticism.blogspot.com/2008/10/built-upon-foundation.html
http://mormonmysticism.blogspot.com/2008/08/is-god-in-spirit-world.html
David Littlefield
I appreciate the effort and thought you all have for learning the mysteries of Godliness. I do believe the internet was brought to us to increase our knowledge base and expose us to things that would not be possible in any other way. I am a little reluctan, however, to embrace anyone who claims to have all the answers. I would think the best approach to these things would be to go to the source: God himself. If one is worthy, God can and will reveal all things. As Joseph Smith said, if you could you gaze into heaven for five minutes, you would know more than what has ever been written on the subject! As you know, the greatest revelations have not been written, and indeed cannot be, perhaps because our current lamguage is inadequate to explain. I suspect that we are not fully capable of comprehending the reality of things concerning other dimensions, etc., which is why they are expressed in symbolic terms: as Carl Jung observed, the language of the unconscious mind. Joseph Smith said he was fettered and bound because he could not reveal a hundredth part of what he knew.
I would like to offer my perspective on black holes that I believe strongly supports the Temple as being a scale model of the universe. First, a scriptural reference where Jesus describes a black hole — bear with me. Towards the end of his ministry to the Nephites, Jesus teaches the following as Mormon describes it: "And He did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that He should come in His glory-yea, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth, even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll, and the heavens and the earth should pass away;" (3 Nephi 26:3). Looking at one end of a scroll, down through its center, at its edges, as it is wound or "wrapt" together, it looks as if it is being coiled or spiraled together -- similar to the spiral staircases in the Salt Lake Temple -- which if one looks down the staircase shows a "spiraling together." One may want to Google "spiral staircase" and see the images. This spiraling effect is what the Lord intended to get across when he described the earth being wrapt together as a scroll. I believe this verse proves that the earth will be wrapt (or spiraled) together and transported or "pass away" across the universe from a telestial orbit to a terrestrial orbit. I also believe that God uses black holes to do the transporting of the earth to its new locations in the universe. Let me explain. The other day, I saw a documentary on black holes on the science channel entitled, "How The Universe Works: Black Holes. Narrated by Mike Rowe." (couldn't find exact video clip on youtube — perhaps you can) This show vividly portrays a black hole swallowing the earth -- which matches exactly what Jesus described in 3 Nephi 26:3. I'll describe. The show portrays a black hole shown moving into our solar system and as it comes near the earth, its gravitational pull causes the earth's surface to melt and it becomes "an inferno." Then, the earth's elements gradually "spiral" into the black hole. This show portrayed exactly what Jesus (Mormon) described, "even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll, and the heavens and the earth should pass away." The show goes on to describe that black holes can be portals between parallel universes where planets and even entire galaxies are transported from one place to another. Since God keeps track of every hair of our heads, then certainly He can melt the earth with fervent heat, wrap it or spiral it into a black hole and transport it across the universe without losing any of it when it comes out the other side. This show describes black holes as being a major controlling force in the universe and that theoretical physicists now have no doubt whatsoever that they exist. I believe that God is the creator of black holes and uses them to transport worlds, and even galaxies if He wants, to different places in the universe. The spiral staircases in the Salt Lake Temple are not there by mistake.
Wow. I read a magazine article about the Universe on my mission and when I saw a picture, I thought to myself, “But what surrounds the Universe?” I eventually thought about the Eternities, the beginning, and whatnot. After a few years of reading on my own I had actually drawn this same diagram in some of my journals. Obviously I was very happy when I found this page just now.
A few thoughts I wanted to share: The temple is a scale model of the Universe. Our body is a temple. I believe that our bodies, as well, are scale models of the Universe. Since Kolob is Arabic (or is it Aramaic?) for HEART or center, I see our body helping us realize that Kolob isn’t in the exact middle of the Universe, but close. Our heart isn’t in the middle of our bodies, just as God told Abraham thst Kolob isn’t in the middle of the Universe (“…because it is near unto me…”).
Nibley speaks a lot on the center of the world. He speaks on the Garden of Eden (in my opinion the earthly one). Then about how all the temples are symbolic of the navel of that society. The human body also has a navel.
Paul Davies in his book, “The Last Three Minutes”, speaks about false vacuums (which I dubbed the cosmos) vs. true vacuums (which I dubbed Outer Darkness, or where everything originates) and how “… Universes are created by intelligent manipulation” of these vacuums. He then has a VERY interesting picture of a “Mother Universe” spawning a “Child”, connected by a wormhole he refers to as an “umbilical cord”.
Now, I very, very, very much echo Nephi’s words when it comes to truth, or how things work (“I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.”). I don’t know if what I have seen is “true”. I do think the connections are fascinating, though. In other words, even if this is not an interpretation of truth, I believe it to be a good application.
I have always wanted to post at least some of my thoughts somewhere. I also agree with an earlier comment about how the internet is such a blessing. I hope to be able to read some feedback! And thanks for this site!
Thanks for your comment “shiny.” I will look up Paul Davie’s book. Another book you may find interesting is Stairway to Heaven, by Peter Levenda. He traces the “assention” literature throughout all cultures, dating from Babylon and Egypt to the present day. It parallels some of Nibley’s observations of an Egyption endowment. Levanda shows this attempt to breach the veil was common to many cultures, and they all had similar elements.
True enough about the internet. It is a blessing and a curse. One click will take you to a porno site as quickly as general conference. I actually found one person on line who was willing to share thier experience of having thier calling an election made sure, which is rare. But it is encouraging that these things may happen more frequently than we realize.
If one is truly interested in the technical aspects of the spiritual realm, it is important to keep a pulse on what is happening in science right now. As it says in D&C 121:26-32; in the last days all things would be made known to the faithful. Since things are moving so fast, I think it would be wise keep an open mind and suspend judgement, as no firm conclusions can be made yet.
Today, some of the most basic assumptions in science are being challenged. It is quite apparent that the current model is incomplete. The laws of quantum mechanics have recently been shown to apply to large systems, which is turning Physics upside down. As physicist Richard Feynman once wrote: “I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.” Einsten called it “Spooky action at a distance,” for it challenges our notions of common sense. Stephen Hawking thinks that Einstien’s relativity theory will have to be replaced with a deeper concept where time and space do not exist at all. That agrees more closely with how the scriptures describe God as being “in, around, and through ” all things, and how all things are continually present before him, past, present and future.
All these things are little bits and pieces of a very large puzzel. If you suspend judgement and start collecting the pieces, some day perhaps they will all fit together. But there is something else one must keep in mind about the deeper things of God. One must be careful not to run faster than one has strength. In other words, don’t dig deeper than you are ready, for it is possible to be decieved and get into some strange paths:
“..strong meat belongeth to them that are full of age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” ( Heb. 5:14) Therefore, a spiritually mature person will be selective about how they give information, so as not to injure someone else who is on a different spiritual plane. That is why Brigham Young said the following:
“There is one principle that I wish the people would understand and lay to heart. Just as fast as you will prove before your God that you are worthy to receive the mysteries, if you please to call them so, of the Kingdom of heaven- that you are full of confidence in God- that you will never betray a thing that God tells you- that you will never reveal to your neighbor that which ought not to be revealed, and as quick as you prepare to be entrusted with the things of God, there is an eternity of them to bestow upon you. Instead of pleading with the Lord to bestow more upon you, plead with yourselves to have confidence in yourselves, to have integrity in yourselves, and know when to speak and what to speak, what to reveal, and how to carry yourselves and walk before the Lord. And just as fast as you prove to him that you will preserve everything in secret that ought to be- that you will deal out to your neighbors all which you ought, and no more, and learn how to dispense your knowledge to your families, friends, neighbors, and brethren, the Lord will bestow upon you, and give to you, and bestow upon you, until finally he will say to you, ” You shall never fall; your salvation is sealed unto you; you are sealed up unto eternal life and salvation, through your integrity”".( Jrn. of Disc. 4 : 371 )
True words from President Young. I do see a need to not make someone build a house without a proper foundation. I guess if all things were to be revealed publicly instead of to individuals, God would see to it through the proper channels.
Thank you.
Excellent post. This validates my personal study as well. I am also reading the Kolob Theorem, and it appears that many minds converge on the same conclusions.
@David Littlefield – I see some value in your theory as well regarding dimensions. Regarding God’s ability to see past, present and future, it reminds me of the 4th dimension as shown here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkxieS-6WuA
With that said, I think there is more to consider within dimensional theory and its implications as well.