Moses Seeing Jehovah, by Joseph Brickey

(Continued from Part 1)

In the last part of this post we explored what it means to see the face of God in the temple.  Seeing the face of God is promised to us in the scriptures, and as we showed, it was one of the foremost purposes of the prophet Joseph Smith in building up temples.  Such a witness was key to what was called the endowment.  As Joseph described the endowment,

All who are prepared, and are sufficiently pure to abide the presence of the Savior, will see him in the solemn assembly.

In the first part we discussed one interpretation of seeing the Lord – in a physical sense.  Many early members of the Church literally saw the Lord, Jesus Christ, and even God the Father, within the walls of the temple on several occasions, and have seen Him since in the temples of the Lord.

What else might “seeing God” mean? 

Spiritually

Another related sense that one might see the face of God in the temple is in a spiritual sense, in a vision or dream, in the mind’s eye, and through revelation. Surely, even those experiences which have been described as physical were also supremely spiritual in nature.  A person does not just see God with his corporeal eyes; he sees Him with his whole soul, body and spirit.

This is the reason we talk of transfiguration.  The Encyclopedia of Mormonism defines transfiguration:

Transfiguration for mortals consists of a temporary physical and spiritual change, allowing them not only to behold the glory of God but to enter his presence. It is characterized by illumination of countenance such as Moses experienced (Moses 1:11; Ex. 34:29-35) and comes about by an infusion of God’s power (MD, p. 725). Because God is a being of transcendent glory, it is impossible for men and women to enter his presence without their physical bodies being spiritually “quickened.” The Prophet Joseph Smith explained that God “dwells in eternal fire; flesh and blood cannot go there, for all corruption is devoured by the fire. “Our God is a consuming fire”‘ (TPJS, p. 367; cf. Heb. 12:29; Deut. 4:24). Transfiguration bestows on individuals a temporary condition compatible to that of deity and allows them to see God face-to-face.

To see God, an individual receives a portion of God’s glory, or is “quickened” by the Spirit (D&C 67:11).  As Elder McConkie described it, “Transfiguration is a special change in appearance and nature which is wrought upon a person. This divine transformation is from a lower to a higher state; it results in a more exalted, impressive, and glorious condition".

We have several records of transfiguration in the scriptures.  Most notably, Moses describes his experience:

But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him.  (Moses 1:11)

Note that Moses said he saw God with his “own eyes” but that his eyes were changed to be made of a more spiritual and glorious nature.  He received of the glory of God so that he could behold the face of God (Moses 1:2).  The effects of the transfiguration were prominent:

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. (Exodus 34:29)

The glory of God had not completely departed from Moses from the transfiguration, such that his face still shined as he came down from the mount (an analog of the temple).

Paul describes being transfigured in words that he could not tell whether it was a physical or spiritual transformation, words echoed by other prophets who have experienced it:

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. (2 Corinthians 12:2)

Joseph Smith likewise described seeing God and his kingdom in the vision that took place in the Kirtland temple:

The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell... Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son. (D&C 137:1, 3)

Christ too was transfigured, which is where the Mount of Transfiguration gets its name.

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. (Matthew 17:1-2)

Interestingly, Christ described this very literal physical experience to his disciples that witnessed it with their eyes as “a vision” (Matt. 17:9), and latter-day revelation says that the apostles Peter, James, and John also experienced transfiguration during the event.

The Three Nephites from the Book of Mormon also experienced transfiguration:

And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he touched every one of them with his finger save it were the three who were to tarry, and then he departed. And behold, the heavens were opened, and they were caught up into heaven, and saw and heard unspeakable things. And it was forbidden them that they should utter; neither was it given unto them power that they could utter the things which they saw and heard; And whether they were in the body or out of the body, they could not tell; for it did seem unto them like a transfiguration of them, that they were changed from this body of flesh into an immortal state, that they could behold the things of God. (3 Nephi 28:12-15)

Seeing God, therefore, is an experience that involves the whole soul, and it cannot be strictly determined whether it is a physical or spiritual experience.  Early Church member John Murdock explained his vision of God:

During the winter of 1833 we had a number of prayer meetings in the Prophet's chamber.  In one of those meetings the Prophet told us, if we could humble ourselves before God, and exercise strong faith, we should see the face of the Lord.  And about midday, the visions of my mind were opened, and the eyes of my understanding were enlightened, and I saw the form of a man, most lovely.

In a likewise manner, in the temple we may be caught up in the Spirit and receive such a manifestation of God such that we don’t know exactly how we experienced it, whether in our mind, body, dream, vision, etc.  It is not something that we see strictly with our eyes, but it a much more encompassing and sublime encounter.

(To be continued…)

Seeing the Face of God in the Temple – Part 2

Of course, in Joseph Smith’s day, such discoveries had not been made yet, and so Joseph was mocked for his story of having discovered gold plates with the writings of ancient people inscribed on them.

Today it is becoming commonplace to find such ancient texts, which is why in the dozens of media reports on the emergence of the lead plates this past week, not one questioned the fact that the writings were on metal.  In fact, one scholar specifically noted that there were examples of ancient metal tablets made out of copper, bronze, and gold.

Here is a summary of only some of the most prominent findings.  

Etruscan Gold Book, dating to 600 BC (click to enlarge)

Etruscan Gold Book

This is believed to be the oldest complete multiple page book found in the world.  It is made of six plates of gold, each 5 x 4.5 cm, and bound with two rings.  It dates to 600 BC.

It was unearthed from a tomb some 60-70 years ago, along the Strouma River in southwestern Bulgaria.  It was donated to the Bulgarian National Museum of History in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2003.  The plates contain text in Etruscan characters, and was likely a type of prayer book made for the funeral of an aristocrat.

This discovery is especially interesting to Latter-day Saints because the date places it at the same time as when Lehi and his family left Jerusalem, indicating that this form of bookmaking and bookbinding was practiced in the Mediterranean region at the time.  It is similar to the description that Joseph Smith gave of the gold plates of the Book of Mormon.

More Information:

• John A. Tvedtnes, "Etruscan Gold Book from 600 B.C. Discovered," Insights: A Window on the Ancient World 23/5 (October 2003)
• “Unique book goes on display,” 26 May 2003, BBC News

Pyrgi Gold Tablets, dating to 500 BC (click to enlarge)

Pyrgi Gold Tablets

This set of three gold plates was discovered in 1964 in an excavation of a sanctuary in ancient Pyrgi, in Italy.  They contain holes around their edges, which indicates that they were likely bound together in some form at one point.

The plates date to 500 BC, and contain a dedication by King Thefarie Velianas to the Phoenician goddess Astarte.  Two have Etruscan text, and the third has Phoenician.

William Hamblin notes that these plates are:

…a prime example of the spread of the Phoenician practice of writing sacred texts on golden plates from their original center in Phoenicia, via Carthage, to Italy, and is roughly contemporary with the Book of Mormon’s claim that sacred texts were written on metal plates by the Phoenicians’ closer neighbors, the Jews.

The Pyrgi Tablets are now at the National Etruscan Museum in Rome, Italy.

More Information:

• William J. Hamblin, “Sacred Writing on Metal Plates in the Ancient Mediterranean,” FARMS Review (19/1), Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 2007, p. 37--54
• Pyrgi Tablets, Wikipedia.

Copper Scroll, dating to 50-100 AD, reproduction above, actual pieces below, photo of roll above-right (click to enlarge)

Copper Scroll

Perhaps the most famous example of ancient writing on metal plates is the Copper Scroll, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran by an archeologist in 1952.  Its Hebrew text was inscribed on two rolls of coppper, and dates to 50-100 AD.

Because it was found in rolls, and the metal was corroded, it had to be cut apart into 23 strips to be read.  Both rolls were part of the same document.  The text, interestingly, describes the locations of hidden temple treasures from the Second Temple of Jerusalem.  In other words, it’s a kind of treasure map.

William Hamblin notes its similarity to the plates of the Book of Mormon:

…it is a clear example of an attempt to preserve an important sacred record by writing on copper/bronze (Heb. nechushah) plates and then hiding the document.

Unfortunately, no hidden temple treasures have yet been discovered by reading the text.

More Information:

• William J. Hamblin, “Sacred Writing on Metal Plates in the Ancient Mediterranean,” FARMS Review (19/1), Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 2007, p. 37--54
• John A. Tvedtnes, “Copper Scroll from Qumran,” Book of Mormon Research.
• Copper Scroll, Wikipedia.

Korean Diamond Cutter Sutra Gold Plates, dating to 8th century AD (click to enlarge)

Korean Diamond-Cutter Sutra Gold Plates

This is a set of nineteen gold plates that was found in December, 1965, buried under a five-storied pagoda in Iksan, Korea.  Each plate measures 14.8 x 13.7 cm and was found inside a bronze box inside a stone box.  The plates are hinged together, and have two gold bands that wrap around the plates.  They date to the 8th century AD.

The plates contain the text of the Diamond-Cutter Sutra.  A Maxwell Institute publication by David Honey and Michael Lyon describe it:

The text opens with a group of monks who circumambulate the living Buddha three times and then sit down to listen to his teachings… He warns of a future period called the “Latter Days of the Law” when the oral transmission will have decayed. He prophesies that there will be at least some enlightened beings who will understand and teach his true doctrine. He then promises that the country that preserves and teaches this sutra will have to be honored and worshiped by the worlds of gods, men, and evil spirits. It will become like a chaitya, or temple. It is apparent that this promise was the motivation for Korean Buddhists to inscribe the sutra on gold plates and preserve it under a pagoda.

The plates are part of National Treasure No. 123, and located at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul.

More Information:

• David Honey and Michael Lyon, “An Inscribed Chinese Gold Plate in Its Context: Glimpses of the Sacred Center,” in The Disciple as Scholar: Essays on Scripture and the Ancient World in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute
• John A. Tvedtnes, “Korean Diamond Sutra,” Book of Mormon Research.
• Paul R. Cheesman, “Ancient Writing on Metal Plates,” Ensign, October, 1979, 42.

Silver Scrolls, dating to 600 BC (click to enlarge)

Silver Scrolls

Discovered in 1979, these scrolls were found inside one of a series of burial caves called Ketef Hinnom in a hillside just west of Jerusalem.  They were two small silver scrolls, about 1″ x 4″ in size, and much care was taken over a three year period to unroll them to read them.  They had archaic Hebrew text on them.  They determined that the scrolls date to approximately 600 BC, very near the time that Lehi left Jerusalem.

Amazingly, the scrolls contain the oldest surviving citations of the Hebrew Bible, in addition to the oldest surviving reference to Yahweh (Jehovah or LORD). The text comes from primarily Numbers 6:24-26, which is a priesthood blessing (or ordinance) the Lord instructed Moses to teach Aaron to give to the Israelites.

This shows that the Jerusalem people of Lehi’s time did, indeed, write sacred texts on metal, and provides evidence that the first five books of Moses existed at the time Lehi left Jerusalem, which would have been required if the brass plates were to contain them (1 Nephi 5:11).

Another interesting note is that these scrolls were meant to be rolled up and likely worn around the neck, serving as an amulet, to “provide a blessing that will be used to protect the wearer from some manner of evil forces.”

More information:

• Ketef Hinnom, Wikipedia
• John Noble Wilford, “Solving a Riddle Written in Silver,” The New York Times, 28 September 2004
• “Scriptures on 2,600-Year-Old Silver Scrolls Found in Jerusalem,” Ensign 17 (June 1987): 56-57
• William J. Adams Jr., ”Lehi’s Jerusalem and Writing on Silver Plates,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (3/1), Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 1994, p. 204-06
• Gary D. Myers, “‘Silver scrolls’ are oldest O.T. scripture, archaeologist says,” Baptist Press, 27 Feb 2004
• Stephen Caesar, “The Blessing of the Silver Scrolls,” Associates for Biblical Research, 6 Jan 2010

Darius I Persepolis Gold Plates, dating to 518 - 515 BC (click to enlarge)

Darius I Persepolis Gold Plates

These plates were found by archeologists in 1938, in Persepolis, near modern day Shiraz, Iran.  There were two gold plates and two silver plates in a stone box, written on in cuneiform script.  The plates date to 518 – 515 BC.

The text found on each of the plates was the same:

"Darius the great king, king of kings, king of countries, son of Hystaspes, an Achaemenid. King Darius says: This is the kingdom which I hold, from the Sacae who are beyond Sogdia to Nubia, and from Sind to Lydia - [this is] what Ahuramazda, the greatest of gods, bestowed upon me. May Ahuramazda protect me and my royal house!"

This reminds me of the divine bestowals of power, protection, prosperity, and seed found among the Egyptians, and even on the Rosetta Stone.

The plates are now located at the national museum in Tehran, Iran.

• John A. Tvedtnes, “Darius I Persepolis Tablets,” Book of Mormon Research
• Persepolis, Apadana Palace, Wikipedia

Petelia tablet, one of the Orphic Gold Plates, dating to fourth century BC (click to enlarge)

Orphic Gold Tablets or Plates

This is a remarkable set of about 35 small pieces of gold foil that have been found in ancient tombs across Greece and Rome.  They are inscribed in Greek text, and most date to the fourth century BC.

The text on these plates gives instructions to the dead on how to navigate the afterlife, especially what they should say or do on their journey there.  As David Larsen describes them:

… [they] give specific instructions for what the initiate is to do during their journey into the  Afterlife, including meeting a number of guardians and gods who will ask them questions and to whom they must give certain passwords.

David Larsen has provided an amazing LDS perspective on these in a series of articles at his blog, HeavenlyAscents.com:

• David Larsen, “Instructions for the Netherworld: The Orphic Gold Tablets,” HeavenlyAscents.com, 18 June 2009
• David Larsen, “The Orphic Gold Tablets: Arriving in the Afterlife and the Importance of Memory for Salvation,” HeavenlyAscents.com, 26 June 2009
• David Larsen, “The Orphic Gold Tablets: A ‘Ritual for the Dead’,” HeavenlyAscents.com, 2 July 2009
• David Larsen, “The Tree of Life as Nurturing Mother,” HeavenlyAscents.com, 12 July 2009
• David Larsen, “The Orphic Gold Tablets: ‘The Longed-For Crown’,” HeavenlyAscents.com, 31 July 2009

Questionable Findings

There are some discoveries which do not seem to have been studied much, and which may or may not be forgeries.  Here is one:

Achaemenid Golden Codex, dating to between 550 BC - 330 BC (click to enlarge)

Achaemenid Golden Codex

In October 2005, police in Tehran, Iran, recovered several artifacts that had been sold to smugglers by a farmer who had found them while plowing a field.  One of these artifacts was a book made of eight plates of gold, and bound with four rings on one side.

The codex is inscribed with cuneiform script, which was a commonly used in the ancient Near East.  It is believed to be from the Achaemenid period, because of its codex format, which would date it to sometime between 550 BC and 330 BC.  Again, dated to shortly after the time period of Lehi and his family, and in the Middle East.

The current whereabouts of this artifact are unknown to me and those I’ve asked.  Instead of continuing to chase the Jordan Lead Codices down a dead-end road, it might be more productive for the media to help find this codex, and determine its authenticity and meaning.

More Information:

• John A. Tvedtnes, “Achaemenid Gold Book,” Book of Mormon Research.
• “An Achaemenid Golden Codex Recovered from Smugglers,” 11 October 2005, The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS)

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many examples of modern day archeological discoveries of ancient writing on metal plates, and I only mention a few.  These were unknown in Joseph Smith’s time, yet many attest to the fact that writing on metal plates was a practice during Lehi’s day in and around Jerusalem.

Authentic Ancient Metal Plates

UPDATE: See the latest updates about this discovery at Jordanian Lead Plates: Authentic or Forgery?
–
David Larsen at HeavenlyAscents.com has pointed out an interesting recent discovery (see his posts here and here).  A collection of dozens of books made from metal plates have been found in Jordan that initial tests show date from the first century AD.

Now this certainly sounds exciting, particularly to the Latter-day Saints. As we know, Joseph Smith said that he received and translated ancient sealed gold plates, in what became The Book of Mormon.

This find is interesting for a number of reasons:

• The books are written on metal plates (lead and copper)
• They are bound by rings on one side (also known as codices)
• Many of the books are “sealed” on all sides
• They appear to be from the first century AD, and may be the earliest Christian documents ever found
• Scholars have noted that, if authentic, this could be bigger than the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls
• They appear to be written in an archaic Hebrew script
• Some appears to be written in code
• The sealed nature, and code appearance of the text, suggests that these may contain “secret teachings,” perhaps even “Temple based documentation”
• A number of recognizable symbols appear, including the menorah (which can be seen in the photos above), branches, fruits, trees, and of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), associated with the enthronement rituals of ancient Davidic kings, and with the coming of the Messiah

Dr. Margaret Barker commented on the discovery:

“The Book of Revelation tells of a sealed book that was opened only by the Messiah. Other texts from the period tell of sealed books of wisdom and of a secret tradition passed on by Jesus to his closest disciples. That is the context for this discovery. So if they are forgeries, what are they forgeries of?"

Extensive investigation must still be done to verify the authenticity of these plates and their meaning.  If they are genuine, this could be a huge discovery. (See an update of this discovery from the BBC News).

See below for the full press release issued today about the find:
Sealed

Ancient Sealed Metal Plates with Perhaps Secret Temple Texts discovered in Middle East?

All Things on Earth are the Lord's

(Continued from Part 2)

In order to properly understand the law of consecration, we must first keep in mind two foundational gospel principles:

1. All things are ultimately the Lord’s
2. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, might, mind, and strength

Once we understand these two principles we will be prepared to understand how the law of consecration works, and how we are able to live it today.  Hopefully some of my thoughts here will help us in that effort.  We will begin with the first principle.

All Things are the Lord’s

Nothing that we have is our own.  Just because we have something in our possession does not mean that we have true ownership of it, and this is particularly the case when we view our “things” through a gospel lens.  The Lord has declared: 

14 I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine.
15 And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine. (D&C 104:14-15)

We often make the fallacy of believing that when we move material “things” into our living space that they now become “ours,” and “ours” alone, belonging solely to us, and that no one else has any rights to them but us.  Once things are “ours,” we believe that we have every right to do with them what we will, regardless of those around us.  They seem even off-limits to God.  The reasoning goes, “I’ve earned this, so it is now mine, to do with as I desire.”

The error in this is probably best shown through a simple allegory I read recently:

God is sitting in Heaven when a scientist says to Him, “Lord, we don’t need you anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing. In other words, we can now do what you did in the ‘beginning’.”

“Oh, is  that so? Tell me…” replies God.

“Well,” says the scientist, “we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of You and breathe life into it, thus creating man.”

“Well, that’s interesting, show Me.”

So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil.

“Oh no, no, no…” interrupts God, “Get your own dirt.”

I think this story teaches a powerful lesson.  Everything that God has put here on earth is the creation of Him who put it, down to the plants, the animals, the rocks, the dust, the atoms, and electrons.  Not even our own bodies are ours, as strange as it may sound.  We are bought with a price.

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

Who bought us?  The Lord.  What was the price?  The Atonement.  For without the Lord and His Atonement, our existence here would be utterly in vain, the law of entropy would overcome all, and we would crumble and return to the elements forevermore.  But we have been bought, and been given the unconditional gift of immortality through the grace of Christ, in that we will live forever.  This is the reason why God can set the ground rules for our lives here, and ultimately base the greatest rewards that await us in the hereafter on obedience to those rules.

Again the Lord teaches:

55 Behold, all these properties are mine, or else your faith is vain, and ye are found hypocrites, and the covenants which ye have made unto me are broken… (D&C 104:55)

Indeed, it seems that God is jealous of what is His, and in that we would be correct:

14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God… (Ex. 34:14)

Why is He jealous?  It is because of man’s propensity to believe that what he has is not His who gave it to him, and who doesn’t use it in the way its true Owner prescribes.

Consider the words of King Benjamin:

21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another--I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.
22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.
23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.
24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?
25 And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you. (Mosiah 2:21-25)

It matters not what we do, or who we are, or what we possess, we are forever indebted to God who created us and everything around us.  God is the true Owner of all things, and everything that we have and are is a gift from Him, to use as He directs.

Steven C. Harper notes well:

The Lord claims ownership of “the earth” and “all things therein,” including “all these properties” and compels us to choose. Either He is the omnipotent Creator and owner of the earth and everything in it or else He is something less and therefore incapable of rewarding our faith. If we acknowledge Him as Lord of all and yet fail to consecrate per His command, we are hypocrites. To acknowledge God is to grant that He is well within His divine prerogative to redistribute His own wealth according to His own will.

So how are we to treat everything we have?  God has placed us in the capacity of stewards over His creations, not owners, “free agent[s] empowered to act independently but accountable to the actual owner for all actions”.  We will explore the meaning of stewardship more in the forthcoming parts of this series.  If we are faithful, the day will come when the Lord will declare, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful [stewards] over a few things, I will make thee ruler [owner] over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:21).  Only then we will be true owners.

How have you understood that “all things are the Lord’s”?  Is this a difficult principle for us to grasp?  What are some ways we can better understand this concept?  Please share with us in the comments.

(To be continued…)

Living the Law of Consecration – Part 3: All Things are the Lord’s

You can watch Elder Holland’s talk in the video embedded below.

Elder Holland Testifies Boldly of the Truth of The Book of Mormon!

Detail from Sacrament, by Minerva Teichert (ca. 1935). On display in the JSB at BYU.

Last night at the Third Nephi conference held at BYU, Professor John W. Welch gave the keynote address.  His topic was “New Insights Into the Temple Setting of the Sermon on the Mount in Reference to the Sermon at the Temple.”  It was an excellent address, after which Paul Y. Hoskisson, the director of the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies, remarked that he was overwhelmed by what he just heard.  You can read my notes on the conference last night here.

One of the things Professor Welch did was give a free handout to all those who were in attendance to outline some of the things he was going to cover, and topics he has written about in an upcoming book.  I have included this handout embedded at the end of this post.  Professor Welch has been studying this topic since about 1988 when he first wrote a FARMS Update article entitled “The Sermon at the Temple,” in which he wrote of 3 Nephi 11-18 as a text which “offers clues to connect the [Sermon on the Mount] with the making of covenants at the temple”. 

Professor John W. Welch

In this article he gave six key points which link the sermon to the temple:

1. Jesus gave the address “to the Nephites at their temple (3 Ne. 11:1).”
2. The sermon was given “in a covenant-making context.”
3. The stipulations in the sermon were “by way of commandment.”
4. The purpose of the sermon was to “show the disciple how to be exalted at the final judgment.”
5. Looking at the sermon in this way “dramatically enhances its meaning.”
6. The commandments given by the Savior here “could hardly be a more succinct preparation for the making of temple covenants.”

Professor Welch has published a book on this subject geared toward an LDS audience entitled Illuminating the Sermon at the Temple and Sermon on the Mount (Provo: FARMS, 1999).  This book can also be read online at the Maxwell Institute’s website here.  This book is at the top of my list to read next.

Last night he announced another book which will be published in 2009 on the same subject which will be more generally addressed to New Testament scholars entitled The Sermon on the Mount in the Light of the Temple (London: Ashgate, forthcoming 2009).  Professor Welch gave us a preview of what will be coming in that book in the handout:

• Selected Temple Elements in the Sermon on the Mount – Taken from chart 1 in Welch’s upcoming book.  In this document Welch compares elements, including phrases, words, topics, themes, and patterns in the Sermon on the Mount to other temple texts in the Bible such as Psalms, Exodus, and Isaiah.
• The Stages of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 – This document is based on the table of contents of Welch’s upcoming book, outlining the 25 stages he has found in the Sermon on the Mount which establish the temple covenant pattern.

The last page in the handout is entitled “Temple Studies: Selected Recent Bibliography.”  This is a list of some of the major publications, many non-LDS, published since 2000 which have been on the topic of temple studies.  It is a great list of literature, which should serve as an excellent guide for anyone curious in studying and learning more about the temple.

See the embedded handout below.  Note that you can maximize it to full screen by clicking the icon on the right of the toolbar.

Update (9/29/08): Because of copyright restrictions, I have excluded pages 2 and 3 from the embedded handout below. We may be able to include them in the future.

Preview: “The Sermon on the Mount in the Light of the Temple,” by John Welch

Liveblog: Third Nephi Conference at BYU – Part 2

Liveblog: Third Nephi Conference at BYU

New Zealand Maori sharing in the sacred act of hongi, exchanging the ha or breath of life.

The title is a bit of a mouthful, but let me explain.

I have been a ballroom dancer since I was about 12 years old, or about 15 years.  It has been quite an experience being involved with this subculture of ballroom dance, which has made up a large portion of my life.  During the summer of 2005 I had the opportunity to tour with the BYU Ballroom Dance Company to the South Pacific, during which we visited Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, and Tahiti.  My wife was also fortunate to join us on the trip.  It was a singular experience which has burned a place in my memory.

Naturally, as part of these tours we were also able to learn much about the locations and people of the places we visited.  One of the places that really struck me for its beauty and uniqueness was New Zealand.  Going to New Zealand was like stepping into a different world.  The indigenous people of New Zealand are known as the Maori, and the customs and traditions of these people were quite different than what we were accustomed to.  Some of the things we experienced with the Maori were very spiritual in nature, which immediately caused me to ponder, and which I have had opportunity to think about for several years now.  Specifically, the Maori ceremonial greeting tradition that they conducted with our BYU group as we arrived in New Zealand was one of the most significant experiences I had with the group.  This rite or ceremony is known as the powhiri, and has insightful elements for Latter-day Saints to consider. 

The Maori term itself means “normal,” “natural,” or “ordinary” in the Maori language, “meaning man, human being, as distinguished from spirit, or god, &c.”.  Where they live is commonly called te ao maori, meaning “this common, familiar world, where men live, as distinguished from the dwelling-place of the gods”.  Thus, even this people’s self-identity and existence in this world takes into account the existence of a supreme being.

The Maori are said to have inhabited the Polynesian islands by way of the waka, or ship vessels, which are like giant ocean-going canoes.  They say that the “waka was our only means of going from A to B… Without waka the Maori certainly wouldn’t be here… Our ancestors were truly dependent on waka to get here”.  This migration is said to have occurred sometime between 800 and 1300 AD.  Ancient populations migrating by boat to different continents and islands is interesting to the Latter-day Saint because of our own narrative of Book of Mormon people doing the same.

The powhiri is a welcome ceremony and ritual which the Maori perform in order to greet visitors to their land.  There is a great documentary at NewZealand.com which explains this ceremony with multimedia.  It is described as the “embodiment of [Maori] spiritual and cultural being”.  This tradition is said to be very ancient, and has been passed down from Maori tribal ancestors.  Some of the purposes of the ceremony are “to ward off evil spirits and unite both visitor and host in an environment of friendship and peace”.  In this sense, it is a type of at-one-ment of strangers, bringing both into desirable harmony and unity with each other.  It is an initiation of sorts to become one and a part of the tangata whenua, or Maori people.

The term powhiri has been etymologically analyzed by Maori in order to describe what it means.  There are two parts to the word – po and whiri.  Po is described as “a venture into the ‘unknown’ or a new experience,” while whiri comes to mean “the act or experience of exchanging information and knowledge”.  And so the combined term could be interpreted as meaning a kind of mystical or novel act in which one gains and/or exchanges knowledge, not unlike the way we describe our temple experience.

Me standing in front of the marae where our BYU group experienced the powhiri ceremony. (click for a larger view)

The powhiri ceremony most often occurs in a marae, or the gathering place of the Maori, where “the past meets the present”.  There are typically several parts to a powhiri:

• Kawa – customs or protocols for greeting visitors.  These introductory instructions are first given to the manuhiri, or visitors, such that they may be guided “safely through the spiritual and physical realms,” and so “they understand what is expected of them”.
• Taki (or wero) – a challenge is presented, where warriors appear to determine the intentions of the visitors.  If the visitors’ intentions are peaceful, the warriors present a rautapu, or some sort of symbolic peace offering, which the visitors “nod and acknowledge that [they have]… received it”.  Once this is done, the warriors guide the visitors into the sacred marae.
• Karanga – the vocal call of a female begins which will be a kind a purifying preparation or “clear a spiritual pathway between the hosts and visitors… acknowledging the spirits of all our ancestors who have passed on into the veil of the world, without end.”.  It is a type of call to the Maori and visitors’ ancestors.
• Karakia – a prayer or blessing is offered to the gods to “bring everyone together. Asking assistance of a superior being to give spiritual protection to all those who are participating in the powhiri”.  This is a type of demon or devil cleansing such that everyone may be “free from any destructive spiritual influences”.
• Mihi – formal greetings and identification of who you are.  It is a recitation of your ancestors, history, family line (genealogy), and your relationship to one another.  These details were often only known by oral transmission and memory.
• Waiata – a spiritual song is sung.  “Traditional waiata of the ancestors were often aligned with spiritual events, which could include supporting karakia or prayer to evoke supernatural forces”.
• Koha – the act of gifting, in a very honorable, dignified, way.  Traditionally this was done by offering assistance in the gathering of food, or taonga, treasures.  Today it is usually a monetary-type gift. 
• Hongi – the unique and very sacred Maori physical embrace wherein the two sides become one.  “The hongi is the traditional greeting of nose pressing.  It is the exchange of the ha, or breath of life… This greeting makes the visitor at one with the tangata whenua [hosts]”.  “The most sacred part of the Maori is this portion here – the face and head.  When you make contact with a fellow human, it’s the embracing, the light touching of the noses.  Because you’re now dealing with the most sacred part of the person.  It’s the essence of life to mankind.  Where else does the breath of life enter man?”.  This is the portion of the ceremony in which the breath of life is exchanged and intermingled between host and visitor, and makes the visitors one with the Maori, ready to share in all responsibilities and duties.  This tradition is said to have come “directly from the gods”.  “In Maori folklore, woman was created by the gods moulding her shape out of the earth. The god Tane (meaning male) embraced the figure and breathed into her nostrils. She then sneezed and came to life. Her name was Hineahuone (earth formed woman)”.  Sometimes this embrace in the ceremony also includes the hariru, which is a handshake between hosts and visitors, and even a kiss or hug.  One website describes it thus:
  

  Direction will be given for manuhiri to go forward to hariru/shake hands, hug or hongi with tangata whenua. Whether you hariru, hongi, hug or do all three is entirely up to you at the time. We trust people will feel culturally comfortable whatever their choice. The action of performing hongi is associated with the hariru. The two people shake hands, each using the right hand. At the same time the left hand maybe placed on or near the other person's shoulder. The head is bent, the eyes closed, and sometimes foreheads touch as noses are pressed. Some choose to press once and some twice - both ways are of equal significance. Invariably, tangata whenua will indicate their kawa/ways by example. It is appropriate to say "tena koe"/"hello to you" or "kia ora"/"greetings" as part of the greeting. In this greeting our ancestors meet as we meet and together we share the breath of life. This physical contact between manuhiri and tangata whenua completes lifts the waewae tapu/sacredness of first time visitors, allowing us all to be one, as tangata whenua for the duration of this Gathering. The running of the marae, for the time of our stay, is now ours to share.

• Hakari – ritual feasting and sharing of traditional foods in a banquet to finish the binding together.  “At the conclusion of that you are finally part of the family.  And it’s a very happy occasion.  And you can feel it.  There’s a warmth in the room amongst everyone”.  Such a climax in the ritual reminds me of being in the Celestial Room of the temple with friends and family gathered round.  It also recalls the feasts and tabernacles of the Israelites, or the marriage feast of the Bridegroom in the scriptures (D&C 65:3; cf. Matt. 25).
• Poroporaoki (or Mihi-whakamutunga) – final speeches and farewell.  It is the returning of the esteem and authority of the Maori hosts back to them.  It is a time of reflection on becoming one or a part of the Maori people.

Our BYU group experienced all of this ceremony among the Maori soon after our arrival in the country.  It was a wonderful experience.  The hongi was a particularly moving and beautiful experience, as each of us pressed our noses and foreheads with each of our Maori hosts in the marae, and shared the breath of life with each.  It was a very sacred yet friendly moment of becoming acquainted with our new friends, being welcome in their country, and becoming part of their family.

There is YouTube example of a powhiri at the 2008 Parahaka Peace Festival.  The exchange of the hongi embrace begins at about 7:00 into the clip.  The taki can also be seen in this clip from Queenstown, New Zealand.

We participated in at least two powhiri while we were in New Zealand.  Little did we know the significance of what we were doing at the time.  But we grew into the culture throughout our visit, and were eventually fully participating with the Maori even in the haka dances.  I would love to do a more in-depth study of the powhiri ceremony and the spiritual traditions of the Maori at some point.  It is a fascinating culture, and we can learn much from them.

Pōwhiri and Hongi of New Zealand’s Māori: a Sacred Ritual

Here is the schedule:

• 9am • Julie M. Smith • So Shall My Word Be: Reading Alma 32 through Isaiah 55
• 10am • James E. Faulconer • Desiring to Believe: Philo-Sophia and the Word of God
• 11am • Adam Miller • You Must Needs Say that the Word is Good
• 1pm • Jenny Webb • It is Well that Ye are Cast Out: Alma 32 and Eden
• 2pm • Joseph M. Spencer • Faith, Hope, and Charity: Alma and Joseph Smith
• 3pm • Robert Couch • "No Cause to Believe": Knowledge and Other Signs of Dormant Faith

Since the FAIR Conference liveblogging seemed to work so well, I’m going to see if I can liveblog this event too (I hope they have WiFi in the JFSB).  If anyone else is also attending the conference and wants to collaborate on the liveblogging, contact me and maybe we can join our efforts.  We will be using the awesome CoverItLive service.

If you want to receive an email reminder of the liveblogging we will be doing here next Friday, see the right hand sidebar on TempleStudy.com to sign up for one.

Mormon Theology Seminar Conference: Reading Alma 32 on Sept. 19