Temple Square Panoramas

I’ve featured 360° panoramas of Temple Square before, those created by Dr. William Hamblin, but a few more can’t hurt.  And these ones are very good indeed.

Created by Martin van Hemert Photography, Inc., at Utah3D.net, these full-screen panoramas include 360° images of the plaza, the Tabernacle, the Assembly Hall, the North-West corner of the temple, the Christus statue, and Christmas lights at Temple Square (between the Tabernacle and Assembly Hall).  The color and lighting are exquisite in these!  And it gives the perception of standing on the spot.  Very well done.

To navigate the panoramas, click on the image of the panorama you want to view, allow the image to load, and then click and drag on the image to look around in any direction.  You can zoom in/out with the left shift and CTRL keys, or the scroll wheel on your mouse.

And while you’re at it, check out the other Utah panoramas they’ve done.

Utah3D.net 360° Panoramas of Temple Square

[via Mormon Times via LDS Media Talk]

Excellent Panoramas of Temple Square

Very sensitive cameras capture light emitted from the body. Kyoto University, Tohoku Institute of Technology / Livescience.com

That’s right.  Our bodies actually emit a minuscule amount of real light.  This is not just radiation or infrared body heat, but actual photons are released from the surface of the skin:

Past research has shown that the body emits visible light, 1,000 times less intense than the levels to which our naked eyes are sensitive. In fact, virtually all living creatures emit very weak light, which is thought to be a byproduct of biochemical reactions involving free radicals.

New research indicates that the amount of light varies throughout the day: 

The researchers found the body glow rose and fell over the day, with its lowest point at 10 a.m. and its peak at 4 p.m., dropping gradually after that. These findings suggest there is light emission linked to our body clocks, most likely due to how our metabolic rhythms fluctuate over the course of the day.

The face glows more than the rest of the body, but research is showing that this light may be indicative of the condition of the whole body:

“If you can see the glimmer from the body’s surface, you could see the whole body condition,” said researcher Masaki Kobayashi, a biomedical photonics specialist at the Tohoku Institute of Technology in Sendai, Japan.

And it is not just humans that exhibit this quality, but all living things emit low levels of actual light.

This research brings new meaning to many scriptures which deal with light, particularly section 88 of the Doctrine & Covenants:

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;
12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space--
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. (D&C 88:11-13)

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.
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. (D&C 88:49-50)

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-- (D&C 88:58)

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. (D&C 88:67)

It would be very interesting to see further research that tests if the light that is emitted varies not only by metabolic rhythms, but according to the character and lifestyle of each person.  Furthermore, is it possible that we can detect this light from each other, even if not with our eyes?  Hugh Nibley once wrote of the discernment abilities of Brigham Young:

A big black leather chair stood in Brigham Young’s office by the Lion House; it faced the window on the opposite wall and the President’s desk in the middle of the room. First-time visitors to the office were invited to sit on that chair, facing the strong light of day and the calm blue eyes of Brother Brigham, who sat there at his desk, his back to the window, quietly waiting for his guest to say something. After all, the man had come to see him, and it was only right to let him state his business. President Young, according to Grandfather [Charles W. Nibley], would never say a word for the first three minutes. And at the end of those first three minutes he always knew exactly the sort of man he was dealing with, and the nature--greedy, benign, or sinister--of his business. “And he never (here Grandpa smote the arm of his chair) had to change his mind!”--his psychoanalytical techniques, black leather couch and all, were deadly accurate. Brigham Young used to say that no man, if allowed to speak, could possibly avoid revealing his true character.

Human Bodies Emit Visible Light

The latest I heard today was about the Los Angeles temple, and about how one night there was a power failure such that the angel Moroni wasn’t lit.  The temple received a call from the LAX airport tower control asking why the light was out.  They were told that pilots use the light and Moroni as a beacon to guide them in their landing.  The temple workers climbed to the top of the temple and lit the angel with a generator.

I’ve heard this story told now about three different temples – the Las Vegas, the Los Angeles, and the Oakland temple.  Each time the details are slightly different, but the substance is the same.  In some of the versions it is the entire temple which is unlit; in some it is just the angel Moroni.

I was wondering if anyone knows where this story came from, and if any of these are true.  I did some quick searches on LDS.org, but didn’t find anything.

Temple Lights Guide Pilots?

Detail from The Temptation by William Strang. 1899. Oil on canvas. Tate Gallery.

The account of the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Bible is relatively succinct, particularly in the vocal exchanges between the serpent, Eve, and Adam (bolded below).  What details we know of the Fall come primarily from chapter 3 of Genesis:

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. (Gen. 3:1-7)

Some Armenian Apocrypha manuscripts have been translated into English in recent decades which expand on the Fall narrative substantially, and which are enlightening to compare and contrast with the Genesis account and the account as presented in the temple.  LDS scholars John Tvedtnes and Matthew Roper have helped bring this literature to light for us.  English translations of the Armenian Apocrypha texts can be found by W. Lowndes Lipscomb and Michael Stone.  Michael Stone’s book Armenian Apocrypha Relating to Adam and Eve is available for limited reading on Google Books.

I would like to compare what is presented about the Fall in the Armenian Apocrypha with what is known in the Genesis account, particularly the additional details which are absent from the Bible. Any comparisons with the temple account will be left for the reader to make.  The part of the apocrypha that we will look at has been called Adam and Eve and the Incarnation, and as noted by Stone “was composed in Armenian, incorporating ancient traditions originating both within and outside Armenian literature”.

One of the first things I notice in paragraph 2 of the Armenian texts is that the serpent is clearly identified with Satan, which is not explicit in Genesis.  One of the manuscripts reads:

The evil one, Satan, . . . having entered into the belly of the serpent, he spoke to Eve with human voice, and he said to Eve, “Why is it that you do not eat of the fruit of that tree?”

In another manuscript, Satan calls the fruit “beautiful.”  In all manuscripts, Satan refers specifically to “that tree” or “this fruit,” whereas in Genesis the question is more general, “hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen. 3:1).  Eve responds by telling Satan of the commandment as given to them by God.  Satan then replies, in one of the manuscripts:

But the serpent said, “(That is) not so!  Because God himself was a man like you when he ate of it, and he became God of all.  Because of that he said not to eat of that, because you knew that when you eat of it, you will become a god, his equal.  Because of that he said for you not to eat.”

This is substantially different than the Genesis account.  In Genesis, the partaking of the fruit is noted by Satan as causing eyes to be opened, and that they would become “as gods,” by “knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5).  In this apocryphal account Satan goes further to note that God was once a man too, and that He became God by eating of the fruit, and thus became divine.  If Adam and Eve partake of it they will become like Him, or “his equal.”  Stone also notes here that text is explicit “that God was himself originally human and became divine through eating the fruit”.  These are interesting details to consider, for even though it is Satan who speaks, there is both truth and error in his words to Eve (see Gen. 3:22).

After hearing this, Eve partakes of the fruit, and is stripped of her light or glory.  At this point the Armenian text embellishes the story significantly from what is contained in the Genesis account.  In Genesis it is only noted that Eve “gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Gen. 3:6).  But what was the interchange between Eve and Adam?  Did Adam say anything to Eve on the occasion?  Did Adam protest at all?  What did Eve say?  How did Eve convince Adam to partake?  These details are strangely absent from the Genesis account, and there is no account of any conversation there.

The Armenian texts provide further details, including a conversation between Adam and Eve.  One of the manuscripts says:

When she came to Adam and he saw and said, “Why is it that you have been stripped naked? Did you eat of that fruit?”  Eve said, “O Adam, take (it) and eat!”  Adam said, “I fear (lest) I become stripped naked like you.”

In other words, upon recognizing what Eve has done, Adam immediately interrogates Eve with questions of what she has done, why she is stripped, and if she has eaten of the fruit of the forbidden tree.  Eve only wants Adam to also eat of the fruit.  Adam protests doing it, for he knows that he too will be stripped of his glory.

Eve responds that Adam is beloved of God, and might not be angry with him.  John Tvedtnes notes that Adam says “I cannot taste it and become like you”.  Eve invites Adam to partake again.  Tvedtnes also notes in one translation that Eve tells Adam that “This fruit is extremely sweet and tasty”.  Adam holds the fruit in his hand, and ponders eating the fruit for some time (in one account three hours).  One manuscript relates Adam’s thoughts: “If I do not eat, I shall be separated from my wife”.  In another manuscript Eve also echos similar words:

Do not forget me and do not separate me from you, and do not abandon me in this nakedness of mine.  Take (it) and eat and because of love of you, God will turn and have mercy upon us.

Adam considers the consequences and partakes:

“It is preferable to die with the woman than to be separated from her.“  He took and consumed the fruit, and was stripped naked of the light.

And so we see that the Armenian text adds quite a bit of detail to the story of the Fall of Adam and Eve, much of which is not present in the Genesis account.

The Fall of Adam and Eve in the Armenian Aprocrypha

Initiation of Nemo

The living prophets and apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is Truth? I hope this will help shed some light.  The living prophets of this dispensation have spoken the word of the Lord.

From the “Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson” (pgs. 115-121):

Truth is a glorious thing. We sing about it. “Oh say, what is truth?/’Tis the fairest gem/That the riches of worlds can produce.” (Hymns, 1985, no. 272.) The Church and kingdom of God has no fear of the truth.

We are engaged in the greatest work in all the world-yes, the greatest in the whole universe: the saving and exaltation of our Father’s children, our brothers and sisters. We are the custodians of the truth, the saving principles which, where applied, will build, save, and exalt men.…

Our lives, to be successful, must constitute a constant pursuit of truth-all truth. The gospel encompasses all truth; it is consistent, without conflict, eternal. I have had the privilege of traveling to most parts of this world. I have known presidents and prime ministers-dictators and kings. Nothing I have seen or experienced has changed my resolve to stand with truth.…

Blessed are you if you have a testimony that God has spoken from the heavens; that His priesthood is again among men; that the gospel in its purity and fulness is here to bless mankind; and that we will be judged by its principles. These truths will, if you are wise, take precedence in your lives “over all contrary theories, dogmas, hypotheses or relative-truths from whatever source or by whomsoever” advocated.

As you resolve in your hearts to live the standards of the Church-and you cannot afford to do otherwise from a material standpoint, from a spiritual standpoint, from the standpoint of getting ahead in the world-I hope you will remember that your prescribed standards are a part of a great body of truth-the gospel of Jesus Christ-revealed truth from heaven. Please remember that no discovery of the future will ever be in conflict with the teachings of the gospel. The gospel encompasses all truth. When doubts come to your mind because of instructions you may receive in the classroom, I urge you to remember that time is always on the side of truth, and Mormonism is truth.

From President Joseph F. Smith:

The religion which we have espoused is not a Sunday religion; it is not a mere profession; it is a most--I was going to say--a most terrible reality--and I believe I would be justified in using that expression, because it savors of life unto life or of death unto death. If it is, and pardon me for using that expression, if it is what we profess it to be, what we have embraced it for, what we believe it to be as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is the most important thing in the world to us, and the results to us in this world and in the world to come will depend upon our integrity to the truth and our consistency in observing its precepts, in abiding by its principles, and its requirements.

I esteem it a great privilege to be permitted to live and be associated with my brethren and sisters in the great cause in which we are engaged. Personally, I have nothing but this cause to live for, for the rest of my life. It has been very much, almost entirely, the object of life with me, ever since my childhood; and I am very thankful that I have had the privilege of being connected with the missionary work of the Church, and I hope and trust that I may be able to continue in this ministry the remainder of my days. I feel in my heart that there is nothing greater for me, or for any other man living than to be identified with the cause of truth, and I verily believe that we are engaged in the cause of truth, and not error.

It is so with the Church. From time to time there are characters who become a law unto themselves and they follow the bent of their own “sweet will” until they get themselves into a condition mentally and spiritually that they become a menace to the body ecclesiastic. In other words, they become like a boil, tumor, or carbuncle on the body, you have to call in the surgeon to apply the knife to cut them out that the body may be cleansed from them; and this has been the case from the beginning.

From President Stephen L. Richards:

Through humility and faith the adherents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have accepted the truth about life; and while there is much individual dereliction within the Church and consequent restriction of the truth to individuals, the Church as a body is the chief instrumentality of the Lord in establishing the truth among mankind.…

The truth about man is that he is a son of God. As a son of God he cannot reach his destiny without bearing the power of God. The power of God is the priesthood. It is essential and indispensable for the performance of the vital things in the life of man here and hereafter. No people, no church could successfully defend and establish the truth without that power…

It is a high privilege and a tremendous responsibility to be the custodians of special truths, vital to the welfare of humanity. The Church of Christ is such a custodian. “If the salt shall lose its savor, wherewith shall the earth be salted?” We cannot be true to our commission and permit the truth to be compromised or diluted. Technically speaking, of course, we cannot impair or dilute the truth, but unfortunately, we may greatly impair the concept and appraisal of truth by the inconsistency of our lives and living, and every man can advance or retard the work of God and the spread of truth to the extent to which he personally adopts its standards….

At this point I wish to submit a caution to teachers, particularly those within our Church. I deem it to be regrettable that academic practice not infrequently seems to dictate terminology and types of expression and explanation which often confuse more than they clarify and expound. There are those who apparently regard it as a mark of scholarly attainment to be able to mystify others. I don’t. I look upon clear explanations as the expressions of clear thinking and a high order of intelligence. In religious teaching I believe in calling principles, concepts, and practices by the name by which they are generally known. God and the devil, holiness and sin, faith and apostasy are better understood and have more significance when designated by their right names than when disguised and camouflaged in terminology that not even all the professors can understand.…

I feel sure that we spend a larger proportion of our resources for propaganda than does any other religious organization in the world. We make more sacrifices, more widows scrub and wash, more parents scrimp and save, more loving hearts weep and pray within our Church for the propagation of truth throughout the world than among any other people ten times our number who have lived in the world since the days of the early Christians and disciples of the Master.

Is this defense of truth--this unmatched missionary effort, this propaganda of which I speak? It is. Has it been effective in the past? It has. And thousands upon thousands of happy, God-fearing homes, communities, cities, and societies that have won the esteem and the acclaim of the world are the product of this propaganda for truth.

Does the world need this propaganda today? It does. More, perhaps, than in all its history before, because never has there been more widespread evidence of the need of truth and the reign of error than we now behold. For the moment Satan seems in command. His forces are marching roughshod and tramping under their feet the most precious things in life--liberty, mercy, love, human hearts, and little children. Nothing but the power of truth will stay the cruel hand of these sinister forces. Will that beneficent power be exercised in time to save the earth from complete devastation and ruin? It will. How do I know it? I know it by the fact that the truth has been set in the earth, never again to be destroyed. I know it by the fact that truth is mightier than evil, that God is more potent than Satan, and I know it by the inspiration that attends the holy, authentic, restored priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

From Joseph Smith:

If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things-that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal. . . .

Behold, thou shalt observe all these things, and great shall be thy reward; for unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but unto the world it is not given to know them. . . .

From President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.:

These are some of the ultimate truths, which God has revealed to us. These truths endure; they are the same in all lands, and among all people, and at all times. They are changeless. They are the truths which must take precedence over all contrary theories, dogmas, hypotheses, or relative truths from whatever source or by whomsoever brought. These ultimate truths may not be questioned. All secular truths will, must, finally conform to these ultimate truths.

He wounds, maims, and cripples a soul who raises doubts about or destroys faith in the ultimate truths. God will hold such a one strictly accountable; and who can measure the depths to which one shall fail who willfully shatters in another the opportunity for celestial glory. These ultimate truths are royal truths to which all human wisdom and knowledge are subject. These truths point the way to celestial glory..

Lastly, from hymn 272, “Oh Say, What is Truth?”

(Piano by Marvin Goldstein.  Vocals by Wade and Wanda Lindstrom.  Available on “Favorite Hymns of the Prophets, Volume 2.”)

Oh say, what is truth? ‘Tis the fairest gem
That the riches of worlds can produce,
And priceless the value of truth will be when
The proud monarch’s costliest diadem
Is counted but dross and refuse.

Yes, say, what is truth? ‘Tis the brightest prize
To which mortals or Gods can aspire.
Go search in the depths where it glittering lies,
Or ascend in pursuit to the loftiest skies:
‘Tis an aim for the noblest desire.

The sceptre may fall from the despot’s grasp
When with winds of stern justice he copes.
But the pillar of truth will endure to the last,
And its firm-rooted bulwarks out-stand the rude blast
And the wreck of the fell tyrant’s hopes.

Then say, what is truth? ‘Tis the last and the first,
For the limits of time it steps o’er.
Tho the heavens depart and the earth’s fountains burst,
Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst,
Eternal, unchanged, evermore.

You know who wrote that hymn? Br. John Jacques:

In the great intercessory prayer that Jesus offered for His apostles, He asked the Father to “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Truth and righteousness are intimately linked. How we live flows from and contributes to what we know to be true. As a matter of urgency, the prophets and apostles have always invited the people to come to a knowledge and testimony of the most fundamental truths of existence. The overarching task of withstanding the evils of the world and standing unwavering in the winds of change is to know and be sanctified by the truth.

Born in Leicestershire, England, in 1827, John Jacques joined the Church in 1845 and commenced himself doing missionary work in his native land. In 1856, he migrated to the United States where he joined the ill-fated Martin handcart company. Before the rescue of the Martin and Willie companies on the snow-swept plains of Wyoming, he lost his eldest daughter. From 1869 to 1871, he served again as a missionary in England and later became assistant Church historian.

Why did this noble man abandon his home, undertake with his family the rigors of a handcart journey to the Great Basin, and raise his voice throughout his life to proclaim the gospel? In a word, because he had discovered the Truth. There are many things that are true, but John Jacques not only posed the question that Pilate put to Christ, “What is truth?” but pursued the query to include: What is the nature of the universe? Does life have a purpose beyond the multiple and diverse goals that each of us pursues? Is there a god? If so, what is the nature of that god? What is man’s relationship to Deity, and what is man’s destiny? The answers to such inquiries transcend time and space. They are not limited to a particular culture or historical period. Above all things, having discovered the truth, one’s life is dramatically changed, as was John Jacques’s, who found that truth in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. That discovery and his commitment to it, above all things, explain the choices and the actions of his life.

Exhilarated by this discovery, John Jacques wrote the eloquent words of what became one of the great hymns of the Restoration, “Oh Say, What Is Truth?”…

Many times over the years, I have met people who, like John Jacques, have been brought up short by the realization that there is something that endures beyond the passing mores, philosophies, and practices of the time and defines what is true and right. Often, this understanding transforms not only their thinking but also their lives.

In the mid-1980s I participated in a series of discussions between officials from the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The subject of the talks was the possibility of naval cooperation between America, Britain, and Russia. This happened at a time when the USSR was undergoing massive social transformations, indeed, far beyond what we then understood. The negotiations took place in all three countries.

On one occasion we were meeting in the United States. All three delegations were housed together in a conference center, where our discussions also took place. One evening I went out for a walk. Upon returning to the hotel, I discovered the head of the Soviet delegation, looking very pensive, sitting alone in a lobby area lighted only by a single table lamp. I didn’t know whether or not I should disturb him, but he invited me to join him. Then began a conversation that I shall never forget.

He said to me, “The great difficulties we are now facing in the Soviet Union are really not economic or political in character. They are in fact spiritual. All the `gods’ whom we have worshiped have failed us and we know not where to turn. Dr. Wood, have you ever heard of an American prophet by the name of Joseph Smith?”

As you can imagine, I was taken aback by the question! I answered that yes, indeed I had, told him of my membership in the Church, and inquired why he asked. He said that his mother, who lived in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), had met some representatives of the Church from Finland. They had given her a book, written in English, to read, and she had passed it on to him. He had read it while in the airplane coming over to the United States from Moscow. The book was by Elder LeGrand Richards and was entitled A Marvelous Work and a Wonder. He then said, “Now that I know you are a Latter­-day Saint, let me see if I have grasped the key concept of this book.” He then gave a remarkable exposition of Elder Richards’s ­thesis. He began, “As I understand it, Joseph Smith brought together two ideas that are generally in conflict with each other and combined them in a remarkable synthesis. On the one hand, the Latter­-day Saints believe that mortality is but a moment in eternity and that men and women do not spring into existence at birth and are annihilated at death. We existed before birth and shall persist after death. Moreover, there is a link between those who are yet to be born, those who now live, and those who have passed beyond the grave; there is, in fact, communication across those seeming barriers. Some who have lived have returned and communicated with the living, and there is a great cooperative enterprise that links the unborn, the living, and the dead, aimed at their mutual salvation and perfection. You’re mystics.”

I answered that, while I was uncomfortable with the word mystic, his summary was quite ­accurate.

He then continued. “At the same time, the Latter­-day Saints seem very concerned with improving the lot of mankind in mortality. They do not believe that happiness is simply for another world but needs to be established here through common temporal as well as spiritual efforts. You seem to be community builders. You’re very pragmatic as well.”

I replied that he had correctly concluded. He then exclaimed, using words that clearly resonated with me, “Praise be to the man who brought forth such concepts! Such ideas are the salvation of my people.”

I told him that I had another book that he needed to read. In the trunk of my automobile I had a small box filled with a Russian edition of the Book of Mormon. Knowing I was going to be with a gathering of communists, one of my daughters had given the books to me and said, “Maybe you can find the occasion to distribute some of these!” Well, clearly, if ever there was such a moment, it had come. I retrieved a copy from my car and presented it to this man who was posing once again the age­-old question, “Oh say, what is truth?”

The Apostle Paul counseled the Romans to be transformed by the renewal of their minds; that is, changed according to true understanding. The transformation associated with the discovery of the truth has been variously described as a liberation and a mighty change of heart. Ultimately, the inquiry after truth compels us to transcend the ephemeral values of the particular society and culture of which we are a part. It invites us to participate in the life of the divine.

In the mid­-eighties, little did I think that in a few years the question that had changed John Jacques’s life would so affect the life of this Russian official as well as countless numbers of his countrymen. The two chapters that follow are intended to explain how we come to know the truth and demonstrate how that knowledge transforms lives. (Robert S. Wood, The Complete Christian. Link.)

I testify, to all those who ever come to read this, in clarity of words that cannot be misunderstood, that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God’s true church on the earth today, the one and only church which has a fullness of God’s truth that He is willing to bestow on anyone who comes to embrace it. I know this. I have experienced it personally and in the lives of others. I testify that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, and that this is His Church and His gospel and His truth (Rom. 14:11; Mosiah 27:31; D&C 76:110; D&C 88:104). There is no single other church on the face of this Earth that has the countless truths that stand in the LDS Church today. Every other church combined still does not equal it.  There is no other church that has the authority of God’s priesthood to save mankind and bring them back into the presence of God our Father. There is no other man upon the Earth today who has the keys of the kingdom to receive truth and revelation which can exalt mankind, but Prophet and President Thomas S. Monson. This is the truth. And I solemnly witness and testify of it, and will stand by my word for all of eternity.

The Prophet Joseph Smith has proclaimed to an ungrateful and fallen world:

Our missionaries are going forth to different nations . . . the Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.

Oh Say, What Is Truth?

(Continued from Part 1)

To continue our discussion on whether God may dwell in temples on earth, and whether there exists a need for further temples after Christ, we might look again to the Bible to see if God dwelled in those sacred edifices which He commanded to be built in ancient times.

The first example that we might look at is Paul’s own theophany, which he experienced in the temple of Jerusalem shortly after his conversion:

12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. (Acts 22:12-21)

It is interesting to note that prior to this vision of the Lord in the temple that he had been visited by Christ on the road to Damascus, which he recounted earlier in the same chapter of Acts 22. But Paul never says that he saw Jesus when he fell and heard the voice. All he says is that he saw a “great light” shining from heaven, a light so bright in fact that it caused temporary blindness (v. 11), and heard a voice from the light. It was not until Paul went to the holy temple in Jerusalem that he says he “saw him” (Acts 22:18). It is also insightful that it was near this time of his vision of Christ when he received his new name of Paul, his original name being Saul.

When the temple of Solomon was finished in Old Testament times, one of the signs of God’s acceptance of it was the filling of the sacred house with the glory of God:

13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;
14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God. (2 Chr. 5:13-14; cf. 2 Chr. 7:2-3)

The very reason why the structure was called the “house of the Lord” and the “house of God” was because it was a place where God Himself could make his abode on earth, where the divine presence was, where His glory filled the house. Solomon says as much in the following chapter:

1 Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
2 But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever. (2 Chr. 6:1-2)

A cloud, the very symbol of the divine presence, associated with the sacred sanctuary occurred even earlier with the tabernacle of Moses:

34 ¶ Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. (Ex. 40:34-35)

And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. (Num. 9:15; cf. Ex. 24:15; D&C 84:5)

Within the tabernacle, and the temple, was the Ark of the Covenant. On the top of the Ark was the mercy seat. This is the very place that God manifested himself to Israel, and gave them instructions:

And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. (Ex. 25:22)

Indeed, the Lord is said to have dwelled between the cherubims on the ark within the tabernacle (cf. 1 Sam. 4:4). At one point the Lord reminded Moses under what conditions Aaron was allowed into the holy place of the tabernacle, because the divine presence was there:

And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. (Lev. 16:2)

Clearly the tabernacle and the temple were places of God’s dwelling, for God had directed the construction for that very purpose.

Returning to the question of the necessity of temples the post-Messianic age, if there was to be no temple after the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, then we would not expect to find future prophecies of temples in the Bible. However, we find just the contrary. In a prophecy of the last days we find that the Anti-Christ will enter and sit in the temple of God:

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thes. 2:4)

Such an occurrence can not happen if there is no “temple of God.” Isaiah also forsaw a temple in the last days:

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isa. 2:2-3)

Ezekiel records a lengthy vision of a future temple in Ezekiel 40-48. Malachi also prophesies of the future advent of the Lord coming suddenly to a temple (Mal. 3:1). And John records in his vision a heavenly temple, which was still in full use even in heaven (Rev. 3:12; Rev. 7:15; Rev. 11:1).

Regarding Paul’s instruction that we are the temple of God, he said to the Corinthians:

9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (1 Cor. 3:9-17)

Comparing the Saints to a building, even a holy temple, was a common analogy that Paul used (1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:19-22). Other apostles used it (1 Pet. 2:4-8). It is found in other early Christian writings (cf. The Shepherd of Hermas). God has used it again even in this dispensation:

The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple. (D&C 93:35; cf. Mosiah 2:37)

Using the analogy that we are the temple of God does not preclude, as we have seen, the notion of a physical temple building, just as using the analogy of members of the Church as the stones of a building with Christ as the chief cornerstone does not forbid the existence of a tangible stone and mortar synagogue in which to worship the Lord, nor the actuality of a physical cornerstone. The symbolic act of offering animal sacrifice under the Mosaic law did not replace the veritable sacrifice of the Lamb of God in the meridian of time. The tokens of bread and water used in the holy sacrament did not, and do not, prevent the offering of the body and blood of Christ in Gethsemane and on the cross. These are symbols and similitudes used to teach a lesson, in this case, that we must act in accordance with God’s law in order to receive of His Spirit, and to treat our physical bodies as sacred and holy gifts which God has entrusted to our stewardship. Symbols do not exclude reality--they reinforce it. Furthermore, such scriptures strengthen the conception that God does, in fact, dwell in temples; they do not detract from it.

I know that the Lord has revealed the temple today. He has commanded the construction of over 140 of them around the world, and is preparing His covenant people through a process of purification and sanctification therein to be prepared for the great work that lies ahead in fulfilling the redemption of mankind. Just as the mortal Messiah ordained apostles and sent them forth to preach his word and act in his name, so also has he called prophets and apostles today, to preach His gospel and to administer in its ordinances, which ordinances can only be performed in a space consecrated for that purpose – the temple of the Lord.

God Dwelleth Not in Temples Made with Hands? – Part 2

This example is from 2 Enoch. This apocrypha text is a pseudepigraphon, meaning its authorship is unknown, but is considered part of ancient Jewish literature. The oldest extant manuscripts of this text are in the Slavonic language, but was probably translated from Greek. The text probably was originally written sometime during the Second Temple period (Herod’s temple), between 516 BC and 70 AD. You can read an English translation of the text at Pseudepigrapha.com (which is an LDS site).

This text is unique in its depiction of Enoch, as Wikipedia notes:

For the first time, the Enochic tradition seeks to show Enoch, not simply as a human taken to heaven and transformed into an angel, but as a celestial being exalted above the angelic world.

Researching these things opens grand vistas of something deeper going on in ancient texts, particularly the traditions of Metatron, an angel that appears in mainly Jewish mystical texts, and has been attributed to a glorification or deification of Enoch, the son of Jared:

This Enoch, whose flesh was turned to flame, his veins to fire, his eye-lashes to flashes of lightning, his eye-balls to flaming torches, and whom God placed on a throne next to the throne of glory, received after this heavenly transformation the name Metatron.

It is interesting that Enoch is glorified, receives a throne of glory, and a new name, Metatron. We will search out these things more fully in future posts. For the purposes of this post, 2 Enoch shows the beginnings or origins of a Metatron tradition in Enoch literature.

Much of the Enoch literature is apocalyptic in nature, as is this one, relating a vision or revelation. 2 Enoch is filled with imagery of Enoch’s ascension into heaven. Beginning in chapter 22, the character Enoch beholds a “tenth” heaven, and sees the Lord upon his throne, surrounded by concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God (cf. 1 Nephi 1:8):

1 On the tenth heaven, (which is called) Aravoth, I saw the appearance of the Lord's face, like iron made to glow in fire, and brought out, emitting sparks, and it burns.

2 Thus (in a moment of eternity) I saw the Lord’s face, but the Lord's face is ineffable, marvellous and very awful, and very, very terrible.

3 And who am I to tell of the Lord's unspeakable being, and of his very wonderful face? And I cannot tell the quantity of his many instructions, and various voices, the Lord’s throne (is) very great and not made with hands, nor the quantity of those standing round him, troops of Cherubim and seraphim, nor their incessant singing, nor his immutable beauty, and who shall tell of the ineffable greatness of his glory.

Enoch bows down to worship the Lord

4 And I fell prone and bowed down to the Lord, and the Lord with his lips said to me:

5 Have courage, Enoch, do not fear, arise and stand before my face into eternity.

6 And the archistratege Michael lifted me up, and led me to before the Lord's face.

Enoch is then given a promise of eternal reward:

7 And the Lord said to his servants tempting them: Let Enoch stand before my face into eternity, and the glorious ones bowed down to the Lord, and said: Let Enoch go according to Your word.

The Lord then commands Michael to anoint Enoch with oil, and invest him with garments, so that he may be made glorious:

8 And the Lord said to Michael: Go and take Enoch from out (of) his earthly garments, and anoint him with my sweet ointment, and put him into the garments of My glory.

9 And Michael did thus, as the Lord told him. He anointed me, and dressed me, and the appearance of that ointment is more than the great light, and his ointment is like sweet dew, and its smell mild, shining like the sun's ray, and I looked at myself, and (I) was like (transfigured) one of his glorious ones.

The symbolism of the temple is quite clear. This text covers the themes of ascension, deification (theosis), exaltation, anointing, investiture, the garment of priesthood, and being made like one of His glorious ones.

Enoch’s Anointing & Investiture during Ascension in 2 Enoch

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Shades of the prison-house begin to close
Upon the growing Boy,
But he beholds the light, and whence it flows,
He sees it in his joy;
The Youth, who daily farther from the east
Must travel, still is Nature’s priest,
And by the vision splendid
Is on his way attended;
At length the Man perceives it die away,
And fade into the light of common day.

Earth fills her lap with pleasures of her own;
Yearnings she hath in her own natural kind,
And, even with something of a mother’s mind,
And no unworthy aim,
The homely nurse doth all she can
To make her foster-child, her Inmate Man,
Forget the glories he hath known,
And that imperial palace whence he came.

-William Wordsworth (From Ode: Intimations of Immortality)

Trailing Clouds of Glory