This first scripture is, no doubt, the most read scripture in all the Church, and possibly the most read from the LDS canon outside of the Church. Members of the Church have all read this scripture over and over as they begin reading the Book of Mormon and recommit to daily scripture study and finishing the Book of Mormon. We are familiar with the honor Nephi bestows upon his parents, his telling of the afflictions he suffered throughout his life, the way the Lord favored Nephi and blessed him greatly, and thus Nephi begins his record. This first verse of the Book of Mormon could probably be recited from memory by most members of the Church because of its frequent repetition. But did you know that this first verse, indeed the entire small plates of Nephi, might have overarching temple themes?
I recently stumbled upon the The Feast upon the Word wiki, which includes some commentary on this verse that is fascinating in its application to the temple:
Together the clauses beginning with having form a pattern that runs through Nephi’s two books: creation (“having been born”), fall (“having seen many afflictions”), atonement (“having been highly favored of the Lord”), and passing through the veil (“having had a great knowledge”). The pattern might broadly be called “the plan of salvation,” but it appears to play a more fundamental textual role for Nephi as well. His first eighteen chapters (1 Nephi 1-18) tell a sort of creation story (with constant reference to his goodly parents); his following nine chapters (1 Nephi 19-2 Nephi 5) tell a sort of fall story (marked emphatically by the division between Nephites and Lamanites); his next twenty-five chapters (2 Nephi 6-31) tell a sort of atonement story (how the Lamanites might become again favored and reconnected to broader Israel); and his concluding three chapters (2 Nephi 31-33) dwell on a sort of passing-through-the-veil story (through a discussion of baptism in incredibly “veil-like” terms). Moreover, that the twenty-five chapter atonement stretch of Nephi’s two-book record is presented by three messengers who collectively bring to the reader an understanding of how the “veil” of 2 Nephi 31-33 might be passed suggests that there is some connection between Nephi’s broader record and the temple drama. If this connection is not unfounded, Nephi’s “therefore” toward the end of this verse is powerfully significant: it is because his very life might be read as a sort of “endowment” that he is writing this text.
Indeed, every one of our lives might be read as a sort of “endowment” experience. We are all born (creation), we experience hardships (fall), we are redeemed by Jesus Christ (Atonement), and we die and return to the presence of God (veil). But Nephi’s record is even more explicit in its temple references. The Feast upon the Word wiki continues:
If the final phrase of this verse is taken in the Egyptian idiom, it is remarkably close to the Egyptian name for what is commonly called the “Book of the Dead” (Egyptian: “The Book of Going Forth by Day“) [see Wikipedia’s entry]. Nephi might here be making a suggestive allusion: his two-volume record on the small plates is, as it were, his own Book of the Dead (which was, for all intents and purposes, a sort of Egyptian endowment, an Egyptian drama of resurrection) [see Hugh Nibley’s The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Egyptian Endowment]. If this reading is justified, this final phrase might ground the temple connections mentioned above. A connection (however distant) to the Book of the Dead would certainly explain the autobiographical “I, Nephi” with which the verse begins: copies of the “canonical” Book of the Dead were always personalized (by name) for the individual who purchased them. This may also provide a better context in which to understand verse 2.
The interesting thing here is that we don’t often think of the Book of Mormon as referencing temples very often. There is a mention here or there about the people building temples, but not much more. What we might find is the temple references are much more implicit in nature in the text, but might still provide quite a bit of information, even the structure of the book itself.
ABSOLUTLY FANTASTIC SITE!
I just found you over at mormonBlogs.com, what a great find!
We are kindred spirits.
I have already added you to my blog list over at http://www.MormonMysticism.com
-David Littlefield
Thank you very much! I like your site too. Looks like we do have very similar interests. I have added your site to my blogroll.
Keep in touch!
Great site! Two comment here:
1) There’s a wonderful post over at Times and Seasons by Ben Huff drawing parallels (and distinctions) between the Temple ceremony and Catholic Mass as an aid to helping outsiders understand what goes on in the temple (see http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4350).
2) Drawing upon the Jewish concept that the increasing levels of holiness and approach to God in the tabernacle/temple represents a reversal of the fall of Adam (including the tree of life — the menorah — in the Holy Place), there is a striking amount of temple imagery and concepts in the tree of life visions that Lehi and (especially) Nephi have. ..bruce..
Thanks for the comment.
I have read Ben Huff’s post over at Times and Seasons about the parallels between the LDS and Catholic rites. Generally I think it is pretty good. But I think we walk a fine line when we start describing the modes and methods of our own temple directly. Members of the Church will recognize the parallels of other traditions (as will the critics) without us having to make them explicitly known. We must be careful to talk about our temple in terms that have already been published by the Church, or describe other practices while holding constraint on our own.
I hadn’t realized the patterns between the increasing levels of holiness as a reversal of the fall, with the tree of life imagery, menorah, etc. That is very insightful. Indeed, the table of shewbread, with its breadplates and liquid offerings, were partaken by the priests in the tabernacle as a type of sacrament, in parallel with the partaking of the forbidden fruit by Adam in the garden. Adam partakes of the fruit, and falls. The priests partake of the bread and liquid in similitude of the Atonement of Christ, and live. And the tree of life imagery is fascinating.
Your post over at your blog about the flaming sword is great.
I think it is great that we have such parallels between temple ceremony and modern life. I was thinking about what temple ritual must be like as I sat clothed in my cap and gown during a pre-graduation ceremony, and it struck me how there were some interesting, albeit small, similarities between the two.
Of course, I’m just going off what I have learned about the temple from proxy baptisms and reading material such as that of Elder Packer on temple worship.
Great post.
You said that we don’t normally think of the Book of Mormon as having Temple-ness in it. I would disagree. I think it is PACKED with Temple references.
I agree Emily. What I meant is that in the Church we don’t usually discuss the temple themes in the Book of Mormon. At least I haven’t seen that in my experience.