Month: February 2008

A Doorkeeper in the House of the Lord

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Stone lions that flank the entrance of the New York Public Library

Stone lions that flank the entrance of the New York Public Library

I attended an endowment session in the Mount Timpanogos temple early this morning. It was a marvelous experience. I loved walking into the temple while it was dark outside, lights illuminating the angel Moroni, and then later walking out in the early light of the morning, a haze blanketing the ground. In fact, I think it was my first visit to the temple in the morning hours. The dawn light that begins to stream through the windows into those hallowed halls from the rising sun, reflecting off mirrors and chandeliers, is inspiring and beautiful.

I love the temple workers, many of whom sit or stand in the hallways or doorways, kindly directing temple patrons in the right direction. It seems like a menial task, one that they attend to for hours at a time, but it is an important one. They help get things done, keep things in order, protect the sanctity of the temple, and allow the temple patrons to enjoy their experience in the temple. They remind me of something Hugh Nibley once said:

I have always been furiously active in the Church, but I have also be a nonconformist and have never held any office of rank in anything. I have undertaken many assignments given me by the leaders, and much of the work has been anonymous: no rank, recognition, no anything. While I have been commended for some things, they were never things which I considered most important. That was entirely a little understanding between me and my Heavenly Father which I have thoroughly enjoyed, though no one else knows anything about it. . . . I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of the Lord than mingle with the top brass in the tents of the wicked. ((John Welch, A Doorkeeper in the House of the Lord, <http://farms.byu.edu/publications/nibleywelch.php>))

Nibley clearly knew where he held his priorities and focus in life. He didn’t care about the fads, fashions, trends, and popularity of the day. There were greater things to attend to. However small a task may seem of attending to a door or hallway in the temple is, it is a job which has been commissioned by the Lord for service in His holy house. I can’t think of many more worthy ways to spend one’s time than in the Lord’s service.

In another reference to doorkeepers, Nibley once described a figure in an ancient Egyptian papyrus (Herweben) thus:

A lion-headed figure, designated as “Doorkeeper of the House of Truth” (lions still guard the doors of our courthouses), conducts Herweben to a door or screen that is opened. ((Hugh Nibley, The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri, 2005, p. 93))

Indeed, you can still see large stone-sculpted lions, or doorkeepers, in front of many government, financial, or intellectual buildings today, which symbolically guard the entrances from those who are not permitted to enter, and to protect that which is held sacred inside.

Taoist Philosophy in the LDS Temple

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Yin Yang

Yin Yang

I came across an article today in The Daily Utah Chronicle, a paper of the University of Utah. The article was published in 2006 by a member of the Church, Andrew Kirk, entitled, “Mormons ought to read Taoist scripture.” After having studied Chinese philosophy and religion in depth, particularly from the Taoist scripture Tao Te Ching, Kirk makes the statement that there are many similarities in the teachings between the two disciplines.

Mormons believe their church’s teachings come straight from God through prophets. LDS historians love to study how the teachings appear to be influenced heavily by the historical context of the teachers. I found ideas in the Tao Te Ching that agree with LDS Church teachings even though the historical contexts are as different as apples and orange xylophones.

The most interesting insight to me was what he said about temples: [Read more…]

“What Is This Thing That Men Call Death?” – New Recording by Janice Kapp Perry

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What is this thing that men call death?

What is this thing that men call death?

Most people in the Church by now are probably familiar with the hymn that Janice Kapp Perry wrote a couple of months ago to accompany a poem written by President Hinckley. President Hinckley published his poem in the May 1988 Ensign article entitled, “The Empty Tomb Bore Testimony,” but he notes that he penned the words many years previous to that at a friend’s funeral.

If you’ve received an email about the hymn you might already know the story behind it. If not, head over to Meridian Magazine which has an article posted detailing the creation of this hymn, including links to the sheet music. The circumstances surrounding the production of the hymn are certainly a “tender mercy” of the Lord, as Janice Kapp Perry describes it. She received official approval of the arranged hymn in the mail from President Hinckley the day after his death.

I think this hymn epitomizes the LDS belief and feelings surrounding mortal death. To members of the LDS Church death is nothing to fear, but a passing into and a beginning of a different stage of our existence. It is progression. Death is not the end, but a beginning of greater things! These doctrines and principles could not be taught more clearly and purely than in the Lord’s temples which dot the earth today. President Hinckley was pivotal in nearly tripling the number of these sacred edifices around the world.

This hymn was sung by the Tabernacle Choir at President Hinckley’s funeral (video link). Since then, Janice Kapp Perry has just recently produced vocal and instrumental recordings of the song with Prime Recordings, Inc. These recordings are very well done. She has made them freely available for all, so I have posted the vocal here for your listening:

What Is This Thing That Men Call Death?

Words by Gordon B. Hinckley, Music by Janice Kapp Perry

What is this thing that men call death,
This quiet passing in the night?
’Tis not the end, but genesis
Of better worlds and greater light.

O God, touch Thou my aching heart,
And calm my troubled, haunting fears.
Let hope and faith, transcendent, pure,
Give strength and peace beyond my tears.

There is no death, but only change
With recompense for victory won;
The gift of Him who loved all men,
The Son of God, the Holy One.

Tian Tan – The Temple of Heaven

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Tian Tan

Tian Tan

In my readings on mudras I found other information on the Tian Tan, or Temple of Heaven, that I thought was interesting.

The Tian Tan is a Taoist temple in Beijing, China, and its construction dates back to the fifteenth century when it was originally named the Temple of Heaven and Earth. This temple has been used for Chinese worship in year-rites, prayer ceremonies, harvest ceremonies, and sacrifices for several centuries.

A description of some of the traditional ceremonial activities that took place here is interesting:

In ancient China, the Emperor of China was regarded as the Son of Heaven, who administered earthly matters on behalf of, and representing, heavenly authority. To be seen to be showing respect to the source of his authority, in the form of sacrifices to heaven, was extremely important. The temple was built for these ceremonies, mostly comprising prayers for good harvests.

Twice a year the Emperor and all his retinue would move from the Forbidden city through Beijing to encamp within the complex, wearing special robes and abstaining from eating meat. No ordinary Chinese was allowed to view this procession or the following ceremony. In the temple complex the Emperor would personally pray to Heaven for good harvests. The highpoint of the ceremony at the winter solstice was performed by the Emperor on the Earthly Mount. The ceremony had to be perfectly completed; it was widely held that the smallest of mistakes would constitute a bad omen for the whole nation in the coming year. ((http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Heaven))

In these practices I see a belief in priesthood-like vicarious authority, temple prayer worship, cosmology, special ceremonial clothing, esotericy, worthiness requirements, perfect performance of rites, and even a practice which recalls the Word of Wisdom. Could this all be coincidence? Or did these things stem from something more ancient?