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Sustaining and Defending the LDS Temple

Temples Today

Revelations to Build Temples

April 4, 2013 by Bryce Haymond Leave a Comment
Building the Kirtland Temple. Walter Rane, 2003.

Building the Kirtland Temple. Walter Rane, 2003.

Professor Daniel C. Peterson wrote a column in the Deseret News today about temples.  In particular, he focuses on how temples have anciently been revealed through prophets of God, and how that pattern continues in these latter days.  Examples include:

  • Kirtland Temple as was revealed to Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams
  • Salt Lake Temple was revealed to Brigham Young
  • Smaller temples design was revealed to Gordon B. Hinckley

Peterson concludes, “Temples are a central element in the restoration of all things, and, often even in the details of their origins, they represent powerful evidence for the divine calling of Joseph Smith and his successors.”

Read the article at the Deseret News.

Posted in: Temples Today Tagged: brigham young, building, gordon b. hinckley, joseph smith, kirtland, prophet, revelation, revelations, salt lake temple

The Relationship between the Ancient Israelite Temple and the Endowment

April 2, 2013 by Bryce Haymond 6 Comments
Ancient Israelite temple vestiture and ritual offering of incense

Ancient Israelite temple vestiture and ritual. The High Priest wears his special linen garments, sash and turban during his once per year entry into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. He approaches the Ark of the Covenant beyond the veil with the incense shovel in one hand, the smoke representing the prayers of the Israelites, and small vessel of bull’s blood in the other hand, the sin offering (atonement) on behalf of all the Israelites. Image based on Leviticus 16 and Exodus 25-31 and Exodus 35-40.

Professor William J. Hamblin has offered some good starting points in considering the relationship between the ancient Israelite temple ritual and the modern day LDS temple endowment.  It is from this vantage point that we should approach trying to understand these ancient ritual systems and the connections they might have with the Latter-day Saints temple ritual.

“When considering the possible relationship between ancient Israelite temple system and the LDS Endowment, the first thing to note is the basic purpose of the ancient temple was to reconcile Israel with God and bring all Israel (represented by the twelve stones inscribed with the tribal names) back into the presence of God (that is recapitulating the Sinai theophany), symbolically represented by the Holy Place and Holy of Holies within the veil.

“The second thing to note is that Israel had exoteric rituals in the outer courtyard of the temple which could be witnessed by all (though only priests officiated). Esoteric rituals performed inside the temple itself could only be performed and witnessed by priests. LDS Endowment broadly corresponds to the esoteric rituals performed inside the temple, not the exoteric rituals performed outside. The ancient exoteric Israelite temple rituals correspond with the LDS weekly sacrament (the bread/wine offering of the Israelite temple).” (William Hamblin, Mormon Scripture Explorations)

Another important point to realize is that Christ was the last great blood sacrifice when He came in the meridian of time and offered the Atonement, which ended sacrifice by the shedding of blood (3 Ne. 9:19; cf. Mosiah 13:27; Alma 34:13; 3 Ne. 15:2-10). Since Christ was the last blood sacrifice (all precursors pointing to Him), from that point onward the outward nature of sacrificial ritual changed, but still pointing towards Christ, and still a sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit (3 Ne. 9:20-22; Psalms 51:16-17; Psalms 34:18).

See the gallery below for various artists’ depictions of the rituals inside the ancient Israelite temple. Click each image to enlarge. [Read more…]

Posted in: Practices, Temples Today Tagged: ark of the covenant, art, atonement, clothing, endowment, esoteric, exoteric, gallery, garments, holy of holies, holy place, image, incense, israelites, prayer, rite, ritual, rituals, sacrifice, theophany, uplifted hands, veil, william hamblin

Temples Infographic and 3D Models

November 20, 2012 by Bryce Haymond Leave a Comment

Brian Olson has put together a few items of interest for those who love the temple. First is an infographic that shows all of the LDS temples that have been built, side by side, showing how they compare in height, and explaining some of the differences between them.  Secondly are 3D models of many of LDS temples, which he has used to make YouTube videos which show virtual flyarounds of each.  He also has a good collection of temple photos he has taken.

See Brian’s sites, as he has done some excellent work here, similar to some things I’ve done in the past.

Posted in: Temples Today Tagged: 3D, art, collection, infographic, model, photos, temples, videos, virtual, youtube

Temple Conference in Logan, Utah, next Monday

October 23, 2012 by Bryce Haymond 8 Comments

This is a reminder that there will be a significant conference about the temple to be held at Utah State University next Monday, October 29th, which I first noted here.  You can read more about this conference at the website for the Academy for Temple Studies website, which is TempleStudies.org.  Note, you must pre-register for this conference.

If you cannot attend the conference, the presentations will be made available in print and audio at a later date.

Posted in: Announcements, Church History, Practices, Scholarship, Temples Today, Texts Tagged: academy for temple studies, conference

Death Before the Fall? First Impressions

September 30, 2012 by Bryce Haymond 22 Comments
Omo 1 skull remains, considered the oldest Homo sapiens fossils discovered, scientists date to 200,000 years old

Omo 1 skull remains, considered the oldest Homo sapiens fossils discovered, scientists date to 200,000 years old

This is a follow-up to “The Age of the Earth” post, although I suppose that one was really laying the groundwork for this one.  This is where everything comes to a head (like the one shown here).  Was there death before the Fall of Adam and Eve?  It is a very delicate question, because there are very strong feelings on many sides of the issue, some of which may have tremendous gospel implications as well.  So here we will tread lightly, and attempt to not make any dogmatic conclusions.  I’m not sure I have any besides.  These are simply some first impressions on the subject.  Because that is the case, we will ask more questions here than we attempt to answer in any substantial way.

This is a point of presumed doctrine in LDS belief that causes consternation for many members.  Similar to the age of the Earth question, it causes cognitive dissonance for some, insofar that some even lose their faith in the Church, and even leave the Church.  I perceive that this should not be.  There are answers, even if preliminary, to most of these difficult questions.  It should also be noted that questions such as these are not necessarily central to the gospel, nor to our salvation, but they do affect some people’s ability to function in the Church because of the cognitive dissonance it causes them.

The belief, as I introduced above, is that there was no death before the Fall of Adam and Eve.  No death, period.  On the other hand, the world and its legions of scientists of all stripes inform us that there were dinosaurs, dating back 230 million years, with bones scattered in all parts of the world (one of the largest caches is located right here in Vernal, Utah).  There were trilobites, perhaps the most common fossil, dating back 526 million years (again, one of the richest quarries is just west of Delta, Utah, where you can actually “farm” for trilobites to take home.)  There were ancient forests, plant life, zooplankton, and algae, dating back millions of year, which helped give us the crude oil that powers much of our world today.  There are even bones of hominids that used stone tools that most scientists concur died a couple million years ago.  Indeed, there are even bones of anatomically modern humans that have been dated to up to 200,000 years old (see the image above). [Read more…]

Posted in: Temples Today Tagged: adam and eve, archaeology, bible, book of mormon, boyd k. packer, brigham young, bruce r. mcconkie, creation, dead, death, doctrines, evidence, garden of eden, hugh nibley, immortality, joseph fielding smith, physical, plan of salvation, questions, research, revelation, revelations, science, scriptures, study, transhumanism
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