Computer Technology Given to Mankind for Temple Work

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Elder Robert D. Hales, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Elder Robert D. Hales, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve gave the devotional address at the beginning of Education Week at Brigham Young University today.  Deseret News reported on his talk.

His talk was mainly about gaining knowledge through a lifetime of learning, especially spiritual knowledge.  He used the example of Michael Phelps Olympic gold records were only possible by building on previous accomplishments.

One of the points he particularly noted was that by increasing our knowledge and capabilities throughout life, we can bless the Church and its work.  He gave an example of family history work.  Deseret News reports:

In the 1970s, Elder Theodore H. Burton presented the concept of computers being used for family records and research. “He was even bold enough to teach and proclaim that the computer technology was given to man for his use to hasten the day of family history, genealogy and temple work.”

His proclamation was met with reservations about the size and expense of computers for personal use and how few Latter-day Saints would be able to afford or operate them. Other concerns were the complexity how to make them compatible with temple records.

“All seemed to be reasonable reservations for their time,” he said, yet “today, we are embarking on a new era of family history computer technology.”

He then related details about the New FamilySearch which is being put into place as we speak, and is currently available in half of temple districts around the world.

The lesson in that story is simple, he said. “Never dwell or hold on to the past or attempt to protect your comfort zone against the inevitable changes that will be required to meet future advancements. … Our endings only usher in our new beginnings. The ending of one era ushers in a new era. Lifelong learners do not dwell on the past.

“Past learning creates a valuable foundation of experience upon which to build, not a comfortable place to dwell for a lifetime.”

He then said some valuable words to mothers, that they too can be lifelong learners.  I recommend you read the story at Deseret News.  I look forward to a transcript of his talk.

[Update 8/20/08: An mp3 (audio) format of his talk is now available here.]

[Update 9/8/08: A video (wmv) format of his talk is now available here.]

[Update 11/17/09: Here is the transcript of his talk.]

“Temples and Ritual in Antiquity” SANE Symposium at BYU

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David Larsen posted a great notice over at Heavenly Ascents of the upcoming “Temples and Ritual in Antiquity” Symposium that will be held at BYU on November 7th, 2008.  It is being presented by the Students of the Ancient Near East (SANE), and will have both students and top scholars presenting papers on the temple in antiquity.  In fact, David will be presenting there too, as well as Andrew Miller.  I will certainly be going to this symposium!  It will be like Christmas morning, a smorgasbord of insight in temple studies.

I will see if I can liveblog the event here on TempleStudy.com.  The FAIR Conference liveblog (Day 1 & Day 2) seemed to work out well and was beneficial to many people.  Unfortunately, they have three speakers going at once, so we’ll only be able to attend 1/3 of all the exceptional presentations that will be presented.  It’s a shame they had to consolidate since all of the presentations are no doubt going to be excellent.  It appears that a selection will be “printed in a publication from the Religious Studies Center, and several others will be printed in Studia Antiqua” (link).  (I’m still trying to find a way to go to Margaret Barker’s Temple Study Symposium in Oxford the next day, November 8th, and Bill Hamblin’s Temple Study SBL group in Boston a couple weeks later).

[Update 8/19/08: Dan McClellan has posted a nice schedule of the presentations, as well as short bios of the presenters, on his blog here.]

See the poll below (viewable only from the website):

Which presentations interest you most? (Pick one from each time slot, 8 total)

  • 9:00-9:30 - Andrew Miller–”The Mysteries in Pauline Christianity” (11%, 25 Votes)
  • 10:30-11:00 - Dr. John Gee–”Rituals of the Egyptian Temple: An Orientation” (10%, 23 Votes)
  • 10:00-10:30 - David Larsen–”Two High Priesthoods? Evidence for Changes in the Priesthood from First to Second Temple Judaism” (10%, 23 Votes)
  • 12:45-1:15 - Matthew Brown–”Kingship Initiation Motifs in Ancient Israel” (7%, 17 Votes)
  • 11:15-11:45 - James Carroll–”An Expanded View of the Israelite Scapegoat” (6%, 15 Votes)
  • 12:15-12:45 - Scott Preston Sukhan Nibley–”Ancient Southeast Asian Temples” (6%, 14 Votes)
  • 11:45-12:15 - Dr. David Seely–”Josephus and the Temple” (6%, 14 Votes)
  • 11:45-12:15 - Mark Wright–”The Cultural Context of Nephite Apostasy” (5%, 12 Votes)
  • 9:30-10:00 - Doug Marsh–”The Microcosmic Egyptian Temple” (5%, 12 Votes)
  • 12:45-1:15 - Joseph Petramalo–”The Samaritan Temple and Priesthood” (5%, 11 Votes)
  • 12:15-12:45 - Justin Robinson–”Covenants and Simile Curses” (4%, 10 Votes)
  • 9:30-10:00 - Dr. Dan Belnap–”The Role of Scent in the Rituals of Ancient Israel” (3%, 8 Votes)
  • 10:00-10:30 - Daniel Becerra–”The Chrism in Early Christianity” (3%, 8 Votes)
  • 10:30-11:00 - Dr. Bill Hamblin–TBA (3%, 8 Votes)
  • 10:30-11:00 - Rachel A. Grover–”The Paradise Garden and Messianic Age Imagery in the 5th to 7th Century Church Floor Mosaics of Jordan” (3%, 7 Votes)
  • 11:15-11:45 - Chris Dawe–”The Deification of Romulus” (3%, 6 Votes)
  • 11:45-12:15 - Dr. Bryan Benson–”The Treatment of Temples in Plato’s Republic and Laws“ (2%, 5 Votes)
  • 12:15-12:45 - Dustin Simmons–”Emperor as God: Roman Imperial Cult Worship & Implications for Early Christians” (2%, 5 Votes)
  • 11:15-11:45 - Jacob Moody–”Philistine Ritual Artifacts” (2%, 4 Votes)
  • 10:00-10:30 - Elliott Wise–”An Odor of Sanctity: The Iconography, Magic, and Liturgy of Egyptian Incense” (2%, 4 Votes)
  • 12:45-1:15 - Keith Fairbank–”The Eleusinian Mysteries: Greatest Conquest of Demetrios Poliorketes” (1%, 3 Votes)
  • 9:30-10:00 - Aaron Snyder–”The Prayer Circle in Early Christianity” (0%, 1 Votes)
  • 9:00-9:30 - Donald Parry–”Eve, Eden, and the Temple” (0%, 1 Votes)
  • 9:00-9:30 - Kerry Muhlestein with Alyssa Lewis–”The Role of Violent Rituals in the Egyptian Temple” (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 236

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Job’s Covenant: Hebrew Tav and “Behold my sign!” in Job 31

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A few days ago I wrote about a post I read over at Lehi’s Library which quoted a paper by Kevin Christensen in which he referenced Margaret Barker.  The subject was the use of the Hebrew word/letter tau or tav, translated as “mark” in Ezekiel 9:4-6, and what it meant in Ezekiel’s day, and what it may have meant to the Nephites who also referenced it (Jacob 4:14).  The conclusion was that it may have referred to an anointing that the high priests received on their foreheads, having literally taken upon themselves the name of God.  I was curious to investigate the Hebrew word/letter tav more, which I did, and I want to share some of the intriguing things I discovered.

A small disclaimer.  I am most definitely an amateur when it comes to Hebrew, so any insights I might gather should be taken with a grain of salt.  Perhaps someone with greater expertise can make a greater inquiry into this particular subject.  These are just some of my observations as I’m learning. [Read more…]

“New Proposed Location for Solomon’s Temple” at Meridian Magazine

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Tradition has held that Solomon’s Temple, the first permanent temple that the Israelites built in Jerusalem around 968 B.C. and destroyed around 587 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar, was located on the same site as the modern-day Muslim mosque, the Dome of the Rock.  A new archaeological team made up of Garth Norman, Lance Harding, Jason Jones, and John Pratt who have been studying the subject for several months propose that the original temple might have actually been located between the modern Dome of the Rock and the Dome of the Tablets.  They propose that Solomon’s Temple could be rebuilt, the Third Temple, on its precise original location without disturbing the standing Muslim mosque.  At least 20 other locations have been proposed for the site, including Margaret Barker’s last Monday, so it will be interesting to see how this new theory is accepted.

See the full article at Meridian Magazine:
http://meridianmagazine.com/sci_rel/080815temple.html

Some of the evidence this new theory presents seems somewhat unconvincing to me, such as the “pillar base.”  Could a pillar base from Solomon’s Temple really have survived intact on the temple mount since 587 B.C.?  What have other scholars proposed as the purpose of this stone, which stands out in the middle of the otherwise flat temple mount?  If that is where Solomon’s temple originally stood, and the pillar base is intact, would we not also see some evidence for the exterior or interior walls?

The question has been asked, and could be asked again, if the Third Temple has to be built directly on the first temple site at all, or only near it.  What do you think about this latest theory?

Many More Ordinances Including Resurrection

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Brigham Young - June 1, 1871 - 70th birthday

Brigham Young - June 1, 1871 - 70th birthday

I came across a talk from President Brigham Young that was deeply insightful, and I want to share a portion.  It is from an address he gave on August 24, 1872 in Farmington, Utah, and reported by David W. Evans.  In it President Young describes the ordinances of the temple, and the many ordinances that we have yet to receive, including resurrection.

Now a few words to the brethren and sisters upon the doctrine and ordinances of the house of God. All who have lived on the earth according to the best light they had, and would have received the fullness of the Gospel had it been preached to them, are worthy of a glorious resurrection, and will attain to this by being administered for in the flesh by those who have the authority. All others will have a resurrection, and receive a glory, except those who have sinned against the Holy Ghost.

It is supposed by this people that we have all the ordinances in our possession for life and salvation, and exaltation, and that we are administering in these ordinances. This is not the case. We are in possession of all the ordinances that can be administered in the flesh; but there are other ordinances and administrations that must be administered beyond this world. I know you would ask what they are. I will mention one.  [Read more…]