hands – Page 2 – Temple Study

“The Temple as a Place of Ascent to God” – Notes from Dr. Peterson’s Fireside

July 15, 2009 by Bryce Haymond 43 Comments

View of Salt Lake Valley from the Draper Temple on July 10, 2009. The Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain temples are in the distance.

On Sunday I had the opportunity of going to the Daybreak Stake Center in South Jordan and listening to a wonderful fireside given by Dr. Daniel C. Peterson about the temple. I audio recorded the fireside, and have a digital copy. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get a hold of Dr. Peterson to ask permission to post it on TempleStudy.com. But as I said previously, I also took notes as well as I could, and I hope that they might reproduce some of the excellent thoughts Dr. Peterson conveyed. [Note: Not all of the images below are the exact same as Dr. Peterson used, but I have tried to use similar ones.]

One of the first things he said was that the dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple (which stands only a few blocks from the stake center) would be, in a way, a fulfillment of prophecy.

[Read more…]

The Apotheosis of Washington

June 27, 2009 by Bryce Haymond 8 Comments

The Apotheosis of Washington (detail), Constantino Brumidi, 1865, United States Capitol Building rotunda.

I watched an interesting show last night, Secret America on Discovery, and learned some interesting things. One of them was that there is a large fresco painted on the inside of the dome of the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building. It is called “The Apotheosis of Washington” and was painted by an Italian Painter, Constantino Brumidi, in 1865 for the sum of $40,000.

What is interesting is what was painted in this profound location. [Read more…]

Gremiale – An Apron-like Catholic Liturgical Vestment

March 20, 2009 by Bryce Haymond 13 Comments

Pope Benedict XVI wearing the gremiale, and apron-like vestment

Pope Benedict XVI wearing the gremiale, an apron-like vestment

The gremiale, also called gremial, is an apron-like vestment worn by the bishop as part of the Catholic Mass or other sacred orders. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes the current understanding of this vestment in this way:

A square or oblong cloth which the bishop, according to the “Cæremoniale” and “Pontificale”, should wear over his lap, when seated on the throne during the singing of the Kyrie, Gloria, and Credo by the choir, during the distribution of blessed candles, palms or ashes, and also during the anointments in connection with Holy orders. The gremiale is never used during pontifical Vespers. The primary object of the gremiale is to prevent the soiling of the other vestments, especially the chasuble. The gremiale used during the pontifical Mass is made of silk. It should be decorated by a cross in the centre, and trimmed with silk embroidery. Its colour must correspond with the colour of the chasuble. The gremiales used at other functions are made of linen, to facilitate their cleansing in case they be soiled. Little is known of its history; apparently its origin dates back to the later Middle Ages. The Roman Ordo of Gaetano Stefaneschi (c. 1311) mention it first (n. 48); soon after it is mentioned in the statutes of Grandison of Exeter (England) as early as 1339, In earlier times it was used not only any bishop but also by priests. It is not blessed and has no symbolical meaning. ((http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07026a.htm))

This is an intriguing vestment, particularly since “little is known of its history.” So I did some research and found a bit more about it. [Read more…]

Power in the Right Hand

February 23, 2009 by Bryce Haymond 12 Comments

Sustaining Church officers during the solemn assembly of April 2008 General Conference

I have been thinking recently about the power, significance, and symbolism of using our arms, particularly our right arm or hand. I’m not sure what it is that gives this power to the way we use our arms and hands, but there is a fundamental force that comes from using them. It could be that we use our arms and hands to accomplish most of what we do in a day; they are our main tools of action. We use our arms and hands to get dressed, eat, drive, use a computer, handle objects, express ourselves, shake hands, signal to people, communicate, and do many of the things we do every day. But there is something else that makes our arms and hands powerful, especially when we raise them up. [Read more…]

16th Century Sculpture of the Marriage of Adam and Eve

October 9, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 5 Comments

The Garden of Eden or Love by Guillielmus Paludanus. 1567. Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels. (click image for a larger view)

Just a couple days ago I came across a sculpture that caught my attention. Although unsigned and undated, it is widely believed that it was created by the Flemish sculptor and medallist Guillielmus Paludanus in 1567 as part of a chimney mantelpiece at his home in Antwerp, Belgium. It is described as espousing the virtue of love:

In the centre of the elongated relief stands God the Father, dressed in a long robe, between Adam and Eve. He is blessing the naked human pair and placing their hands together. The scene takes place in the garden of Eden. . . This scene is a prefiguration of the sacrament of marriage. Not only the hieratic gesture of the God the Father, and Adam and Eve’s joined hands [known in antiquity as the dexiosis or dextrarum iunctio], but also the depiction of the paradise animals, two by two, refer to the God-willed lifelong community between husband and wife. (Web Gallery of Art)

I think this is a beautiful depiction of the first marriage, between Adam and Eve, as solemnized by God the Father. It recalls the moment in the Garden when it was said, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:24; see also Gen. 3:12).

As it was in the beginning, so it continues today, that marriage is between a man and a woman. It was divinely ordained so by God, for “neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:11). It cannot be defined otherwise without serious repercussions on our society as a whole, and on our families and religious freedoms. For that reason, I am in support of traditional marriage, particularly Proposition 8 in California (see my sidebar). Watch apostles Elder Ballard and Elder Cook discuss the issue, or apostle Elder Bednar answer questions on the Proposition. Hear people discuss their reasoning of support for the initiative. Or check out the Church’s new website in support of Proposition 8 – PreservingMarriage.org. Read the Church’s explanation for why this is important, and the First Presidency’s letter asking members to support this amendment in California.

Now is the time to make a difference by supporting marriage only between a man and a woman. Vote yes on Proposition 8! Visit ProtectMarriage.com for more information on how you can support this cause.