• About
  • Contents
  • Tag Cloud

Temple Study

Sustaining and Defending the LDS Temple

initiate

On Mysticism, Transcendence, Meditation, Seers & Stones

June 29, 2013 by Bryce Haymond 16 Comments

What is mysticism?  That is the million dollar question.

It is incredibly difficult to define. Wikipedia defines it as the “pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight.”  What?  By combining all possible definitions into one, they have created an incomprehensible one.

Let’s turn to some closer associates.  Hugh Nibley once defined it, quoting Eduard Lehmann, as “an intuitive and ecstatic union with the deity obtained by means of contemplation and other mental exercises.” Professor William Hamblin turns to oft-repeated definitions such as “a domain of religion that deals with the search for and the attainment of a profound experiential knowledge of God or of ultimate reality,” or, “mysticism is … a type of religious experience which involves a sense of union or merging with either God or an all-pervading spiritual force in the universe,” but finds even these lacking.  In Kevin Christensen’s recent Interpreter review of Margarget Barker’s book Temple Mysticism: An Introduction he indicated that his “favorite LDS approach” to the topic has become Mark E. Koltko’s essay “Mysticism and Mormonism: An LDS Perspective on Transcendence and Higher Consciousness,” found in the April 1989 issue of Sunstone. We’ll come back to this shortly. Christensen notes that while Nibley’s view tends to be the more conventional definition, Margaret Barker’s own use of the term in her book is very different still, focusing on the experience of “seeing the Lord,” i.e. a temple theophany. While different, there is clearly overlap between the ideas of “a union with deity,” and “seeing God,” as Matthew Bowen also elucidates in his recent article in Interpreter. Koltko’s essay also perhaps helps bridge the gap. [Read more…]

Posted in: Practices Tagged: brigham young, don bradley, experience, fasting, focus, holy ghost, hugh nibley, initiate, interpreters, joseph smith, margaret barker, Matthew B. Brown, presence, revelation, revelations, seer, seer stone, theophany, traditions, truth, universe, urim & thummim, veil, william hamblin

The Universal Creation Song

March 22, 2010 by Bryce Haymond 18 Comments

Music is a fundamental part of worship, and was even more so anciently than it is today.  Before the printed word made the sacred word so accessible to the masses, it was passed on from generation to generation orally.  But this was not just the spoken word.  In order for the word to be remembered and said the same way over and over again, over decades and centuries, a mnemonic device was employed to facilitate the reciter.  This device was music.  The sacred word, every word, was put to music.

This can be seen in the way the Bible is written in Hebrew, one of the oldest languages in the world.  In Hebrew, particularly the Hebrew Bible, there are cantillation marks that specify how the text should be sung:  [Read more…]

Posted in: Practices Tagged: bible, creation, hebrew, hugh nibley, hymn, initiate, Jewish, markings, marks, moses, muses, music, native american, poetry, prayer circle, rites, round dance, scriptures, symbols, synagogue

Initiation of Nemo

September 3, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 7 Comments

My 2-year-old daughter loves to watch the Disney/Pixar movie Finding Nemo.  Consequently, we’ve watched it dozens of times.  My wife pointed out this interesting clip from the movie.  I thought it was fun and curious.  Enjoy!

Posted in: Tidbits Tagged: anointing, fun, initiate, light, mountain, new name, priesthood, veil, video

Early Christian Face Veiling

July 22, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 21 Comments
Early Christian Mosaic in Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy

Early Christian Mosaic in Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy

I came across some references to early Christian ritual vestments this morning in Matthew Brown’s The Gate of Heaven.  He cited The Awe-Inspiring Rites of Initiation by Edward Yarnold, and The Archæology of Baptism by Wolfred N. Cote.  I looked up these references and they were intriguing in describing an early Christian practice of face veiling during initiation rites:  [Read more…]

Posted in: Artifacts, Practices, Scholarship Tagged: archaeology, baptism, cap, cyril of jerusalem, early christian, initiate, matthew brown, priesthood, rituals, satan, symbols, veil

Words: Mysticism & Orientation

July 15, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 8 Comments

I think many times our culture produces preconceptions or stereotypes about words, images, cultures, forms, meanings, etc., that may not actually be true.  I have found this to be the case with the word mysticism.  Oft times I think we associate this word with gypsies, palm readers, fortune tellers, monks, or other so-called strange or mysterious things.  But is this a correct perception?  Often we just don’t know the origin of a word, which might give us great insight.  [Read more…]

Posted in: Scholarship, Texts Tagged: ancients, atonement, experience, google, greek, hugh nibley, initiate, literature, mystery, ordinances, philosophy, revelation, rituals, scriptures, secret, solomon, source, universe
1 2 Next »

About TempleStudy.com

This blog is dedicated to the exemplary LDS (Mormon) scholar Dr. Hugh Nibley, whose landmark temple studies have strengthened the faith of many. Read more on About page. Email me. Click on the widget in the lower-right corner of the window to chat with me.

Support TempleStudy.com

Recent Comments

  • Miguel David Gedo on The Black Robes of a False Priesthood
  • ellen north on Pondering the Temple Experience Through Scripture
  • Corey on Who were the Shepherds in the Christmas Story?
  • Lori allred on Creed Haymond Story of the Word of Wisdom, in His Own Words
  • Aleta G on Homeward Bound: Interpretations of Marta Keen Thompson’s Music

Recent Posts

  • ThyMindOMan.com – Exploring the Mind’s Relationship to God
  • Videos of 2014 Temple on Mount Zion Conference Now Available for Free Viewing
  • Gratitude Precedes Zion
  • Official Church Video on Temple Garments and Robes
  • The Temple on Mount Zion 2014 Conference

Categories

  • Announcements
  • Artifacts
  • Church History
  • Favorites
  • General Authorities
  • Practices
  • Scholarship
  • Temples Today
  • Texts
  • Tidbits
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • April 2017
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • February 2014
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • December 2011
  • October 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008

Blogroll

  • Adventures in Mormonism
  • Believe All Things
  • Free Temple Photos Blog
  • Heavenly Ascents
  • Latter-Day Commentary
  • LDS Temples Photo Blog
  • Leen Ritmeyer – Archeological Design
  • Lehi’s Library
  • Millennial Star
  • Mormanity
  • Mormon Insights
  • Mormon Mysticism
  • Pronaos
  • Sacred Symbolic
  • Strong Reasons
  • Temple Photos Blog
  • The Seer Stone
  • Things Unutterable
  • Visions of the Kingdom

Links

  • Barry Bickmore: Temple in Early Christianity
  • Bruce Porter’s Temple Articles
  • BYU Students of the Ancient Near East (SANE)
  • FAIR Wiki
  • FAIRLDS: Mormon Research
  • FARMS: Mormon Scholarship
  • Jeff Lindsay: Temples and Masonry
  • Jesus Christ
  • LDS Church News
  • LDS Church Temples
  • LDS Temple Fine Art – Robert Boyd
  • LDS Temple Photography – Aaron Barker
  • LDS Toolbar.com
  • LDS Toolbar.net
  • LDS.org
  • LDS.org Temples
  • Mormon Church Temples
  • Mormon Conferences
  • Mormon Monastery
  • Mormon Temple Ceremony
  • Mormon Temple Ceremony
  • Mormon.org
  • Temple Prints Fine Art Photography
  • Temple Studies Group
  • The Temple Institute

Copyright © 2025 Temple Study.

Omega WordPress Theme by ThemeHall