scholar

Finding Meaning in Sacred Architecture – Lecture by Val Brinkerhoff

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Val Brinkerhoff is an associate professor of photography in BYU’s Visual Arts Department, and over the last decade has focused his studies on sacred architecture, particularly of temples.  He’s authored or co-authored a number of books, the three most recent being about finding the meaning of symbolism in sacred architecture.  Yesterday he gave a lecture on this subject at BYU as part of the Kennedy Center Lectures.  A video of the lecture is embedded below (on the website), or can be found at the Kennedy Center website.  It is about an hour long, and provides a fascinating look into the symbolism of temples, ancient and modern.  Thanks Lee!

Click here to watch Val Brinkerhoff’s lecture

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

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

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.

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Daniel C. Peterson Temple Fireside – July 12, 2009

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Daniel C. Peterson

Daniel C. Peterson

For those who are in the Salt Lake area, BYU professor and LDS scholar Dr. Daniel C. Peterson will be giving a fireside this coming Sunday, July 12, 2009.  His topic is “The Temple as a Place of Ascent to God.”

The fireside comes in connection with the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house, and will begin at 7:00pm at the Daybreak Stake Center (near the new temple).  Here is the address:

4517 W. Mille Lacs Drive
South Jordan, UT 84095

I have heard Br. Peterson speak on several occasions, and have been greatly impressed with his scholarship, style, wit, and humor.  He is a fantastic speaker, and I’m sure this fireside about the temple will not disappoint.  I will be taking notes.

[via MADB]

“The Cosmic Ring-Dance of the Angels” by Frederick M. Huchel

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Detail from "The Last Judgment" by Fra Angelico - "The Dance of the Angels"

Detail from "The Last Judgment," c1425, by Fra Angelico - "The Dance of the Angels"

Some of you may remember my paper The Genesis of the Round Dance that I posted early in the life of TempleStudy.com.  It was a paper I wrote for a BYU Dance Department Symposium a few years ago that addressed the ancient ubiquitous practice of ring dancing, particularly as connected with religious worship and prayer.  It was a subject that really intrigued me, and is probably one of the most researched topics I’ve ever written about, as well as one of the first, taking some precious leads from Hugh Nibley and running.

Br. Frederick M. Huchel, an independent historian and scholar of the temple from Logan, Utah,  a week and a half ago spoke on the same subject at Margaret Barker’s Temple Studies Group symposium in London, England.  His presentation was entitled “The Cosmic Ring-Dance of the Angels: An Early Christian Rite of the Temple.”  The paper has now been published on David Larsen’s Heavenly Ascents blog.

I have not yet had the chance to read the paper, but I am confident that it will go far and above the detail of my paper, lending valuable insights particularly in the area of the ancient Israelite and early Christian elements.  Br. Huchel’s original work on the subject spans over 100 pages that he plans to publish at some point, of which this paper is a portion.

I’m really looking forward to learning more about this subject from Br. Huchel!  You can find the paper at the links below:

Introduction by Br. Huchel at Heavenly Ascents
PDF of “The Cosmic Ring-Dance of the Angels: An Early Christian Rite of the Temple”

Update: Frederick M. Huchel has now published a book on this subject.  You can buy it here: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-cosmic-ring-dance-of-the-angels—softbound/7409216?fNo=Cancel

The Sacred Hosanna Shout!

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Between 30,000 and 50,000 people gathered to shout "Hosanna!" for the capstone-laying ceremony of the Salt Lake Temple in 1892. Photo by Charles Ellis Johnson.

Between 30,000 and 50,000 people gathered to shout "Hosanna!" for the capstone-laying ceremony of the Salt Lake Temple in 1892. Photo by Charles Ellis Johnson.

This last Sunday as I participated in the Hosanna Shout at one of the dedication sessions of the Draper Utah Temple, I thought that it might be interesting to research this form of praise and worship, and how it’s been used in the past. During the services President Uchtdorf related some of the occasions on which this shout has been given, such as when Jesus rode into Jerusalem triumphantly (Matthew 21; Mark 11; John 12), or when Christ appeared to the people in the Americas in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 11). But when else has this shout been given, particularly in the latter days, and under what circumstances?  [Read more…]