Truth Against Error--Called to the Feast

During this Thanksgiving season, many of us have been called to a feast. The above verse tells us of a coming feast, free of enemies, held for those who have ascended the mountain and performed their vows. To make sure we arrive at the right place and at the right time, we need instructions and directions. When such a beautiful place has been prepared for the festivities, we do not want to end up at the wrong house.

As touched upon in the Introduction, Part One, the Three Pillars of the Gospel are a cycle of creation, fall and atonement. Man and woman are brought forth into paradise, then descend down to the fallen earth in a state of spiritual death.¹ At length we are given the opportunity to ascend to God's presence through a spiritual rebirth. By the power of the atonement, Christ brings forth man and woman from spiritual death to spiritual life. So, the above poem applies first to the descent, and then to the ascent as we return to our beautiful heavenly home and also as this earth is made ready for her higher estate.

Nature is replete with examples of the Creation-Fall-Atonement cycle. Many ancient civilizations worshipped the rain god. The process of precipitation is a beautiful metaphor of the cycle described above. It also contains the four elements; air, water, earth and fire, that permeate so many belief systems both ancient and modern. As the air accumulates more moisture, clouds form and become denser until the water vapor turns to rain and falls to the earth. There it is absorbed by plants from the earth which use the water to sustain life and create new growth. As plants die the moisture is released back into the cycle. The sun through evaporation draws the moisture back to the sky and forms it back into organized gas as a cloud. It is returned to an organized state of at-one-ment as molecules bond together. Perhaps this is why the notion of the dead living on clouds with the angels slipped into the Christian traditions.

Nibley has said many times that the temple helps us orient ourselves in the universe. Knowing the destination is a necessary step in arriving at the feast. Tools, including a compass and a square, are gifts that help us in that orientation.

The temple also endows the worthy with the proper wedding garments and many gifts that the Father has for His children who follow in the master's footsteps. These gifts have many purposes among which are; weapons and armor of protection along the dangerous journey, methods of identification, and the garment of empowerment to ascend to a more glorious sphere. These things prepare us for and guide us to the sacred marriage and the feast.

"The Pearl " is an early Christian hymn categorized as ritual literature. Brother Nibley tells us that its plot and setting are similar to that of the Egyptian "Book of Breathings."² The story tells of deliverance from the darkness of this life. The hero has his garment of light removed and laid up in heaven to await his return (in some versions it is placed beneath the throne of God). The hero journeys to Egypt which is spiritual Sodom . He has to learn that he cannot overcome the adversary and earn back his garment all at once. It is a process. His father sends him instructions by an eagle (originally the phoenix of the resurrection, a type for the Redeemer) so he could find and traverse the road back. Eventually, he passes through the waters of his final birth and receives his garment of light. Nibley notes that "the raiment is put on not only at the beginning of the journey and at the end, but is also donned at intermediate stages".³ The hero also finds that "the garment, though the same one, is now enhanced - the same garment, but better, enriched by earthly merits and victory." ⁴

After receiving an additional shining mantle and the ritual embrace, he is "lifted up to the place of peace:" ⁵ and there is joyfully received into the kingdom.

Again, here we are reminded of the counterfeit garment because, as Nibley writes, "...always there is the false version of the garment going around." ⁶

The Book of Mormon is saturated with types of the rebirth process and how it stems from the atonement. In allegory, teachings, and historical events, this book is truly the most complete work available to light the path to salvation. No one need be concerned that they need to relearn the gospel here. What we are discussing is based on the foundation of the basic principles we know and love:

As a result of the fall, there is a need for us to be freed from the effects of spiritual bondage. Isaiah wrote of those loosed from the oppressor: "For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of the shoulder, the rod of his oppressor..." (Isaiah 9:4). Yet, after we are free, this does not bring us back from spiritual death. It simply allows us, if we press forward, to receive the necessary garments of light to be bound up in the safety harness of kept covenants so we can be raised to the presence of the Lord.

It is amazing and exciting to read the Doctrine and Covenants with an eye to some of the sections in the first half alluding to cutting us free from this fallen state. The second half holds many of the higher covenants which can lift us home but we must be careful of that two edged sword. The instrument that cuts us free of an evil yoke can come back and destroy those who do not keep sacred covenants.

To be reborn and fit for Heavenly realms, we must develop as a spiritual embryo. "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances?" (Alma 5:14)

Just as a child can resemble his/her earthly parents, a true rebirth should bring about a recognizable image stamped on the features of the child of Christ; peace, charity, hope and good cheer (in between the Gethsemane moments). Nicodemus wanted to know how it was done: "...can he enter a second time into his mother's womb?" (St. John 3:5) This brings us to the ancient goddess motif.

Worship of the "great mother" is found in many forms throughout the world both anciently, and in growing popularity in our day.

She is given many names: Mother Earth, Isis, Diana, the Druid earth goddesses, even Mary, the mother of the Savior, Mary Magdalene, and Eve. Where the misunderstanding has come is that this is a process, not a person to be worshipped. The process, as we have already discussed, is the spiritual rebirth embodied in the atonement. We will examine this process in many ways through future articles. We have already likened it to the mountain and also mentioned the Tree of Life, which we'll look at more in depth in December. Below this article, in "Points to Ponder", are other examples of this process that we are planning for future articles.

Now let's look at the ascension process as a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. It is fascinating that this testament in nature begins in a snake-like form. This poem by Melody Newey gives an enlightened portrayal of our motif.

So, are we saying that angels have wings?...well...no, they do not. Literally that is true but it is easy to see where the mistake came from. Athene, a powerful goddess from the Greek pantheon, was born fully armored from the head of her father Zeus. She is usually shown wearing her aegis, a protective robe. Sometimes the aegis is worn as a breastplate but often, as in the photograph shown in Temple and Cosmos, the robe is worn completely covering the left arm. The goddess, battle ready, protects the coiled baby serpents growing like fringe along the bottom edge of the cloth and it all appears very wing-like. Athena wears the head of Medusa (in the role of a sphinx) on the robe to turn any to stone who would threaten the babes she protects.⁷ This makes one think of the Egyptian goddesses, "Isis and Nephthys" who protect the tomb of Osiris with their wings, or the Cherubim with their wings protecting the Ark of the Covenant.

Sometimes, the mythological "mother-goddess" was a god or goddess with both male and female attributes like Hermaphrodite. Also, there are stories of a god bearing a child, like Athena from Zeus' head, or Dionysis who was born from Zeus after being stitched as an embryo into his thigh.⁸ The patriarch Jacob also had an incident with his thigh: "And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him" (Genesis 32:25).

Eventually we will look at the spiritual rebirth cycle from exaltation to exaltation in light of the elliptical movement of the moon. This cycle has been confused through the ages and what is a spiritual process has been interpreted as reincarnation. "...Buddha promised salvation only to those who obeyed Buddhist law and lived a life of asceticism, renouncing all worldly pleasures. Eventually freed from all attachments to this world, such people would escape the cycle of birth and death and enter the blessed state known as Nirvana".⁹

In Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is a being who hesitates to enter the state of Nirvana because they want to help save suffering humanity. "Avalokiteshvara, whose name was taken by the Chinese to mean 'listening to the cries of the world'...came to embody Chinese motherly virtues of compassion, and changed from a male Bodhisattva to a female one. Sometimes she was depicted with many arms, indicating the extent of her powers of intercession".¹⁰

In the Mesoamerican civilizations, Quetzalcoatl was a major god. His name means "feathered serpent". A coiled serpent is the most common of all animal motifs for the Aztecs. Sometimes the snake is enfolded in four sets of wings with only the head showing.¹¹

In Introduction, Part II, we discussed moving to the top of the mountain, which can be equated with the development of the caterpillar in the cocoon. Studying sanctification is very helpful for learning more of the ascension process. We sanctify ourselves through the power of the Holy Ghost. Even after all we can do, we still cannot return to the Father without assistance. Without mercy, we will not move from the mountain top to the feast. We need a leg up for the last part of the journey. Studying justification and mercy illuminates this aspect of the journey. Both of those principles are crucial all along the way but more dramatically come into play for those who reach the top of the mountain. We could try and make some wings and fly like Icarus but that sun would soon do its work and melt the wax and we would fall. Sadly, neither Icarus nor his father was a true phoenix bird.

That leap from the mountain top is portrayed in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" when the hero takes that last step of faith to get to the Holy Grail. Putting a foot off the mountain onto empty air is frightening (to be taken symbolically, do not try this at home, folks). As Brother Nibley explains the last part of the ascension occurs; "...as or with a bird". ¹² "...[we make our] ascent to heaven in bird-form". ¹³ Many depictions of the Tree of Life show a dove waiting in a branch near the top, waiting to see if the initiate reaches her. Isaiah also mentions this part of the ascension process:

We will have much more to say about this subject in the future. The study of Hebrew can be very enlightening. " Points to Ponder" has a page filled with definitions of related Hebrew words. These words are a definite, "connect the dots" time. Below are a few we picked out to highlight here:

When we reject the gift, we are rejecting the power of the atonement by saying we are too meek and humble to step forward in applying the cleansing blood of Christ. It means we do not press onward to accept the endowment of the sacred investiture necessary to come to the wedding feast.

Through the years we have known many members of the church who have become obsessed with seeking the mysteries of God. Some have left the Church; others are a danger to fellow members as they indiscreetly spread personal opinions as doctrine. So, if there is danger in going beyond the mark, should we really seek the mysteries? So just what should we study?

So, once we are attached to that umbilical chord, we need to adapt to that food that sustains for the new birth. That sustenance is something to ponder.

And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for thy will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be.

(2 Nephi 32:7)

For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.

(1 Nephi 10:19)

The temple is a place to know the Father and the Son. It is a place where we experience the divine presence. The Prophet Joseph Smith made this plea: "I advise all to.search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness." And where shall we search? In the house of God.

(Richard H. Winkel, General Conference Sept. 2006)

As we have said and want to reiterate one last time; the basics of the gospel are the true mysteries and the ones that pertain to our salvation. They are the underlying message of the temple. Faith, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost are all principles based upon the Three Pillars of the Gospel.

To those who share sacred things with those who are not ready I would say, remember, what is a blessing to one prepared is a curse to one not prepared. I believe we are tested according to the amount of knowledge we gain. It is wrong to bring that testing upon one not prepared. Although we are writing about sacred things here, we are not trying to unveil the temple ceremonies but mostly are using analogies, mythology, etc. and of course it is always safe using the scriptures.

The subject of mysteries makes many people nervous and that is good because we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Yet, it should be the right kind of nervousness; the kind that produces patient, measured learning. If we ever get to the point where we feel a need to enlighten the Prophet we can be certain we have gone beyond the mark and are full of pride, which is enmity to God.

Many say we should not seek these mysteries, which basically means, we should not be learning from the temple. Some people do not even know there is anything to learn there. They do not understand the symbols hold volumes, enough to keep us busy with detective work far into the next life. How boring to think we already know everything or that any further knowledge should wait until the next life.

Brother Nibley, quoting the "Thanksgiving Hymn" encouraged us to learn: "Thou hast given to thy children a rich portion of the knowledge of thy Truth, and to the degree of a man's knowledge will he be glorified". ¹⁹ We believe that if we squander our opportunity to learn while in this sphere, we will not be given the same opportunities as those who have or would have sought truth if they had been given the same chances for learning as we have been given.

The process we go through in living the gospel so that we are worthy of the companionship of the Spirit, brings us gradually to learn the language of the Spirit. Only in learning that language do we come to know the mind of God. It is only in knowing Him that we become like Him. So, for those who disdain to seek out the mysteries, they are limiting themselves. Christ taught in parables because all had not "ears to hear". The more we learn, the more humble we should feel as we see the vast and glorious scope of God's work and knowledge.

And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.

( Alma 12:9-11)

Orienting ourselves to our Father in Heaven, may we keep our covenants with love and humility that we may be worthy of the garment and the invitation to the feast.

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.

(Rev. 19:7-9)

(The purpose of this section is to add information for those interested in studying further. If we did not restrain ourselves, the articles would be far too lengthy.

Also, we will put here sacred points which may be better for the reader to connect the dots on their own.)

1. We will be using many examples to demonstrate the process of rebirth. The sacredness of the subject restricts us from completely spelling out our personal understand of the subject. Hopefully, the examples themselves will assist us in learning more. Among the ideas we'll explore along this subject are: In March, the topic will be Aaron and the Ark of the Covenant which will expand on this idea of emergence into a state of rebirth with the cherubim much like Egyptian goddesses, Isis and Nephthys guarding the developing child with their wings as part of the mercy seat on the ark. Exaltation means hiding places. We move from exaltation to exaltation, stepping up the higher, steeper portion of the mountain. In April, the article on resurrection will portray the process by the sacred and very ancient motif of the lotus flower. This flower is found in all of the facsimilies in the Book of Abraham. At other times we will explore the idea of the cosmic egg and the mythological emergence of the winged Hermes breaking forth from the egg. Also, we will find out what we can learn from studying the phases of the moon, the fat and skinny Buddha, the caduceus, the pyramids, and totem poles, seven chakras, and Jacob's ladder, the chariot (merkabah). These are only a few of the ways the ancients and nature represent the process of returning to our Father in Heaven.

2. Trying to place labels on sacred things can stifle understanding. Especially in Egyptology, everything is fluid, names are not the important issue. We could spend a long time trying to identify which prophet or member of the Godhead fit which Egyptian god and never agree. That is because everything comes back to the hero who is Christ. We can identify acts of the great archangel, Michael, who became Adam on earth. Some descriptions seem to fit Enoch, Abraham and others, but the crux of the whole matter is that the process is the important thing and titles are what counts. Names can be titles or offices. There are obviously other heroes but they are types for the Savior and if they are true heroes, then everything they do, they do in His name. He forged the path and showed the way. He may place others in positions of authority over the various steps of progression but He stood there first and lights the way. This may not seem obvious but hopefully the reader will see this is true over the months ahead as we explore the history of our planet and attempt to shed a little discreet light on the ascension process. Especially in Egyptology, seekers can waste a lot of time pinning down which gods in their pantheon represent this or that prophet or member of the Godhead. Nibley admonishes us of the fluidity of those characters. A father may wear many hats and if one pegs him as only a father, he misses the fact that he may be a doctor, a bishop, a brother, a son, and a little league coach. More explicitly, in Egyptology, a process is alluded to, especially in the Book of Breathings which tells of an upward journey. Facsimile Three gives an interesting glimpse of the different titles one can escape from, then add to in the steps to become joint-heirs. Because one is a bride, does not mean one is not also a son. Okay, we threw that in there for a teaser. A later article will address that topic.

3. "Origen, the first and foremost of Christian theologians, divided the church itself into two bodies of members-the "esoteric" and the "exoteric" - corresponding to two different ways of comprehending the teachings. The words are his, and they speak volumes. Both societies shared the common membership, but while the exoteric side made up the popular congregations, the esoteric community was limited to those who understood and could be trusted with the deeper meaning of the doctrine. (Nibley, T&C p. 386-7)

4. In our opinion, it is better not pressure others into seeking the mysteries. That creates dissatisfaction and jealousy. If you are on this site, we are assuming you know there is more and like us are pursuing that knowledge but follow the example of the Brethren and keep it quiet. Only the Spirit can lead, no pushing, which would be a curse rather than blessing.

6. By flowers is signified the appearance of created beings on the earth . When did they appear? On the third day, when it is written: "The earth first brought forth." Then the flowers appeared on that day...... "Let us make man," who in after-time would say: "Let us hear, before let us do or make." "In our land" is meant the Sabbath, symbol or type of the land of life , the world of spirits or souls, the world of resurrections or rising up to a higher life. "The flowers" were the fathers or pitris whose souls pre-existed in the Divine Thought, and, entering into the world to come, became concealed and hidden therein . From thence they came forth, becoming incarnated in prophets of truth. When Joseph was born they were concealed and unrecognized in him, and when he entered into the holy land he presided over them and ruled there; so then they became known. When did this occur? To this question Scripture gives answer: when the Iris, or rainbow, first appeared in the world. Then was the time of the excision or cutting of the brutal and savage and sinful from the face of the earth. Why, then, did they not perish? Why were they preserved? Because the flowers then appeared on the earth. If they had not appeared, they, the brutal and sinful ones, would have become extinct and the world would have ceased its existence. Who, then, established the world and caused the fathers to appear? It was the voice or cry of the little ones , or students of the law, and it was owing to them that the world now subsists (The Sepher Ha-Zohar:: 12: p.35)

All references taken from the Hebrew-English portion. Each of these groupings of words stem from the same root, or very close, coming in a grouping. Sometimes, an additional consonant adds plurality, masc. or fem. or some other slight change but still originates from the same word.

p. 107: beehive, power, force, be modeled (in clay), burial cave, star; planet, owl, be covered, smelted furnace, be wrapped up, be directed, shrinkable, burn (on skin), window.

p. 109: dome, cap, atonement, expiation, double, witchcraft, encirclement, shoulder, carry.

p. 111: tied up, duplicate, wicker-basket, binding, multiply, surrender, yielding, collect, assemble, church, wing, cover, lid, covering, garment.

p. 116: beside, by, birth, owl, lilith, Sabbath eve (Friday night) be cleaned, be gathered

p. 189: wreathed, garlanded, crowned with praise, covering, wrapping, encircled, surround, crowned, diadem, wrap oneself in, put on, enveloped.

p. 203: salvation; relief, boat, flourishing, fruitful, lot, fertile, flowering, blossoming, flying, Purim (feast of Esther), be beautified, be unstitched, shaft, furnace, kiln.

p. 228: crown, be sanctified, be consecrated, be betrothed, cup, be gathered together, collection, first.

p. 230 & 31: proximity, nearness, sacrifice, victim, be torn, be rent, be cut open, spider web, shining, radiant, be shaped, be fashioned.

p. 235: decorating, adorning, ornament, hardening, connection, tying together; ribbon, bow, marrow.

p. 247: love, womb, Egyptian vulture, compassion, pity, mercy, God the merciful, clemency, married, beloved.

p. 269: shoulder, together, shoulder to shoulder, cape, cloak, dwell, live, appearance, God the divine presence.

p. 271: name; substantive, place, assessing, reach completion, be safe, whole, entire; unharmed, full, perfect, peace, robe, gown, perfection, peace-offering.

¹ Genesis 2:17
² The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri, p. 487
³ Ibid p. 496
⁴ Ibid p. 497
⁵ Ibid p. 500
⁶ Nibley, T&C, p. 131
⁷ Ibid p. 125
⁸ World Mythology, Roy Willis, Editor p. 140. (Abbreviated WM hereafter)
⁹ Ibid p. 96
¹⁰ Ibid
¹¹ Ibid p. 240
¹² Nibley, Abraham in Egypt , p. 63
¹³ Ibid p. 67
¹⁴ The New Bantam-Megiddo, Hebrew & English Dictionary p. 7
¹⁵ Ibid p. 52
¹⁶ Ibid p. 61
¹⁷ Ibid p. 109
¹⁸ Ibid p. 182
¹⁹ Nibley, T&C p. 193