The typical
reaction of church members when first exposed to Joseph Smith’s use of
cosmological imagery is one of disbelief. “You mean there is more to the gospel
of Jesus Christ than I have been taught?” is a typical reaction. This is mostly
due to the fact that their previous gospel education or belief system did not
include this aspect of gospel study. It was one of the first concepts lost in
the widespread apostasy after the death of Christ’s apostles, so other
Christian denominations know nothing of it. Nephi, in the Book of Mormon, wrote
at length about how the “plain and precious” parts of the gospel were
suppressed in the apostasy. Along with all that is taught publicly, there is
more to the Restored Gospel than meets the eye.
This
information cannot harm you, nor detract from your testimony. There is no need
to fear it. Rather, it can only expand and complement your present grasp of the
gospel, as well as markedly strengthen your conviction that you are a member of
the one true church of Jesus Christ, restored by a prophet in these latter
days.
The
Restoration saw the reinstatement of these concepts, along with the other vital
concepts you have learned in your time as a latter-day saint. They are
explained in the teachings of Joseph Smith, and they are employed in his
revelations, including the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl
of Great Price. In addition, this very same information allows us to understand
the otherwise arcane and odd symbolic imagery used by all the prophets and in
our modern temples.
This
information is not taught to investigators. We leave that task to our capable
and inspired missionaries, who are called to carry the basic gospel principles to
the
world under the direction of church leaders. They teach the
vital essentials that most Christians can understand, enough to convince them
of the validity of the Restoration if they choose to listen. Of course, sincere
inquiry confirms these truths via the Spirit to all who ask with a sincere
heart and real intent.
However once
one has obtained a conviction of the Restoration and a testimony of the prophet
Joseph Smith and the church he founded through personal revelation, this
information becomes the next step forward in one’s ongoing efforts to master gospel
principles and concepts.
You will not
find this instruction in church manuals, nor will you hear it in General
Conference talks. It is not taught in Sunday School nor from our pulpits on
Sundays. The information presented in those venues is for investigators and
newly confirmed members. It’s also vital for longtime members to review
regularly. Those are the first principles. This is additional information we
are meant to search out for ourselves as part of our eternal progression.
Yet this
additional information should be approached the same way as the basics taught
by missionaries and in church, with diligence and earnest prayer to confirm its
validity and value to our understanding of the “fullness” of the Restored
Gospel.
This fullness,
this ancient knowledge, includes a rich set of metaphors—graphics and word
images—that were used anciently by prophets, down through time. Mastering the
use and meaning of these metaphors and this imagery requires time and effort. It
simply cannot be done in one sitting or with a brief explanation. It requires
considerable study and practice, as with any new skill.
It’s missing
entirely from our cultural and religious training and tradition. Therefore,
church members must begin with the basics, including the ancient history of the
heavens, as taught by the prophets, and how things seen there by our ancestors,
at the very dawn of time, spawned this cryptic set of metaphors and icons. One
simply must master the history of this imagery and how it was used in ancient
cultures worldwide, not just by the prophets, to understand its implementation
in sacred texts.
To the
newcomer, it all seems odd and unfamiliar. Yet it is the key to all prophetic
and temple imagery, including prophecy and the sometimes bizarre imagery used
by the prophets—things like horses, wheels, eyes, mountains, candlesticks,
beasts, etc.
It’s much like learning a new language. You
must start with a few words, and then work and study to build your vocabulary. But
once mastered, anyone can read and understand the scriptures and temple
rituals. (Yes, temple icons and rituals can be “read,” just like scripture!)
Why should we
settle for less? After all, this was a restoration of “all things,” including
that which was lost in the apostasy.
Unlike the
interpretations proffered by our Christian cousins, where a verse from this
vision and another from that vision are cited and then cobbled together to
create a strained interpretation, this is a simple and systematic way of
reading and understanding prophecy and temple imagery that anyone can
understand, given the proper training. Other ministers and scholars use a
distorted, piecemeal and disjointed method of interpretation, “cherry picking”
scripture. That is a methodology foreign to the prophets, the apostles and the
Savior’s way of teaching.
One need not
be a prophet to understand prophecy. A little training and study, using Joseph
Smith’s guidance and direction, suffice to help anyone read and understand the
most puzzling of prophetic utterances. The meaning literally leaps off the
pages of scripture, once mastered. What is more, the imagery and ritual in our
temple endowment, which has little meaning to our untrained eyes and ears,
becomes part of the rich tapestry that constitutes gospel imagery and
iconography, meanings and understandings that are virtually invisible without
this training.
So, this is
your invitation to move forward in your gospel knowledge and instruction,
opening the meaning of scriptural and temple imagery to your mind,
strengthening your existing testimony and adding to your conviction of the
Restoration, the prophet Joseph Smith and the church he founded.
