Symbols

Many websites have been discussing symbols of the sacred Temples. I have had the privilege of sitting at the feet of Jerry Hansen (Gerald E. Hansen for those looking to get the book), a professor in the Political Science Dept. at BYU-Idaho. Brother Hansen wrote the book "Sacred Walls: Learning from Temple Symbols" in which he analyzes a few symbols on a handful of Temples. For those wanting to explore greater meaning into symbols, I suggest that you search that book out. A book also that has wonderful commentaries on Mormon symbology is Matthew Brown's "Symbols in Stone" which focuses primarily on the Salt Lake Temple. 


I have listed another blog, The Trumpet Stone, in which the blogger has taken certain symbols found on various temples and analyzed their meanings. Again, it is a good resource for those wanting to touch on the basics.

Many of my close friends have asked what those symbols mean. I had the opportunity to be married in the Salt Lake City Temple (My wife is from Denver, Colorado but her family has since relocated to St. George, Utah and I am from Salem, Oregon. We met at BYU--Idaho. So instead of choosing Denver, Portland, Rexburg, or St. George we just went for the one everyone knows). My friends growing up were unfamiliar with the Church yet they came for the wedding and waited outside. At one point, while showing them the Temple, the question as to what the Big Dipper was on there for came up. I explained my own interpretation of the symbol and explained what it meant to others (since there are differing interpretations). 

You can see the Big Dipper constellation immediately above the window--the very window that has the All-Seeing Eye

I pondered for a moment and explained briefly that all the symbols rotated around our doctrine around what we call The Plan of Salvation. I further explained that the Temple ceremony my soon-to-be wife and I would be participating in was directly related. 

When someone approached the Temple, this should always be on their mind! The Temple teaching is an outline of the Plan of Salvation. The Temple ordinances are a vital component of that Plan. And so it fits that all the symbols on the exterior walls invoke within a person the ideas relating to the Plan of Salvation.

A symbol, however, is generally vague and one can extract many meanings out of one symbol. For instance, the sun, moon, and stars are constantly utilized on various temples. I recently attended the Columbia River Washington Temple which has the Sun, Moon, and Stars everywhere. At the entrance to the Temple is a set of stars that invoke within the patron the feeling of the Telestial world--a lower Kingdom that we all currently live in. As they move through the Temple they see the stars, and then the moon phases and finally on the back windows, in the Celestial Room, they see the Sun: an image that Paul utilizes (1 Corinthians 15:40-41) to explain the glory of the Celestial Kingdom in comparison to that of the other 2 kingdoms. So when the Patron has gone through the Temple (and symbolically gone through mortality "[receiving] the Priesthood" (D&C 84:35-38--the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood) then they receive the glory of the Sun: or in other words, the "fulness" of the Father (see D&C 76:55-58).

At the end of the Patron’s experience they have visually progressed from the lowest light to the most glorious light. The Temple thereby becomes easier to understand because we see what it is doing: it is trying to show us the path to becoming glorified with The Father. It is showing us the patrons that as we were once dimly lit with light we can be full of light; in fact, we can one day be a source of light just as the sun is a source of light.

On the Nauvoo Temple, on the other hand, the Moon is at the very bottom and their are stars above, beneath, and to the sides of the Sun stones: these can thus invoke a completely different idea of man’s progress and what he has to do to come back into the presence of the Father (again, the book and the websites are fantastic resources for discovering these symbols). Those viewing the Temple at Nauvoo are starting at the world (where they are standing) and their eyes are drawn up to the Heavens (the world, to the moon, to the sun, to the stars). So the Temple symbolically has us looking past what we can comprehend and peering into the Heavens to search out the mysteries of Godliness.

Looking up from the bottom of the Nauvoo Temple

In similar fashion the Portland Temple, Salt Lake Temple, and others do the same type of things with the Stars. I use the Portland Temple because here the stars make a very obvious appearance relating to matters on Priesthood (the doors going into the Temple, the placement of the stars on the 6 pillars which represent Priesthood Authority and The Order of the Priesthood). It also represents Holiness as we approach the Throne of God (see the discourse in Abraham 3). Every star is a sun: so if we are all stars we can all have the same glory as that same star that offers us so much light in our own world.

A symbol that I recently discovered was in the Portland Temple sealing rooms. On the seats are embroidered pomegranates. Pomegranates are used frequently to denote various things. The priests and levites would have attached to their robes bells and pomegranates. The pomegranates would denote various things: the testimony of God, The nourishment provided by his Word, etc...

the priest has, at the bottom of his adornment, bells, fringes, and pomegranates--the testimony and word of God are symbolized in the pomegranates and the sounding of that word are symbolized in the bells source: Old Testament Student Manual, Exodus 25-30, 35-40

Symbols are constantly utilized in an effort to teach a principle. Even the history of the Church or the exodus of Israel from Egypt serve as symbols. Take this for example from Jewish history. Jacob (Israel) and his family were in the promised land. It was their birthright to be in that land; however, they were soon led into Egypt where they were oppressed with the chains of bondage. Once ready, Israel had to sacrifice a lamb to be saved. It was this lamb that protected (or covered) them. They then followed Moses through the wilderness and travelled back to the promised land. 

Sound familiar? This Exodus is a fantastic typification, or symbol of the Plan of Salvation! We too were once with God; we fell into this mortal life where we would be placed under the bondage of sin and temptation; the because a lamb was slain in our behalf, we are able to come back into God’s presence but only if we are willing to follow Christ. 

We can relate that same type of thing to flight from Nauvoo: once we were in (or around) Zion and we were chased out. Now we are working on getting that land back in order that we may build The Lord’s Kingdom.

Every year around our Easter time the Jewish people celebrate The Passover. If you have not yet participated, I would do so. The story of the flight from Egypt is rehearsed. In the Passover feast, the participants partake of a bitter herb. Often this is extra hot horseradish. Once they have partaken of this bitter herb, their mouth begins to burn and then the lamb is passed around. It is only after they eat that lamb* that the spice is removed from their mouth. This is a fantastic metaphor especially when peering through the lense of the gospel. 

My basic point is, most symbols are making an allusion to the Plan of Salvation. Whether it be man’s fallen state, The Atonement, the Resurrection, etc… everything revolves around the Plan of Salvation. As we study the Gospel, go the Temple, etc… we need to have this within our minds. While many symbols that garnish the Temple capture our amazement, I would encourage one to ask: what does that have to do with the Plan of Redemption that The Lord has authored for us. 

*Note: the Jewish people no longer use a lamb: the Temple is no longer in existence so their is no proper place to sacrifice it. Some sects may do it, but recognize that the main body of Jewish people do not. If you participate in something like this, please be sensitive about their beliefs and customs. 


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