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1 Nephi 11:26-27  

26 And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the condescension of God!
27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove.

Matthew gives the most complete account of Jesus’s baptism. It reads:

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:13-17).

John the Beloved’s description of the Savior’s baptismcontains additional information:

32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him,{1} the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God (John 1:32-34).{2}

The Savior’s baptism was strikingly like his coronation on the Mount of Transfiguration.{3}

Psalm 2 gives the royal new name as “son” (“The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee [Psalm 2:7]).”.{4}
The title, “My Beloved Son,” is discussed in that book on pages 633-34. It begins with the Father introducing his Son to the Nephites:

7 Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name–hear ye him (3 Nephi 11:1-7).

This introduction is the same as that spoken many times by Heavenly Father.{5} It is also the same as Jehovah spoke in the second psalm, sung at the coronation services of the festival drama, when he declared that the king is a son of God.{6} Here, in 3 Nephi, the royal name-title “Son” is used in precisely the same way—as part of the coronation service in which Christ is enthroned as Eternal King. Consequently, the words spoken by the Father, “this is my Beloved Son,” would have been understood by the people to be an announcement that Christ is God, but it also would also have been understood as the ceremonial announcement that he is Jehovah, the King of kings. A whole series of psalms had predicted his coming, as Mowinckel has outlined:

Yahweh’s enthronement day is that day when he ‘comes’ (Psalm 96. 13; 98. 9) and ‘Makes himself known’ (98.2), reveals himself and his ‘salvation’ and his will (93.5; 99. 7), when he repeats the theophany of Mount Sinai (97.3ff.; 99.7f), and renews the election (47.5) of Israel, and the covenant with his people (95.6ff.; 99. 6ff.). The mighty‘ deed of salvation’ upon which his kingdom is founded is the Creation, which is alluded to in a rather mythic guise (93.3f.).{7}

Thus the people in America heard the voice of the Father declaring that Jesus is his rightful Heir—Eternal Priest and King—“my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name.”

The early kings of Israel, Saul, David, and Solomon, were first anointed to become kings then anointed to be kings. Just as we see evidence of the first in Jesus’s baptism, so we see evidence of the second in the Mount of Transfiguration. {8}

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FOOTNOTES

{1} The Prophet Joseph clarified the meaning of the dove: “He was trusted & it was required at his hands to baptize the son of Man. Who ever did that? who had so great a privilege & glory?—son of God into the waters of baptism & beholding the Holy Ghost—in the sign the form of a dove—with the sign of the dove. instituted before the creation Devil could not come in sign of a dove.—Holy Ghost is a personage in the form of a personage—does not confine itself to form of a dove—but in sign of a dove.” (Diary of Willard Richards, quoted in Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, eds., The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, [Provo, Utah, BYU Religious Studies Center, 1980], 160). It should be observed that these notes were taken at the time Joseph spoke. The version in the History of the Church, 5:60-61 (and subsequently in the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 375) has been made into full sentences by editor B. H. Roberts.
It is instructive to note that the word the Prophet Joseph chose here is “personage,” just as in lecture 5 of Lectures on Faith.

{2} For additional insights into the Savior’s baptism see Acts 10:34-42, 2 Nephi 31:5-12, D&C 93:15-17.

{3} Matthew 17:2-8, Mark 9:4-9, JST Mark 9:3-41. Luke 9: 28 -36, 2 Peter 1:12-19.

{4} For a discussion of that new covenant name see see Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, First edition, p. 495-517; Second edition, p. 358-73.

{5} Matthew 17:5; Mark 1:11, 9:7; Luke 3:22, 9:35, 20:13; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2 Peter 1:17; 2 Nephi 31:11; D&C 93:15; Moses 4:2; Joseph Smith—History 1:17.

{6} See the chapters beginning, “Act 2, Scene 9: The Coronation Ceremony in Isaiah 61,” 457-516.

{7} Mowinckel, Psalms in Israel’s Worship, 1:118. He defines “election,” as he uses it here, as “of the deliverance from Egypt, of the miracle at the Reed Lake and of the Covenant of Kadesh-Sinai and the victory over the natives after the settlement, in short the election.” Psalms in Israel’s Worship, 1:140. Each of the citations in this quote refers to the psalms.

{8} Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-10, 2 Peter 1:16-19. See the chapter, “Act 2, Scene 2: Anointed to Become King” in Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, First edition, p. 353-359; Second edition, p. 253-258.
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1 Nephi 11:24 

24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.

We and Nephi approach the story of the Savior’s life from two opposite directions, so that when we read what Nephi wrote, we see it through eyes different from his. The path we take includes our knowledge of the New Testament, especially the gospels. We also know about the Savior’s visit to the Nephites and to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Nephi lived 600 years before Jesus, and had access to none of those writings. We do not know what information he had on the Brass plates, but it is reasonable to suppose that almost all of Nephi’s scriptural understanding of the Savior had to do with the premortal Jehovah presiding over the creation and visiting prophets in this world.

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1 Nephi 11:22-25 {1}

22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things
23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.
24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.
25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.

In our scripture, “the most joyous to the soul” is bracketed by”the love of God.” Nephi notes that the “love of God” is “the most desirable above all things.” The angel responds, “Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.” As one examines other scriptures, it becomes apparent that love and joy are more than just necessary components of each other. Rather, they are equivalents. “Love” as used in this context, and “joy” as the angel expresses it, are simply the same thing. To know joy is to love others and to be worthy of being a recipient of their love—to love and to be loved as the Savior loves, and as he accepts our love.

Our very lives testify that this is true. As we acknowledge the eternal reality of a dear friend, we become more alive. We begin to rediscover the eternal truth of who and what that friend was, is, and will be. That recognition opens a window through which we can get a glimpse of our own eternal Self. The light that emanates from the soul of one’s friend penetrates just a bit of the veil that clouds our memory of our own past eternal self. It reveals a shining new aspect of a forgotten portion of who and what we were before we came into this world. It does that by teaching us who our friend was and how dearly we loved him.

As we re-experience the light that is his personality and goodness, we feel again the love we shared for each other before we came into mortality. The friendship brings more truth, light, and love that blend anew into a unity of joy. It gives new vibrance to our lives and helps us overcome the loneliness of this otherwise dreary world. Thus the friendship makes both beings more complete—more of what and who we were. The friend’s light seems also to extend a beckoning hand even beyond the veil of death that obscures the hope of our eternal future.

The love of God is something within us—it is the ultimate power of our souls. It is within us in something like the way that the light reflected by a mirror is within in the mirror. Our love for God is a gift of the Spirit, and so it is a reflection of his love for us. Mormon said it succinctly: “But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him” (Moroni 7:47).

The prophets of the Book of Mormon equate the word “charity” with an exalting love. It is Nephi’s message, beginning with his statement that the “love of God” is the most desirous of all things; to the sobriety of his poem, “He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh”; to the solemnity of his warning, “wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing.”{2}

No expanse of friendships is documented more thoroughly in the scriptures than those of the Savior himself. He invites us to be his friends. Such a friendship is most sacred—it is neither casual nor nonchalant. There are clearly defined conditions that are prerequisite to the fruits of that friendship—they are the same conditions for our being forever where he is. Notwithstanding the certainty of the laws of redemption, this friendship is not a somber affair, as is testified by Heber C. Kimball:

I am perfectly satisfied that my Father and my God is a cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured Being. Why? Because I am cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured when I have His Spirit. That is one reason why I know; and another is—the Lord said, through Joseph Smith, “I delight in a glad heart and a cheerful countenance.” That arises from the perfection of His attributes; He is a jovial, lively person, and a beautiful man.{3}

In extending the invitation to us to come to where he is, the Savior seeks to teach us how we can qualify, and help others to qualify, so we may be there. Both the qualifications and the fruit of salvation are, as both Mormon and Peter described, love and joy (Moroni 8:26, 1 Peter 1:7-9).

One of the New Testament’s repeated evidences of Jesus’s divine nature is its many references to his devotion to his friends. The Apostle John refers to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23, 20:2, 21:7). But John does not imply that it was only he whom Jesus loved. The story of Lazarus is a shining example of others whom Jesus loved very dearly (John 11:5-44). That same love is expressed by Mark, when he tells the story of the rich young man (Mark 10:21).

The Savior understood, and frequently tried to teach, that salvation is a state of unity with the Savior and also with others whom we love. That is the dominant theme in the great intercessory prayer which he delivered the night before he was crucified (John 17:1-26). It was not only the apostles and other church leaders whom the Savior called his friends. The Prophet Joseph explained,

1 When the Savior shall appear we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man like ourselves.
2 And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy (D&C 130:1-2).

Jesus’s half-brother James understood the importance of this commandment and its implicit relationship with sacral kingship. He wrote, “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well” (James 2:8 ).

James’s reference to the “royal law” was written in the covenant context of the gospel. The scriptures approach it by two ways, but the destination is the same. Charity describes what one is; the law of consecration describes what one does. The consequence of both is peace, love, and joy. The gospel of John puts that concept in an eternal perspective (John 15:8-12).

The point is, love is not only the criterion by which our lives will be judged, it is also the definition of our eternal Selves. It is the sealing power that will enable us to live eternally with those we love and those who love us in return. Priesthood is necessary to perform the sealing ordinances, but ultimately it is love that is the sealing power that enables us to be a part of the celestial world.
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FOOTNOTES

{1} See: 1 Nephi 8:10-12, Lehi’s description of the tree, the water, and the fruit.

{2} 1 Nephi 11:22-25; 2 Nephi 4:21, 26:30, 31:20.

{3} Journal of Discourses, 4:222.

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1 Nephi 11:22-23 

22. And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, that sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.

The symbolism of a glorious tree is an appropriate representation of the love of God. It represents “the most desirable above all things” and “the most joyous to the soul.” The reason lies in both the beauty of the tree and the taste of the fruit. We cannot imagine a more meaningful symbol, because a tree is a tangible example of towering strength and endurance. It is our protection from the unexpected thunder storm. We are nurtured by its fruit, just as we are sustained by pure waters. They become the source of our energy, of our continuance in life, of our personal fulfillment—a fundamental part of our very being.

Our personal sense of fulfillment never comes in tandem with a sense of our being alone. We are most completely ourselves when we are with those whom we love. The fulfillment comes through our sustaining them, and of our being sustained by them—of being one with them—so that as we feel that togetherness we are more completely our Selves than we can be otherwise. There is a place in our souls that can be filled only with those whom we love. When they are not there, their place feels empty. The tree of life which represents the Savior’s love for us, and bears the fruit that is the nourishment of our souls, represents that eternal togetherness. Similarly, the sacred Temple Feast—like our the sacrament— represented to the ancients their returning to the Garden of Eden where one may be with God. It is hearing the voice of God saying, “I am your friend”—it is an eternal embrace.

Nephi said the Tree of Life “ is the love of God, that sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men.” There we get the sense of a beautiful fall day when the fully ripened leaves fall to the welcoming earth. In the word “sheddeth,” we find a multiplicity of ideas. Since almost everywhere in the scriptures “shedding” has to do with shedding blood, when we consider Nephi’s description of the tree, we think of the sacrificial blood sprinkled upon the altar, the tabernacle and the priests to purify them on the Day of Atonement. Thus, Nephi may have been describing the symbolism of the atoning powers of the Savior. Isaiah understood that blood of the Day of Atonement represented the Savior’s redeeming power (Isaiah 52:15, 3 Nephi 20:45), as did Peter (1 Peter 1:2).

There is another symbolic image in Nephi’s words, “sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men”—it is that of one standing under a tree of light that is dropping its burden of anointing oil—and the oil appears to be a display of dazzling lights. That may have been the kind of “shedding” Nephi was alluding to—an anointing of light—a baptism of fire.

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1 Nephi 11:17-21

17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?

The symbolism we most frequently think of when we read the phrase “Lamb of God” is the Passover lamb whose blood was put on the doorposts so the destroying angel would pass by (Exodus 12:1-9). Peter explained the title. He reminded us of a sacrificial lamb whose symbolism seems closer to that of the Day of Atonement than to the Passover (1 Peter 1:2,18-20).

On the Day of Atonement, goats were used for the sin offerings (Leviticus 16:1-34, 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11).{1} As the New Year festival continued into the Feast of Tabernacles the Bible reports that each day many bullocks, rams, and lambs were offered (Numbers 29:1-40). However, just as the temple drama is not described in the Old Testament, so there is no indication given about what special sacrifices were performed during that temple drama. Isaiah 53, which contains allusions to the Israelite Feast of Tabernacles temple drama, that there may have been a lamb sacrificed as a symbol of the Savior’s death (Isaiah 53:6-9). When Philip taught the gospel to the Ethiopian, he began with those verses in Isaiah (Acts 8:27-35), and when Abinadi taught Alma about the Atonement, he cited the same Isaiah passages (Mosiah 14:5-10).

The cleansing power of the Savior’s atoning blood is very real. Just as the temple, the priests, and the people were symbolically cleansed by the sacrificial blood of the Day of Atonement, so we all may be cleansed by the Savior’s blood (Mormon 9:6).{1}

The image evoked by the phrase “Lamb of God” not only represents eternal majesty, justice, and mercy, but also humility and obedience, We first find the title in the New Testament in John’s testimony (John 1:29-37). Then, in the Book of Mormon, we find it again in the same context when Nephi reported his father’s vision (1 Nephi 10:9-10). Much later, Nephi concludes his writings with a reiteration and explanation of that testimony (2 Nephi 31:4-11).

The title “the Lamb of God” applies to the Savior throughout the whole continuum of his existence, from the Council in Heaven, through this life, and beyond. In John’s Revelation, the second coming of the Savior and the beginning of his millennial reign are described as triumphs of the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-17, Revelation 22:1-5). That sense of triumph is augmented by two revelations to the Prophet Joseph Smith (D&C 76:19-24, 88:106-107).
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FOOTNOTES

{1} Lambs without blemish were used for sin offerings and peace offerings (Numbers 6:14): “And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty”; A lamb without blemish was used to “make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him” (Leviticus 4:27).

{2} The promise that the garments of the righteous will be made white by the cleansing power of the blood of the Lamb is found in several places in the scriptures. Revelation 7:14; 1 Nephi 12:10-11; Alma 13:11, 34:36; Ether 13:10-11.

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1 Nephi 11:16  

16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things (1 Nephi 11:16-17).

“Condescension” is an interesting word. Since neither condescend nor condescension are found in the Old Testament, we cannot turn to the Hebrew to help discover its meaning. That leaves the Oxford English Dictionary as our best source. It reads:

Condescension, n.
The action, habit, or quality of condescending.
1. Voluntary abnegation for the nonce of the privileges of a superior; affability to one’s inferiors, with courteous disregard of difference of rank or position.
2. The action of descending or stooping to things unworthy. Obsolete.
3. Gracious, considerate, or submissive deference shown to another.
4. The action or fact of acceding or consenting.

Only the obsolete definition (#2) suggests a self-degradation of the helper that emphasizes the inferiority of those who are helped.

All of the other definitions suggest love and an acknowledgment of the others’s intrinsic worth—an assertion that the greater recognizes the value of the lesser. To condescend in this way is what the Savior required of his apostles when he said, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:11-12). The Savior was even more explicit in a revelation to the Prophet Joseph, “

He that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is the least and the servant of all”(D&C 50:26).

To help Nephi understand, the angel showed him that the Savior—the great Jehovah, the Father of Creation, the Only Begotten Son of the Eternal Father —would be born into this world as the child of Mary—he would become a little, helpless baby human being. He would have a body like we have—one that gets hungry, endures fatigue, and feels pain.

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1 Nephi 11:13-15 

13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

The Savior’s title “the Lamb of God” is used more frequently by Nephi while he is reporting this vision than anywhere else in the scriptures. While the title is clearly a reference to his Atonement, Nephi uses it to evoke another image as well. It is that of a little lamb—innocent, incapable of hurting anything or anyone, but completely vulnerable and easily hurt. Nephi tenderly describes the Savior as a baby held in Mary’s arms.

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1 Nephi 11:10-12 

10 And he said unto me: What desirest thou?
11 And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another
12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.

The Spirit of the Lord asked Nephi what he desired, and Nephi responded that he wanted to know the meaning of the tree. Nephi does not tell us if the Lord answered his question or He had not told Nephi the meaning, Or perhaps Nephi chose not to tell us that part of their conversation. Nephi looked, but the Spirit of the Lord was gone. But rather he showed Nephi a vision of the city of Nazareth and of a beautiful virgin who was there.

An angel now appeared who will conduct Nephi through the rest of his interview. He first asked Nephi if he could identify the girl, then asked, “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” Nephi did not fully understand. The angel did not explain (or else Nephi chose not to share the explanation with us), but showed him another vision.

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1 Nephi 11:8-9 

8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.{1}
9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all.

Nephi wrote that he saw a tree that was whiter than the “driven snow.” He did not just say “whiter than snow.” The difference is that the “driven snow” is in the air, but just “snow” would be on the ground. When one tries to envision the Shechinah,{1} the best we might do is remember how a snowstorm looks when we turn on the bright lights of the car, or how snow looks when the wind is blowing it about on an otherwise bright, sunny day. The whiteness is simply too bright for our eyes to see beyond. What Nephi saw was probably something like that, a very bright opaque light that initially separated himself from the tree. Then he saw the tree itself, equally white, and which he recognized as being “precious above all.”

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FOOTNOTES

{1} See: “1 Nephi 8:10-12, Lehi’s description of the tree, the water, and the fruit.”

{2} For a discussion of the shechinah and the veils see the footnote at the end of the section called, “1 Nephi 1:1-6, A Three Act Play.” For further discussions see the section called, “1 Nephi 11:2-7, One Must Say and Do Truth.”

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1 Nephi 11:2-7 

2 And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou?
3 And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw.
4 And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?
5 And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.
6. And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things that thou hast desired.
7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.

There is a pattern here that may be reminiscent of the judgment that we all will experience before we are permitted to enter the place where God is. Nephi is not automatically permitted to enter. Rather, he is asked questions which he must answer correctly. He does, and the person who stands before him rejoices at the answers. Even so, Nephi is not given immediate entrance. Rather, he is given promises that foreshadow and explain the experiences he is about to have.{1}

We live in a world where we are separated from the Savior by two veils. One is of the world around us—the one we see with our natural eyes. Beyond that is the Shechinah{2} —the veil of light that prophets see before they enter into his presence. An eternal principle is that while standing there, one must only speak truth. If one does not say truth one may not enter (2 Nephi 9:41-42). John quotes the Savior as saying it a little differently: “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:21). A way to understand that is given by the Lord to the Prophet Joseph:

40 For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things (D&C 88:40).

When Paul wrote about the “whole armor of God,” he described it as one might describe the sacred clothing worn by the High Priest when he went behind the veil into the Holy of Holies. As far as we know, there were no symbolic markings on the High Priest’s garments. However, it is interesting that his belt was woven of the same colors as were woven into the veil. So he was encircled about by the colors of the veil.{3} That may have been what Paul was referring to when he wrote, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth” (Ephesians 6:14).

Levi’s vision where he is clothed with priesthood authority describes his clothing similarly.{4}

Nephi’s is one of several accounts where someone who is about to enter the place where God is, is asked questions that he is expected to answer truthfully. Two of those were Nephi and the brother of Jared. Job had a similar experience.{5}

Psalm 21 was sung during the Feast of Tabernacles temple drama when the king approached the veil of the temple, just before he entered the Holy of Holies.{6} Nephi’s experience was essentially the same: the Spirit asked, “Behold, what desirest thou?”

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FOOTNOTES

{1} There is a similar interview in Ether 3:7-9.

{2} For a definition of shechinah see the dictionary at the back of the LDS Bible.

{3} The accounts read:

5 And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the Lord commanded Moses (Exodus 39:5).
1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains [the veil] of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them (Exodus 26:1). The instructions state further that these curtains were put together to make one continuous veil, except for a place in the center where the veil could be parted to give access to the Holy of Holies.

{4} “The Testament of Levi” in The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs in The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English, ed. R. H. Charles, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913), 2:308-09. It is quoted above.

{5} For a discussion of Job’s experience see Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, First edition, p. 155-57; Second edition, p. 116-18.

{6} For a discussion of Psalm 21 as a veil ceremony see Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, First edition, p. 553-57; Second edition, p. 397-400.

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