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25 And when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth (Ether 3:25).

Moroni is very careful to tell us just enough about the vision, but not too much. He writes:

7 And now, as I, Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these things which are written, therefore it sufficeth me to say that Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto the Nephites.
18 And he ministered unto him even as he ministered unto the Nephites; and all this, that this man might know that he was God, because of the many great works which the Lord had showed unto him (Ether 3:17-18).

In Ether chapter 4, Moroni gives us a short history of what happened to the written account of that vision. He reports:

The Lord commended the brother of Jared to write the things which he had seen, but he was to show it to no one “until after Christ should show himself unto his people (v.1).”

When the Savior came to the Nephites, “he commanded that they [the writings] should be made manifest.” After that, during the peaceful time of 4 Nephi, they were apparently part of the Nephite scriptural canon (v.2).

When the Nephites apostatized again, Moroni was “commanded that I should hide them [the original plates on which they were written] up again in the earth (v.3).”

Moroni was also commanded to make a copy of them on the gold plates which would eventually come into the hands of the Prophet Joseph (v.4).

Having explained that, Moroni writes a personal letter to the Prophet Joseph (who will read it about 1,400 years later) explaining that he has sealed that part of the plates, along with the “interpreters” so that they can eventually be translated when people are worthy to read a full account of the vision.

6 For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord (Ether 4:6).

1 And now I, Moroni, have written the words which were commanded me, according to my memory; and I have told you the things which I have sealed up; therefore touch them not in order that ye may translate; for that thing is forbidden you, except by and by it shall be wisdom in God (Ether 5:1.)

The rest of chapter 4 is the promise, spoken by the Savior, that when the saints are truly a Zion people, they will have that record again.

Moroni also tells us that the Lord had shown this same, or a similar vision to many prophets. He wrote:

19 And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad.
20 And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith (Ether 12:19-20).

“Which word he had obtained by faith.” Faith, here, clearly has the same meaning as faith in the New Testament. There, it is translated from the Greek word pistis. The nearest English equivalents are either contract or covenant. We learn about that covenant in a previous chapter where Moroni tells us:

26 For he [Jehovah] had said unto him [brother of Jared] in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto him all things—it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things (Ether 3:26).

Even though “many … whose faith was so exceedingly strong [they] could not be kept from within the veil,” there is relatively little in our scriptures about what they saw. In fact, the only full account we have is the highly encoded Revelation of John the Beloved.

Six hundred years before John’s time, Nephi wrote that would be John’s assignment:

27 And I, Nephi, heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the angel (1 Nephi 14:27).

And 400 years after John wrote, the Savior confirmed John’s assignment to Moroni, and promised that the time would come when we would actually be able to understand John’s code.

16 And then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed (Ether 4:16).

Of the “many” who have seen this or a similar vision, we know of several. They are: Adam, Enoch, the brother of Jared, Abraham, Isaiah, Lehi, Nephi, John the Baptist, John the Beloved, Mormon, Moroni, and the Prophet Joseph Smith

All of these men have had the same thing in common. Each one had a far-reaching responsibility. In order to fulfill that assignment, each had to understand his place in the grand scheme of things. Therefore, each had to be shown who they were and what they had covenanted to do. The following is an example of some of their reports about what they saw and understood:
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ADAM

Adam prophesied about “all the families of the earth,”

9 And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.
10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God (Moses 5:9-10).
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ENOCH

Enoch’s vision is reported in Moses chapters 6 and 7 and in the apocryphal Book of Enoch and the Book of the Secrets of Enoch.

67 And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a fulness of joy (Moses 7:67).

1 And the Lord summoned me, and said to me: Enoch, sit down on my left with Gabriel.
2 And I bowed down to the Lord, and the Lord spoke to me: Enoch, beloved, all that you see, all things that are standing finished I tell to you even before the very beginning, all that I created from non-being, and visible things from invisible. {1}
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ABRAHAM

Abraham, like Enoch, saw not only the fulness of human history, but also his own place in the universe (Abraham ch. 3-5)

11 Thus I, Abraham, talked with the Lord, face to face, as one man talketh with another; and he told me of the works which his hands had made;
12 And he said unto me: My son, my son (and his hand was stretched out), behold I will show you all these. And he put his hand upon mine eyes, and I saw those things which his hands had made, which were many; and they multiplied before mine eyes, and I could not see the end thereof (Abraham 3:11-12).

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born (Abraham 3:22-23).

1 And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth (Abraham 4:1).
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ISAIAH

Isaiah chapter 6 is the most complete example of a sode experience in the Old Testament. {2} He tells us he returned to the Council in Heaven and re-committed to fulfill the covenants he had made before the world was.

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me.
9 And he said: Go and tell this people—Hear ye indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes—lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed.
11 Then said I: Lord, how long? And he said: Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate;
12 And the Lord have removed men far away, for there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land (2 Nephi 16:8-12. The Book of Mormon version is better than the one in the Old Testament).

Much of what Isaiah saw about his contemporary world is in the first 35 chapters of the Book of Isaiah. Chapters 36-39 are about king Hezekiah. Some of that appears to be taken from the king’s own writings.

Chapters 40 through 66 are Isaiah’s poetic review of the ancient Israelite temple drama. This is apparent because he begins in the Council in Heaven, quotes many of the psalms, and concludes with the Savior’s millennial reign, just as the drama did. Or else, those chapters are a poetic rendition of the vision he saw of all of human history. I suppose it doesn’t matter which it is because they are both essentially the same story. (This is true except for Isaiah 44:28 through chapter 48. That part has all the fingerprints of an ancient forgery.{3}
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LEHI

Lehi’s sode experience is the most simple and also the most complete. In it, Lehi returns to the Council, sees its members (angels) who are singing; sees God who is presiding, sitting on his throne; receives an assignment from Jehovah, and reads a book in which he learns of the destruction and apparently the ultimate redemption of Jerusalem (1 Nephi 1:8-15).

Later, the information he learned there was augmented by his vision of the tree of life.
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NEPHI

When Nephi asked to see what his father saw, he was shown everything John the Beloved would later see and record (1 Nephi 14:27). That tells us that both Lehi and Nephi saw the entire vision.
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JOHN THE BAPTIST

John the Baptist’s testimony is found in the Gospel of John, but more fully in Doctrine and Covenants 93:1-18.

6 And John saw and bore record of the fulness of my glory, and the fulness of John’s record is hereafter to be revealed.
7 And he bore record, saying: I saw his glory, that he was in the beginning, before the world was….
10 The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him.
11 And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us….
16 And I, John, bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of the Father;
17 And he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him.
18 And it shall come to pass, that if you are faithful you shall receive the fulness of the record of John.
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JOHN THE BELOVED’S BOOK OF REVELATION

Several years ago, after I returned to BYU, I audited a New Testament class from my friend Professor C. Wilfred Griggs. The following outline of John’s Revelation is from my notes in that class:

Chapter 1 – Introduction – when, where, how the revelation was received {4}
Chapters 2-3 – Cover letters
Chapters 4-22 – The revelation
Chapters 4-11 – The theodicy – God’s justification – we will do it my way. This continues until the second coming
Chapters 12 -15 – Now we go back to the Council in Heaven and fight premortal war. It tells how evil came to be in heaven and how it was kicked down to earth
Chapters 16-20 – Continuation of war on earth (following chapter 11) and the defeat of evil
Chapters 21-22 – The new heaven and new earth
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MORMON and MORONI

Since Moroni is so thoroughly conversant with the Brother of Jared’s vision, and since both he and his father Mormon wrote the Book of Mormon to us, for our benefit in our time, because they had seen us and knew our needs, it seems reasonable to believe that both of those great prophets had seen the same, or a similar vision as the brother of Jared.
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JOSEPH SMITH

The Prophet Joseph’s testimony is found in what appears to be a poetic version of Doctrine and Covenants 76. However, Section 76 describes a single vision that he shared with Sidney Rigdon and always says “we saw.” The poem is different. It always says “I saw.” Besides being written in first person singular, it is also more explicit and contains insights that are not in Section 76. (I have wondered if it also includes some account of what he saw in his First Vision.)

A VISION
BY
THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH

I will go, I will go, to the home of the Saints,
. Where the virtue’s the value, and life the reward;
But before I return to my former estate,
. I must fulfil the mission I had from the Lord.

Wherefore, hear 0 ye heavens, and give ear 0 ye earth,
. And rejoice, ye inhabitants, truly again;
For the Lord he is God, and his life never ends,
. Aud besides him there ne’er was a Saviour of men.

His ways are a wonder, his wisdom is great;
. The extent of his doings there’s none can unveil;
His purposes fail not; from age unto age
. He still is the same, and his years never fail.

His throne is the heavens — his life-time is all
. Of eternity now, and eternity then;
His union is power, and none stays his hand,
. The Alpha, Omega, for ever. Amen.

For thus saith the Lord, in the spirit of truth,
. I am merciful, gracious, and good unto those
That fear me, and live for the life that’s to come:
. My delight is to honour the Saints with repose,

That serve me in righteousness true to the end;
. Eternal’s their glory and great their reward.
I’ll surely reveal all my myst’ries to them —
. The great hidden myst’ries in my kingdom stor’d;

From the council in Kolob, to time on the earth,
. And for ages to come unto them I will show
My pleasure and will, what the kingdom will do
. Eternity’s wonders they truly shall know. …..

And now after all of the proofs made of him,
. By witnesses truly, by whom he was known,
This is mine, last of all, that he lives; yea, he lives!
. And sits at the right hand of God on his throne.

And I heard a great voice bearing record from heav’n,
. He’s the Saviour and only begotten of God;
By him, of him, and through him, the worlds were all made,
. Even all that careen in the heavens so broad.

Whose inhabitants, too, from the first to the last,
. Are sav’d by the very same Saviour of ours;
And, of course, are begotten God’s daughters and sons
. By the very same truths and the very same powers. {5}

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FOOTNOTES

{1} Book of the Secrets of Enoch, in The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English, 2 vols. Translated and edited by R. H. Charles. V.2: 431-69, [Oxford: Clarendon, 1976], ch. 24:1-2.)

{2}An interesting discussion of Isaiah’s sode experience is Christopher R. Seitz, “The Divine Council: Temporal Transition and New Prophecy in the Book of Isaiah, Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 109, no. 2 (1990), p. 229-247.

{3} This forgery is apparent for two reasons: (1) It purports to break Gods “everlasting covenant” with the House of David and give the kingship of Judah to Cyrus, a non Israelite. (2) Isaiah 48 in the Old Testament and 1 Nephi 20, are significantly different. The former is about Cyrus, but the latter (which is the brass plates’ version) is about Joseph Smith’s part in the premortal councils. For an historical background on the forgery in this website, search “1 Nephi 20.” When you do that, you will also find the commentary of verses 12-17 and 18-21:1, but this search engine puts some out of order so you will have to scroll down a bit to find the commentary on verses 1-11.

{4} There are three colophons at the beginning of Revelation.
The first two are what Wilfred called the Introduction.
(1) John says he is on the Isle of Patmos, where he is instructed two write.
(2) The second he sees the Lord and is instructed to write his vision.
(3) The third colophon is a sure evidence that we are reading someone who really is who he claims to be, and is almost as deeply encoded as his account of the revelation. It is written as seven letters to seven churches. The colophon is in the encoded message. If one reads just the first half of each of the letters, one can follow the outline of the ancient Israelite temple drama. If one reads only the second half of each of the letters, one finds an explanation of the drama’s symbolism.

{5} It was published in the Times and Seasons, February 1, 1843, and republished in the Millennial Star, August, 1843. You can find the full poem on this website under “Favorite Quotes,” then go to “Smith, Joseph – D&C 76, poetic version.”

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The story of the brother of Jared is wonderful, not only because it answers some pivotal questions, but also because it asks others. Sometimes questions are more important than answers. Answers often satisfy us, and thereby invite us to stop wondering. But questions encourage us to think, and thus to expand the wonder. The story Moroni tells us is this:

6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.
7 And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen?
8 And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.
9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?
10 And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me.
11 And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?
12 And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.
13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.
14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
15 And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image.
16 Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh (Ether 3:6-16).

The most important answer we learn from that conversation is that the Savior’s spirit body looked like his physical body, and therefore, also like his future resurrected body. There are other places that infer it, such as the creation story:

27 So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image, in the image of the Gods to form they him, male and female to form they them. (Genesis 1:26-28; Abraham 4:26-28; Moses 6:8-12, 2:26-28.)

But there is no other place that tells us unequivocally that our spirit bodies and our physical bodies are patterned the same way. That information is vital to us because it is the premise upon which we build our entire concept of the premortal spirit world.

One of the questions the story asks is, How did the brother of Jared come up with the idea of lighting his boats with rocks that shine. Hugh Nibley answers that one for us. He shows that Noah’s Ark could not have had a window as the Bible translation says, but that it had a “light giver” (translated “window”). Nibley suggests that the brother of Jared just followed Noah’s example and asked the Lord to provide him with the same light that Noah had. {1} That answers the “how” part of the question, but then it asks another question, Why was the brother of Jared so comfortable in telling the Lord how to fix the problem?

Another question is, Why was the brother of Jared so surprised that he could see Jehovah’s finger? But that is the wrong question. Wrong questions, like erroneous premises, lead to incorrect conclusions. He was not surprised that Jehovah had a finger. What he said was, “I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.” No doubt, he understood that Jehovah was a spirit. Therefore, what he saw seemed to call into question everything he knew about God. Therefore, the Lord responded to his concern:

9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger.

Another question is, Why did the Lord interview him before touching the stones? The Lord asked two questions, and received two appropriate responses:

9 … Sawest thou more than this?
10 And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me.
11 And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?
12 And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.

The first question, “Sawest thou more than this?” seems strange because we would suppose that the Lord already knew what he saw. However, the question left it to the brother of Jared to make the next request, “Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me.”

That request required another interview question: “Believest thou the words which I shall speak?” And again the brother of Jared gave the correct answer, “Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.”

This is not strange. The question and answer sequence before one sees the Lord within the shechinah is consistent with other accounts. This one in First Nephi is an example:

1 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.
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 (1 Nephi 11:1-5).

The questions and answers are not the same in both interviews, but they are strikingly similar.

One of the brother of Jared’s answers expresses a truly amazing concept.

12 And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.

We live in a world where telling the absolute truth is something we rarely if ever do, and almost never expect. Most of the things we say are only approximations of reality. For example, much of what our teachers tell us in school will not be “true” a generation from now, and we accept that without concern. Another example is that we say we will be somewhere and a given time, but five, or even ten minutes before or after is usually acceptable and even expected. (When my wife tells me that she is going shopping and will be back in an hour, I understand that to mean she does not expect to be gone all day.) For the most part we consider these near-truths as perfectly acceptable. In our cultural context, the notion that there is a God who “canst not lie” requires that we deal with him differently than with any human being we know. That, in turn, requires us to approach God with an entirely different mind-set than the one we are accustomed to. That, in turn, requires that we must know our Selves with honest clarity.

Another intriguing question is, Why did the Lord say, “And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast.”

To discover the answer, we must limit our search of examples to events that preceded the time of the Brother of Jared, but we can also look to events after that to discover patterns and principles.

Because we do not know a date for the brother of Jared, the only prophets we can be sure lived earlier than he were those patriarchs who were before the flood. Of those, God conversed with Adam (Moses 6:22); “And the Lord ordained Noah after his own order (Moses 8:19).” And in the Pearl of Great Price, Moses chapters 5 & 6 describe an extended conversation between God and Enoch, during which:

27 And Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father and Son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.
28 And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?
29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? (Moses 7:27-29)

All we have to find is one instance of a prophet who saw God before the time of the brother of Jared to cause us to wonder why the Lord said, “And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast.”

There is one very likely answer which would make the Lord’s statement a simple truth, and teach us a great deal about his relationship with the brother of Jared.

Most of the examples we have of prophets seeing the Lord are in conjunction with their sode experiences. In those cases the prophets are brought into God’s presence as in 1 Nephi 1:8-14 and Isaiah 6:1-13 (2 Nephi 16 is a better version). In all of those instances the prophet is brought to where God is. Or, as in Joseph’s First Vision, God chooses to come to where the prophet is. But there is no other place is the scriptures where a prophet summons God to come to him, which is what the brother of Jared did. That is unique! And would certainly account for the Lord’s saying “for never has man believed in me as thou hast.”

The questions and answers I have pointed out are the obvious ones. They are only subsets to the real questions: What was the personal relationship between the premortal Jehovah and the now-mortal brother of Jared? That in turn asks, What was their premortal friendship/covenant relationship (hesed), and how/why did it remain intact after the brother of Jared entered the mortal world? And that opens a whole bouquet of other questions!
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FOOTNOTE

{1} (Hugh Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Mormon, 3rd ed. [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1988], 348.)

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The word “redeem” has three different meanings in the scriptures. In the Book of Mormon it almost always means to be brought into the presence of God, just as it does in Ether 3:13.

13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed [present tense] from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you (Ether 3:13).

In the New Testament, the Greek word translated as “redeem” is a commercial or diplomatic term that means to purchase or to ransom. The word worked well for Christians who used it to describe our relationship with the Savior. He purchases our sins and ransoms us from hell. {1}

The Hebrew word in the Old Testament means the same thing, except the Law of Moses requires that a relative redeem someone who is in bondage. The person who does this is called the “redeemer.” Because that is a Jewish rather than a Greek concept, there is no Greek word that means one who redeems, so the word “redeemer” is not found in the New Testament. {2} Even though the Greek words do not convey the idea of a family relationship, almost all of the ways the words “redeem” and “redeemed” are used in the New Testament focus on the ideas of one’s being a child and an heir of God.

There are also places in the Old Testament where redeem means to be brought into the presence of God. Job laments:

23 Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book!
24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me (Job 19:23-27).

Job’s testimony is that because the Redeemer lives, Job shall see God. That same meaning is also found in the psalms. An example is Psalm 49 where to be redeemed means to be brought from the grave and into the presence of God:

14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have ominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me.(Psalm 49:14-15).

In the Book of Mormon, “redeem” sometimes means to purchase or ransom just as it does in the Bible. But the most frequent meaning is the one found in Job. That is, to be brought into the presence of God. However, while that is the simple denotation, the connotation is much more complex than that.

Samuel the Lamanite explained that “the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.” However, he also says that only the righteous will be able to stay there. The context in which he said that is as follows:

14 And behold, again, another sign I give unto you, yea, a sign of his death.
15 For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord.
16 Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.
17 But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.
18 Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness [zedek] (Helaman 14:14-18).

Both Mormon and Moroni taught the same doctrine. Mormon wrote:

6 And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment-seat.
7 And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end (Mormon 7:6-7).

Moroni clarified it even further:

12 Behold, he created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.
13 And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death (Mormon 9:12-13).

Alma taught that this universal redemption is a necessary part of the justice of God.

14 For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.
15 But this cannot be; we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance.
16 And now behold, I say unto you then cometh a death, even a second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness (Alma 12:14-16).

Alma further explained:

15 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also (Alma 42:15).

Because of the Savior’s Atonement, mercy enables us to repent. It gives us the power to choose to repent or to choose to not repent. Thus, as we pass through the stages of our existence from intelligences until we are resurrected, mercy enables us to become (evolve into) precisely what we choose to become according to our own desires for gratification, happiness, and joy. Thus, because of the Savior’s mercy, when we stand before him on judgement day we will be the Self we have both designed and created. Then mercy will have accomplished its purpose and justice seals us as what we have chosen to be. Lehi explained why that must be so:

10 And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement (2 Nephi 2:10).

Alma explains how it is the immutable law of justice, not the merciful God, that punishes the sinner.

22 But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God (Alma 42:22).

That was the promise from the beginning. After Adam and Eve left the Garden, they were taught the meaning of sacrifice:

9 And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will (Moses 5:9).

Thus, it is “the universal plan of redemption” that guarantees the perfect justice and the perfect mercy of God.

There is also an “individual plan of redemption” that is discussed in the Book of Mormon and is a part of the “plan of salvation” that enables the righteous to remain in the presence of God.

Alma uses the phrase “plan of redemption” to show that a purpose of the ancient Nephite temple drama was to teach them how to enter God’s presence. In Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, we drew attention to some interesting parts of his explanation.

28 And after God had appointed that these things should come unto man [that is, at the Council in Heaven when the decisions and assignments were made], behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them;
29 Therefore he sent angels [We don’t know how many, three, perhaps.] to converse with them, who caused men to behold of his glory. [The object of the angels’ coming was to teach people how to enter God’s presence.]
30 And they [the people] began from that time forth to call on his name [so the angels taught them how to pray]; therefore God conversed with men [the Father himself spoke], and made known unto them the plan of redemption [“redeem” in the Book of Mormon often means to enter God’s presence (Ether 3:13; 2 Nephi 1:15, 2:1-3; Helaman 8:23)], which had been prepared from the foundation of the world; and this he made known unto them according to [that is, these were the methods or teaching tools he used for instructions] their faith [pistis, the substance and evidence of the covenants {3}] and repentance [repentance is a very efficient teacher] and their holy works [“holy” means holy, so “holy works” were probably the ordinances and covenants performed during the ancient temple drama; that is, the ordinances were also a source of instruction].
31 Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal [“temporal” is time-related, so he was probably talking about the commandments associated with linear time] and becoming as gods, knowing good from evil [that is very different from “good and evil”], placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good——
32 Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption [again, having taught them how to come into his presence], that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness [righteousness is zedek, which is correctness in priesthood and temple things, so the second death he was talking about is the state of being without zedek-type blessings]; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power [without zedek, one cannot come into God’s presence], for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.
33 But God did call on men, in the name of his Son (this being the plan of redemption which was laid), saying: If ye will repent and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;
34 Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.
35 And whosoever will harden his heart and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest.
36 And now, my brethren, behold I say unto you, that if ye will harden your hearts ye shall not enter into the rest of the Lord; therefore your iniquity provoketh him that he sendeth down his wrath upon you as in the first provocation, yea, according to his word in the last provocation as well as the first, to the everlasting destruction of your souls; therefore, according to his word, unto the last death, as well as the first.
37 And now, my brethren, seeing we know these things, and they are true, let us repent, and harden not our hearts, that we provoke not the Lord our God to pull down his wrath upon us in these his second commandments which he has given unto us; but let us enter into the rest of God, which is prepared according to his word (Alma 12:28-37). {4}

A simple, but perhaps simplistic summation of that is the Plan of Redemption brings unto the presence of God and the Plan of Salvation enables us to stay there. Alma’s summary of the ancient Nephite temple drama seems to suggest that it was a kind of dress rehearsal to teach the Nephites the Plan of Redemption.

A relevant question is: when did the redemption become a reality for the Nephites. The answer was probably the same as the explanation in the Doctrine and Covenants. The promise is:

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am (D&C 93:1).

The conditions are these:

65 And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation.
66 Behold, that which you hear is as the voice of one crying in the wilderness—in the wilderness, because you cannot see him—my voice, because my voice is Spirit; my Spirit is truth; truth abideth and hath no end; and if it be in you it shall abound.
67 And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.
68 Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will (D&C 88:65-68).

His will is, of course, determined by our personal needs. We are here to be tested. If we were to be taught too much, too fast, our knowledge would destroy our agency. So it is reasonable to believe that our individual need is determined by our individual assignment. If the assignment requires it in this life, then it will happen. If the assignment we are asked to fulfill in this life does not require it, then it will happen in the next life.

There are those for whom it is necessary now, and the Book of Mormon teaches us about that. In addition to the one quoted above about the brother of Jared, there are several others. It is interesting to note that in almost all of these examples, their redemption is described in past tense, but its blessings are still described in present tense. One of the most beautiful examples is the one spoken by Lehi:

15 But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell [past tense]; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love (2 Nephi 1:15).

Another is Lehi’s blessing to his son Jacob:

2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.
3 Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God. Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men.
4 And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory (2 Nephi 2:2-4a).

Another example is Nephi’s writing about himself, his brother Jacob, and Isaiah:

2 And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.
3 And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words (2 Nephi 11:2-3).

In another place Nephi brackets his charity with his having been redeemed.

6 I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.
7 I have charity for my people, and great faith in Christ that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat (2 Nephi 33:6-7).

Alma left us with this testimony in which he equates redemption with being “born of God.”

24 For, said he [Alma], I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord ; behold I am born of the Spirit.
25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
27 I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to be cast off.
28 Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God (Mosiah 27:23-28).

Adam understood the full impact of “thou mayest be redeemed” and he said:

10 Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God (Moses 5:10).

It is significant that the Savior emphasized that same relationship of ideas in the Beatitudes:

8 Blessed are all the pure in heart [Zion], for they shall see God.
9 And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called [covenant new name] the children of God (3 Nephi 12:8-9).

The prophet Abinadi’s testimony to Alma uses different words, but carries the same message:

23 They are raised to dwell with God who has redeemed them; thus they have eternal life through Christ, who has broken the bands of death (Mosiah 15:23).

One of my favorite examples is the conclusion of Helaman’s letter to Moroni. It gives us a powerful insight into the very intimate friendship shared by these two great prophets:

41 And now, my beloved brother, Moroni, may the Lord our God, who has redeemed us and made us free [both in past tense], keep you continually in his presence; yea, and may he favor this people, even that ye may have success in obtaining the possession of all that which the Lamanites have taken from us, which was for our support. And now, behold, I close mine epistle. I am Helaman, the son of Alma (Alma 58:41). {5}

If the whole plan of salvation were reduced to a single sentence, the first part of that sentence would be about the Savior’s Atonement, and the last part might read: “that one might return and remain in the presence of God.”

In the 2007 October general conference, Elder David A. Bednar explained the importance of the phrase to “come unto Christ.”

The risen Lord next explained the importance of coming unto Him. The multitude gathered together at the temple was invited literally to come forth unto the Savior “one by one” (3 Nephi 11:15) to feel the prints of the nails in the Master’s hands and feet and to thrust their hands into His side. Each individual who had this experience “did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he” (v. 15), even Jesus Christ, who had come.
The Savior also taught the people to come unto Him through sacred covenants, and He reminded them that they were “the children of the covenant” (3 Nephi 20:26).
Repenting and coming unto Christ through the covenants and ordinances of salvation are prerequisite to and a preparation for being sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost and standing spotless before God at the last day. {6}

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FOOTNOTES

{1} See Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, chapters “A Meaning of ‘Redeem’— to ‘Come Unto Christ’” and “Alma Chapter 5: the Song of Redeeming Love,” (paper back edition in this website), pages 510-38.

{2} The words “redeem” and “redeemed” are only found in only a few places in the New Testament. They are: Luke 24:13-25; Galatians 3:1-16, 4:1-9; Titus 2:8-15; Revelation 5:1-12, 14:1-9.

{3} See Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, the chapter called, “Meaning of Faith —pistis.”

{4} Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, second edition (the one in this website), 556-558

{5} More examples of “redeem” meaning to be brought into the presence of God are Jacob 6:8-9; Mosiah 26:21-28; Alma 13:1-6, 19:6-14, 36:22-26, 58:41; Helaman 8:22-23, 14:15-19; Mormon 9:12-14; Moroni 7:2-4; D&C 43:29-30, 88:14-32, 138:58-60, and even thought the word is not there, one must also include the Lord’s promise to Everyman in D&C 93:1-5.

{6} David A. Bednar,“Clean Hands and a Pure Heart.” Ensign 37, 11 (November 2007): 80-83.

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Today I wish to discuss the real veils that separate man from God, and the veils in Solomon’s Temple that represented those real ones.

The story of the brother of Jared that appears in the first three chapters of Ether is not autobiographical. Rather it is Moroni telling the story, and consistent with the pattern his father used, the story is encoded— told with a specific and well executed objective. Briefly, the story Moroni tells is that three times God spoke with the brother of Jared through a cloud, then on the fourth time, God put his finger through the veil and turned the stones into a source of light. The verses that tell that story are these:

4 And it came to pass that when they had come down into the valley of Nimrod the Lord came down and talked with the brother of Jared; and he was in a cloud, and the brother of Jared saw him not. (Ether 2:4).

5 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded them that they should go forth into the wilderness, yea, into that quarter where there never had man been. And it came to pass that the Lord did go before them, and did talk with them as he stood in a cloud, and gave directions whither they should travel (Ether 2:5).

14 And it came to pass at the end of four years that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked with him. And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord (Ether 2:14).

6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear (Ether 3:6).

The cloud is the veil through which one sees the finger of the Lord. Moses had a similar experience:

15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
16 And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17 And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights…..(Exodus.)

18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God (Exodus 24:15-18, 31:18, see Deuteronomy 9:9-10).

In the scriptures the veil is often described as a brilliant light. Sometimes it is represented as a “pillar of light” or a “pillar of fire.” This veil of light is called the shechinah (pronounced with a soft a = sha KE na). There is a short definition in the LDS Bible dictionary. It reads: {1}

Shechinah. The Presence. A word used by the later Jews (and borrowed from them by the Christians) to denote the cloud of brightness and glory that marked the presence of the Lord, as spoken of in Ex. 3: 1-6; 24: 16; 1 Kgs. 8: 10; lsa. 6: 1-3; Matt. 17: 5; Acts 7: 55. The Prophet Joseph Smith described this phenomenon in connection with his first vision, as a .. light.. .above the brightness of the sun,” and said that he saw two Personages whose .. bright- ness and glory defy all description,” standing “in the light” (JS-H 1:16-18). {2}

In reality, there are two veils that separate us from God. The first is the one we see all the time. It is the walls of a room or the mountains and the sky — it is the place beyond which our eyes cannot see.

That veil, the one we always see all around us, was represented in Moses’s Tabernacle and in Solomon’s Temple by the magnificent, beautifully embroidered veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies.

God’s instructions to Moses to make the veil for the Tabernacle is found in Exodus 26.31; 36.35. The one veil in Solomon’s Temple was similar, except it was much larger. Both were woven of fine white linen with cherubim embroidered in threads of blue, purple, and crimson (2 Chronicles 3:14).

The Old Testament describes only one veil in the Temple, but Paul mentions a second one. Paul wrote:

1 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant (Hebrews 9:1-4).

If Paul is correct that there was a “second veil” that led into the Holy of Holies, then that presupposes there must also have been a first veil that stood in front of it.

The second veil in Solomon’s temple would have represented the shechinah, the veil of light that separates man from God, or the Holy Place in the Temple from the Holy of Holies. Beyond that second veil, against the back wall of the Holy of Holies, stood the Ark of the Covenant and a representation of God’s celestial throne. They were overshadowed by the wings of two great, golden cherubim who guarded the throne. {3}

Solomon’s Temple was said to represent God’s temple in Heaven. For that reason, the Holy of Holies of the earthly temple contained a throne that represented the throne of God. Thus, to enter the Holy of Holies was to symbolically enter the presence of God.

The designs of the Great Veil suggests both the reality and importance of the second veil. Significantly, there were cherubim embroidered on the first veil. Cherubim were representative of the gods who were the members of the Council in Heaven (as in Isaiah 6). Since the Law of Moses prohibited Israelites from creating artistic representations of either gods, men, or animals, Jewish artwork never showed either God or the gods. But they could show mythological representations of the perfection of the members of the Council in the form of cherubim. Cherubim have the hind quarters of an ox (the strongest of all domestic animals), the forequarters of a lion (the greatest hunter of the wild animals), the wings of an eagle (the greatest of all birds), and the head of a man (the smartest of God’s creations). Thus, the symbolism of the cherubim represented perfection — therefore they could represent the noble and great ones who were the gods. {4}

In ancient tradition, the cherubim guard the throne of God. We see that same idea represented in the story of the Garden of Eden. There, cherubim and a flaming sword (shechinah) are stationed to prevent man from approaching the Tree of Life, and therefore from returning to the Garden, and therefore from entering the presence of God (Genesis 3:24, Alma 12:21, Alma 42:2-3, Moses 4:31).

The symbolism of the cherubim on the Great Veil in Solomon’s Temple is that they guard the approach to the second veil and to the presence of God. If one is to come to the throne in the Holy of Holies he must first pass by the cherubim who guard the second veil.

That is the symbolism. The reality is that when Prophets tell us about their seeing God, the shechinah is often the first thing they describe, and sometimes it is the only thing they mention (as in 1 Nephi 1:6, “as he [Lehi] prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much”). The shechinah is described many ways, but always as a bright light—sometimes a fire, sometimes a cloud. Moses’s burning bush (Exodus 3:2); and the Prophet Joseph reporting, “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me” (Joseph Smith-History:16). Joseph’s making a point of describing the shechinah in connection with his account of the First Vision is another evidence that he was telling the truth.

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THE SHECHINAH AS A GARMENT OF LIGHT

An ancient Jewish tradition holds that originally Adam and Eve had been clothed in garments of light, but they lost those garments when they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge. The fig leaves Satan suggested they wear was a counterfeit replacement for that garment, but then God made Adam and Eve coats of skin that replaced their garments of light. {5} A representation of that garment was a part of the royal Israelite clothing. When the royal clothing is named, there are almost always two parts. The outer one denoting his kingship is often called “majesty”, the undergarment denoting his priesthood and is often called “honor,” or “glory,” or something similar. (Psalm 8:5, Psalm 45:3-4, Job 40:10).{6}

Peter describes the Savior’s experience on the Mount of Transfiguration as a coronation ceremony during which Jesus was dressed that same way:

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount (2 Peter 1:16-18).

The psalms suggest that the royal and priesthood robes of the king are patterned after those worn by God. Psalm 93:1 says the Lord “is clothed with majesty … and strength.” Psalm 104 adds that he also has a garment of light:

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain (Psalm 104:1-2).

Both Paul and a revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants suggest that resurrected persons are clothed similarly. Paul wrote:

7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom (Hebrews 1:7-8).

The Doctrine and Covenants says:

12 And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, and it hath gone forth in a firm decree, by the will of the Father, that mine apostles, the Twelve which were with me in my ministry at Jerusalem, shall stand at my right hand at the day of my coming in a pillar of fire, being clothed with robes of righteousness [zedek], with crowns upon their heads, in glory even as I am, to judge the whole house of Israel, even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else (D&C 29:12).

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THE SHECHINAH IN CONNECTION WITH SEEING GOD and/or SODE EXPERIENCE

The shechinah is also mentioned in conjunction with seeing God or prophet’s sode experience as in the following:

Moses and the burning bush == Exodus 3:1-6
Joseph’s First Vision == JS-History:16
Joseph’s vision of the celestial throne == D&C 137:1-10
Lehi’s sode experience == (1 Nephi 1:6-9).
Isaiah’s sode experience == Isaiah 6:4
Ezekiel’s sode experience == Ezekiel 1:4
Stephen “being full of the Holy Ghost … saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,” == Acts 7:55

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THE SHECHINAH IN CONNECTION WITH THE HOLY GHOST

There seems to be a relationship between the shechinah and being baptized with “fire and the Holy Ghost.” For example, Nephi and Lehi’s experience in Helaman 5:23-25 as Mormon tells the story is not identified as their being baptized with fire and the Holy Ghost. However, both the Savior and Moroni describe it that way: 3 Nephi 9:20, Ether 12:13-17. That, along with some of the following scriptures suggest that the phrase means to be inundated by the shechinah.

The baptism of Jesus’s twelve disciples is an interesting example:

11 And it came to pass that Nephi went down into the water and was baptized.
12 And he came up out of the water and began to ba ptize. And he baptized all those whom Jesus had chosen.
13 And it came to pass when they were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
14 And behold, they were encircled about as if it were by fire; and it came down from heaven, and the multitude did witness it, and did bear record; and angels did come down out of heaven and did minister unto them.
15 And it came to pass that while the angels were ministering unto the disciples, behold, Jesus came and stood in the midst and ministered unto them (3 Nephi 19:11-15).

Day of Pentecost

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven (Acts 2:1-5).

Explanation in the Book of Moses:

64 And it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father, that Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the water, and was brought forth out of the water.
65 And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became quickened in the inner man.
66 And he heard a voice out of heaven, saying: Thou art baptized with fire, and with the Holy Ghost. This is the record of the Father, and the Son, from henceforth and forever;
67 And thou art after the order of him who was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity.
68 Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons. Amen (Moses 6:64-68).

Other examples are:

John the Baptist’s testimony == Matthew 3:11
Nephi’s testimony (following the example of Jesus) == 2 Nephi 31:13-19
The Savior’s promise == 3 Nephi 11:35-36, 3 Nephi 12:1-2
Mormon’s testimony (following the example of Jesus) == Mormon 7:7-10
Promises in the Doctrine and Covenants == D&C 19:31, D&C 20:41, D&C 33:11, D&C 39:5-9.

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EXAMPLES OF THE SHECHINAH IN NEW TESTAMENT

The shechinah is never mentioned in the New Testament in conjunction with Herod’s temple. When the New Testament gospels speak of the veil of the temple it is only to report that it “was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” at the time of the Savior’s death (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45).

However the shechinah is mentioned in the following places:

Mount of Transfiguration == Matthew 17:4-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 21:25-28.
Ascension of Resurrected Christ == Acts 1:9-11.
“Angels” in John’s Revelation == Revelation 10:1-6; Revelation 14:12.
Resurrection of “two witnesses” == Revelation 11:12.
Stephen says “there appeared to him [Moses] in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush” == Acts 7:30

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EXAMPLES OF THE SHECHINAH IN BOOK OF MORMON

Lehi mentions the veil (the shechinah) but does not tell us what he sees behind the veil:

6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly (1 Nephi 1:6).

When Nephi explains his father’s vision of the tree of life, he points out two things that we do not find in Lehi’s account. He tells us about the filthiness of the waters and also about “the justice of God” which he describes as a veil of fire:

30 And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end (1 Nephi 15:27-32).

The children whom the Savior blessed were “ were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.”

23 And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.
24 And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them (3 Nephi 17:23-24).

Other examples in the Book of Mormon

Zion to have cloud and fire on housetops == Isaiah & 2 Nephi 14:1-6.
Angel who spoke to Alma == Mosiah 27:1.
Nephi and Lehi in the midst of a flaming fire == Helaman 5:44.

Baptism of the Twelve (quoted above) == 3 Nephi 19:11-15.)
Ascension of Resurrected Christ == 3 Nephi 18:37-39.
Brother of Jared == Ether 2 & 3.

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EXAMPLES OF THE SHECHINAH IN THE DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS

The Savior’s second coming == D&C 34:4-12; D&C 45:43-46; D&C 109:75;
Promises of fire and the Holy Ghost == D&C 19:31, D&C 20:41, D&C 33:11, D&C 39:5-9.

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EXAMPLES OF THE SHECHINAH IN THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE

Adam’s baptism (quoted above) == Mses 6:64-68

2 And he saw God face to face, and he talked with him, and the glory of God was upon Moses; therefore Moses could endure his presence (Moses 1:2).

First Vision == JS-History 1:16.)
Moroni in Joseph’s bedroom == JS-History 1:68-70.
Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood == JS-History 1:68-70.

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EXAMPLES OF THE SHECHINAH IN OLD TESTAMENT

There are two Old Testament references in the LDS Bible dictionary definition of shechinah:

“The glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai” == Exodus 24:16
The glory of the Lord in Solomon’s Temple == 1 Kings 8:9-12

M.G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, gives us an interesting discussion of the shechinah, including a good list of its appearance in the Old Testament.

shechinah A Chaldee word meaning resting-place, not found in Scripture, but used by the later Jews to designate the visible symbol of God’s presence in the tabernacle, and afterwards in Solomon’s temple. When the Lord led Israel out of Egypt, he went before them “in a pillar of a cloud.” This was the symbol of his presence with his people. For references made to it during the wilderness wanderings, see Ex. 14:20; 40:34-38; Lev. 9:23, 24; Num. 14:10; 16:19, 42.

It is probable that after the entrance into Canaan this glory-cloud settled in the tabernacle upon the ark of the covenant in the most holy place. We have, however, no special reference to it till the consecration of the temple by Solomon, when it filled the whole house with its glory, so that the priests could not stand to minister (1 Kings 8:10-13; 2 Chr. 5:13, 14; 7:1-3). Probably it remained in the first temple in the holy of holies as the symbol of Jehovah’s presence so long as that temple stood. It afterwards disappeared. (See CLOUD.)”(Illustrated Bible Dictionary, M.G. Easton)

“Cloud” in Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Cloud The Hebrew so rendered means “a covering,” because clouds cover the sky. The word is used as a symbol of the Divine presence, as indicating the splendour of that glory which it conceals (Ex. 16:10; 33:9; Num. 11:25; 12:5; Job 22:14; Ps. 18:11). A “cloud without rain” is a proverbial saying, denoting a man who does not keep his promise (Prov. 16:15; Isa. 18:4; 25:5; Jude 1:12). A cloud is the figure of that which is transitory (Job 30:15; Hos. 6:4). A bright cloud is the symbolical seat of the Divine presence (Ex.29:42, 43; 1 Kings 8:10; 2 Chr. 5:14; Ezek. 43:4), and was called the shechinah (q.v.). Jehovah came down upon Sinai in a cloud (Ex. 19:9); and the cloud filled the court around the tabernacle in the wilderness so that Moses could not enter it (Ex. 40:34, 35). At the dedication of the temple also the cloud “filled the house of the Lord” (1 Kings 8:10). Thus in like manner when Christ comes the second time he is described as coming “in the clouds” (Matt. 17:5; 24:30; Acts 1:9, 11).

Cloud, the pillar of, was the glory-cloud which indicated God’s presence leading the ransomed people through the wilderness (Ex. 13:22; 33:9, 10). This pillar preceded the people as they marched, resting on the ark (Ex. 13:21; 40:36). By night it became a pillar of fire (Num. 9:17-23).” (Illustrated Bible Dictionary, M.G. Easton)

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FOOTNOTES

{1} For further discussions, see both “shechinah” and “veil” in the subject index of Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord.

{2}For discussions of the veil, see Hamblin, “Temple Motifs,” 455-56; Nibley, “Return to the Temple,” 80-81; Tvedtnes, “Temple Prayer in Ancient Times,” The Temple in Time and Eternity, ed. Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1999), 88-90.

{3} We have discussed these features of the Temple and the ceremonies that took place in those rooms in the chapters called “Act 2,” Scenes 9 through 13 in Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord.

{4} In Abraham 3 the members of the Council in heaven are called the “noble and great ones.” To them Jehovah said, “We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell(Abraham 3:24).” When the creation actually began, the story reads:

1 And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth (Abraham 4:1).

{5} For discussion of the garments of light see Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, first edition, 327-28; paperback edition, 235-6.

{6} For a discussion of the royal clothing see Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, first edition p. 483-94; paperback edition p. 349-57. Even in the Hymn of the Pearl there is a “thy bright robe and thy toga, which is laid over it.”

The story of the Jaredites, as told by Moroni, takes on a new significance when it is seen, not as an addendum to the Book of Mormon, but as an integral part of the story Mormon left to his son Moroni to complete.

As we have noted before, the prophet Mormon followed the pattern of the ancient Israelite temple drama in his subtextual outline of the entire Book of Mormon. The fact that Moroni meticulously concluded that pattern is another evidence of the book’s carefully designed structure. If one does a hopscotch across the pages of the book and only lands on the major sermons and on an occasional outstanding priesthood event, the pattern clearly materializes. The following is what one finds:

1) Nephi begins by saying that his father was at the Council in Heaven were he saw God sitting on his throne and where he received an assignment from Jehovah.
2) Lehi and his family make the necessary preparations to fulfill their assignment.
3) They cross the chaotic waters (the ancient symbol of creation as well as of birth) and they go to a new world.
4) Lehi teaches his sons about Adam and Eve and the Fall.
5) Nephi’s psalm asks why we have come here when it is so very difficult.
6) Jacob answers that question by teaching about the Atonement.
7) Nephi quotes much of the first part of Isaiah whose underlying message is that God is the God of this world and Satan is not.
8) Nephi explains faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
9) Jacob teaches about the importance of keeping covenants
10) Enos teaches that one must pray.
11) King Benjamin teaches his people about the importance of obedience. They make a covenant that they will obey, and they receive a new name.
12) Abinadi teaches Alma the gospel in terms of the Savior’s sacrifice; then we see Abinadi’s sacrifice.
13) At the Waters of Mormon the people are baptized. But neither Alma’s sermon nor his prayer mentions the remission of sins. This baptism is the token of a covenant that the people will support each other, the church, and the kingdom.
14) When Alma and his followers are in the wilderness, they briefly live the law of consecration.
15) Alma 5 and 7 the prophet sums up many of the principles of the ancient temple drama and admonishes the people to keep their covenants.
16) In Alma chapters 12 and 13, he teaches Zeezrom about the legitimacy of priesthood and kingship.
17) Alma 26 and 29 are psalms about responsibilities of missionary work.
18) Alma 32 teaches how to partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and eventually how to become as a tree of life. (The tree of life is always an important part of the drama. If Alma 32 were not there the whole structure of the pattern would collapse.)
19) When Alma talks to his three sons,
19a) he teaches his oldest son he must keep sacred things sacred.
19b) he teaches the second that he must be true to the eternal law of his own being.
19c) he tells the third about justice and mercy and the importance of the laws of chastity.
20) The war remind us of the aloneness of this dreary world. Mormon introduces it with a whole series of covenants and covenant names (There are always new names associated with new covenants).
20a) Captain Moroni tears off a piece of his coat (after that it is called “garment” so it is the outer of the two—there are always two).
20b) He writes a chiastic poem on it. The poem the is covenant title of “Liberty.”
20c) Mormon interrupts his narrative to tell us that those who believe in Christ “took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ,” and are called Christians.
20d) Captain Moroni identifies the land in terms of its geographical boundaries (measuring it and defining it as sacred space) and gives it the same covenant name as the poem—“the land of liberty.”
20e) The people come and make a covenant that they will keep the Lord’s commandments if he will preserve them in their Liberty.
20f) The focus of the story is about the sons of Helaman who “entered into a covenant,” and “they called themselves Nephites” (Alma 53:16-17).
20g) Helaman tells us that all the boys who made and kept their covenants were protected—some were badly hurt, but they all survived because they kept their covenants.
21) After the war, Nephi and Lehi are baptized with fire and the Holy Ghost.
22) Nephi is given the sealing power (Helaman 10:5).
23) Samuel the Lamanite tells the people that the Savior is coming, and urges them to get ready to see him.
24) In three days of darkness, the world is cleansed of its unrighteousness (this maps
to Jehovah’s restoring Israel and the king after he has been in the Underworld for three days).
25) The Savior comes to his temple just as the king does in the drama.
26) The Savior organizes his church and kingdom, and teaches the people how to
keep their covenants (these map to the seventh day of the drama).
27) Then in Fourth Nephi the people do keep their covenants and live the law of consecration (this maps to the eighth day of the drama). In the symbolism, they had returned to the Garden to enjoy the blessings of the eating freely of the fruit of the tree of life (3 Nephi 20:5-9), and the promised millennial reign.
28) The book of Ether is the counterbalance of that story. It shows the destructive consequences when people do not keep their covenants with God.
29) The Book of Mormon’s crescendo is repeated three times near the end of the book. There the reader is taught one must have faith, hope, and charity in order to enter the presence of God (Ether 12:28,39; Moroni 7; and Moroni 10:20-21).
30) Then Moroni reviews the entire drama and in the last verse he says, “I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, … before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah.”

Moroni did a superb job in finishing the Book of Mormon. Without the Book of Ether, the sub-textual pattern of the Book of Mormon would not be complete. And without the crescendo of faith (pistis), hope and charity, and the promise in each of the three repetitions that there is a way to come back to God, the conclusion of the drama would not even be there (Ether 12:39, Moroni 7:48, Moroni 10:28-34).

The Book of Ether is also structured in a very interesting way:

A.  Chapters 1-3 = story of the brother of Jared and his              relationship with the Savior
B.  Chapters 4-5 = Moroni’s testimony
C.  Chapters 6-7 = wars and chaos
D.  At the center of the book Moroni ties the two stories together: “Now the land of Moron, where the king dwelt, was near the land which is called Desolation by the Nephites Ether 7:6).”
c.  Chapters 7-11 = more wars and chaos
b.  Chapters 12 = Moroni’s testimony
a.   Chapters 13-15 = concluding story of the prophet Ether and his relationship with the Savior

The Book of Ether is a testimony. It is both a counterbalance to the story in the larger Book of Mormon, and it is also a solemn warning to the people of our time that there are irrevokable consequences to those who reject the God of Israel.

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