All in all, it was a great conference and held many amazing insights and explanations. For me it was a powerful spiritual boost and increased my desire to improve in various ways including studying the gospel with more focus and dedication. I also found it very accessible. Some might think I’m something of a scholar because of this blog, but that’s not the case, I’m nowhere near the level of scholarship that many of these presenters are. Yet most seemed very accessible, even to those who don’t study the kinds of subjects they spoke of, on a regular basis. I’d like to share notes and some links from the conference.

Why Apologetics?

Before you stop reading because you don’t like apologetics, you should read some of my notes from Daniel C. Peterson’s closing presentation on Friday:

Apologetics goes back to greek term “apologeto” which means “defense.” Such as the famous “Plato’s Apology.” The meaning is “Plato’s Defense.” In English the “defense” definition is older than the “sorry” definition.

1 Peter 3:15 the word translated as “answer” has the same Greek root, thus it could be rendered “be ready always to give an apology (or defense) to every man that asketh you….”

Argument does not create conviction. But, if they people think you have no reason to back up your stance, they’ll never become convinced either.

Apologetics is the process of giving reasons for your opinion or stance on something. To disdain apologetics is a way of saying “I’m a blithering idiot.” This is because if you give reason for hating apologetics, you’re participating in apologetics. Therefore everyone participates in apologetics, its just a matter of whether you do it well or not. Missionaries supplying reasons why people should accept the gospel is apologetics. “You can’t not do it.”

The Kirtland Egyptian Papers by William Schryver

The organizers for FAIR said the audio of this presentation will be released within the week. So I’ll put a link to it here, when they get that done. But this was one of the big presentations of the conference, so I’ll give a brief overview of its important points.

The Kirtland Egyptian Papers are a collection of notebooks and other documents from the leaders of the Church around the time of the publication of the Book of Commandments (original D&C) and the revelation/translation of the Book of Abraham (Pearl of Great Price). They contain various “Egyptian” characters, with sound translations, as well as explanations of meaning.

Anti-Mormon’s have claimed since the 1950′s that these were being used to translate the Book of Abraham, and because the meanings of the symbols are incorrect, prove that Joseph Smith was faking the translation.

"The Freemason Cipher" from TheMasonicTrowel.com

In spite of all these claims, as well as counter-arguments by the likes of Hugh Nibley, the Kirtland Egyptian Papers have never been studied with any depth. Schryver is a computer programmer and a statistician, and therefore approached his study from that background. He created tables and charts, breaking down the characters, their meanings, and sounds. He also ran statistical analysis on the vocabulary used throughout the explanations or meanings of the characters and found several important things:

• W. W. Phelps is the primary author and refers to the project in some letters.
• Many of the characters on not Egyptian at all, but Arabic, Sanskrit, and even from a Masonic cipher.
• The explanations refer to, and are dependent upon the first 3 chapters of the Book of Abraham and several revelations now in the D&C. In other words, those texts must have existed in English first, before these were created.
• The papers are a form of cipher key, to encode the previously mentioned English revelations, into something unrecognizable to most people, and thereby keep these sacred writings from public scrutiny and possibly destruction at the hands of persecutors.

Schryver’s scholarship and analysis is apparently pretty air-tight and lays to rest any of those accusations of it proving Joseph’s supposed fraud. It’s because these documents depend on the Book of Abraham existing already in English, that there’s no way to use them to say the reverse: that Joseph was fraudulently using them to translate Egyptian papyri into the Book of Abraham.

At the end of his presentation, he laid the subject open to other scholars, stating that he was no expert to fully understand the implications of the papers, but had now opened the door for much more scholarship. He said he’d write-up a paper on it all, then go back to his regular work and leave all the in-depth analysis for real scholars. Daniel Peterson, in his presentation that closed the conference Fri. evening, said he’d been looking on some message boards where anti-Mormon’s were commenting on the FAIR conference. One anti’s comment after Schryver’s presentation was “who ever cared about the Kirtland Egyptian Papers anyway?” A sure sign that this standard weapon in their arsenal had been effectively neutralized by Bro. Schryver’s analysis.

Articles at MormonTimes.com

Next, you can read a semi-brief reviews of some of the very interesting presentations at the Mormon Times website:

• Peter Watkins – A Mormon in the White House
• Matthew Roper – Joseph Smith & the Question of Book of Mormon Geography (seems to have solved question authorship of Times & Seasons articles naming Mesoamerica as the location of BoM – also suggests location was never actually revealed to Joseph Smith)
• Stephen Ricks – ‘What’s in a Name?’ Proper Names in the Book of Mormon (very interesting – meaning behind people’s/place’s names in the BoM)
• Jeffrey Bradshaw – The Apocalypse of Abraham: An Ancient Witness for the Book of Moses (comparison of ancient “Apocalypse of Abraham” text that existed only in Russian during Joseph Smith’s times, with Book of Abraham)

More to Come

I’d like to share more notes and thoughts on at least 2 of the presentations, and will do so in future posts. The first is David Bokovoy’s presentation on “Joseph Smith and the Biblical Council of Gods,” and the 2nd was my surprise favorite of the entire conference: Valerie Hudson “The Two Trees.” Valerie was previously unknown to me, and her presentation was so powerful and meaningful, that it helped me better understand some things I’ve been pondering for some time, as well as opened my mind to many completely new ideas. I can hardly wait to share what I’ve learned.

The Lost Coin

In Luke 15: 8–10 Jesus tells a parable with similarities to that of the lost sheep, but some key differences. Here, a woman looses a coin, then lights a candle, sweeps the house, searches diligently, and rejoices when she finds it.

Context

Just like the shepherd in the previous parable, the woman can be compared to Christ in many ways. Also like the shepherd, she doesn’t represent Christ in this parable. But who does she represent? The leaders of the Church like the shepherd? Or somebody else? In many scriptural references an unspecified woman represents the church. This comes from the symbolic imagery of the church as a woman or bride. A quick example of this recurring scriptural theme is found in Isaiah 62:5 “…as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” Jesus is the bridegroom, the church is his bride. First of all, the value of the silver coin is about a day’s labor. Remember though, that they didn’t have an 8 hour workday in those days. So the value of that coin was probably more like 10-12 hours of hard labor. Lets just say $200 in modern US money. Where did the money come from? Well most likely from the man of the house. He goes out and works, and she has the result of his 10 days hard labor. She looses one day’s worth. If the woman is the church and Christ is the husband, then his work is that of saving souls, of bringing them unto him. Thus, if we’re to put His work in mortal terms, this coin might represent a lost soul (just like the sheep) or perhaps several people, like a family. Understanding these symbolic constructs, the parable applies to all of us members of the church, perhaps even more so than that of the shepherd. With that in mind, what instruction can we pull from Christ’s parable?

Lessons

It’s important to recognize that it’s the woman who lost the coin. Whatever it might have been that members of the church did, it caused the loss of this person or family. The woman obviously didn’t toss the coin around, attempting to lose it. It was an accident, but she’s responsible. Thus it could be some offense members of the church commit in ignorance, or just not taking care to keep track of this person or family. To her credit, she immediately goes about trying to correct the wrong. First she lights a candle. In other teachings, recorded earlier by Luke, Jesus states “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light” (Luke 11:33). This candle represents the light of the gospel. Our first move when we discover somebody has been lost, should be to make sure we’re shining the light of the gospel forth. The purpose is two-fold, to light our search for the person, and also to allow the person to see their way back. We should always do a self-check to ensure we’re in-line with the Savior, first. Only if we do things the Lord’s way, will we be successful in bringing people back to the gospel. Second, she sweeps the floor. Again this symbolic imagery works on at least two levels: to tidy the house and make a return more welcome, as well as to make it easier to search for the lost soul. Its another self-check of sorts, we can’t expect people to come back to the church, if its not in order and welcoming. The idea is that it was somewhat dirty which probably contributed to the coin’s loss in the first place. Now clean it will be easier to find the coin, as well as not lose it again, or lose another. Third, the woman searches diligently. Our attempts to restore the lost person, cannot be half-hearted. We must be full of faith, the spirit, and acceptance if we’re to be successful. Finally, like the shepherd, the woman rejoices with her friends and neighbors. The people whom are lost should see us rejoice over their return. They should know how great a thing it is from our example, though hopefully they feel it through the Spirit.

Application

In his recent talk “Concern for the One,” Elder Joseph Wirthlin advises that people often become lost because they are different. They feel they don’t fit in. He explains:

Some are lost because they are different. They feel as though they don’t belong. Perhaps because they are different, they find themselves slipping away from the flock. They may look, act, think, and speak differently than those around them and that sometimes causes them to assume they don’t fit in. They conclude that they are not needed. Tied to this misconception is the erroneous belief that all members of the Church should look, talk, and be alike. The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father’s children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole.

Part of lighting the candle and sweeping the house should be making sure that we’re not exclusive. That we don’t expect people to act according to our culture and traditions. All members of the church are expected to try to follow the teachings of the gospel. However, too often members of the church feel that things must be done a certain way “because that’s how its always been done,”  when its actually something that’s founded more in culture, traditions, or habit, rather than the doctrines of Christ. In these situations it can be a great learning experience for us to break free of these limitations and and learn from the person who might feel different. Not only will we become more accepting of these unimportant differences, but perhaps also find better ways of acting and doing, when we look outside the artificial confinements of tradition and expectation. Elder Bednar recently admonished us to do something that will help immensely in shining the gospel light to find those who are lost, or becoming lost. Yet its rarely done, at least in areas I’ve lived, simply because people feel uncomfortable doing it:

Do those we serve hear us pray for them with faith and sincerity? If those we love and serve have not heard and felt the influence of our earnest prayers in their behalf, then the time to repent is now. As we emulate the example of the Savior, our prayers truly will become more meaningful. (Pray Always, Elder David A. Bednar, Oct. 2008 General Conference)

In parts 4 & 5 we’ll cover the parable of the prodigal son, and see what new things we can learn there.

There’s a new blog called Leading LDS that you can find at LeadingLDS.com. It’s similar to this blog in that the purpose is to help inspire, motivate, and correct wrong attitudes. Where this blog takes the approach of teaching correct doctrine and looking beyond the sunday-school answers, Leading LDS focuses on teaching correct leadership and moving beyond the easy “coasting through this calling” level of leadership in the church.

Conversation with Elder Bednar

One of the most recent posts is a video from the church’s HR department entitled “A Conversation on Leadership With Elder David A. Bednar.” Kurt, the author of the blog states that this video “is exactly what [his] site is about.” I’ve got to say, everyone should watch this video. So click one of the links, check out this awesome blog, and make sure you watch/listen to this fireside with Elder Bednar. I just can’t tell you how powerful and helpful it is for anyone who is, or ever will be in a leadership position, in—or outside—the church.

I don’t know how many people realize that Elder Bednar was a very well-respected teacher of business and organizational management. He wrote several books on the subject and is an expert on leadership in the business world. Among the things hit me the hardest, was when he said:

When we fail to give needed correction or counsel, it’s because we’re thinking of ourselves. We normally think ‘well I don’t want to hurt this person’s feelings.’ No, that’s really not true, you just want to be liked. And the reason I’m not going to tell you what needs to be said, is because I don’t want to be viewed negatively or fall into disfavor. It is far more loving to appropriately provide correction and counsel, than it is to duck the issue.

His personal experiences with the Bretheren, give rare personal, candid, insight to how the 1st Presidency and Quorum of 12 operate. Just watch it. Then leave a comment on Leading LDS to let Kurt know if you find it useful, and feel free to comment on the Elder Bednar fireside in the comments on this article.

Updates

I’ve made some updates and changes to Sacred Symbolic. You’ll notice some design changes, as well as simplified sidebars (so it’s not as overwhelming). I’ve also setup a Facebook page for Sacred Symbolic, so you can “like” (used to be “follow”) it and get updates that way, if you don’t want to go through the process of installing the Networked Blogs plugin on Facebook.

I also incorporated what’s called OpenID sign-in features for posting comments. This means you don’t have to type your name, email etc, if you don’t want to. Just click the link that says “Leave a verified comment using…” followed by various email/social network options. Then you just sign in using your Google (Gmail), Facebook, Blogger, Twitter, Windows Live, or Yahoo account. If your browser has you already logged in, you’ll just need to “allow” Sacred Symbolic to use that account. Then you can leave a comment with just a couple quick clicks, and we always love comments!

Philippe de Champaigne: The Good Shepherd - 1650. From OceansBridge.com

Missunderstanding the Shepherd

One of our main misconceptions of who the shepherd in this story is, comes from within the story itself. There is an undeniably Messianic message in this story. If the shepherd were Christ, he descends into the wilderness (this telestial world) to save the sinner from their sins. Literally carrying them, because His grace—born of the Atonement—does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. So we see pictures of Christ carrying the lost sheep back to the fold. Even The Book of Mormon refers to Jesus as “the good shepherd,” and suggests we need to be his sheep (see Alma 5:38 & Mormon 5:17). Its only natural that this parable should also have a type of Christ in it, as “all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him” (2 Ne. 11:4).

However, in context, this story is clearly not portraying Christ as the shepherd; as discussed in the previous article. Instead this parable targets the leadership of the church. Probably specifically priesthood leaders. Thus the story is one teaching those who lead today, how best to bring the sinners back into the herd.

A Father’s Example

On my mission, my companion and I were invited to teach the discussions to a man who’d once been a member, but had left the church for many years. He had a good family, and his father was in the bishopric of the ward. Yet, he’d left the church and become about as lost as one can get. Though he’d been married in the temple, and had a young daughter, this man had become a leader of those lost in the wilderness. Drugs, weapons smuggling, and all the darkest parts of the night life were his daily existence. And he’d been quite successful at it too. He’d become the envy of most his associates and so-called friends. In spite of being able to feed all his physical, worldly desires & appetites, he felt unfulfilled, lost, and hungry for something, but was unable to say what it was. He had memories of his past, but most of the gospel had been completely lost.

I didn’t know all this when we met with him in his parent’s home for the first time. All I knew was that this young-looking, 30-year-old man with tattoos from his neck  to his wrists, who preferred to sit on the floor, was willing to be taught the gospel. We taught the first discussion, which was a set lesson at the time. It was mostly a disaster. This man’s older brother was there, and every time he’d comment, sibling rivalry would wave its arms, scream, and chase the Spirit from the room. There was a touching moment toward the end when he asked about rape and how the Church viewed it. The Spirit returned and taught me what to say that he could be touched. Possibly only because of that moment, he continued to take the discussions.

Returning the lost sheep to the flock. From middle-east-pictures.com

The 2nd didn’t go any better from what I heard, but due to scheduling I was working with another missionary who’s companion was teaching this man, with my companion, for the evening. But the 3rd time we met, things were different. The brother wasn’t there, his parents left us alone in the room, and in another scheduling twist, I was working with the missionary who’d taken my place in the previous discussion.

We decided before arriving, that we wouldn’t teach a formal discussion. Without the flexibility that Preach My Gospel gives to missionaries these days, this was quite unusual. We started at the basics asking if he believed in God. He said he did believe in some sort of supreme being, but didn’t understand the need for a Savior and therefore didn’t believe in Christ. Which would have been our next question.

Guided by the spirit, we began teaching the plan of salvation. The war in heaven, creation, fall, and atonement. We used Elder Packer’s amazing story of “The Mediator” to teach him how Christ makes it possible for us to return to our Father in Heaven. The spirit came with a strength I’ve rarely felt, as we taught. I now consider it one of the greatest miracles I’ve witnessed. Over the course of 2 hours, this man literally changed before our eyes. He went from disbelief and darkness to the light of faith, hope, and repentance. With the Spirit testifying to him, using the mouths of two young and inexperienced missionaries, this man’s faith was born anew.

I don’t know how to describe what I saw and experienced, but he was changed. He looked different. Where there had been darkness before, there was light. From then on, he completely changed his life. He quit drugs and alcohol, as well as many evil habits, on the spot… never touching them again. Within a few months he was petitioning the First Presidency for a full reinstatement of his membership and blessings in the church. I’ve never seen somebody so excited and motivated to live the gospel and be a true disciple of Christ.

To me, his father is the great example of the shepherd. In spite of all the evil this man did and stood for, his father had continued to love him and accept him as part of their family. Just being around this man before his conversion, was to go into the wilderness of worldly and evil things (he told us more of his past later to help us understand just what had happened). Yet his father accepted him in spite of it all, and welcomed him into his home. Until the time came that he could stand on his own and be a part of the flock again.

Part 3 will focus on the story of the woman and her lost coin. Check back soon for it.

Jesus said, “Faith cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe” (D&C 63:9). In short: believe first, then see the sign.

Many who don’t believe in God claim that there is no evidence of him. But if what Jesus said is true, they’ll never find this evidence until they believe.

I’m holding an apple seed in my hand. It came from inside an apple.

If you take this seed and plant it in the ground, and if you nurture it for a long time, years perhaps, with water and sunlight, then it will produce apples. Real apples, with seeds in them like this one I’m holding. But it’s a long process.

A sign seeker is one who picks up the seed and says, “If you show me an apple from this seed, THEN I’ll know it works, and THEN I’ll make the effort to help it grow into a producing apple tree. I will be completely willing to do what it takes. But just show me an apple from this seed first.”

In the real world, nobody would ever ask to see the apple before the seed. It goes contrary to logic.

Maybe that’s why God responds this way when people expect that from him. He said, “Signs come by faith, unto mighty works, for without faith no man pleaseth God; …wherefore, unto such he showeth no signs, only in wrath unto their condemnation” (D&C 63:11).

An apple really can grow from this seed. But there’s only one way to find evidence of this.

The following is from notes of my thoughts during a priesthood lesson over a year ago.

Luke 15 tells us three stories, all are about loosing a prized possession. But each teaches a very different lesson. As I recall, the priesthood lesson that brought the Spirit and helped me learn the following, quickly descended to the normal, modern-Mormon interpretations of these parables, when the teacher opened it up for commentary. It’s unfortunate that Luke wasn’t familiar with these modern interpretations when he recorded these three parables together, in what is now chapter 15 of his book.

Context

Luke sets up these parables with the context that “the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, [Jesus] receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” So we must assume that what follows is Luke’s perception of Christ’s response to these accusations.

Image of a shepherd with his flock from Bible-Archaeology.info

Lost Sheep

The first story is of a lost sheep (Luke 15:3–7). If one in a flock goes missing, how does that happen? Well a shepherd can’t watch his flock 24-7, he must sleep. As he does, the flock continues grazing, moving in a direction, but generally staying in a group. If one sheep finds a particularly lush patch of grass, or some other distraction, it will become “lost” simply by staying where it is. The church can work in much the same fashion. We never want to leave people behind, yet the goal & purpose of the church is that its constantly moving forward, progressing on both an individual level as well as on the whole. Thus a person can get left behind, simply by not continuing to move forward with the group. Sins of omission still make one a sinner.

The context suggested throughout is that the shepherd in this story is not Christ. He’s speaking to Scribes and Pharisees, the spiritual and political leaders of the Jewish community. He’s suggesting that the church leaders are the shepherd and have lost one of their flock: in this instance the “sinners” which he’s eating with. He’s probably simultaneously teaching the 12 the same lesson, so that they can do what the current Jewish leaders are not. In a modern context, the shepherd would be all of us, who through as simple a calling as home or visiting teaching, play the role of “leader,” “shepherd,” and “gatherer.”

So when Jesus says the shepherd did certain things, we receive instruction for handling those who are lost. The Joseph Smith Translation of Luke 15:4 says that the shepherd will “leave the ninety and nine and go into the wilderness after that which is lost, until he find it” (emphasis added). The idea conveyed here is that the task is neither easy nor safe. The symbolic wilderness of the scriptures and many ancient texts is a place of hardship and the unknown. It’s also a place of testing, where one can either become lost and die anonymously, or achieve great things, by being true, in spite of tribulation. We must go into the wilderness to find the lost sheep. Plus, in spite of the trials and difficulties, we must not stop until we find them. In other words, we must not give up on those that are lost and be willing to spiritually go where we might find much hardship and trial.

Again, Jesus instructs what to do once the lost has become found, by saying that when the shepherd  ”hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulder’s, rejoicing.” This is how to best bring these lost sheep back. We put them on our shoulders and carry them back to the church, to the truth. Of course we don’t force them, but we let them use our testimony and strength in the gospel, until they have received enough spiritual strength and the comfort of rejoining the flock, to continue on their own. And perhaps most importantly, we rejoice like the shepherd that “calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.”

What examples have you seen/experienced in your life of gathering a lost sheep? I’ll be sharing one in Part 2. Read Part 2 here.

However, I feel that this underlying message resonates with those of us who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We’ve been repeatedly told to simplify our lives and focus on the things that really matter. Thus for me, shortcuts, tips, tricks, and “lifehacks” that help me cut down on the garbage and focus on what’s most important, are a key part of becoming a better husband, father, ward member, home teacher, and the man Heavenly Father wants me to be.

I thought it would be great if somebody did a “Lifehacker for Mormons.” Part of the idea came from things like my information on how to pay your tithing online (which I posted as a page, instead of an article, because it didn’t seem to fit the purpose of this blog), or Travis’ great scripture study hack he called “spiritual cross-training” which helps keep daily study interesting and powerful. Since there are many very unique aspects of the way we live our lives, it would be great to have a place where people share their hacks for Mormon life.

I thought I’d search first to see if anyone else had done it, and found that Brett McKay (now the famous creator/chief editor of The Art of Manliness), had started a blogger blog called “Mormon Hacker” with exactly the same idea in mind. Several years ago, he faithfully posted an LDS lifehack each day for several months. At that point, all posting had stopped. I assume it was because of his focus on The Art of Manliness. I did some searching and was able to track him down (as well as find The Art of Manliness, which I think is an awesome site that promotes all the good things about being strong males and role-models). He kindly agreed to turn Mormon Hacker over to me.

For the next 3 months or so, I’m not going to do much with it, as I need to finish up some other projects first. However, to maintain the true spirit of lifehacking, I want lots of people to share articles and lifehacks when the time to re-launch comes. So please, if you’re interested in simplifying Mormon life, and would like to share with others, visit MormonLifeHacker.com to read more information on becoming part of the team. Then contact me so we’re ready to go with editors, articles, and more in about 3 months for the re-launch. Feel free to contact me as it says on Mormon Life Hacker, or through the comments on this post, or the contact page, here at Sacred Symbolic. You can also read through some of Brett’s original Mormon lifehacks to get a feel if you’re unfamiliar.

Please share this with friends and family, through facebook, email, twitter, etc., so that even if you’re not interested in becoming a contributor. That way those who are, will find out about it and can contact me to become part of the team.

Its called the Gilgal Garden, and is located at 749 E 500 S, Salt Lake City, UT. The gardens were built by Thomas Child, who worked on it throughout his life. He named the place after the location where Joshua had the Israelites take 12 stones and place them together as part of a covenant and memorial, after crossing the Jordan river on dry land. Bro. Child was sculptor and put his own interpretations of scriptures, into stone. The piece for which he named the garden, features 12 stones in a circle, with an etching of “The Captain of the Lord’s Host” standing at the head. Because it was basically his backyard, the garden is somewhat secluded and hidden. You can read more about the garden at Wikipedia, or I have uploaded a scan of the walk-through self-tour guide.

Some people might find it strange or weird. And, admittedly I did at first. There’s something unsettling about entering the rather peaceful and beautiful garden, then suddenly coming upon a replica of the great sphinx in Egypt, only to realize that the normal nose-less face is not only complete, but the face of Joseph Smith, the prophet of the restoration. Other strange things appear, like a stone head that’s a self-portrait-sculpture of Bro. Child himself, as well as a larger-than-life, full-body carving of him in a suit jacket.

For me, the turning point came when I saw his representation of Malachi 4:5–6, depicting the “turning of hearts.” In a small cave-like overhang of rock, Thomas Child carved two hands reaching down from the ceiling, as if from a cloud or through a veil, poised near two other stones that sat on the rock floor. These stones were very large (the size of 2 people’s heads) hearts. Not our Valentines heart-shapes, but 2 human hearts with valves, arteries, and ventricles. This very modern, yet symbolic, representation of the scripture really got me thinking. I appreciated the symbolic motivation, and the desire to get people to see the scriptures differently than we’re often taught in the “Sunday School,” simple-basics way. I believe his purpose was to encourage a symbolic interpretation of scriptures and other things in the world around us that teach us the doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Its an amazing place, and one man’s life work. I encourage you to make a stop next time you visit Temple Square or the “normal” sights everyone visits in downtown Salt Lake. Here’s one of my favorite texts my wife found there. Bro. Child wrote this, then carved it in one of the many stones you walk on as you tour the garden, most of which also have quotes, scriptures, etc.

In a sense knowledge shrinks as wisdom grows: for details are swallowed up in priciples. The details of knowledge which are important will be picked up ad hoc in each avocation of life; but the habit of the active utilization of well-understood principles is the final possession of wisdom. – Thomas Child

I’ve put some of my pictures in a gallery on the pictures page (and also below). The Salt Lake Tribune has a cool little interactive tour of the garden as well. Also, if you haven’t already, you might like to see our pictures from the Salt Lake City graveyard. Many of my modern hero’s were buried there.

12►

I am working closely with the History Channel in putting together a new show called “Decoded”.  We are looking for a male co-host, ages 40-60 for a premium cable show that focuses on American Conspiracies, Mysteries and Secrets.  Our host should be a “believable believer,” someone who can challenge traditional scientific and historical methods. This person should bring a fresh perspective to the audience and the team that will allow the series to take unexpected turns i.e. conversations with numerologists, channelers etc. On the other hand, one of the important qualities that he should possess is the ability to not be simply a believer, but also  ”speak with mathematical and scientific authority” and be able to converse with other members of the team on their own terms. We are looking for someone  who can convince our more  traditional hosts to rethink their position. He should also be flexible enough to be convinced that he is wrong at times. Finally the host should be smart, playful, a strong communicator and have a good sense of humor.  Advanced Degree a plus.

If you or anyone on your team fits this description and may be interested, please have them contact me as soon as possible.  Also, please feel free to post this on your website or pass this message along to anyone you feel may be appropriate.  Thank you and I hope to hear from you shortly.

-Elya Beer

305.527.9491
DecodedTV@gmail.com

I think it would be really cool if a member of the LDS Church was picked. Somebody with a degree or lots of background in history, ancient studies, or something related.  Though I’m sure they wouldn’t go for any Mormon doctrines being taught blatantly, it might give some perspective into things that couldn’t be given by someone not of our faith.

If you don’t feel you fit (maybe aren’t the right age), feel free to forward this on to anyone who you feel might. Or it would be great if you shared it via Facebook/Twitter/Digg (or use the little email link in the row of options at the bottom of this post), so we can get it out to our LDS friends, or anyone who would be good for the job. Regardless, I’ll be very interested to see the show when its released.

I actually applied to be a host of this show when they were looking for somebody younger, in the first round. I never heard anything back on my application, but assume that since they’re now looking for a “co-host” that the position has been filled. Feel free to contact Elya, or you can submit your application via their website: http://www.decodedtv.com/.

“No, she didn’t predict when he’d come.”

“Because she’s smarter than that. She’s been delivering babies long enough to know that any prediction is going to be wrong. But the chiropractor did, sorta.”

“No, he just said that everything’s lined up now, and he gave his permission.”

“Yeah, he said I could go into labor anytime now.”

Our Baby: Colter

As I heard this, a phrase from scripture came into my head: “of that day, and hour, no one knoweth; no, not the angels of God in heaven…” (JS-M 1:40). And I thought, ‘that’s a wise midwife.’

Nobody can predict when a baby will come no matter how long they’ve been in obstetrics. My wife’s good friend who had a baby about 5 months ago, was told by her OB that she wouldn’t have their baby until well after his due date, so he’d see her for a regular appointment in a week, a few days after the due date. The baby arrived 4 days later, on his due date.

Our little baby boy came the day after the chiropractor suggested he was ready to come soon. It was March 5th, which was well before his due date of the 12th. Even with all our modern technology and our midwife’s 22 years of experience delivering baby’s, she wasn’t about to make a prediction, because she knew it would be worthless to try. Even still, a wise Chiropractor who’s worked with many expecting mothers, seemed to know that the time was near.

The 1st Coming of Christ

After the scriptural phrase came to mind, I started to realize just how we can apply that reference about Christ’s 2nd coming (along with other similar ones), to his 1st coming. Mary and Joseph must’ve known he was about arrive as the phrase “the days were accomplished that she should be delivered,” (Luke 2:6) suggests. When a woman goes into active labor, you know the baby’s coming, but even at that point you don’t know exactly when. Only half an hour before our baby came, I remember thinking that it could still be hours away. I prayed that it wouldn’t be, for my wife’s sake, and because I was emotionally drained and wasn’t sure how much longer I could offer support. Just the same, as Jesus’ delivery drew near, Mary & Joesph must’ve known, but even they didn’t know for sure… until he came.

Simeon & Anna

Its interesting that after that, Simeon and Anna both had some indication of when the Messiah would come to the temple, and were ready for him. Simeon had lived close enough to the Spirit that “it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). And so when the time came, he was led “by the Spirit into the temple,” (Luke 2:27) where Mary & Joseph had brought the infant Jesus. Anna’s story is different. She is constantly in the Temple, fasting and praying. Its because of these righteous habits that the “happy accident” occurs and she runs into Mary and Joseph (possibly as Simeon is blessing Jesus), recognizes her Savior, and speaks “of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38).

We’re represented with two symbolic representations of people prepared for the 2nd coming of Jesus. 1) the Brethren who know, by the Spirit, when the time is near, and are guided to perform ordinances and receive the reward of meeting their Savior. 2) the faithful members of the church, who see the signs, follow the Spirit, and thereby are in the right place at the right time, preparing themselves and others, when he comes. We see this played out when Christ visits the Nephites as well. A group is gathered at the Temple, preparing for His coming. They don’t know when it will be, but because of their faithfulness and preparation, know something that the rest of the people who survived the destruction don’t. Or at least they’re more motivated and prepared. The result is that they are rewarded by spending much more time with Jesus before they go and get everyone else. They also receive blessings during that time, that the other’s don’t (but that’s an article of its own).

Christ’s Birth in the ‘New World’

In the Book of Mormon a similar story plays out, wherein the righteous know that his birth is eminent, but unlike in the Holy Land, both the righteous and the wicked know that the time is supposedly near. Samuel the Lamanite prophesied of the birth of Christ and how those in the Americas would know that the time had arrived. The wicked, knowing this and believing that the signs would not occur, threaten to kill all the righteous people.

Ye Men of Galilee

Nephi, the prophet, “went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people” (2 Ne. 1:11) . Here, much like Simeon, Nephi is told that Christ will be coming soon, but Nephi is told by Christ himself: “the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world…” (3 Ne. 1:13). Once again we see the righteous members of the Church know that the time is imminent, and a priesthood leader is told more specifically of his coming. Noah and others all follow this same pattern.¹

It once again reminded me of the recent birth of my son. I had just been thinking “it could still be hours,” and praying that it wouldn’t, when our midwife comes in, checks a few things, asks my wife a few questions, and says “its time for this baby to be born.” Within 20 minutes, he was. Even though she was wise enough to avoid any specific prognostications regarding his birth previously, when all the signs were in place, she easily knew that it was time. It was very similar to another reference to the 2nd coming of Christ:

“Ye look and behold the figtrees, and ye see them with your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth, and their leaves are yet tender, that summer is now nigh at hand; Even so it shall be in that day when they shall see all these things, then shall they know that the hour is nigh. And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.” (D&C 45:37–39, italics added)

Seek, Watch, Move

All throughout the scriptures we’re told that nobody knows the exact day or hour of Christ’s return to the earth. Just as nobody knew exactly when his birth would be. Look at these examples:

• “And again, verily I say unto you, the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, and it overtaketh the world as a thief in the night— Therefore, gird up your loins, that you may be the children of light, and that day shall not overtake you as a thief.” (D&C 106:4–5)
• “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” (Matt. 25:13)
• “So likewise, mine elect, when they shall see all these things, they shall know that he is near, even at the doors; But of that day, and hour, no one knoweth; no, not the angels of God in heaven, but my Father only.” (JS-M 1:39–40, italics added)

Often I think people (myself included) think something like “well we can’t know when Christ is coming, so why try?” Then studying the 2nd Coming gets put at the bottom of our topical list of things to study. However, look at those scriptures, the implication is clear: when we see the signs, we’ll know when its getting close. Just as I knew that a baby is born around 9 months later, and the Midwife knew we were minutes away, when I thought it could be hours.

But there’s a big ‘if’ implied and stated in these scriptures:

“Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion. And let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord’s house. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.  Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion. And let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord’s house. Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon.” (D&C 133:11–13, italics added)

We will only know if we do several things: repent, seek to know the signs (like an OB or Midwife studies birthing), watch for the signs, and spiritually remove ourselves from the world and into Zion. As the previous scripture suggests, one of the best ways is to be in the temple regularly and often. Additionally, the scriptures are the course material for earning our doctorate in “signs of the Savior’s 2nd coming.” Just like a medical student that does a residency to get real world training while watching experienced Doctor’s, the Brethren provide great mentors to “watch,” to learn the ways of “watching” and preparing for the return of Jesus Christ.