THE MYSTERY OF THE JAREDITE BARGES-UNSEALING THE TWO STONES OF THE BROTHER OF JARED

 “Two stones build 2 houses

Three stones build 6 houses

Four stones build 24 houses

Five stones build 120 houses

Six stones build 720 houses

Seven stones build 5040 houses

From here on go out and calculate

that which the mouth cannot speak

and the ear cannot hear”

(Sepher Yetzirah)

TZOHAR STONES

In Ether chapter 3 we read regarding the vessels/barges/arks constructed by the Jaredites and the Brother of Jared’s interaction with the Lord and the necessity of having light within the vessels. The Brother of Jared records how he molten sixteen small stones out of Mount Shelem. The Brother of Jared then presents the stones to the Lord to touch and infuse with light.

This idea of illuminated stones was not unique to the Brother of Jared. We actually find the account in Noah's ark where God commands Noah to, "make a window for the ark." (Gen. 6:16) The word used in this passage for window is actually the word Tzohar (צֹהַר) meaning radiance or something that shines.  The usage of the word window (probably the closest thing the translators could come up with to demonstrate something that gives light) is translated from the Hebrew word tzohar meaning radiance, brilliance, or something that shines. While the word challown is actually the word for a window/or opening in a wall.  

The idea of the tzohar as a luminous stone finds its way in Judaism as demonstrated by Rabbi Geoff Dennis in his article, Tzohar: Gem of Noah, Light of Heaven:

“Targum Yonatan may be the first source to claim the tzohar was a luminous stone, pulled from the primordial river Pishon (T. Y. Genesis 6:16). This is elaborated on in Genesis Rabbah 31:11:

During the entire twelve months that Noah was in the Ark he did not require the light of the sun by day or the light of the moon by night, but he had a polished stone which he hung up – when it was dim, he knew it was day, when it was bright, he knew it was night.

Another version of this idea appears in the Talmud, Sanhedrin 108b:

“Make a tzohar for the ark.” R. Johanan said, The Blessed Holy One instructed Noah: 'Set there precious stones and jewels, so that they may give you light, bright as the noon [in Hebrew, this is a play on words between tzohar and tzohoriyim].The same idea is reiterated in the medieval Midrash Pirkei de Rabbi Eliezer 23.”

There are other traditions citing that the Patriarch Abraham wore a luminous stone around his neck that allowed him to see and that Moses recovered a luminous stone from Joseph’s body and placed it in the tabernacle in the wilderness. Dennis also recounts the following tradition:

 “Abraham wore a glowing stone around his neck. Some say that it was a pearl, others that

it was a jewel. The light emitted by that jewel was like the light of the sun, illuminating

the entire world. Abraham used that stone as an astrolabe to study the motion of the

stars, and with its help he became a master astrologer. For his power of reading the stars,

Abraham was much sought after by the potentates of East and West. So too did that

glowing precious stone bring immediate healing to any sick person who looked into it.

At the moment when Abraham took leave of this world, the precious stone raised

itself and flew up to heaven. God took it and hung it on the wheel of the sun. 

This talmudic legend about a glowing stone that Abraham wore around his neck is

a part of the chain of legends about that glowing jewel, known as the Tzohar, which

was first given to Adam and Eve when they were expelled from the Garden of Eden

and also came into the possession of Noah, who hung it in the ark. See “The Tzohar, p.

85. This version of the legend adds the detail that the glowing stone was also an astrolabe,

with which Abraham could study the stars.”

(Sources: B. Bava Batra 16b; Zohar 1:11a-11b, Idra Rabbah.)

The peshat or literal interpretation of this passage and others regarding these interpreters or two stones would be that they were literally two stones (rocks) of some type.  The Remez or allegorical meaning may be related to Jacob and his vision of the Ladder of Heaven as he slept upon stones.  Its’ D’rash level may be related to Noah’s window or Zohar Stone (Luminous Stone) that gave light to the Ark.  But its' Sod level or at least those teachings that lead one to the Sod level of interpretation and experience may be something much greater than we have suspected. 

We see the concepts of the sealing up of the things witnessed by The Brother of Jared and his receipt of two stones or interpreters in the following verses:

“And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read.

And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write.

For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write…

And the Lord said unto him: Write these things and seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time unto the children of men.

And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that he should seal up the two stones which he had received, and show them not, until the Lord should show them unto the children of men.” (Ether 3: 22-24,27-28)

Moroni like his fathers all the way back to Lehi was trained in the prophetic sciences and disciplines of Ancient Israel. These sciences and disciplines included the methods of sealing and encoding greater teachings into the story of the text so that those who were not ready to receive the greater teachings would be fed with milk while those who were searching and disciplining themselves for greater light and knowledge would find meat.  Like the Apostle Paul iterates, we feed people based on their maturity and ability to digest the food given to them.  

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal.” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

Imagine the harm that would be caused if we fed a newborn steak.  Having neither the teeth nor the developed digestive tract to process the meat it would be deadly. This is why this same warning was given through Joseph Smith:

“And I command you that you preach naught but repentance, and show not these things unto the world until it is wisdom in me. For they cannot bear meat now, but milk they must receive; wherefore, they must not know these things, lest they perish.” (D&C 19:21-22)

The prophetic schools of Israel taught not only the foundational (Milk), but also the greater things of God (Meat). They also taught the methods of how to communicate eternal truths to their listeners based on their level of asking, seeking, and knocking (actions) in obtaining further light and knowledge. We see one such method of administration by the Messiah himself through the usage of parables:

“And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

“For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

“Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

“And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,

And seeing you will see and not perceive;

For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed,

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.’

“But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:10-17)

The methods of administering light and truth as practiced in ancient Israel leave us in a difficult position. While we are familiar with the reading of the literal account and sometimes venture into the allegorical meanings behind the account, we are uneducated in the keys of knowledge that unlock the greater portions of the word:

“And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.” (Alma 12:9-10)

From reading the words of Paul, Joseph Smith, The Messiah, and Alma we appear to be in a bit of a difficult situation. We are commanded impart the portion or parsha he grants to the children of men but at the same time we are condemned for hardening our hearts (Hebraism- closing our thoughts and desires) to the greater portion of the word or mysteries. Failure to receive leads us into the captivity of the chains of hell, yet receiving with an open heart leads us to spiritual rebirth.  This is why in the original manuscript that was the foundation of The Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price we find the following:

“& I have given an unto you another law & commandment wherefore teach it unto your children that all men evry where must repent for <or> they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God for no unclean thing can dwell there or dwell in his presence for in the language of Adam man of holyness is his name & the name of his only begotten is the Son of man even Jesus Christ a righteous Judge which shall come I give unto you a commandment to teach these things freely unto your Children saying that <in> as were <as much as they were> born into the world by the fall which bringeth death by water & <blood &> the spirit which I have made & so became of dust a living soul even so ye must be born again of water & the spirit & cleansed by blood even the blood of mine only begotten into the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven that ye may be Sanctified from all sin & enjoy the words of eternal life in this world & eternal life in the world to come even immortal glory for by the water ye keep the commandment by the spirit ye are Justified & by the blood ye are Sanctified that in you is given the record of Heaven the comfrorter the Peacable things of immortal grory [glory] the truth of all things that which quickeneth all things which maketh alive all things that which knoweth all things & hath all power according to wisdom mercy thruth <Justice> & Judgement & now behold I say unto you this is the plan of salvation unto all men the blood of mine only begotten which shall come in the maridian of time & behold all things has its likeness & all things are created & made to bear record of me both things which are temporal & things which are spiritual things which are in th[e] Heavens above & things which are on the Earth & things which are in the Earth & things which are under the Earth both above & beneath all things bear record of me & it came to pass when the Lord had spoken with” 

("Old Testament Revision 1," p. 14, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed November 15, 2020, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/old-testament-revision-1/16)

If as Moroni records that the Lord commanded him to write the things which the brother of Jared saw and to seal or encrypt them according to the Israelite methods of prophetic encryption, then the greater things can only by decrypted or interpreted by the interpreters given to the Brother of Jared-The Two Stones.

THE MYSTERY OF THE TWO STONES

“The letters of the Hebrew alphabet are called “stones”. The sages of Israel state that they are stones quarried from the great Name of God.” (Raavad, Pri Yizchak, Sefer Yetzirah- Aryeh Kaplan, pg. 190)

The Book of Mormon speaks of two stones called the Interpreters by the Nephites. We equate these two stones with the stones or Urim and Thummim as related by Joseph Smith’s scribe Oliver Cowdery:

““These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, ‘Interpreters,’ the history or record called ‘The Book of Mormon.’” (JS History 1:75)

In The Book of Mormon we are first introduced to the idea of interpreters in the account of Ammon and the People of Limhi:

"Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer...

And now, when Ammon had made an end of speaking these words the king rejoiced exceedingly, and gave thanks to God, saying: Doubtless a great mystery is contained within these plates, and these interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men." (Mosiah 8:13,19)

So, what are the two stones?  Are they literal rocks?  The peshat or literal level of Israelite interpretation says yes.  The other dimensions of Israelite prophetic interpretation, however, reveal something more.

In the ancient Israelite prophetic tradition, the letters of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet are equated with stones. If this is the case and Moroni was commanded to seal up (encrypt) the interpreters/stones, then according to the Israelite Prophetic science these two stones are also two letters received by the Brother of Jared. This then leads us to ask the question-What letters or stones did he receive?

In Jared’s account he fashions 16 stones out of the Mount Shelem and presents them to the Lord. The number 16 is associated with the divine name Ehyeh divine name expressing: "I AM". It is the divine name associated with the crown of the Tree of Life and the Throne of God. The record then relates how the Lord touches the stones one by one to illuminate them:

“And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord (YHVH) 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)

Like the tokens of a covenant, The Lord (YHVH) stretches forth his hand and touches the stones with his finger. The stones are then illuminated.  Can you see them?

Isn't it amazing that man is created in the image of God-Five fingers on each hand and five fingers/toes on each foot.

Copyright February 13, 2021 Robert Kay

(To Be Continued)

THE ANCIENT PRACTICE OF CALLING UPON THE NAME & THE JAREDITE VESSELS

In the last post in this series, we discussed the connection of the Jaredite Vessels to the One Piece woven garment worn by the High Priest in the Tabernacle of Moses in the Wilderness. We have also discussed many of the encoded and encrypted teachings contained in The Record of Ether regarding language with specific reference to the ancient practice of "Calling Upon The Name".

In our "modern" culture we have been handed down traditions regarding prayer and supplication to God that are but a tithe of a tithe of the ancient discipline of 'Calling Upon The Name" and the Israelite Prophetic experience.  We read of the mighty feats of the ancients, the miracles of prophecy and healing, and the power displayed by God in his deliverance of various groups of people throughout the scriptures. We look around us in both our religious, spiritual, and worldly experience and find ourselves far removed from the spiritual gifts of God promised to all those who believe. We find ourselves asking the question, "Why do we not have these gifts demonstrated like the ancients?" , "Why do we not experience the intimate relationship with God enjoyed by Adam, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham?", "Why do we not see the miracles of God displayed to us?"  In response, we receive the multitude of excuses and explanations of why we do not have these things.  We hear things like, "They do happen, but they are too sacred to share." or "Well we have too much of the world with/in us" to "You shouldn't expect these things because they are special cases that happen once in a blue moon over a long period of time." etc. etc.

To these excuses and traditions, the Lord's admonition to The Brother of Jared gives us the answer:

"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.

And the brother of Jared repented of the evil which he had done, and did call upon the name of the Lord for his brethren who were with him. And the Lord said unto him: I will forgive thee and thy brethren of their sins; but thou shalt not sin any more, for ye shall remember that my Spirit will not always strive with man; wherefore, if ye will sin until ye are fully ripe ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And these are my thoughts upon the land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land choice above all other lands." (Ether 2:14-15)

To call upon the name is an ancient discipline of prayer/meditation practiced by The Fathers.  The word "meditation" as we use it in American Culture does not convey the full meaning and ancient definition. In Hebrew the idea of devekut is a discipline or condition of bonding with God that draws his spirit from Heaven to earth. Or more accurately it represents the parting of the veil within the hearts of men and women to behold the bridegroom and to become one in a state of spiritual union. The purpose of the command to "Call upon The Name (YHVH)"  was given is related in The Lord's statement, "for ye shall remember that my spirit will not always strive with man." Here the word strive (diyn-see also Gen 6:3) means to plead, mediate, or abide in man. Because of this condition of separation from the Spirit of God, men were commanded to engage in the discipline of Calling Upon The Name (YHVH) to bond with God and draw his spirit from Heaven to Earth.

ENGRAVINGS UPON GOLD

The account of the finding of the plates of Ether is found in the Book of Mosiah. Of these 24 Gold plates the Book of Mosiah records:

"And for a testimony that the things that they had said are true they have brought twenty-four plates which are filled with engravings, and they are of pure gold...And now, when Ammon had made an end of speaking these words the king rejoiced exceedingly, and gave thanks to God, saying: Doubtless a great mystery is contained within these plates, and these interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men." (Mosiah 8:9,11)

In Israelite scripture the words engraving and carved while literally meaning that they were cut into the gold plates the words symbolically mean 'meditations'.  The number 24 representing the perfect cube which is connected with New Jerusalem and the metal gold symbolizing their connection to the Celestial World and the Throne of God (Keter).  If I were to restate the above scripture using the Israelite prophetic, it might read something like:

"And for a testimony that the things that they had said are true they have brought the plates regarding a New Jerusalem which are filled with meditations, and they are of the Throne of God and the Celestial World...And now, when Ammon had made an end of speaking these words the king rejoiced exceedingly, and gave thanks to God, saying: Doubtless a great mystery (teachings regarding the sod level of meaning or those things related to the council of Heaven) is contained within these plates, and these interpreters (two stone or two letters) were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men."

In other words, to establish New Jerusalem without we first have to establish New Jerusalem within. The mediations or ancient discipline of "Calling Upon The Name" contained in the record of Ether is designed to do just that.

Climbing The Steps of Mount Shelem

The record of Ether gives us our first step in this bonding process.  The teaching is conveyed in Ether 3:1:

"And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the amount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord, saying..."

The three letters Shin-Lamed-Mem form the basis of the words Shalom (meaning peace) and Shelem (wholeness, integrity, being complete).  In Israelite culture the words Shalom and Shelem are connected with the Temple with one of the names of the temple being Sukkat Shalom meaning Sukkah (like a booth or tent) of peace and is related to the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot. Its' fuller meaning relates to the creation of sacred space, both within and without. We see this very Jewish idea expressed by the Apostle Paul/Shaul:

"If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." (1 Cor. 3:17)

and by the Messiah:

"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21)

The outer design or pattern of the Tabernacle of Moses serves as the pattern which we are to recreate in our temples.  In other words, just as there is an outward creation of set apart or sacred space so too must we create and inward place in our hearts and mind that is set apart.  Outwardly this creation of sacred space was accomplished by people ritualistically cleansing themselves to enter the physical temple. Inwardly the process of bonding with God serves as a process or discipline of bonding or connecting with God through a process which in our American language can only be described as condition of conscious/contemplative meditation. 

This idea of bonding with God or receiving his image in our countenance is a very real and literal practice by which true repentance (teshuvah) is experienced. Rather than bonding, oneness , and repentance being an outside-in approach true Israelite repentance is an inside-out process of transformation. This process is the journey of climbing the mountain. The idea being expressed is just like that of climbing to the top of a high mountain or to the process of the High Priest journeying from the outer court - to the inner court-to the Holy Place - to parting the veil on of Israel's most holy days-Yom Kippur-The Day of Atonement. Like the prophet Alma expresses:

"Do ye suppose that God will look upon you as guiltless while ye sit still and behold these things? Behold I say unto you, Nay. Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also." (Alma 60:23)

The process of creating sacred space within and bonding with God through Calling upon the name awakened the person to a connection that has always existed. In a sense, it is like turning on water from a faucet. The connection has always been there, but if we do not turn on the faucet the cleansing water does not flow. In calling upon the name, we turn on the water which then purifies and nourishes us.  It is only then that the seeds or desires of true teshuvah/bonding/reconnecting with God receives the nourishment that causes them to take root and bring for the fruits/works of repentance/teshuvah.  We turn on the faucet and it is God who brings about the transformation.  This is why the prophet Alma, after being knocked unconscious after his encounter with an Angel of YHVH proclaimed:

"And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned (condemned) soul.

And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world. Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am bin the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.  Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there. But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God." (Alma 36:16-22)

By connecting with the source thru the pathways of the inward man and woman our spiritual bodies then awaken and are brought back into alignment with the image of God-the living soul here below corresponding with the pattern or image of God above.

Let us then in our hearts and minds follow the steps of the Brother of Jared in ascending inwardly our mount Shalem- a place and internal creation/visualization of spiritual peace and sacred space.  Whether it be in our closets or our temples, it is the condition and desire for oneness that creates the inward set apart or sacred space. In contemplative meditation, the ancient prophetic schools would be taught to visualize and experience these mountains of the Lord (YHVH) wherein they would go within filled with desire.

MOLTENING THE 16 STONES

While the Brother of Jared literally brought forth 16 stones, the prophetic meaning of the word is related to the Hebrew word masseka as found in Exodus 32:4 regarding the fashioning of the Golden Calf:

"And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."

While the literal meaning of molten/masseka is related to the ideas of pouring out, a casting/forming of something like metal, it's symbolic meaning is related to the spiritual crafting/visualization/ or forming of thought.  

In Moroni's translation of Ether, he is drawing on this concept of moltening or spiritually creating within our inward temples.  In other words we are being instructed in an ancient discipline of spiritual creation the commences with the visualization that we infuse with our will, emotions, and desire.

The number 16 is also no accident.  While there were 16 stones, the number 16 conveys part of the ancient discipline of calling upon the name YHVH.

10 = The Letter Yod

6 = The Letter Vav

These two letters make up the part of the name of God, but notice that in this state while they had been molten they had not yet been infused with light.  To do this requires the interpreters or two stones given to the Brother of Jared.

(To Be continued- Unsealing the two stones, The Breath of Man and the Ruach Elohiym)

Copyright 2-7-2021- Robert Kay