Obtaining the Tools to Construct the Vessel

“And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me? And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go to find ore, that I might make tools. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make a bellows wherewith to blow the fire, of the skins of beasts; and after I had made a bellows, that I might have wherewith to blow the fire, I did smite two stones together that I might make fire.
For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we should make much fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for he said: I will make thy food become sweet, that ye cook it not; And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.


Yea, and the Lord said also that: After ye have arrived in the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God; and that I, the Lord, did deliver you from destruction; yea, that I did bring you out of the land of Jerusalem. Wherefore, I, Nephi, did strive to keep the commandments of the Lord, and I did exhort my brethren to faithfulness and diligence. And it came to pass that I did make tools of the ore which I did molten out of the rock.” (1 Nephi 17: 9-16)

The construction of a ship to cross an ocean is a mighty feat.  When Nephi receives this command from God he faces the problem of not knowing exactly how to perceive or create what seems to be an overwhelming and complex work.  To complete such a great feat as building a ship to cross the deep he needs the instructions and correct tools to build the ship to make it a reality.  In Hebrew this word for tool is Kli (meaning a tool, vessel, or dish).  It is something formed whereby other elements can be poured into or fashioned to create something workable.  It is a vessel of functionality. We create our Kli or tools just as a blacksmith takes raw materials (ore) and works upon it to fashion various them into a functional form.  The raw material or the ore represents our desires, our thoughts, and intentions. In this earthly world  or kingdom (Malkhut), our desires start out as rough, crude, and without form.  Our ability to design our kli (tools, vessels, or desires) according to the patterns given by God help us to perceive the spiritual world, its boundaries, and the eternal gift of receiving from God to bestow upon others.

Nephi as a spiritual blacksmith then creates bellows to blow the fire.  Bellows are instruments of air (as corresponding to the world of Beriyah) or wind that represents the instrument through which the Spirit of God as the Holy Wind or Breath blows upon the spark of fire.  The instrument through which the air flows is particularly made of the skins of beasts.  That knowledge passed down by the Fathers communicates that when Adam and Eve were in the garden their bodies were different.  Some teachings suggest that unlike our bodies their bodies were bodies of light—pure and refined.  After partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge both Good and Evil they were cast out of the garden and God clothed them with coats of skins, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21)  These coats of skins represent our mortal bodies.

In true Israelite form, Nephi layers his account with a teaching much deeper and important than a cursory reading of the “story” he relates.  The coat of skins represents our mortal bodies wherein resides and flows the Holy Wind of God (Holy Ghost or Ruach Elohiym).  This wind then breathes or fans the spark of fire.  The fire is struck by the striking together of two stones.

The two stones have a dual symbolic meaning.  The first is found in Deuteronomy 8: 15-16:

“And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth (heb. Chayil- strength), that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

The two stones being struck is an assumed allusion to the word flint- as even in the ancient world stones of flint could be struck to produce fire. The Hebrew word for flint or stone is challamiysh Using the keys passed down in Israel to unlock Nephi’s teaching we then go to the Torah to find the first place where this word is used; Deuteronomy 8:15-16.  Using this key we can examine the depth of Nephi’s account to discover further instructions on how correction and ascension takes place by connecting it to the Lord’s declaration to Moses, “Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness.”

Just as the children of Israel were led through the wilderness and fed by the Lord even to bringing forth water out of the rock of flint, Nephi’s two stones (of flint) that struck fire leads the Israelite reader back to remembrance of the deliverance of their fathers in the wilderness.  In parallel to this Nephi explains, “For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we should make much fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for he said: I will make thy food become sweet, that ye cook it not; And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.”  Man cannot correct himself or ascend solely by virtue of himself; it is done by the direction, instruction, and further revelation given by God.

Correction and ascension are accomplished with the presence of the Lord- to one degree or another whether by his spirit or second comforter. The element of fire is symbolic of the world of the Celestial or Atziluth- the presence of God.  This connection between flint, fire, and the presence of the Lord is also demonstrated in the words of the Psalmist, “Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.” (Psalm 114:7-8)

Just as God was actively present through their journey in the wilderness (both Israel and Lehi’s Family) so too is he the light and sole provider through our journey of ascension through the wilderness or barrier that separates this world from the Heavenly World.  There is another important aspect and symbol that also comes into play- two stones.  The symbols of the two tables of stone direct us back to the words of God to Moses, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.” (Exodus 34:14)

Like the stone tablets whereon the commandments of God are engraved, our hearts are also tablets upon which God’s instructions are engraved.  In Israelite thought, the heart is the center of our thoughts and desires.  Even as Jeremiah declared:

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people..” (Jeremiah 31:33)

The commandments of God written upon two stones comprised the heart of the covenant. As we fulfill the commandments of God, the stones are struck and the spark of celestial light above sparks within our hearts where it is then fanned by the Wind or Spirit of God (the Holy Ghost or Ruach Elohiym) to become the purifying fire.  The celestial fire created by the fulfilling of God’s commandments purifies our desires, thoughts, and intentions.

Nephi’s words create the following parallels:

The Smiting of the two stones are those actions and meditations of correction wherein we draw our spirits closer to God.  It is a conscious and deliberate action of drawing near (whether by action or prayer) that we create the sparks. The Ruach Elohiym or "Wind/Breath" of God then breaths upon the spark allowing it to take hold.  Like two tablets of stone the instrument of creating the sparks is our heart or the center of all thought and emotion in Israelite thought.

In Israelite thought the physical world is a reflection or manifestation of the heavenly worlds.  That which is constructed above manifests itself in the world below.  As we commence the construction of our vessel below based upon the instructions given from above, we can construct a vessel or ship to carry us across the waters of the great deep to reach the Land of Promise or the Throne of Heaven. While the details of Nephi’s account appear mundane it contains the spiritual light transmitted to him by God and the Fathers.

CONSTRUCTING THE SHIP: THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE HEART:

When a ship is constructed it must have a plan or design by which the builders follow to complete their project. This design is captured in a picture or state of being that is taught in the Sermon at the Temple/Mount.  The word "Blessed" comes from the Hebrew word barukh and demonstrates as state of being.  When an Israelite blesses God or God blesses someone or something the word barukh carries with it an awareness of the closeness of God.  In fact being blessed is being in a state wherein the very presence of God fills the air.  The idea of blessedness carries with it deep Israelite connotations of the presence or spirit of God being felt in our minds, our hearts, even the core of our very souls.  The idea of being blessed or even in blessing God is that our hearts and minds should be awakened to the understanding that God is making himself close to us to draw us into closeness with him.  In other words, the declaration of a blessing or declared blessed is that of the awareness of the presence of God right now.

With that in mind now consider the words of the Messiah as part of his covenant declaration:

"2 And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.

 3 Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 4 And again, blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

 5 And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

 6 And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.

 7 And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

 8 And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

 9 And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

 10 And blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 11 And blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake; For ye shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you. (3 Nephi 12)

Now for a moment as you read the words of the Sermon at the Temple/Mount consider as the Messiah of Israel is making a declaration of blessing (i.e. blessed) that in each of these declarations he is declaring the instructions or STATE OF BEING in the closeness -EVEN THE PRESENCE- of God in the here and now. As we conform to the image of those blessed-who are the poor in spirit, those that mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted for the sake of walking in his name we are creating our hearts and bodies as sacred vessels to carry and receive the presence of God. 

When the words of Christ were declared in exactness on this day the people who were there were visited by the voice of God, The Presence of the Son and the Spirit of God.  And again even the next day when his disciples had administered these same words in exactness to the multitude that gathered there we see the fulfillment of this covenant promise again with as they were given the spirit of God, the Presence of the Son, and the revealing of Great and Marvelous Things that were too great to be written.

Now those same words in the mouth of two witnesses from the House of Israel as contained in the Sermon on the Mount and more particularly those recorded in the Book of Mormon in the Sermon at the Temple have come unto us. No we were not those people who were physically present when these words were recorded.  BUT we are the people to whom these words have been delivered.  In fact we would be those who are labeled, "Those who believe on their words."  Consider for a moment now these great covenant promises:

And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.

And Consider the Covenant prayers of God as promises to us who were not present and yet who believe on their words:

19 And it came to pass that Jesus departed out of the midst of them, and went a little way off from them and bowed himself to the earth, and he said: 20 Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen; and it is because of their belief in me that I have chosen them out of the world.

 21 Father, I pray thee that thou wilt give the Holy Ghost unto all them that shall believe in their words. 22 Father, thou hast given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me; and thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them, and they pray unto me; and they pray unto me because I am with them. 23 And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one.

AND AGAIN!

 27 And he turned from them again, and went a little way off and bowed himself to the earth; and he prayed again unto the Father, saying:

 28 Father, I thank thee that thou hast purified those whom I have chosen, because of their faith, and I pray for them, and also for them who shall believe on their words, that they may be purified in me, through faith on their words, even as they are purified in me.

 29 Father, I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me out of the world, because of their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them.

We see that God is offering us -those who believe on their words- the same declaration of blessing (blessed) as he offered to those who were there that day to hear those words with their own ears.  These words in the Book of Mormon are those words as recorded by those servants and receiving the Presence of God and an awareness that he is all around us from the air that we breath to the reception of his Son.

© 2018 Robert Kay

All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

PATHWAYS OF THE PROPHETIC- THE WILDERNESS

THE WILDERNESS

“And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness.” (1 Nephi 2:2)

In the science of Israel, the wilderness is a method for the purification from the ego or carnal man.  Journeying in the wilderness leads to the gradual attainment of the Land of Promise meaning the personal embodiment of the desires and characteristics of God; i.e. we are created or recreated in the image of God.  This image is the vessel of pure love (tzedekah or charity) that comes from God and that is bestowed upon others.  The wilderness itself is a symbol of profound humility and dependence upon God.

What is the significance of the wilderness in our life?  The wilderness is the place of the klipoth, the barrier, or the veil.  It represents a state that is not abundant in the material resources or of the natural life force, but is the place where God gave sustenance- the Torah and his light. The wilderness represents humility. It represents the opposite the place of the spiritual man as opposed to the carnal man or the ego.   It is a place of emptiness where the vessel is made clean to receive all the gifts that God wants to bestow. In like manner it represents our personal wilderness where we become empty and not consumed with ourselves and the things of this world.  If we want to be able to feel the image of the light of God in ourselves, the only condition where this occurs is that of being in a spiritual wilderness. Our ego or the carnal man is that which separates us from God.

How do we accomplish or what do we need to do to become like the wilderness?  How do we behave or have the spiritual mindset of the wilderness? The best way to understand the wilderness of God is to compare it with its opposite- Jerusalem, the city, or the World.

The Carnal City/World VS. The Spiritual Wilderness

Our ego wants us to feel like we are someone and that we have means and worldly significance represented by our wealth	In the wilderness our vessel is filled and consumed with the things of this world.
Apathetic of and not being open to listen from everything that God seeks to communicate.	We are enthusiastic and awe of all the positive little gifts or things of God in our lives.
A Spirit of complaining/murmuring	A spirit of gratitude
We compare ourselves to other people in the city.  In the city we look to other people to fill us up.	In the Wilderness, represents the empty vessel waiting to be filled by the life giving rain of God.
We are lax in doing Good because we are comfortable with our current condition.	The Wilderness represents a condition of discomfort, change, and purification.
In the city our hearts and minds are filled with worries or delusions of grandeur where we have to have our names in the limelight.	In the Wilderness there is nothing artificial or creating false images to fill our minds and cause us to constantly obsess with.
We feel we have to say the last word or prove that we are a person of importance we are not in the wilderness.  We are focused on control and on what we lack or have given up.	In the Wilderness we have no control and realize our utter dependence upon God.
In this state we are spiritually lethargic because we carry with us the concerns and weight of the world.	In the Wilderness the spiritual come to preeminence and the weight of the worlds constructs do not exist.
In the City our confidence or faith comes from our substance, possessions, and wealth.	In the wilderness our confidence or faith comes from the light of God, his sustenance and support.

“And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness. And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him. And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness.” (1 Nephi 2: 2-4)

Lehi’s obedience to God led him to willingly depart from the city of Jerusalem into the wilderness.  His leaving of his house, the land of his inheritance, his gold and silver, and other precious things is symbolic of the journey that we must all make from the carnal man to the spiritual man. Descending (or going down) into the wilderness of the spirit we leave behind the artificial things that fill our vessels and keep us from receiving the light of God.  These artificial things come in all sizes, shapes, images, and packages. They are the false gods that keep us from connecting with the true God.  In the first steps of his journey into the Wilderness he took with him the things of the spirit—his family, necessary provisions (bread and water of life), and tents (his place of spiritual connection). The goal of the wilderness was to get Lehi to his roots just as Israel dwelt in tents in the Wilderness of Sinai.  God’s design was to connect him to his roots in Heaven.  As we start to connect with the light from above rather than the stuff provided by the city/world, we cannot imagine the power God can channel through our souls.  We must descend or go down into the Wilderness before we come to the Mountain of YHVH and ascend.

© 2018 Robert Kay

All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

The Beauty Of The Divine Feminine

"For the Shekinah in the time of Abraham our father is called Sarah and in the time of Isaac our father is called Rebecca and in the time of Jacob our father is called Rachel..." (Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla)

THE MATRIARCHS OF ISRAEL

The recorded stories of the Matriarchs of Israel were written in the volume of the Torah to teach the children of Israel the beauty and relationship that exists with the Divine Feminine.  Just as the woman is the glory of the man, the divine feminine is called Shekinah or the Glory of God.  This principle of balance and oneness between the male and female is exemplified in the words of the apostle Paul (Shaul):

"For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man" (1 Corinthians 11:7)

The divine feminine, Shekinah, or the "SHE" aspect of God (Elohiym) is personified in the sacrifices, behaviors, and struggles of these Holy Matriarchs. Whether it be the story of Chava and the Serpent, Sariah and the coming forth of Isaac, Rebekah at the well, the jubilee of Leah, or Rachel in her struggle to bring forth children the stories portrayed are not happenstance, but a window into the veiled mystery that is both woman and the Divine Feminine.

"She" or the Shekinah is pictured as Rachel weeping for her children:

"Thus says the LORD:“A voice is heard in Ramah,lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children;she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” (Jeremiah 31:15)

"She" is pictured in the laughter of Sarah:

"So Sarah laughed to herself, saying:

 “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”" (Genesis 18:12)

"She" is Chava (Eve) declaring:

 "Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient." (Moses 5:11)

She is Miryam (Mary) questioning:

 “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.?” (Luke 1:38)

She is Deborah singing:

"The villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I arose; I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel" (Judges 5:7)

As the Zohar states:

"She is sometimes called Daughter and sometimes Sister and her she is called Mother and she is indeed all of these." (Zohar)

The power to bless, the power to see, and the power of giving life rests in connection with the Divine Feminine.  In the traditions of Israel her importance is portrayed as Sarah in her tent whose lamp does not go out in the darkness of night.  She is Hagar who is visited by the angel of "The God Who Sees".  "She" is Rebekah pouring out living water at the well to the servant of Abraham who seeks the bride for his Son of Promise.  "She" is Rachel shepherding her flock and whose beauty inspires Jacob to become a willing servant in promise to receive her fulness. "She" is Leah and Rachel who are the mothers of nations and the hen whose wings cover her children.  It is in the images and actions of these holy women that the beauty and majesty of the Divine Feminine is revealed.

The revelation of the divine feminine or Shekinah to mankind was to demonstrate the beauty and the power of oneness.  The revelation of this oneness aptly declared by Paul:

"Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the YHVH" (1 Corinthians 11:11)

and revealed by YHVH himself in the greatest commandment:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

In her Wisdom pure knowledge is revealed. In her arms of Mercy her children find salvation. In her Grace weakness is made strong.  And it is upon the foundation of her firstborn son that deliverance is extended:

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)

She calls upon her daughters to walk in holy paths, adorning themselves in the wedding garment, and to shine as lamps in the darkest of hours.  She inspires honor and endows wisdom to her sons who like young warriors are taught, "that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them".  Indeed an ancient proverb reveals her splendor as wisdom and her covering as understanding:

"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

© 2018 Robert Kay

All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reproduced in any form without permission from the article except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

THE BOOK OF MORMON: THE KEY TO THE "IMMIGRATION PROBLEM"

There is a lot of talk these days about illegal immigrants, building walls, and deportation.  Fear is running high and tension is mounting.  What will the United States of America look like in next 20 to 30 years?  Will there be a UNITED States of America or a DIVIDED States of America?  Some say throw out the immigrants while others want an America without borders.

The United States of America is a land of covenant as was the land of Israel.  The Nation itself exists by virtue of a covenant and the willingness of the people to be ONE PEOPLE under that covenant.  Just as the Torah was the covenant document which united all Israel under God we too have a covenant document inspired by God that is meant to accomplish the same thing:

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

Our willingness to be ONE people under God despite our cultural and ethnic differences is what distinguishes a covenant people of God from the other nations with the goal of securing the blessings of Liberty not only to ourselves but our posterity.  Because of the designs of evil men in high places, this Liberty is in jeopardy.

So how do we "FIX" the problem?  How do we secure the borders of the American Zion while at the same time blessing our brothers and sisters who are seeking the same Liberty with which the American Zion has so generously blessed us with?  As followers of Christ and lover's of freedom of liberty would we not want the same for a brother, sister, or child who is coming to us seeking the same blessings which God designs for all men to have?

ANSWER:  
THE ANTI-NEPHI-LEHIS AKA THE PANIYM NEPHI LECHI

The answer to this problem may be staring us right in the face.  The Book of Mormon documents the saga of a group of immigrants who left their lands because of persecution, potential danger and warfare, and who sought the same liberty to serve God.  Led by their leader King Lamoni and the Sons of Alma (Ancient Son's of Liberty), this large group of immigrants fled to the borders of the Nephites seeking refuge from their own brothers who were trying to subjugate, enslave, and kill them.  So earnest was their desire for freedom and love for God this group was even willing to become the slaves of the Nephites so that they might also enjoy some measure of freedom under God.  But like the United States of Ameria now, the Nephites did not have a system of slavery.  Rather they followed an interesting formula that finds its foundation in the Torah:

1. THEY TAUGHT THEM THE COVENANT LAW OF THE LAND:

"And thus they might go forth and preach the word according to their desires, for the king had been converted unto the Lord, and all his household; therefore he sent his proclamation throughout the land unto his people, that the word of God might have no obstruction, but that it might go forth throughout all the land, that his people might be convinced concerning the wicked traditions of their fathers, and that they might be convinced that they were all brethren, and that they ought not to murder, nor to plunder, nor to steal, nor to commit adultery, nor to commit any manner of wickedness."  (Alma 23:3)

Teachers were sent among the immigrants to teach them history and covenant ideology. 

"And thousands were brought to the knowledge of the Lord, yea, thousands were brought to believe in the traditions of the Nephites; and they were taught the records and prophecies which were handed down even to the present time." (Alma 23:5)

This band of immigrants was first taught the Torah of Israel which contained the the history, laws/commandments.  Just as the Torah provides Oneness with God and with each other so too does our Constitution provide the foundation for Oneness. Those who would be part of a covenant land must be taught the terms of the covenant.  For the United States of America this covenant document is the Constitution. By aggressively educating and converting these immigrants to the history, covenant, and laws we provide them foundation for freedom both civil and religious.

At the end of our United States naturalization process, all immigrants are required to take a public oath of to the Constitution. In doing so they make an oath and covenant to publicly uphold the principles of foundation upon which this nation was established. This oath represents a kind of constitutional allegiance.  Instead of being a mass of immigrants with no shared ethnic identity, religion or culture they become law abiding citizens that uphold the ideology of  that all men are created equal, that they endowed with fixed inalienable rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.   

2. CITIES OF DWELLING AND PROTECTION:

In the Book of Mormon, many bands of immigrants were granted cities of dwelling and military protection from their brothers who sought to harm them.  Instead of holding camps, once converted, these immigrants were given cities of dwelling wherein the law of the land was upheld (not Mexican Law, not Costa Rican Law,  Not Sharia Law, etc.) but the Constitutional law of their land.

The gift of dwelling in safety under laws designed to uphold domestic tranquility is an endowment of life. As we take the endowment of life and freedom given to us and extend it to others, the power and salvation of God is Magnified.  In this magnification we fulfill the commandment to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

THE PANIYM NEPHI LECHI

As a result of the Nephite naturalization process the Lamanites from the Land of Ishmael ceased to be called Lamanites but took upon themselves the name Anti-Nephi-Lehi's or in Hebrew PANIYM NEPHI LECHI.  In old english the word anti did not mean "against or opposed to" but meant opposite of as someone looking in a mirror. This same expression is captured in the Hebrew word Paniym which means countenance. In this case these immigrants took on the countenance of the founding fathers of the Nephites- Nephi and Lehi.  

The Prophets Lehi and Nephi were the founding fathers of freedom in the land we now call the United States of America.  This freedom was established by their keeping the commandments/laws of God which they carried with them in the form of the Plates of Laban.  The strict preservation and observance of God's law provided them a civilized society upon which life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were established.  This adherence to the terms of the covenant made them a "white and delightsome" people which is a Hebrew Idiomatic expression for "civil and law abiding" people.  This covenant oath to uphold constitutional law is the pivotal difference between immigrant and invader.  Without taking upon themselves the covenant image of their founding fathers and making an oath to live in peace, these Lamanites would have been invaders instead of brothers. By filling their lands with invaders the Nephite civilization would have been short lived.  But in embracing them as covenant brothers, the sons of these people became some of the strongest defenders of liberty.  And during the times of greatest threat, these sons (known as the Son's of Helaman.) stepped forth to defend the Nephite Nation against dangers both domestic and abroad.

Perhaps instead of looking at immigrants as an US versus Them issue, we can look upon them as children of God seeking the same blessings and freedom we ourselves enjoy with the understanding that these blessings are only enjoyed and preserved upon the foundation of our Covenant before God- The Constitution.   It is in the gift of this covenant of charity that this American Zion stands a light upon a hill (a nation of light) as expressed by Emma Lazarus an American Jewish woman descended from immigrants:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

THE DEATH OF NATION?

" And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity. For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off." (Ether 2:9-10)

This land is a covenant land with covenant stipulations. We can make political and emotional appeals all day, but in the end they may not matter when the terms of God's covenant are broken and the consequences come about on everyone-- gay, straight, black, white, Jew, Gentile.  Often times political propaganda appeals to the emotions and ideals of equal rights, but lawlessness is lawlessness (iniquity) no matter what label it comes under. The results of sustaining any form of iniquity are never good.

The Land of the United States of America is a land of promise.  In a Hebraic context a "land of promise" is a covenant land grant.  As such the conditions for dwelling in the land are very different as all people who reside on the land grand must obey the terms God has set out for residency. The result of breaking the covenant is forever the same--THE CURSES OF THE COVENANT ARE POURED OUT UNTIL THE PEOPLE EITHER REPENT OR ARE SWEPT OFF!

The Point of No Return- The Sorrowing of the Damned

There is a point of no return that is coming in fact it may already be here.  It is the point where it becomes unlawful to recommend the people to God because they sorrow that they can no longer continue in their lawlessness (iniquity) instead of sorrowing unto repentance.  Let's see how we compare to the Nephites in their condition of iniquity (Mormon 2):

10 And it came to pass that the Nephites began to repent of their iniquity, and began to cry even as had been prophesied by Samuel the prophet; for behold no man could keep that which was his own, for the thieves, and the robbers, and the murderers, and the magic art, and the witchcraft which was in the land.


*No man could keep that which was his own-- whether it be through financial impropriety, speculative bubbles, or conspiracy the peoples wealth becomes slippery.  Sounds familiar to American Economy!

*Thieves, robbers, and murderers-- Interesting as in the days of the Nephites the Gadianton robbers had gained control of the Government and the Church.  It is easy for us to accept the robbers controlling the government, but the reality is that they have also gained control of the church (body of believers and their institutions) as well.

*Magic Art and Witchcraft - Spiritualism, Divination, and  other forbidden practices fill our land even as people lose faith.  Those things which were instituted by God are put down even as evil is declared "good".

 11 Thus there began to be a mourning and a lamentation in all the land because of these things, and more especially among the people of Nephi.

 12 And it came to pass that when I, Mormon, saw their lamentation and their mourning and their sorrow before the Lord, my heart did begin to rejoice within me, knowing the mercies and the long-suffering of the Lord, therefore supposing that he would be merciful unto them that they would again become a righteous people.

*Are we seeing the waves of lamentation, mourning, and sorrowing that lead to the demise of our nation?  Right now many are seduced by comfort, complacency, and Apathy.  Remember-- "ALL IS WELL IN ZION!  STAY ASLEEP! YOU ARE SAFE BECAUSE YOU ARE IN THE ONE TRUE _____________________  (FILL IN THE BLANK:  CHURCH/GROUP/RELIGION!)

13 But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin.

 14 And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die. Nevertheless they would struggle with the sword for their lives.

15 And it came to pass that my sorrow did return unto me again, and I saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually...."

Mitigating the Judgment

Like God's judgment upon the Tower of Babel we are about to see judgments of like severity poured out upon our Nation.  Even in the midst of the darkness of impending judgment there is the possibility of the light of salvation.  What will it take--Men and Women who will walk in the Path of Covenant Intercessors like the Brother of Jared.  Rather than choosing death they choose life in taking upon them the name of Christ--they choosing repentance rather than destruction.  Make no mistake the judgments are sure, but an Exodus under the covering of the God of Israel is still available.  Before that day comes though, there must be people like the Brother of Jared who have have walked in the path of God's covenant, interceded for their people under the terms of the covenant, and obtained the Rest of God. I guess in the end the doctrine of the two ways still holds firm as in the ancient days-- Sorrowing unto true repentance or the sorrowing of the damned.  It seems we still have a choice.

Many people are looking to the President, The Senate, The House of Representatives, etc to "save us", but in the end the responsibility resides with the people and the individual effort and choices we make every day.  The cause of Zion is not just a religious matter but the matter of a Nation who upholds God and the ideology:

"ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!"

*The title of this article is called "Death of Nation" intentionally.  The path of repentance and the path of destruction is the same for all Nations with whom God has extended covenant.

© 2018 Robert Kay



All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Pathways Of The Prophetic: The Knowledge of God

When we practice the presence of God and trust him as being active in our lives we begin to develop the sight to see the presence of God in all that we do and experience.  One of the greatest lessons taught in the ancient schools of the prophets was the lesson that each person could come to experience or "know" God for themselves.  To know God required that Heaven and Earth connect where sacred space was created.  These sacred spaces where God had placed his name were like Jacob's ladder in that at such a juncture people and angels could ascend and descend to partake of and minister light and truth.

These teachings were passed down through various traditions in the House of Israel.  One such master teacher was Rabbi Yisrael Ben Eliezer also known as the Ba'al Shem Tov or Master of the Great Name.  The Ba'al Shem Tov was the founder of the the Hasidic Movement and among his teachings was that soul thus prepared could ascend into the Seventh Heaven and stand before God face to face. He taught that this ascent or "knowing" God could be experienced by anyone willing to make the "effort and sacrifices" to do so. (Teachings of Rabi Yisrael Ben Eliezer)

This same sentiment was expressed by the Prophet Joseph Smith in his famed King Follet Discourse:

"It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another..."

In the Hebraic mind to know something is to experience something first hand.  This same sentiment of experiencing the knowledge of God which is equated with salvation was also expressed in the Lectures on Faith:

"5 For a man to lay down his all, his character and reputation, his honor and applause, his good name among men, his houses, his lands, his brothers and sisters, his wife and children, and even his own life also, counting all things but filth and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, requires more than mere belief, or supposition that he is doing the will of God, but actual knowledge: realizing, that when these sufferings are ended he will enter into eternal rest; and be a partaker of the glory of God.

6 For unless a person does know that he is walking according to the will of God, it would be offering an insult to the dignity of the Creator, were he to say that he would be a partaker of his glory when he should be done with the things of this life. But when he has this knowledge, and most assuredly knows that he is doing the will of God, his confidence can be equally strong that he will be a partaker of the glory of God.

7 Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things: it was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things, that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has, for the truth's sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice, because he seeks to do his will, he does know most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life." (Lectures on Faith, Lecture 6)

We often think of sacrifice in terms of the performance of great acts or the endurance of events of great suffering.  While sacrifices may be accompanied by great acts or events of suffering, the actual sacrifice is the willing offering or pouring out of life as symbolized in the many sacrifices performed in ancient Israel. If we accept the value of these teachings, then the foundation is laid that through an understanding that we may ALL know or experience God, and that it takes effort and sacrifice, then our labors to bond with God will not be in vain.  This bonding (devekut) with God is the gate to prophesy.  This same teaching was expressed by John in the Book of Revelation:

"And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."


© 2018 Robert Kay

All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Joseph Smith's "Jupiter Talisman" and Shivitis

"I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." 

Psalm 16:8

There are many forces in the world that seek to portray Joseph Smith and the restoration as a product of sorcery, delusion, and folk magic.  Once such often debated matter is an item that was allegedly among the property of Joseph Smith called "The Jupiter Talisman".  The existence and ownership of the item has been a subject of hot debate in both Mormon and Anti-Mormon circles.  In fact it is often used by some to portray Joseph Smith as magician and follower of the dark arts.  The two circles seemingly go round and round never actually coming to any real substantive conclusion as to whether this item supports Joseph Smith as Prophet or Joseph Smith as a wanna be Lord Voldemort.

The item itself, however, is not without precedent in Israel.  There is a practice passed down through various traditions in Judaism that was attributed to find it's source in the ancient Schools of the Prophets.  One such practice was a discipline of training the mind to be attentive to Living Presence of God. Part of this discipline was the surrounding of a person, family, synagogue etc. with holiness and by doing so one aligned one's spirit with the mind of God-the Ruach Elohiym or what Mormon's refer to as The Holy Ghost.

The idea of walking in cleanliness amid the filth of this world was a distinctly Israelite concept-perhaps modernly restated as "Being In The World, But Not Of The World".  This idea of cleanliness in practice in Israel was the cleansing of one's home as well as cleansing one's mind.  Included in this tradition was the using of a simple piece of art known as a Shiviti:













As a work of art, the Shiviti can often be found to this day being carried by many orthodox and conservative Jews of varying traditions. As art, many sacred parchments, scrolls, prints, and tapestries are still found adorning many homes and synagogues.  Its usage is a literal carrying out of Psalm 16:18, ""I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."
The idea is that because the name of God is Holy it brings holiness into the place where the name resides whether it be the home, the synagogue, or the heart.

The purpose of the Shiviti was as a tool of prayer and remembrance, serving to assist a person in practicing the presence of God and to remember his commandments. They come in varying forms and are often labeled as amulets and talismans etc., but they are far from "magical" or "mystical."  Their original purpose was an item of prayer and meditation to focus the heart and mind on God, his holiness, and his presence.  Over the centuries, many esoteric groups such as Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and varying practices of folk magic latched onto these practices.  Some groups interpreted the practice in its proper light as forms of artwork and tools for prayer and meditation, while others embraced the practice to obtain power from God or power over forces and entities in the spiritual realm.  Whatever their usage evolved into, the original purpose of the Shiviti was to fulfill the word of God that His name and presence is always before us.

Through the middle ages and even into this century there are those who accuse many Jews of practicing "the dark arts" because of such items.  This is also understandable in that over the centuries, there have been those who portrayed and sold this, and other similar items, as a form of magical item that brings power and prosperity.  Over time they became associated with witchcraft and folk magic by many outside Judaism.  The item itself became equated with power and miraculous gifts rather than the person's mindfulness and faithfulness to God and his covenants. What was intended as an item to remind and focus the mind and heart on God and his holiness, soon came to be seen as an item of the magical world.

JOSEPH SMITH'S "JUPITER TALISMAN

It was reported that an item which came to be identified as a "Jupiter Talisman" was found among the possessions of Joseph Smith.  Over the years there have been many Mormon and Anti-Mormon sources alike that attempt to explain the purpose of the item.  From those articles written, the conclusions regarding this "talisman" vary from attempting to explain the symbolism and purpose to articles that condemn Joseph Smith as a practitioner of the dark arts.  That he owned the item appears to be relatively substantiated.  The intent of his having the item, however, has not been fully explored.  Many attempt to equate his possession of the object with magic and sorcery, just as many attempt to ascribe the usage of the Shivitis to a form of magic or an object of the dark arts.  There appear to be no substantive documents from Joseph Smith documenting his reasons for owning or using the item.

That being said. Ever present in the speeches and prayers of Joseph Smith was the restoration of the House of Israel. An example of this can be demonstrated in his prayer, "I ask God in the name of Jesus, to . . . cause that His word may speedily go forth to the nations of the earth, to the accomplishing of His great work in bringing about the restoration of the House of Israel." History of the Church, 1:451. In addition, he also received the company and instruction of Jews such as Professor Joshua Seixas who was hired by Joseph Smith and his associates to teach them Hebrew.  As such, it could also be just as likely that the object was used as an item of prayer, meditation, and holiness patterned after the ancient Shivitis.

We may never know Joseph Smith's intent with this object. Whatever the source of the object is, whether it be Masonry, Judaism, or Folk Magic, the item itself is not without precedence in Israel and many practises preserved in Judaism to this day.  While many assign the article to the world of satanism, magic, and sorcery, these same people also assign many of the practices in Judaism that they do not culturally understand to the same categories. So before grabbing our pitchforks and lighting our torches as we scream, "BURN THE WITCH" perhaps it is also prudent to consider that his ownership of the item may have served the same purpose of the Shiviti or may find its roots in that tradition.

Often times there are those who place a label of evil, occult, sorcery, or witchcraft on things they do not understand.  They bring up arguments regarding the usage of seer stones and other items while neglecting the presence and usage of items such as the Urim and Thummim, The Ephod, Aaron's budding rod, etc., found within the scriptures. These items were used in association with revelation, instruction, and power displayed before all Israel.  Would these same naysayers also condemn the prophets and people who wrote their Bible for having and using many of these same items?

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"And because my words shall hiss forth—many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.

But thus saith the Lord God: O fools, they shall have a Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine ancient covenant people. And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they receive from them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travails, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles?

O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my people.

Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?" (2 Nephi 29:3-6)


© 2018 Robert Kay


All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.