THE DESTROYING ANGEL SHALL PASS YOU BY- THE BLESSINGS OF SHABBAT

"So the message of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said."
(2 Chronicles 36:21)

For many years prior to the Lord calling the Prophet Jeremiah, the people and specifically their government had not observed the commandments of God. In doing so they brought about a covenant violation and left themselves exposed to impending judgments.  Because the rulers and subsequently the people left the God of Israel, they then found themselves without a covering of protection.  This resulted in national judgment; financial ruin, slavery, massive homelessness, and disease. It was then that God decreed that because they had not followed his commandments he would take them from the land and allow the land to remain empty for seventy years to accomplish a Sabbath rest for the land.

It seems that history has a way of repeating itself. The new restrictions that have been placed on the people during the COVID19 crisis is causing a ceasing of all regular activities and commerce around the world. For the first time in many years, people are staying home with their families. The number of automobiles and other transportation has decreased.  For the first time in decades the air quality in many urban areas is starting to greatly improve, fish are returning to once overused water ways, and people are actually being forced to spend real time with their families instead of running from one activity to another.  Strangely enough, while this ceasing has been imposed upon the people, it is also demonstrating the importance of the Sabbath day.

In western culture we often see the Sabbath as just a day of religious observance. While religious observance can be good, the observances can become a heavy burden and in some cases a day of work for not only the people but the religious leaders. We get the word Sabbath from the Hebrew word Shabbat which mean 'rest' or 'ceasing'.  But while the weekly sabbath was one day in seven for rest it was in actuality part of a much large cycle of rest and renewal that God instituted for his covenant people to follow in the respective covenant land grants that they occupy.

You see far more than just a religious observance, the Sabbath is itself a blessing because in our rest or ceasing we and our land become renewed. Our strength is restored and the land will again yield it's abundance.  It serves as mark upon God's people so that the destroying angel will pass us by.

GOD'S APPOINTED TIMES-CYCLES OF REST AND RENEWAL

Each week when we observe the Sabbath Day we are observing an Appointed Time.  The Feasts (or Appointed Times) of Israel are what are termed ‘High Sabbaths’.  Like the weekly Sabbath they are days specifically set apart by God for all his people to observe:

 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.” – (Leviticus 23:2-4)

The keeping or remembering (to both say and to do) the Appointed times falls under the commandment:

 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”- (Exodus 20:8-11)

Besides fulfilling the commandment to ‘remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy’ the observance of God’s appointed times served as times for his people to come, appear before him, and call upon his name. In many ways the modern Mormon events of General Conferences and Solemn Assemblies echo back to the observance of these divine appointments.  Examples of the observance of God’s appointed times can be seen with Adam at Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Moses and Israel at Mount Sinai, Jacob and the Nephites at the Day of Atonement, King Benjamin at the Feast of Tabernacles, Christ at Passover, Christ at the Temple in Bountiful, Joseph Smith and the receipt of the plates at the Feast of Trumpets, Passover at the Kirtland Temple Dedication, among many others.

What are the specific Appointed times?

Besides the weekly Sabbath and the new moon of each month there are 7 High Holy Days appointed for all Israel to be observed through all their generations. There are Seven specifically appointed times divided into Three Seasons of Observance:

Appointed Times of Israel:

(Spring)

1. Passover (Pesach)
2. Unleavened Bread (Chag Ha Matzah)
3. First Fruits (Ha Bikkurim)

4. Pentecost (Shavuot)


(Fall)

5. Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah)
6. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
7. Tabernacles (Sukkot)

What would be the purpose in observing the Appointed Times now?

Besides honoring God and fulfilling his commandments, the Lord warns his people of pending judgment soon to be poured out upon our nation and gives them instructions regarding his appointed times.  The Lord commands his people to call your solemn assemblies:

Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the Lord your God, and hear the word of the Lord concerning you— The Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; the Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you. For he shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God.

Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify yourselves; gather ye together, O ye people of my church, upon the land of Zion, all you that have not been commanded to tarry-go ye out from Babylon, be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord, call your solemn assemblies, and speak often one to another. And let every man call upon the name of the Lord. (D&C 133:1-6)

Through the mouth of his Servant Joseph Smith, God has declared a curse of judgment upon the nations that forget God and upon all the ungodly. As a result the eyes of ungodly Nations and peoples shall see the revelation of  the arm of the Lord in the experiencing of these judgments to their destruction to their salvation.  Oh, The Greatness and the Mercy of our God, for even in the midst of judgment and calamities, he remembers his people both Gentile, Remnant, and Jews in giving them divine instructions to prepare them for the days ahead:

1. Set yourselves apart by gathering together
2. Be clean
3. Call our solemn assemblies
4. Speak often to one another
5. Call upon the name of the Lord

GENERAL CONFERENCE AND THE APPOINTED TIMES OF ISRAEL

I find it interesting that each year general conference is held both in the Spring and in the Fall of the year- ironically very close or sometimes even on (depending on the year and the calendar) the Feasts of Passover and Sukkot (Tabernacles).  We may not observe these appointed times according to the manner of the Jews, but the intent of our observance is no different-Appear before the Lord in Solemn Assemblies, Speak often to one another, and Call upon THE NAME of the Lord.

In the current pandemic that we are experiencing, the observance of the Sabbath Day and The Appointed Times carries great blessings and promises.  The blessings of observing the Sabbath are typified in God's instructions regarding the Observance of THE HIGHEST SABBATH IN ALL ISRAEL-YOM KIPPUR (The Day of Atonement):

“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast.
Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.
Tell my people Israel of their sins!
Yet they act so pious!
They come to the Temple every day
and seem delighted to learn all about me.
They act like a righteous nation
that would never abandon the laws of its God.
They ask me to take action on their behalf,
pretending they want to be near me.

‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.
‘Why aren’t you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves,
and you don’t even notice it!’

“I will tell you why!” I respond.

“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast,
you keep oppressing your workers.
What good is fasting
when you keep on fighting and quarreling?

This kind of fasting
will never get you anywhere with me.
You humble yourselves
by going through the motions of penance,
bowing your heads
like reeds bending in the wind.

You dress in burlap
and cover yourselves with ashes.
Is this what you call fasting?

Do you really think this will please the LORD?

“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

“Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind.
Then when you call, the LORD will answer.

‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!

(THEN COMES THE REALLY COOL PART AND THE BLESSING OF THE DAY OF ATONEMENT)

Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
The LORD will guide you continually,
giving you water when you are dry
and restoring your strength.

You will be like a well-watered garden,
like an ever-flowing spring.
Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls
and a restorer of homes.

“Keep the Sabbath day holy.
Don’t pursue your own interests on that day,
but enjoy the Sabbath
and speak of it with delight as the LORD’s holy day.
Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day,
and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.
Then the LORD will be your delight.
I will give you great honor
and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob.
I, the LORD, have spoken!”

(Isaiah 58)

Recently a Fast was declared.  In light of Isaiah's words the question we may want to ask of ourselves is what was the purpose of our fast, "To afflict our soul so God will give us our stuff (money, jobs, toys) back?  or "To sacrifice a portion of what we have so that another may have life"?

At this time of General Conference and The Coming Passover, let us remember the Sabbath Day and the instructions God gave to Israel through the Prophet Isaiah so that during this time of crisis and the potential economic aftershocks so that we can them claim the promises of the Sabbath that our, "light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.The LORD will guide you continually,giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes."

Let us remember that the blessing does not come from religious observance, but from taking the light we have received from God to bestow upon others.  We do this by freeing those who are wrongly imprisoned; lightening the burden of those who work for you, letting the oppressed go free, removing the chains that bind people, sharing your food with the hungry, and giving shelter to the homeless, giving clothes to those who need them, and not hiding from relatives who need your help.

As we observe General Conference this week, let us remember the true purposes and blessings of the Sabbath. In the trying times ahead, those who are healers on the Sabbath will find that their substance never diminishes and their light is never extinguished. Let us submit to God's rest and not be forced to rest like ancient Israel.

The Importance of Covenant Intercessors and the Power of Oneness

"And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them." (Moses 7:18)

It happens to all of us as we walk in the course of our everyday lives-working, taking care of kids, doctors appointments, cleaning the house, grocery shopping- that we sometimes find ourselves underestimating the power and gift that we have been given in the Restoration of the Gospel.  If we take a moment and think about the great gift of light and truth we have received in The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, we really have been given betrothal gifts whose worth is far greater that the finest rubies and the purest gold.

Like God's judgment upon the generation of Noah, the Tower of Babel, the House of Israel, the Jaredites, and the Nephites 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.  If our adversaries believe that they are being successful in extinguishing this light, they are grossly mistaken for while the light may be temporarily obscured, the pillar of fire which came from Heaven and dwelt upon a rock can never be extinguished. (1 Nephi 1:6).  In fact it is the same fire which enlivens every man, woman, and child within whom burns the Love of God and righteousness.

BECOMING COVENANT INTERCESSORS

The scriptures are filled with example after example of righteous men and women who walked in the Path of Covenant Intercessors like the Messiah.  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 like Moses and Israel there is an Exodus (both spiritual and physical) under the covering of the God of Israel is still available.  Before that day comes though, there must be people like the Nephi who have have walked in the path of God's covenant and obtained the Land of Promise.  There must be women like Deborah who rendered righteous judgment for all Israel before God.  There must people like the Brother of Jared who drew down the compassion of Heaven in the midst of judgment.

In order to obtain deliverance in times of trial, as a bride of Messiah we must return to our first love.  To do this we must identify ourselves as a Zion and become the covenant bride of the Messiah.  To do this we must follow the true "protocols" of Zion.

One Heart and One Mind

“And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.” (Moses 7:18)

The idea of oneness has been pontificated on and speculated about by many scholars, religious leaders, and theologians.  As a result the doctrine of “Oneness” has been taken from its roots and been planted in a foreign soil of Western Greek Culture. Over the years I have heard many proclamations and discourses in my experience in Mormonism about “Being One.”  While there are many who cite Moses description of Zion in the Pearl of Great Price wherein he states that the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them they completely ignore the rest of his teachings to Ancient Israel on how to be of one heart and one mind.  They ignore the commandments given to Israel on how to dwell in righteousness. They neglect the laws God gave to Moses to establish a society with no poor among them.

It only takes us two seconds to turn on the news and witness with our eyes the reality that we are living in the latter days.  We are witnessing curses being poured out and our children being taken over by a foreign culture.  We are receiving the curses of the covenant and in our ignorance and blindness we stand bewildered not knowing what to do as the chains of bondage wrap themselves ever tighter around us and our families. The truth is that Zion is not a mystery.  God foreknew our situation and preserved his word to us in these latter days:

 “In the future (latter days), when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you, and when you are living among the nations (gentiles) to which the LORD your God has exiled you, take to heart all these instructions.” (Deuteronomy 30:1)

God revealed to Moses that Israel would not be faithful in keeping his instructions.  Moses knew that we would be scattered to the ends of the earth.  We would be found living among nations that did not know the God of Israel and in conditions where we would forget his covenant instructions that he not only gave to all Israel that stood at the foot of Mount Sinai, but to all their future generations yet unborn.  Realizing this predicament God revealed:

“If at that time you and your children return to the LORD your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you.” (Deuteronomy 30: 2-3)

This promise that God revealed to Moses is the backbone of the Great and Marvelous Work wherein God will remember his promises he made to the Fathers and restore the House of Israel.

“Even though you are banished to the ends of the earth, the LORD your God will gather you from there and bring you back again. The LORD your God will return you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will possess that land again. Then he will make you even more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors!  The LORD your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! (Deuteronomy 30:4-6)

Pay close attention to these words because they are the “Heart” of Oneness with God and each other.  God is making his case very clear to his people.  He is God.  We are to follow his instructions.  In doing so he will change our hearts (Heb: Thoughts and desires) so that we may be one (echad) and live.  To an Israelite, this should cite our minds to the greatest commandment given by God, the Shema:  

          

“Hear (Listen and Obey), O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one (echad). You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

DWELLING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS:

For a people to be Zion they must dwell in righteousness. This expression contains a two fold meaning that gives us additional information on how to be Zion. If this characteristic was important enough to be used in Moses’ description of Enoch’s Zion then perhaps it would help us to understand what righteousness is and what it means to dwell in righteousness.

In describing Enoch’s Zion Moses stated:

“And from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness. The fear of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of the Lord, which was upon his people. And the Lord blessed the land, and they were blessed upon the mountains, and upon the high places, and did flourish. And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them. (Moses 7: 16-18)

The phrase “dwelt in righteousness” although simple is packed with meaning. To understand what it means to dwell in righteousness we must understand what righteousness is from a Hebraic point of view.  

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word. Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments. My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law (Torah).” (Psalms 119: 5-9)

To an Israelite his walk with God is the path.  Just as the Hebrew word resha (wicked) carries the meaning of departing from God’s path, the Hebrew word tzadik (righteous) carries of the meaning of walking in God’s path.  God’s commandments and instructions are the path of righteousness.  To uphold, correctly interpret, protect, and carry out God’s commandments is righteousness.

Righteousness is not some mystical state of bliss but a condition of being where people establish and carry out God’s commandments or laws amongst them.  In describing who would dwell in the holy hill and in the presence of God’s tabernacle, King David demonstrates God’s definition of righteousness as condition, attitude, and most importantly actions:

 “ LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” (Psalms 15)

One God, One Law, One People

Unity or Oneness comes from accepting God as our King and his laws as our standard.  The people are of one heart because their thoughts are centered on him and the embracing of his instructions given in the commandments on Sinai and the Sermon on the Mount.  The people become of one mind because their will is to carry out or implement God's instructions.  The oneness comes from the combined oneness of our desire.  The success of the Nephites in the Land of Bountiful lay in the unity of desire (kavanah).  In offering their desire, Heaven and Earth once again connected.

By returning (teshuvah-repentance) to the God of Israel and his commandments that he delivered to Israel not only to say them, but to do them in the here and now we will obtain the covenant blessings that will overturn the curses coming upon us.  Rather than destruction we will have prosperity.  Rather than losing our children to a foreign culture we will establish an everlasting inheritance in the land to our God.

 “This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach. It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’

It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?’

No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.

 “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.

For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.   (Deuteronomy 30: 10-16)

What Does it Mean to Watch and Pray Always

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him." (3 Nephi 18:15)

For years we have heard the admonition to "watch and pray always".  At first glance it would seem that we are being told to "be on the lookout and pray always" so that you enter not into temptation.  On the surface level the admonition sounds simple enough, but then arises the question, "How do I watch and pray always?"  I mean I have to go to work.  Life is busy and I have things to do. I have children to take care of, etc, etc. 

In order to better understand the admonition and how to "watch and pray always", it is helpful to understand what the words mean from an Israelite perspective.  The word 'watch' is often translated from the Hebrew words shamar .  In context the word shamar means to guard or to observe something and is the same word wherein we get the admonition of "Keep (shamar-guard/observe my commandments).   In the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew we find that this is the word used by the Messiah in his admonition as found in Matthew 26:41, "Watch (shamar-guard/observe) and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

So the question then comes, "How do I Guard/Observe and Pray Always".....  In cultural context not only is the phrase connected with the concept of the respective "watches" when guards were placed around strategic areas of the city or temple to alert the city should an enemy approach, but it also became culturally connected with practices of walking with God and "how" we are to pray always:

Israelite Tools For Guarding

Practicing The Presence:

One of the first principles of  "the watch" was the idea that we are practicing our duties as a "watcher" in the presence of God.  The duties of a watcher entailed not only being physically and mentally prepared, but also ever vigilant in their duties to guard the people of God and to be ever ready to carry out the commands of the King. One of the disciplines taught came to be known in later Jewish circles as "practicing the presence". The Prophets of Israel walked in the discipline of living/practicing the presence of God.  This discipline was taught to their students as in doing so they began to come out from their spiritual hiding places, experience their nakedness before God, and walk in the path of his presence in this world.  Their acknowledgment of God's presence in their heart (thoughts) and in the world around them was a key discipline by which they lived and governed their lives and in doing so unleashed a fundamental power of transformation and the utter destruction of doubt/unbelief.

The idea is that God is in all things and through all things-both good and bad. It was not sufficient that we simply believe in God.  We must learn to see him and his presence in all things on this earth- both the good and the bad.  In doing so we begin to come out from our hiding places.  In doing so we begin to know God.  This is why both in ancient Israel and even in the history of the restoration, men would mark their homes, their tools, their door frames, etc with the outward phrase, "Holiness To The Lord (YHVH)" or other instruments containing scriptures (i.e. mezuzah) because whether in life or death, sin or obedience, the acknowledgment of the presence of God in all things brought the person out from under the power and shame produced by our adversary and back into the presence of God and the path of true healing and redemption.  By putting up signposts (whether physical or spiritual) we open ourselves to the divine presence- we begin both outwardly and inwardly acknowledge his living presence or eye.  It was not the question of "Why bad things happen to good people" or the declaration that  "Prosperity follows the Righteous", but that the presence of God fills the whole earth in the here and now.  In fact we walk in it daily and with every breath we breathe.

In other words, we wake up to the presence of God each morning even as we lie down in his arms each night.  We go to work or school each day as if the presence of God is with us.  We administer to our loved ones and to the stranger on the street as if before the presence of God.  We change diapers, we clean toilets, we nurse our babies, we take out the garbage, etc etc all as if we are continually before the presence of God in all our thoughts, words, and deeds. In doing so the spiritual heart of man is revealed even as the carnal man begins to fall away before his all searching eye.

This discipline of practicing or acknowledging that we live continually in the presence of God is also demonstrated by the teaching of the "eye" of God.  The Prophet Jacob declares:

"O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I take off my garments, and I shake them before you; I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood." (2 Nephi 9:44)

and

"But, notwithstanding the greatness of the task, I must do according to the strict commands of God, and tell you concerning your wickedness and abominations, in the presence of the pure in heart, and the broken heart, and under the glance of the piercing eye of the Almighty God." (Jacob 2:10)

Israelite Meditation:

The ancient art of the Prophets was composed of disciplines designed to bring the disciple to a knowledge of God (to know in Hebrew is to experience).  The disciplines were comprised of practises that schooled the disciple's daily habits and practises which ultimately led to the correction of the heart.  The correction of the Heart is what was known as walking after the order or pattern of the small face of God or as is also communicated as The Only Begotten.  When the heart is made whole the spirit of man is elevated and vibrates in concert with the Spirit of God (YHVH).  When a group of people heal their collective heart the Kingdom of God is restored to the people.  It is our direct experience (knowledge/knowing) that leads us down the path of darkness or the path of light.  Unless we enter our experiences with God and man with a corrected and healed heart, we will continue to walk in the footsteps of the natural man and woman, who are an enemy to God. As we begin to experience life with a healed and corrected heart, true beauty will follow.  As we create the beauty of God here on earth, the Kingdom of God is on Earth as it is in Heaven.

The phrase "watch and pray always" is also connected with an ancient meditative practice taught in the School of the Prophets called Hitbodedut ( meditative isolation or separation) wherein the disciple begins to cleanse the mind by separating from the distracting thoughts and distractions going on around us or in our heads (sometimes called mental clutter or the monkey mind). The ancient meditation and prayer teachings of Israel are a much neglected topic that adds great depth of understanding to the words of the the Prophets when they made such statements as, "Calling upon the Name" or "Watching and Pray Always", and "Ask, Seek, and Knock".

When the mind becomes separated from this sensory clutter we begin to hear the voice of God that pierces the hearts of man. When the prophets came before God in prayer they detached from the sensations and sensory clutter of the world and their bodies and mind became quiet and still.  Once they reached this quietness of soul, they begin to reach a condition of spiritual balance wherein the rhythm of the opposing polar thoughts and forces are neutralized and the path of spiritual connection is open.  The idea of asking, seeking, and knocking does not mean that we repetitively hound God until we get what we want but that we first find the place of quietness, then ask with our desire or intention.  It is then that the prophet descended into the klipot/the veil/the internal barrier into the darkness wherein they reached a point of almost total consumption by the darkness wherein they called upon the Name of YHVH (knocking) whereon they were then brought into the light.

These meditative disciplines taught in the ancient Schools of the Prophets were deeply connected with disciplines of meditating upon the name YHVH, The Aleph Prayer, the 72 Names of God, and the creative prayer of the 42 letters in the first chapter of Genesis (sometimes called the prayer of creation) which later came to be expressed in a prayer called The Ana Bekoach.

The idea of "watching" being connected with a meditative discipline appears very foreign to our western gentile culture, but to an ancient Israelite culture prayer and meditation were intricately connected.  Praying or meditating upon the names of God was a common practice taught in the Ancient School of the Prophets. The Power of the Holy Names of God is a discipline found within many of the remaining traditions of the House of Israel to this day.  Some choose to meditate upon the name YHVH or El Shaddai as a recitation, repetition, or for lack of a better word a mantra of prayer to focus their prayers of desire through and to God.  One of the most ancient disciplines was the specific meditation upon letters of the Hebrew Alephbet (alphabet) wherein it was taught lay certain spiritual devices that caused the spirit of man to resonate with the Spirit of God.  One such meditation was upon the Letter Aleph in the Hebrew Alephbet:

The Aleph represented the oneness of God, his throne, and reaches into what is termed Worlds Without End (Ayin Soph).  It's expression as a symbol, Aleph represents the organization of order or creation out of chaos. It represents the sacred breath being breathed into Adam and the first expression he uttered. It is the letter upon which when intentionally contemplated and meditated would draw Heaven and Earth together; connecting the worlds above with this world down below.  The discipline of the Aleph Prayer was passed down in some surviving traditions of Judaism and even then only passed on by word of mouth.  It was taught that by employing the prayer or meditation upon the Aleph one's voice of pure desire would ascend to Heaven before the sacred throne. It was considered a part of a very sacred discipline of prayer.

The letter Aleph while one is composed of three elements of letters in its outward representation. Aleph Lamed Peh.  Since man was fallen and unclean he could not enter directly into the presence of God. In order to connect with God the Aleph Prayer or Meditation was by tradition the manner by which fire from Heaven was called down to consume the sacrifice of which prayer was an integral part.   The Meditation or recitation of this ancient prayer was vocalized by praying/meditating/ mantra-ing the outward letters that composed the ALEPH in the reverse fashion as follows:


PEH LEH EL



In light of this teaching, it would would be ironic if there was not some connection to the restoration of the Gospel.  As it so happens, Joseph Smith stated, "The grand key word was the first word Adam spoke and is a word of supplication...It is that key word to which the heavens is opened." (Joseph Smith, The Journals of William Clayton, June 15, 1844)

This vocal expression of prayer should have a special significance to older Mormons who have walked in the House of the Lord.  Unfortunately, many of the younger generation are not familiar with the expression, but there are many who seek for God to hear the words that their mouths produce.

It was taught anciently that the Prayer or Mediation upon the Aleph brought about a condition of the heart of oneness with God wherein true connection was established and Heaven and Earth Connected. This discipline among many other ancient disciplines of prayer/meditation were also preserved but were only taught among certain traditions within Judaism. In these traditions, it was taught that the language of God was a not only an instrument of creation wherein creation was sung into existence, but it was also an instrument of transformation, bonding, and unity for man in this world as well.In this state, the mind of God dwelt in the vessel of man and as such the living soul became a living Urim and Thummim.

THE FIRES OF THE WATCHERS

During the hours of greatest darkness the watchers had the duty to maintain the fires that were used to provide light to the occupants of the city and to keep the city safe.  The idea of maintaining the fire is connected with the Hebrew Letter Shin:

As one of the mother letters, Shin represents the celestial fires of that proceed forth from the throne of God carrying with it revelations of wisdom, understand, knowledge, power, and mercy of God.  In Israelite priestly tradition the Levites and sons of Aaron acted as watchers before the Throne of God.  Their duty was to maintain the oil in the lamps and to preserve not only the sacrificial fires but the fires that lit the menorah which represented the Tree of Life.  As preservers of the light, we are not only meant to guard but also to bestow the light upon all Israel. 

Those who seek to watch and pray always must be on their guards by implementing the same tools as those prophets of old who stood as watchers/guards over the House of Israel.  We must practice the presence of God in our daily lives, we must draw our hearts in contemplative meditation on God, and we must preserve the celestial fire of revelation in the darkest hours so that the enemy does not come upon us unawares. 

LEHI AND HEALING THE SHAME THAT BINDS US-AKA The Eternal Principles of the Brady Bunch

One day my daughter was watching an episode of some sitcom (for some reason, I think it was an episode of the Brady Bunch).  In this episode, a young boy found himself feeling very small and insecure. While his older brothers and sisters had won several trophies in various sporting events, he had never won such an honor.  To make him feel better, his family organized a race for the boy, including several other kids from the neighborhood.  The winner of the race would receive a trophy.

The day of the race came, and the young boy and several other children from the neighborhood lined up to compete in the race for the trophy.  On your mark! Get Set! Go!!!  And they were all off.  The boy easily surpassed the other children and crossed the finish line in first place.  The other kids then rallied around him, and he held his trophy high.  He was so proud of winning the race and receiving his award.

When he got home, he placed his first-place trophy on their mantle with the rest of his brothers and sisters' trophies. Later that night, as he was going to bed, he overheard his brothers and sisters congratulating themselves on making him feel better by paying off the other kids to let him win the race.

All of a sudden, all the joy and satisfaction of winning the race fell away.  In fact, he actually felt worse than he did before and retreated in shame up to his room, sinking into a deep depression.

The feeling of this shame and disappointment (including all the destructive emotions and actions that come with it) comes from an Ancient Israelite term known as "Bread of Shame."  In Hebrew, the word for ashamed/shame is buwsh, but rather than just a sense of humiliation or consciousness of wrongdoing as described in our English language, the word buwsh suggests disconnectedness, disappointment, anger, and confusion.

The concept of "Bread of Shame" comes from the idea that both men and women have an inherent desire to work for, earn, and enjoy the fruits of their labor.  When a person or group of people are at a disadvantage and are forced to receive grace/charity from another, they feel a powerful and internal sense of shame and disappointment. This shame and disappointment lead them to a condition of being emotionally and spiritually confounded (angry). The guilt then leads to the forbidden paths of destructive behaviors.

This ancient concept of "Bread of Shame" is the concept behind this passage in the Prophet Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life:

“And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed. And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth. And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit. And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.”

We are seeing this ancient teaching at play when we cast our eyes to some of the things we see going on in our country today:

1.  A young 16-year-old girl who receives a Mercedes Benz for her 16th birthday and whose parents supply her with enough credit cards to shop at the finest stores, only to later be arrested for breaking into the office of an apartment complex to steal whatever she can find.

2.  A new housing project in downtown Atlanta decked out with all the latest amenities and given to low or no-income occupants only to find them having to be completely gutted two years later because the occupants destroyed them.

3.  A young man who scores the winning touchdown and is declared MVP only to find his life later to be taken over by drugs and other self-destructive behavior.

4. A singer who becomes the newest celebrity only finds themselves consumed by the constant hunger for approval, leading them to engage in self-destructive behaviors.

The list could go on and on.

A person receives (and it doesn't matter what they receive) something they perceive either consciously or unconsciously as unearned- a race, a car, wealth, celebrity, etc. In fact, while they experience the illusions provided by our idolatrous world, their spirits at a very sublime level perceive the illusion for what it is.  In a sense, this disparity causes a form of spiritual, cognitive dissonance, which results in the person trying to bring him or herself back into a state of body/spirit equilibrium.  "Bread of Shame" destroys their internal sense of value and their ability to share themselves in the creation of the world.  It prevents us from experiencing the fullness of joy.

Does this then mean that grace/charity is terrible?  God Forbid! This is why the Prophet Nephi said, "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23)

THE HEALING EQUATION:

God desires all of us to receive his fullness and partake of his matchless love and power. But, if grace/charity then produces this shame in humanity (even if only at an unconscious level), it prevents us from receiving the fullness of joy.  There would be those who would then say, "Why would you want God's grace/charity then?" or "See, you have to earn your salvation?  You have to earn it."  But this sentiment would negate the teaching "that it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do."  True grace and charity to be true grace and charity is something that is freely given.  This is why King Benjamin declared:

"For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?" (Mosiah 4:19)

All mankind is truly beggars before God.  None are righteous-no, not one. We have all gone out of the way (Romans 3:10-12).  If we approach life in the manner that everything we have is a gift from God and none of it is earned, then we have embraced one half of the eternal equation which connects us back to the light - Loving God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. In this, there is no shame, but a realization of everyone's true condition:

"For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of God at this time has awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless and fallen state—I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body—I say, that this is the man who receiveth salvation, through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever were since the fall of Adam, or who are, or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world." (Mosiah 4:5-7)

All humanity has shame or the Bread of shame. Instead of wrestling with "Bread of Shame" God has already revealed our true condition, but this is not all.  We must not remain in shame.  We MUST remove the "Bread of Shame".  How then is this done?

THE SECOND PART OF THE EQUATION:

We remove Bread of Shame by loving our neighbor as ourselves or receiving from God to bestow upon others.  In doing so, the internal struggle comes to an end.  The spiritual cognitive dissonance stops. The spiritual/physical pain is healed. And we are reconnected to the light of the Upper World.

In other words, if a person receives wealth, let him show forth love to his neighbor out of that which he has been given.  If a person receives "celebrity" let them not believe the illusion of the celebrity but take the celebrity and lift others up.  If they receive "knowledge," let them not be puffed up in knowledge but share that knowledge with others to help others and make their lives better.  In taking whatever gift God has given us, let us turn toward our brothers and sisters and share the gifts given by God to all of us, and give to each other with the instruction that they in turn then take the gift they are given and give to others who stand in need.

In the words of King Benjamin:

"And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another." (Mosiah 4:21)

In doing so, we will not be like those in Lehi's dream who "after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost."  But will find ourselves back in the paradise of God like Adam and Eve:

"And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." (Genesis 2:25)

Instead of earning the light to covet, we receive the light to bless God and others. Receiving to bestow is part of the ancient Israelite equation of connecting with the light of God to bestow light to the world.  The receipt and bestowal of this light will bring healing to our individual selves and our collective communities. Humankind is designed with the desire to receive.  But as Yehoshuah Messiah (Jesus Christ) has stated:

"The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8)

LEHI'S DREAM AND THE HEAVENLY EDEN- A CLOSER LOOK

The vision or dream of the Prophet Lehi is one of much speculation in the circles of Mormonism. That being said the substance and symbolism in the dream is distinctly Israelite and draws upon many ancient teachings passed down in the prophetic tradition and teachings of the House of Israel. Examining his vision from this paradigm reveals a great teaching regarding ascension and the Tree of Life.

LEHI'S MAP - THE HEAVENLY EDEN

In order to understand the symbolic picture of Lehi's dream we must first understand the setting of the dream-vision. We learn from the Prophet Nephi that Lehi's Tree represents the Tree of life:

"And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God." (1 Nephi 11:25)

"And it came to pass that they did speak unto me again, saying: What meaneth this thing which our father saw in a dream? What meaneth the tree which he saw?

And I said unto them: It was a representation of the tree of life." (1 Nephi 15:21-22)

With this information from Nephi, the Israelite mind is directed to the creation epic and the imagery of the Garden of Eden Found in Genesis:

"And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:8-9)

As such, Lehi's vision is taking place in what is termed the spiritual or heavenly Garden of Eden.  

“And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.”

The first prophetic marker is in the usage of the phrase “And it came to pass” which serves not only as a marker for future or subsequent events but is also a Hebraic permutation on the Name of God YHVH (Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey) wherein the word signifies the power or force behind the event or teaching being recorded. In other words, it is a signal word that the hand of God is behind or involved in the event or teaching being recorded. It was also considered a power word by which the revelations, power, and gifts of God were made manifest in the world. It is also a marker denoting knowledge or teaching regarding God's protective power.

The recording of the gathering of seeds of every kind -both grain and fruit- is much more than account of preparing a food storage plan. In describing the gathering of specifically grain and fruit the Prophet Lehi is actually drawing upon prophetic teachings regarding the journey from chaos to correction or this world into the presence of God. The symbolism of grain and fruits draws upon imagery from the Garden of Eden in Genesis and ancient Israelite ideas regarding chaos and order.  The two seeds being representative of something which goes from chaos to order or from seed being planted from soil to grow into a grain or fruit bear plant or tree. The idea is connected with Genesis 1:2:

“And the earth was without form (tohu), and void (vohu); and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)

Here the words without form (Tohu) describe a condition of chaos where the earth commences its progression from chaos through the varying stages of creation to garden and fruit bearing trees. The seeds of grain and fruit representing those people in a stage of development who through cultivation will also become bearers of fruit and seed. In addition, the mention of the two grains stands as a prophetic marker denoting two types of fields that exist in the Torah-the revealed and the concealed. In other words we are about to take a journey of ascension from our condition of chaos back into a condition of balance and order signified by the presence of God.

“And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision. And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved. But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you; for behold, methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness.”

The prophetic discipline of “dream visions” was a common teaching found in the prophetic schools of Israel. The idea of the dark and dreary wilderness draws upon the phrase “and darkness was upon the face of the deep” in Genesis.  It represents this world and a potential for organization/creation which is a condition or place of correction.  In other words, Lehi is commencing his journey of ascension in this world (Malkhut). The darkness also represents the barrier or veil (klipot).

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 klipot, 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 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.

“And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me. And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.  And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste. And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.” 

The symbolism of a man dressed in a white robe comes from what is called the Angel of the Klipot/Veil. The white robe demonstrates that the man in the robe is an angelic being from the upper world of Beriah. The white robe itself represents the light of wisdom and understanding. His purpose is to guide the traveler into the darkness of the veil to a point where the person through their own choice of submission either passes through the veil or retreats.  In order to pass through the veil, Lehi, who had been left in the darkness of the veil, then called upon YHVH at which point the darkness or veil disperses. The calling upon the name of the Lord being connected to the phrase in Genesis, “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”.

“And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.”

The revelation of a large and spacious field indicates an ascension from one world to another.  It is also representative of the world of spiritual creation and is connected to Genesis:

“These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.” (Genesis 2:4)

Or

“And now, behold, I say unto you, that these are the generations of the heaven and of the earth, when they were created, in the day that I, the Lord God, made the heaven and the earth, And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air…”

The world of formation or creation that is being referred to here is that state or world where spiritual creation takes place.  It is the place where our spirit or true consciousness connect, learn, and create.  The prophetic marker for this form of creation was anciently taught in the account of Isaac and Rebekah:

“And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.” (Genesis 24:63)

The symbol of the field is also connected to the idea of meditative practice. This meditative practice is called Hitbodedut (meditative isolation or separation) wherein the disciple begins to cleanse the mind by separating from the distracting thoughts and distractions going on around us or in our heads (sometimes called mental clutter or the monkey mind).  It is when the mind becomes separated from this sensory clutter that we will begin to hear the voice of God that pierces the hearts of man. When the prophets came before God in prayer they detached from the sensations and sensory clutter of the world and their bodies and mind became quiet and still.  Once they reached this quietness of soul, they begin to reach a condition of spiritual balance wherein the rhythm of the opposing polar thoughts and forces are neutralized and the path of spiritual connection is open.  The idea of asking, seeking, and knocking does not mean that we repetitively hound God until we get what we want but that we first find the place of quietness, then ask with our desire or intention.  It is then that the prophet descended into the klipot/the veil/the internal barrier into the darkness wherein they reached a point of almost total consumption by the darkness wherein they called upon the Name of YHVH (knocking) whereon they were then brought into the light.


“And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.”



Lehi’s journey is a journey that connects the souls back to the Throne of God from where we came.  To make this climb and to embrace the hidden mysteries of the Fathers contained in the Book of Mormon requires that we understand one of the oldest and most sacred of symbols to the House of Israel-The Tree of Life (Etz Chaim).    The Tree of Life is both a key and a road map that leads us to the Throne Room of God.  Understanding this symbol will unlock much of the knowledge of the Fathers that Nephi is transmitting to his readers.

In using the symbol of a tree with roots, trunk, and branches God gave the House of Israel a physical symbol with its own language that when understood unlocks great knowledge.  As we inhabit a physical body our minds more easily grasp the physical to understand the great and non-physical things of God. As we grow in our understanding of the physical symbol, we are able to grasp and process the realm of the spirit.  The knowledge and understanding of this symbol has been preserved by various disciplines and schools of thought among Jews to this day.  The origins of this symbol are attributed to the Fathers such as Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  While they symbol represents the physical form of a tree, the mysteries hidden in the Tree of Life contain the keys to the first language, biology, physics, mathematics, arts, chemistry, architectural science, martial disciplines, and spiritual disciplines that were taught by the Fathers.  The symbol is multi-dimensional in its applications and yet so simple that a young child can be taught great truths using it.
In the Tabernacle of Israel this tree was represented by the seven branched lamp called the Menorah that is positioned in the Holy Place before the Ark of the Covenant or Throne of God:

The tree was later depicted by a multi-dimensional figure with the spheres of the tree representing the mysteries or the sweet fruit of God. The whole fruits of the tree representing emanations of God or the Love of God.

In Israelite thought the trunk of the tree represents of the wisdom of God and his instructions. The branches represent the servant(s) of God through whom mercy or loving kindness flows. The fruit representing the works and actions produced by the servant. The entire tree symbolizing the connection point between Heaven and Earth.

“And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.”

The white color of the fruit in Israelite symbolism is connected with the attributes of wisdom and loving kindness all of which could be summed as the love of God. The fruit of the Tree of life represents various conditions or state of spiritual consciousness. The idea of partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Life is connected with a teaching known as “The Mystery of the Son” or Zeir Anpin (the small face) of God. 

“And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.”

The whole purpose of the Tree of Life is Joy. Understanding that white fruit represents the mysteries of godliness or the mystery of joy, expands our understanding of the Israelite background to the images revealed in Lehi’s vision. One of the first principles preserved by the Book of Mormon in regard to The Science Revealed to the Fathers is the essential principle of the purpose of man.  The Prophet Lehi relates to his son, "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy (simchah)." (2 Nephi 2: 25).   Many readers of the Book of Mormon read over this statement never understanding the true Israelite meaning behind this statement.  To understand the meaning of this statement is to understand the purpose of the Science God revealed to Adam and what the science is designed to create.

In the mind of an Israelite joy is connected with the presence of God (YHVH).  As the Psalmist records, "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11)

In other words Joy is the presence of God.  To be in the presence of God one must be "ONE" with God or in a state of oneness with YHVH. This is what is meant by the expression of "Be ye therefor Holy" or "Be ye therefore perfect"- Holy (Kadosh) or perfect being a state of wholeness which man cannot experience without being in a state of oneness with God.

If we were to restate this principle being communicated by the Prophet Lehi in our modern language it could read:

"Adam fell so that men might exist-the purpose of man and his existence is to be in a condition of Oneness with God."

This essential and foundation principle of the Science of the Fathers (even Adam) is the purpose for God revealing and transmitting this Science.  We are to experience oneness with God.  As both a creature of mortality and the spiritual, man exists as the connecting link between Heaven and Earth.  The connection of these two dimensions or spheres is the purpose of this science with Mankind being the principle instrument through which this can be accomplished.  MAN EXISTS TO BE ONE WITH GOD.

“And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.”

The image of the river connects us with the river in Eden:

“And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.” (Genesis 2:10)

The river of water is connected to the concept of the place where God dwells. All things being an eternal “present” or “now”.  in Israelite thought the term Ain Soph (boundless, infinity, worlds without end) is the source of that river of water through which pure revelation, grace, and life proceeds like a river through the four worlds of the Tree of Life. It is also connected to the four cups of wine at Passover (Pesach) in Exodus 6:6-7 teaching the functions of the life giving water or spirit that comes from the presence of God:

1. I will bring you out- The Cup of  Sanctification

2. I will deliver- The Cup of Deliverance

3. I will redeem- The Cup of Redemption

4. I will take- The Cup of Hope

In addition to seeing a literal tree, the symbolism of Trees is also connected with a person or people.

 “And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go. And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit. And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also. And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them. And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit.”

“And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood. And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world.”

Mormon tradition views the rod of iron similar to a handrail that runs along a path. This idea certainly communicates the message of one holding to the handrail of God’s word as he makes his way up a path.  However, in Israelite thought the rod is a branch or offshoot that extends from the tree. That it is described as a rod or branch of iron corresponding to the attribute of God known as Gevurah or power.  In other words, those who walk the path of the disciple are able to grab onto the iron branch of the tree of life that represents his power which then leads them to the body of the Tree of Life. The iron branch or rod also being a symbol for the word of power or the Word of God.

The idea of the strait path is connected with the idea of the navigated or disciplined path which a disciple must choose to make.  It involves holding to the instructions (Torah) of God as we walk the strict path of the center pillar of the Tree of Life-even hope, faith, and charity- back into the presence of the throne of God. (Kether). The idea of the iron rod is connected with the Torah or Instructions that come from God and extends to this earth.

“And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood. And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree. And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost. And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.”

Here Lehi's describes a "mist of darkness" that arose causing people to lose their way. The imagery here draws upon another mist in the account of Genesis:

"But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground." (Genesis 2:6)

The idea of a mist/vapor/fog in the creation epic constitutes a veiling and nourishing of the earth with God's spirit and divine mercy.  In Lehi's dream the mist/vapor/fog is a mist of darkness. The mist of darkness is a veil of fear or chaos. In Hebraic thought the idea of following others instead of God and his word is considered the Path of Darkness. Those who follow themselves or others are lead away from the Instructions of God and the Disciplined path.  In Israelite thought this constitutes a person abandoning God. Those who wander from the path get lost.  When one walks the path of the Torah (God’s Instructions) he embraces the iron rod (branch or power of God) and walks back into the presence of God.

“And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed. And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth. And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit. And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.”

Here the people who had partaken of the fruit of the tree looked around and were ashamed.  This imagery of being ashamed is connected to Adam and Eve in the Garden, "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

The idea of being ashamed that is connected with the Tree of Life is connected to the idea of receiving from God; an expression which later came to be known as "Bread of Shame".  The idea behind "Bread of Shame" is that a person receives freely from God.  As men and women receive freely from God they also are endowed with his life, character, and attributes to represent him to others. This free gift (in Lehi's case the fruit of the tree) is like receiving free‘bread’. As it is free it carries the feeling of ‘shame’ i.e. something we did not earn. In order to remove this "shame" of receiving the free bread/fruit we are to freely bestow upon others as God has bestowed upon us. In Mormon thought, Bread of Shame and its removal is best expressed by the God as follows:

"I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness. For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace." (D&C 93:19-20)

In Lehi's dream those who partook of the free fruit felt the shame and then because of the ridicule of others the shame led them to depart.  In doing so they walked away from "removal of shame" wherein men and women receive the free gift to then bestow upon others. In doing so the shame falls away and is replaced by a fulness of joy. Instead of earning the light to covet we receive the light to bless God and others.

The image of a great and spacious building connects the reader to the first structure built by a civilization mentioned in Genesis-i.e. The Tower of Babel.  In Israelite thought the tower was not only a literal tower but also an symbol representing an entire civilization.  In the case of the Tower of Babel it would be the civilization built by Nimrod. The symbol is also connected with a state of confusion and a scattering. In the case of Lehi’s great and spacious building, the occupants of the building were of The House of Israel (as later revealed by Nephi). In other words, The House of Israel were those who were doing the mocking and pointing their fingers. 

"And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father. But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod (branch or offshoot) of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree. And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.  And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads. And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not. These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away."

The idea of strange roads and a strange building is an idea of any path that deviates from the disciplined path, the strict path, the straight and narrow path, the path of God's instructions, Torah. These false paths are those that lead away from God and to ultimate destruction and becoming an enemy to God. 

UNDERSTANDING LEHI'S DREAM- HOLD TO THE BRANCH-THE IRON BRANCH

Lehi’s journey is a journey that connects our souls back to the Throne of God from where we came.  To make this climb and to embrace the hidden mysteries of the Fathers contained in the Book of Mormon requires that we understand one of the oldest and most sacred of symbols to the House of Israel-The Tree of Life (Etz Chaim).    The Tree of Life is both a key and a road map that leads us to the Throne Room of God.  Understanding this symbol will unlock much of the knowledge of the Fathers that Nephi is transmitting to his readers.

In using the symbol of a tree with roots, trunk, and branches God gave the House of Israel a physical symbol with its own language that when understood unlocks great knowledge.  As we inhabit a physical body our minds more easily grasp the physical to understand the great and non-physical things of God. As we grow in our understanding of the physical symbol, we are able to grasp and process the realm of the spirit.  The knowledge and understanding of this symbol has been preserved by various disciplines and schools of thought among Jews to this day.  The origins of this symbol are attributed to the Fathers such as Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The symbol is multi-dimensional in its applications and yet so simple that a young child can be taught great truths using it.

In the Tabernacle of Israel this tree was represented by the seven branched lamp called the Menorah that is positioned in the Holy Place before the Ark of the Covenant or Throne of God:

The tree was later depicted by a multi-dimensional figure with the spheres of the tree representing the mysteries or the sweet fruit of God. The whole fruits of the tree representing emanations of God or the Love of God:

In Israelite thought the trunk of the tree represents of the wisdom of God and his instructions. The branches represent the servant(s) of God through whom mercy or loving kindness flows. The fruit representing the works and actions produced by the servant. The entire tree symbolizing the connection point between Heaven and Earth.

HOLD TO THE BRANCH- THE IRON BRANCH

In the vision of the Prophet Lehi, he describes what is called a rod of iron:

“And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood. And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world.”

Mormon tradition views the rod of iron similar to a handrail that runs along a path:

The image demonstrated above certainly communicates the message of one holding to the handrail of God’s word as he makes his way up a path.  However, in Israelite thought the rod is a branch or offshoot that extends from the Tree of Life and runs along the path by the stream of water.  In other words, those who walk the path of the disciple are able to grab onto the iron branch of the tree of life that represents his power which then leads them to the body of the Tree of Life. The iron branch or rod also being a symbol for the Word of God.

If we were to re-translate his words into modern English:

"And I beheld a branch of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood. And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the branch of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world.... And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the branch of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the branch of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.”

That it is described as a rod or branch of iron corresponds to the attribute of God known as Gevurah or Power. We see this connecting idea in the words of Isaiah as he connects the Messiah to the Tree of Life:

"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom (chokmah) and understanding (Binah), the spirit of counsel (chesed) and might (gevurah), the spirit of knowledge (daat) and of the fear of the LORD..." (Isaiah 11:1-2)

That later Nephi connects the rod (branch) of Iron to the word of God also finds support in the word as described by the Apostle John:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1;1)

In other words Messiah is the branch of iron-the word of God- even the Living Torah.

(To be continued).

THE BOOK OF MORMON: AND IT CAME TO PASS

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

Over the years one of the many criticisms of the Book of Mormon is what appears to be the overuse and apparently redundant phrase, "And it came to pass..."  In fact  Mark Twain in his review of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith made the remark, "And it came to pass’ was his pet. If he had left that out, his Bible would have been only a pamphlet.” (Roughing It,-American Publishing Co., 1901, p. 133.)

While Twain was an American literary genius his understanding of the phrase in Hebrew Scripture is a clear example of the difference in paradigm between the Israelite mind and the Gentile mind.  The phrase "And It Came To Pass" comes from the Hebrew word Vav-Hey-Yod-Hey (וְהָיָה) or Vehayah.  The word is also connected to the Hebrew word Vav- Yod -Hey - Yod (וַֽיְהִי). The idea behind the phrase has been taken to be a word signal describing future events or describing something next in a sequence of events.

The mystery of VeHaYAH however goes much deeper. As a Hebraic permutation on the Name of God YHVH (Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey) the word signifies the power or force behind the event or teaching being recorded. In other words it is a signal word that the hand of God is behind or involved in the event or teaching being recorded. It was also considered a power word by which the revelations, power, and gifts of God were made manifest in the world. It is also a marker denoting knowledge or teaching regarding God's protective power.

Like the word Amen, Ahman, or Ahmein, the word VeHaYah was also considered to be a prophetic marker for knowledge of events or teachings regarding the past, present, and future.  Among various Israelite mystery school traditions the word was considered a word of meditation and connection with God and the manifestation of his power in that praying or meditating upon this permutation of the name of God affected, influenced, or brought about the manner in which future events unfold. With respect to the Tree of Life it is connected to the attribute of YHVH known as chesed or loving kindness/mercy.

"And the LORD (YHVH) said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

And it shall come to pass (HVYH), while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by" (Exodus 33:21-22)

The Book of Mormon as a Prophetic Israelite record makes usage of the familiar phrase 'And It Came To Pass' not only to indicate a sequence  of events as it is also used in the Bible, but it is also an indicator of the Hand of God in bringing forth a sealed revelation to the world as an act of Mercy.  It is an indicator of God's protective power in guiding the events of not only the Bible but also The Book of Mormon.  It also contains a mystery hidden in plain site designed to instruct future generations of believers in the prophetic "NOW" of God's presence and our ability to act as vessels of his Spirit.  When carefully inspected the phrase is a prophetic indicator of the active power of God and our connection with him in the events we experience in our lives as well. So what the wisdom of man sees as overused and redundant, the Wisdom of God reveals as a message, "The Kingdom of God is HERE NOW!"