Garden of Eden Temple

[Moksha]

One of the fun elements of Mormonism is anyone can make things up in support of even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Also, one does not have to be a BYU professor in order to abuse the ancient Egyptian religion.

For your consideration, I present the following YouTube video for your travels into the Shades' Zone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u0l13wX57E

That part of Leda and the Swan predicting the coming of Joseph Smith made sense.

[bill4long]

One of the fun elements of Mormonism is anyone can make things up in support of even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Also, one does not have to be a BYU professor in order to abuse the ancient Egyptian religion.

For your consideration, I present the following YouTube video for your travels into the Shades' Zone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u0l13wX57E

That part of Leda and the Swan predicting the coming of Joseph Smith made sense.

I watched the video. Can't help but roll my eyes and laugh. Nibley-esque cherry-picking at it's finest.

The vast majority of the features and rituals of the Israelite Temple had nothing analog in the Mormon Temple ceremonies, and vice versa. And what superificialities may exist are explicable by the fact that Joe actually had a Bible. Where is the High Priest with his 12 precious stones covering his chest in the Mormon ritual? Where are the two goats, one for Yahweh, and one for Azazel? Where is Ark and the High Priest pouring the blood of the sacrifice on the Mercy Seat, which was the climax of the entire Temple drama? What function did the regular priests have in the Hebrew temple? Why weren't women allowed to be priests in the Hebrew Temple? On and on. The differences are radical.

The function and purpose of the Hebrew Temple was about atonement for sin and ending the separation of man from God represented by the veil. Christian teaching indicates that the sacrifice of Jesus was the fulfilment of this ritual drama and therefore no more temple is needed. (Heb 10). Notably, the Hebrew veil was torn from top to bottom, indicating man's efforts had no part in ending the separation between man and God. (Mat 27:51) It was all accomplished by Jesus, the one and only High Priest. (Heb 10:22) Christians become full participants in His accomplishment and heirship by trust and baptism (Galatians 3), which fully identifies one with Jesus, which is the one true sufficient "endowment".

Sidebar comment about "endowment." In Galatians 3:27, Paul uses the word enduo to describe the full identification of the believer with Jesus. (Translated "put on" in the KJV.) Enduo is where the English "endow" comes from. It means to be wrapped around with a garment. The symbolism here is that Jesus himself is the full endowment. The believer is "robed with Christ." This union with Him comes fully at the point of trust and baptism. No further endowment is necessary. When you're endow, or "robed", with Jesus. you've got it all as an heir. The identification is complete. There is nothing left to get, and no other ritual requirement is necessary. When the Father God looks at you, He "sees Jesus", He sees the "robe you're wearing", which is Jesus himself. It makes you a full heir with him. This is the whole point of Galations, and Paul gets very testy and uses extremely harsh language of comdemnation against those who claim otherwise in chapter one.

In Christian theology, the Mormon temple endowment is entirely superfluous, and actually mocks the finished work of Christ because it adds requirements to become a full heir of God beyond the full "robing" with Christ himself that comes at the point of trust and baptism. If I have to choose between Joe and Paul, I'm gonna have to go with Paul on this one.

I will comment further in the Telestial Room about how the "washing and anointing" ceremony invented by Joe during the Kirtland temple period, and revised in Nauvoo, and the Mormon "garments" used today, are a fail in relation to this subject.