The Book of Mormon has been compared to a mansion with many unexplored rooms. In recent years a particular wing of this mansion, of which I was previously unaware, has been brought to my attention.
Nephi was one of the last surviving witnesses of the Temple of Solomon. It overlooked the city of Jerusalem when he lived there as boy. The first thing he and his followers did after they established a separate colony in the Americas was to build a replica of Solomon's Temple (2Ne. 5:16). It apparently held its place of prominence in Nephi's heart, but the Book of Mormon only has limited references to Temples. Or so I thought, until recently.
Though there are few direct references to any Temples in the Book of Mormon, there are numerous indirect symbolic, allegorical references, scattered throughout its pages. Here I will provide a few of them to give a sense for this literary device. First, a brief description of the furniture in the Temple of Solomon.
There were ritual stations located in the courtyard of the temple, and inside the building itself. First was the Alter of Sacrifice, essentially a giant smoking barbecue grill with a ramp, where animals were slaughtered to atone for sins, and parts of the animal were eaten. Next was the Brazen Sea, a giant circular tank of water on the backs of twelve bronze oxen. Two giant pillars, Jachin and Boaz, flanked the entrance to the Temple. Inside were ten Tables of Shewbread, where twelve loaves of bread and other utensils, basins, and flagons for eating were set out. Perhaps most recognizable of all, the ten Menorah, a giant gold lamp with seven prongs, burning olive oil as fuel. A small Alter of Incense stood before the veil of the Temple, where the Priest would offer daily prayers for Israel. Next came the Veil, a partition separating the Holy Place from the higher Holy of Holies, embroidered with images of Cherubim (angels). Lastly, inside the Holy of Holies, rested the Ark of the Covenant, God's throne on earth. The lid was decorated with Cherubim, and two giant statues of Cherubim flanked the Ark.
Temple Imagery in the Book of Mormon: Nephi
Rather than address the individual significance of each piece of furniture, I will show that Nephi was familiar with each, and that he symbolically depicted himself as a pilgrim moving through each station of the Temple. He did this by selecting vignettes or imagery from his own life that mirrored elements or qualities of each station of the Temple, and stringing them together in the order of each station in the Temple. It sounds complicated, but once you get a feel for it, you will see how simple, yet ingenious, it is.
2Ne. 4 contains what some have referred to as "The Psalm of Nephi," a poetic lament and prayer of Nephi comparable to the Psalms of the Old Testament. It comprises verses 17 through 35.
Just as the Temple begins with an Altar of Sacrifice, so Nephi begins in 17: "...my heart sorroweth because of my FLESH..." Flesh is burned and consumed at the Altar. "...my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities..." Sacrifices atoned for sin. 18: "...temptations and...sins...do so easily beset me..." 19: "...my heart groaneth because of my sins..."
Now he moves to the Brazen Sea: "My God hath...preserved me upon the waters of the great deep." The Sea was about 7.5 feet tall—deep enough to immerse someone.
The Table of Shewbread appears in 21: "He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh." The image of consuming flesh evokes a feast.
The Menorah is in 23: "He hath heard my cry by day, and hath given me knowledge by visions in the night." Light of day, and visions at night allude to the Temple's own light source.
The Altar of Incense and the Veil both show up in verse 24: "...by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high..." (Praying at the Altar before the veil.) The Veil is presented in 24: "...angels came down and ministered unto me." (Cherubim were embroidered on the Veil.)
Cherubim references continue in 25: "And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains..." The Cherubim statues had wings extending to the walls of the Holy of Holies, and touching each other in the center above the Ark. "...exceedingly high mountains..." refers to the high point in the Temple, the Holy of Holies.
The next verses evoke the Day of Atonement, when the Priest was admitted into the Holy of Holies. The Day of Atonement was a day to "afflict your souls" (Lev. 23:27). Ceremonial "afflictions" included fasting and not wearing shoes, and these privations are reflected in the language of verse 26: "...why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?" Again in 29: "Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions."
Verses 30 through 35 recreate a conversation that took place between the Lord and the High Priest at the Veil on the Day of Atonement: "...cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation." (The floor of the Holy of Holies was the top of the Temple Mount, a literal rock.) Nephi begins to plead for blessings and eventual admittance in 30: "O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?" Now he begins to knock on the door in 32: "O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me..." In 33: "Wilt thou make my path straight before me!" The path from the outer gate of the courtyard, to the door of the Temple, right up to the door of the Veil, was a straight line...Nephi's "straight and narrow path?" In 35: "...I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss..." Again the rock: "...God, the rock of my righteousness...my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen."
Is this some kind of coincidence, or were these numerous parallels intentional? I believe they are deliberate. Notice also that each image evoking the furniture of the Temple is a vignette taken from Nephi's own life and experiences. Perhaps a good name for this literary modality could be "Biographical Temple Allegory."
Nephi Arranges Doctrinal Principles Via Temple Imagery
This format can also be used to convey doctrine—"Doctrinal Temple Allegory." Nephi uses this literary device in his farewell chapters of the Book of Mormon, 2Ne. 31-33. He begins by referring to the “Lamb of God” in verse 4, an allusion to the Altar of Sacrifice. In 5 through 7, he explains the need for the Lamb of God to be baptized. In the old Temple, sacrificial animals were washed with water before being offered. 7 and 8 contain more allusions to sacrifice—“…according to the flesh he humbleth himself…” “…the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove…” Birds could be offered as sacrifices when the one making the offering could not afford a lamb (Jesus’ parents were in this category).
9: “…it showeth unto men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter…” The gate of the courtyard, the door of the Temple, and the door at the Veil lined up perfectly, a narrow path. It gives fresh meaning to the familiar phrase of Jesus quoted in 10: “Follow thou me.”
11 through 17 discuss baptism—the Brazen Sea. In 13, Jesus is called “the Holy One of Israel.” Israel has twelve tribes, and the Sea was supported by twelve oxen, one for each tribe. After “…baptism by water…” in 17, we “…are in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea ye have entered in by the gate…” in 18. We are now inside the Temple building itself. Before entering the building, one passed between two huge bronze pillars, Jachin and Boaz. Perhaps they are referenced here in 18 as “…the Father and the Son…”
“…after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path…” in 19, 20 says: “…ye must press forward…having a perfect brightness of hope (Menorah)…feasting upon the word of Christ (Table of Shewbread)…
Chapter 32 begins by speaking about what to do after “…ye have entered in by the way.” Verse 2 explains: “…ye could speak with the tongue of angels…by the Holy Ghost…” This refers to the Cherubim embroidered on the Veil. In 3, Nephi refers back to the Table of Shewbread: “…feast upon the words of Christ…” The Table had twelve loaves of bread upon it, but it also held twelve rocks of incense. These are burned at the Altar of Incense, when the Priest prays.
But first, verse 4 says: “…if ye cannot understand them, it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.” This alludes to being admitted at the Veil. In 5: “…enter in by the way…” More Veil imagery. 6: “…Christ…shall manifest himself unto you…”
Now in 8, we come to the Altar of Incense: “…the Spirit…teacheth a man to pray…” 9: “…ye must pray always…ye must not perform anything unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance…for the welfare of thy soul.”
Chapter 33 takes us to the very end. In 4: “…endure to the end…” In 7: “I have…great faith in Christ that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat.” The covering of the Ark of the Covenant is called the Mercy Seat. The Ark is God’s throne on earth.
The next verses contain allusions to the Veil, the place of judgment. 9: “…for none of these can I hope except they shall…enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation.” 11: “…for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar…”
12 takes us into the Holy of Holies: “…I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and last day.” 13: “Farewell until that great day shall come.” In 14, we get a warning: “…you that will not…respect the words…which shall proceed out of the mouth of the Lamb of God…these words shall condemn you at the last day.” 15: “For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen.”
Enos
Another excellent example of this literary form is The Book of Enos. It is only one chapter long, but the entire chapter takes you, symbolically, from the Altar to the Ark.
In verse 2: "...I will tell you of the wrestle I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins." The Altar of Sacrifice is associated with sin, and with beasts, in verse 3: "...I went to hunt beasts in the forest." Sacrificial animals were food for the Priests.
The Brazen Sea in verse 3: "...the words [of] my father...sunk deep into my heart." A deep place to sink.
The Table of Shewbread in 4: "And my soul hungered."
The Menorah in 4: "...I kneeled down before my Maker...all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, when the night came..." He is discussing light and darkness.
Immediately in the same sentence: "...I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens." Praying at the Alter of Incense before the Veil. He prays for himself, then for his people (verses 9 through 10), then for his enemies (11 through 18). He continues voicing his concern for them in 19 through 20, then for his people again in 22 through 24, and back to himself in the last three verses. (Possibly an example of chiastic literary symmetry.)
25: "I began to be old..." 26: "...I saw that I must soon go down to my grave..." He is going home to his Maker.
Finally, he takes us to the Veil in 27: "And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him..." He takes us with him into the Holy of Holies: "...then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."
Again, here is an author of the Book of Mormon, painting himself as a High Priest moving through the Temple of Solomon. There are other uses of this mode of allegorical speech in the Book of Mormon, but I will leave these few examples standing for now.
Rather than opine about why Nephi and others used this literary device, I will simply say that, to me, it is more evidence that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It adds another layer of depth to the text, another wing to the mansion.
[Update, 27 August 2013: See another article about allegorical Temple imagery in the Old Testament.]
