Introduction

Regarding the symbolism of the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson taught us that “each temple is a house of learning. There we are taught in the Master’s way. His way differs from modes of others. His way is ancient and rich with symbolism. We can learn much by pondering the reality for which each symbol stands. Teachings of the temple are beautifully simple and simply beautiful. They are understood by the humble, yet they can excite the intellect of the brightest minds.”1

This volume constitutes an introduction to the temple and its symbols; it is no more and no less than a beginner’s guide toward understanding various components associated with the temple. As a beginner’s guide, the volume is not designed to provide advanced understanding of the temple and its symbols. Those who want advanced understanding must attend the temple often and receive instruction from the Holy Ghost. The temple itself, together with divine instruction from the Holy Ghost, encompasses the quintessential and ultimate learning experience regarding the temple.

This volume sets forth 175 entries, which provide notes or explanations of various symbols and insights regarding ancient and modern temples. Many of these insights constitute my own ideas and should not be regarded as doctrine or teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Stated differently, many of the proposed symbols in this book are simply that: proposals, suggestions, or items that may be considered. Listed in alphabetical order, the entries deal with a broad range of categories—rituals and ordinances, gestures of approach, sacred vestments, sacrificial offerings, geometric symbols, colors, heavenly bodies (sun, moon, stars), prayer and revelation, sacred names, furnishings and appurtenances, animals, religious festivals, and sacred spaces. When appropriate, I have identified symbols and concepts that deal with Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice. In point of fact, Jesus Christ is prominent throughout the temple—ancient and modern—and a significant portion of the 175 entries pertain to Him.

This book is topical but not encyclopedic in nature. It is not at all comprehensive and does not deal with every possible topic of the temple. A comprehensive work on the temple would fill multiple volumes. One may say, borrowing a line from Words of Mormon 1:5, I did not “write the hundredth part of the things” of the temple. Rather, by careful selection and choice, the book is at best representative, and it therefore contains typical examples of various aspects and components of the temple. And each of the 175 entries is briefly presented, to put it mildly; in fact, many of the entries provide no more than a glimpse of what could be written about that particular topic.

Importantly, restraint and caution should always be used when referring to temples and sacred topics. For this reason, I have not dealt with topics that are inappropriate to discuss outside of the temple; in fact, I have erred on the side of caution as I deal with the topics in this volume. I hold strictly to Elder David A. Bednar’s two guidelines regarding what we may say regarding temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Guideline #1: “We should not disclose or describe the special symbols associated with the covenants we receive in sacred temple ceremonies. Neither should we discuss the holy information that we specifically promise in the temple not to reveal.” And Guideline #2: “We may discuss the basic purposes of and the doctrine and principles associated with temple ordinances and covenants.”2

Symbols—God’s “Favorite Way of Teaching”

It is a certainty that symbols penetrate the whole of the temple and its ordinances. In point of fact, “God teaches with symbols,” wrote Elder Orson F. Whitney. “It is his favorite method of teaching.”3 Symbols embrace the following temple components (belonging to ancient and/or modern temples): verbal-ceremonial communications, sacred vestments, ceremonial movements and gestures, sacred architecture, covenant making, the actual words of the covenants, various material items (anointing oil, ablutionary water, blood, shewbread, sacrificial animals, incense, and more), officiants (having proper authority), and the ordinances themselves.

By way of example, a number of symbols are attached to the ordinance of baptism. These include some of the baptismal words that are uttered by the baptizer, a ceremonial gesture (right arm to the square), two ceremonial movements (the acts of immersion and coming forth out of the waters—both acts involve the baptizer and the baptismal candidate), the mass of water in the font, white clothing, and the baptismal font itself.

Others have instructed us concerning the centrality of symbols in the setting of the temple. For example, President Boyd K. Packer stated, “Much of the teaching relating to the deeper spiritual things in the Church, particularly in the temple, is symbolic.”4 On another occasion he wrote, “Before going to the temple for the first time, or even after many times, it may help you to realize that the teaching of the temples is done in symbolic fashion. . . . If you will go to the temple and remember that the teaching is symbolic you will never go in the proper spirit without coming away with your vision extended, feeling a little more exalted, with your knowledge increased as to things that are spiritual. The teaching plan is superb. It is inspired.”5

Every Stone Is a Sermon

Regarding the Salt Lake Temple, J. Golden Kimball expressed, “Every stone in it is a sermon to me. It tells of suffering, it tells of sacrifice, it preaches—every rock in it, preaches a discourse. When it was dedicated, it seemed to me that it was the greatest sermon that has ever been preached since the Sermon on the Mount. . . . Every window, every steeple, everything about the Temple speaks of the things of God, and gives evidence of the faith of the people who built it.”6 Elder Kimball’s statement regarding the Salt Lake Temple may be applied to each and every temple of the Lord—every stone, every glass window, and every steeple testifies of Jesus Christ’s divinity, the power of His Atonement, and His redemptive work among the nations in the present era, in previous generations, and forever.

The Temple Provides a Lifetime of Learning

Elder Richard C. Scott observed that “the temple ordinances are so imbued with symbolic meaning as to provide a lifetime of productive contemplation and learning.”7 This statement reminds us of President David O. McKay’s words to President Boyd K. Packer. After completing an endowment session, President McKay remarked, “I think I am beginning to understand it.”8 This is a remarkable statement by a prophet—even after decades of faithful temple attendance, he was still gaining knowledge and understanding of the temple and its ordinances.

Why Symbols? “To Teach Profound Truths”

Inasmuch as symbols have a prominent standing in both ancient and modern temples and symbols penetrate the whole of the temple and its ordinances, the questions may be asked, “Why are symbols so prominent, and why are they used?” President Russell M. Nelson provides the answer: “Anciently, symbols were used to teach profound truths, and this method of instruction is used in the temple today. It is necessary, therefore, that we ponder the symbols presented in the temple and see the mighty realities for which each symbol stands.”9

Why symbols? They are “used to teach profound truths,” explains President Nelson. As a matter of fact, symbols constitute quintessential teaching devices—that is precisely why Jesus Christ employed symbols in His teachings, the prophets put forth symbols in their writings, and symbols are such a large part of each and all of the ordinances, including those belonging to the temple. How are symbols teaching devices? “Symbols are the most articulate of all languages. Indeed, symbols are the universal tongue. . . . Symbols bring color and strength to language, while deepening and enriching our understandings. Symbols enable us to give conceptual form to ideas and emotions that may otherwise defy the power of words. They take us beyond words and grant us eloquence in the expression of feelings. Symbolic language conceals certain doctrinal truths from the wicked and thereby protects sacred things from possible ridicule. At the same time, symbols reveal truth to the spiritually alert.”10

How Can We Comprehend the Meaning of the Temple and Its Symbols?

Joseph Smith’s prayer at the Kirtland Temple dedication sums up the idea of the temple as a place of learning: “That all those who shall worship in this house . . . may seek learning even by study, and also by faith” (D&C 109:14; emphasis added). Hugh Nibley, a well-known temple scholar, cites a verse from the same dedicatory prayer (D&C 109:7) and then states, “They [men and women] are to bring their brains with them [to the temple]. . . . The temple is to be a place of study and learning, a school of real mental discipline. . . . [The temple] is a house of learning. Is this a surprise? If we are supposed to be studying and teaching diligently, thinking deeply, we must have something to think about, as well as something to show for our mental effort. That is called learning.”11

There are several keys that assist us in gaining a better comprehension of the temple.

(1) The greatest and most powerful teacher is the Holy Ghost. As a member of the Godhead, He comprehends all things, including all truths pertaining to the house of the Lord. If we properly and appropriately seek for knowledge regarding God’s temple—especially as we study, pray, and fast—the Holy Ghost will reveal truths to us, line upon line, as we are prepared to receive them. Inasmuch as each of us is “natural,” we cannot comprehend the things of God; rather the things of God are “spiritually discerned” by the power of the Holy Ghost. As Paul explained, “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:13–14).

(2) Read the words of the prophets and apostles. Beyond the power of the Holy Ghost, the best and chief sources for understanding the temple are the scriptures and our living prophets and apostles. Both ancient and modern prophets and apostles have revealed much about the temple. Elder David A. Bednar informs us, “Across the generations, from the Prophet Joseph Smith to President Russell M. Nelson, the doctrinal purposes of temple ordinances and covenants have been taught extensively by Church leaders. A rich reservoir of resources exists in print, audio, video, and other formats to help us learn about initiatory ordinances, endowments, marriages, and other sealing ordinances.”12 Why has so much been revealed regarding the temple? The Lord, through His prophets, desires for us to seek and to obtain great and significant knowledge about the temple and its ordinances.

President Russell M. Nelson emphasized the importance of scriptural study to better understand the temple: “Spiritual preparation is enhanced by study. I like to recommend that members going to the temple for the first time read short explanatory paragraphs in the Bible Dictionary, listed under seven topics: ‘Anoint,’ ‘Atonement,’ ‘Christ,’ ‘Covenant,’ ‘Fall of Adam,’ ‘Sacrifices,’ and ‘Temple.’ Doing so will provide a firm foundation.

“One may also read in the Old Testament and the books of Moses and Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price. Such a review of ancient scripture is even more enlightening after one is familiar with the temple endowment. Those books underscore the antiquity of temple work.”13

Here are two brief examples of how our prophets have provided straightforward understandings of the temple. Doctrine and Covenants 128:13 explains the symbolism of the baptismal font: “The baptismal font was instituted as a similitude of the grave.” And a second example: Elder Jeffrey R. Holland teaches regarding the symbolism of the temple priests; each righteous priest was no less than “a type and shadow of Christ.”14 President Russell M. Nelson has directed us to study the scriptures in order to come to a better understanding of the temple. This present volume cites literally hundreds of scriptures and writings from our modern prophets and apostles.

The study of scriptural symbols, when properly conducted, provides provable and verifiable results. Comprehending symbols is not a haphazard procedure; therefore, this book uses the scriptures and the teachings of God’s prophets to interpret numerous symbols and vital understandings of the temple and its meaning. God did not provide us with magnificent temples and significant ordinances only for us to dwell in the dark, without giving us comprehension! All worthy women and men can thus enter the Lord’s house and learn the meaning of sacred symbols.

(3) “My ways are higher than your ways,” saith the Lord. If we have difficulty comprehending the temple, perhaps we should remember that God’s “thoughts” and “ways” are not like ours. Isaiah 55:8–9 states, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God knows all and comprehends all things; He knows what is best for us and He comprehends the optimal way to instruct us concerning sacred things. Many of us cannot even understand ourselves or our immediate environment, let alone the sacred things of God, such as His temple. So we must rely on God and His way of teaching.

(4) “Lean not unto thine own understanding.” With regard to the temple and its sacred symbols (and with all things), we must heed the counsel to “trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Prov. 3:5; emphasis added). Many of us attempt to make sense of the temple by leaning on our own understanding; this approach fails us because our understanding is minuscule, at best.

We are reminded that some of Jesus Christ’s mortal contemporaries erroneously thought that He was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another of the prophets (see Matt. 16:13–17). This is because they relied on “flesh and blood” for their knowledge. Peter, however, knew that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” because “Father which is in heaven” revealed it to him (Matt. 16:13–17). We cannot rely on flesh and blood, or other mortals, for sacred knowledge about the temple; rather, we must learn from God Himself, or from His prophets and apostles, to whom God reveals so many significant, sacred truths.

(5) Do not superimpose our cultural understandings on the temple and its sacred rituals. The temple and its sacred ordinances are ancient, hearkening back to Adam and Eve. Because ancient practices and cultures are difficult for us to understand (including the ancient temple and its ordinances), it may be tempting for us to superimpose our modern cultural understandings on the temple and its sacred rituals. This is called presentism, which is “the tendency to interpret past events in terms of modern values and concepts.”15 Our culture is exorbitantly different and greatly detached from God’s ancient order of temple truths and rituals. Many of the components that make up our culture—mass media, cinema, cuisine, fashion and dress, sports, social habits, arts, music, languages and dialects, governments and politics, automobiles and commuting, commercialism, literature, architecture, and technology—can easily misdirect us or even disconnect us from comprehending ancient temple rituals.

That is not to say that our modern cultural components are bad or evil. They are not. In fact, many of these things (modern transportation systems, technology, etc.) are God-given in order for us to build His kingdom in marvelous ways. But these components provide a dilemma—on the one hand, we can use them to build God’s kingdom; but on the other hand, they are so much a part of us that we may try to understand God’s ancient temple ceremonies through the lens of prominent aspects of our culture, thus resulting in a lack of understanding regarding the meaning of the temple. In sum, our own presuppositions and cultural environment may hinder us as we seek to comprehend God’s temples and rituals.

(6) Attend the temple often. Temple attendees learn line upon line, through study, experience, and the power of the Holy Ghost. For men and women who attend the temple often, line-upon-line learning is accelerated. Here are two extraordinary and powerful examples of frequent temple attenders:

My niece Maylyn attended the temple on a weekly basis from twelve years old to the time that she graduated from high school. She writes,

When I was twelve years old, I set a goal to go to the temple every week to do baptisms for the dead. We were blessed to have a temple in the city next to ours, and my parents drove me whenever they could. I was usually able to find a ride to the temple, but sometimes I would go without knowing how I would get home. Once I got out of the temple, I would call an older sibling or a neighbor to drive me home. I was able to go every week from the time I was twelve until I graduated from high school.

Five things I learned in the temple:

• There were times I could have made a bad decision, but I thought about my temple recommend and found the strength to make a better choice.

• As a teenager it was easy to just think about my current day at school, my friends, or the upcoming weekend. Sitting in the reverence of the temple, I was able to think of my future and the things of eternity.

• It helped me grow closer to Christ and feel His love for me. In a world where Satan is trying to conquer the hearts of men, this is a precious gift.

• The temple helped me to know that I could make a goal and keep it. It took discipline for me to arrange my busy schedule to include the temple, but although some people might consider it as a sacrifice of time, I never felt that my visits to the temple took away from the other areas in my life.

• Often I would go at times of the day where I was the only patron in the baptistry. Being able to sit in the quiet, peaceful temple helped me disengage from the chaos of the world, and I was able to keep that peace with me when I left.

I am now happily married in the temple and I have two beautiful little boys. I look forward to teaching them about the blessings of the temple!

My nephew Alan frequently attends the temple. By the time he was twenty-six years old, he had participated in 551 endowments! This is not a typo. Owing to his frequent attendance, his comprehension and testimony of the temple is remarkable. In fact, his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ is unshakable. Inasmuch as Alan often attends the temple, he has gained great understanding concerning the meaning of the temple and its symbols.

In the end, even after much diligent study and application of these keys, we lack knowledge as to the meanings of some of the symbols associated with the temple; their meaning either escapes us or has not yet been revealed. Further complicating matters, many items that are associated with temples, especially architectural components, are decorative and have no direct symbolism attached to them.

Proper Understanding “Will Immeasurably Help”

“Parents should teach the importance of the temple from a child’s earliest days,” President Russell M. Nelson stated.16 Sarah Dunkley Benson did exactly that—taught her son Ezra Taft the importance of the temple. President Ezra Taft Benson recalled, as a young boy in Whitney, Idaho, watching his mother iron her temple clothes. “I can still see her in my mind’s eye bending over the ironing board with newspapers on the floor, ironing long strips of white cloth, with beads of perspiration on her forehead. When I asked her what she was doing, she said, ‘These are temple robes, my son. Your father and I are going to the temple at Logan.’

“Then she put the old flatiron on the stove, drew a chair close to mine, and told me about temple work—how important it is to be able to go to the temple and participate in the sacred ordinances performed there. She also expressed her fervent hope that some day her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren would have the opportunity to enjoy these priceless blessings.”

President Benson then explained that, owing to the sacred nature of the temple, “We are sometimes reluctant to say anything about the temple to our children and grandchildren.” Consequently, many people “do not develop a real desire to go to the temple, or when they go there, they do so without much background to prepare them for the obligations and covenants they enter into.” President Benson then provided us with these important words: “I believe a proper understanding or background will immeasurably help prepare our youth for the temple. This understanding, I believe, will foster within them a desire to seek their priesthood blessings just as Abraham sought his.”17

“Mighty Realities for Which the Symbols Stand”

As important as symbols are, they should never overwhelm us and detract from the power of the actual ordinance itself. Nor should we allow the symbols to replace the power of the Holy Spirit that we feel as we worship the Lord! And symbols should not supersede our manifold revelatory experiences as we seek the Lord’s blessings in His holy house. For example, the essential ordinance of baptism (and baptism for the dead) is associated with several symbols, but these symbols should not distract us from the power of Jesus Christ’s Atonement to remit our sins and to cleanse us from all categories of filth.

Another example: the statue of the angel Moroni is an imposing symbol that stands on numerous temples. Over many years and decades, millions of persons have viewed one or more of these statues. How many, for instance, have viewed the Moroni statue on the Salt Lake Temple? And how many freeway drivers on Interstate 495 have viewed the Moroni statue on the Washington D.C. Temple as they have commuted and traveled on that passageway? And yet, as visible as the statue of Moroni is in many lands and territories throughout the world, it is far less significant than the actual man Moroni who appeared to Joseph Smith and revealed many truths and doctrines, including the magnificent Book of Mormon.

Elder John A. Widtsoe articulated, “We live in a world of symbols. No man or woman can come out of the temple endowed as he should be, unless he has seen, beyond the symbol, the mighty realities for which the symbols stand.”18 Stated differently, the temple ordinances themselves are more consequential than are the symbols that are attached to the ordinances. So, too, the power of the Spirit and the blessings of prayer and revelation in the Lord’s temples are spiritually powerful, while symbols are designed to serve as instructional devices.

The Temple Is of Paramount Importance

When God’s prophets make statements like the following, we become aware of how vital the temple and its ordinances are to us:

So essential are temples that God has “always commanded” His covenant people to build them (D&C 124:39); this means that each and every dispensation of the gospel has had temples, or the equivalent of temples, which includes mountains and mountaintops. And as a reminder of the great import of temples, in our own dispensation, the Saints built two temples (Kirtland and Nauvoo) and planned a third (Salt Lake City) before the first chapels were constructed.

At the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple dedication, then-Elder Boyd K. Packer spoke of the paramount import of the temple: “If the outside knew about what was happening here, the cars would stop, planes would not take off, and people would gather to see what the Lord hath wrought. This work we have a part in; it is cause for great rejoicing.”25 Another Apostle, Elder George Q. Cannon, stated that to the early Latter-day Saints, the temple and its sacred blessings “were valued beyond price.” He then explained that an individual “that could go in and get his [or her] endowments was looked upon as though he [or she] had received some extraordinary blessing—something akin to that which the angels received—and it was estimated and valued in that way.”26

Brigham Young underscored the temple’s importance when he declared, “We never began to build a temple without the bells of hell beginning to ring.” Regarding both the Kirtland and Nauvoo Temples, Brigham asked, “Did not the bells of hell toll all the time we were building them?” He then responded, “They did, every week and every day.” And when the Saints were building the Salt Lake Temple, Brigham Young predicted, “All the tribes of hell will be on the move, if we uncover the walls of this [the Salt Lake] temple.” During this same discourse, Brigham added these words: “I want to hear them [the bells of hell] ring again.”27

Not only did Brigham Young speak concerning the importance of the temple, but his very actions served as a testimony of the temple’s spiritual prominence. As the Saints were preparing, under great duress and persecution, to leave Nauvoo for their journey west, President Brigham Young labored night and day in the temple in order to provide the Saints with the blessings of the temple. On one certain day he wrote, “One hundred and forty-three persons received their endowments in the Temple. . . . Such has been the anxiety manifested by the saints to receive the ordinances [of the Temple], and such the anxiety on our part to administer to them, that I have given myself up entirely to the work of the Lord in the Temple night and day, not taking more than four hours sleep, upon an average, per day, and going home but once a week.”28

Just days after the pioneer Saints arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, Brigham Young announced that a temple would be built in what would later be known as Salt Lake City. This despite the fact that the pioneers were exhausted and in need of food, shelter, and long-term sustenance; and this notwithstanding the truth that the Saints had built two temples (Kirtland and Nauvoo) during the past decade or so and had been required to abandon both as they fled from abusers and persecutors.

In the coming decades, the Saints would build and dedicate four temples in Utah—St. George (dedicated 1877), Logan (dedicated 1884), Manti (dedicated 1888), and Salt Lake (dedicated 1893). Brigham Young would live to see one of them built; on January 1, 1877, Brigham Young, in the presence of a congregation of Saints, presided over the dedication of the St. George Temple; however, before the dedication, his legs were “so weak that he had to be carried into the room in a chair.” Then, when addressing the congregation, he expressed, “We enjoy privileges that are enjoyed by no one else on the face of the earth. . . . When I think upon this subject, I want the tongue of seven thunders to wake up the people.”29

And so the building of temples has continued, decade after decade, and now there are hundreds of temples on the face of the earth. In point of fact, “This is the greatest era of temple building in all the history of the world.”30 Each and every temple stands as a testimony that God’s work will continue upon the earth; moreover, “Every foundation stone that is laid for a Temple, and every Temple completed,” states George Q. Cannon, “lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness.”31

Seven Doctrines Focused on Jesus Christ

Jesus commanded us, “Look unto me in every thought” (D&C 6:36), and that is what we must do. Also, “We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Ne. 25:26). The following seven essential doctrines, all of which pertain to Jesus Christ, help us to build a foundation that will assist us in gaining a better comprehension of the temple and its symbols. The first item is from the prophet of the Restoration of the gospel, Joseph Smith, and the second is from our present prophet and seer, Russell M. Nelson.

(1) Jesus Christ is the focal point of our religion. Joseph Smith taught this important truth: “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”32

(2) The temple is Jesus Christ–focused. President Russell M. Nelson summarized, “The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant—the heart of the plan of salvation—is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house. Our efforts to proclaim the gospel, perfect the Saints, and redeem the dead all lead to the temple.”33

(3) All ordinances, including those of the temple, testify of Jesus Christ. The “ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his order, or it being his order, and this that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins” (Alma 13:16; emphasis added). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland wrote, “The temple is His house, and He should be uppermost in our minds and hearts—the majestic doctrine of Christ pervading our very being just as it pervades the temple ordinances—from the time we read the inscription over the front door to the very last moment we spend in the building. Amid all the wonder we encounter, we are to see, above all else, the meaning of Jesus in the temple.”34

(4) All prophets—ancient and modern—testify of Christ. All of the Lord’s prophets—past and present—have testified of Jesus Christ; Jacob testified, “None of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ” (Jacob 7:11). Another ancient witness adds support to Jacob’s testimony: “To him [Christ] give all the prophets witness” (Acts 10:43; see also Jacob 4:4; Mosiah 13:33–35; Hel. 8:14, 16, 19, 22; 3 Ne. 11:9–10; Luke 24:27).

(5) “All things bear record” of Jesus Christ. “All things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me” (Moses 6:63; emphasis added). To this passage we add 2 Nephi 11:4: “All things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him [Christ]” (see also Alma 34:14). Elder Bruce R. McConkie expressed, “It is wholesome and proper to look for similitudes of Christ everywhere and to use them repeatedly in keeping him and his laws uppermost in our minds.”35 These words also pertain to the temple.

(6) The law of Moses (including the laws pertaining to the temple) testify of Jesus Christ. All components and every aspect of the law of Moses testified of Jesus Christ (see Gal. 3:24; Jacob 4:5; Mosiah 13:31; Alma 34:13–14; Jarom 1:11), including its regulations, directives, ordinances, temple rituals, system of sacrifices, feasts, and festivals. The law of Moses encouraged Israelites to “look forward to the coming of Christ, considering that the law of Moses was a type of his coming” (Alma 25:15).

(7) There are numerous symbols, types, and shadows of Jesus Christ! John Taylor explained that there are “so many types, shadows and forms of which [Jesus] was the great prototype.”36

Vital Truths Regarding Women and the Temple

The Old Testament sometimes focuses attention on the role of males in ancient Israelite temples, especially high priests, priests, and Levites. This focus sometimes creates misunderstandings, in our day, regarding the status of females in ancient temples; and too, occasionally we lack a clear comprehension regarding women in our modern temples. In recent years, however, a number of individuals have clarified many sacred truths regarding the elevated and significant position of women in Latter-day Saint temples. “All worthy members who have received their endowment and keep the covenants they have made in the temple have priesthood power,” wrote Barbara Gardner, an associate professor of Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young University. “Thus, women, married or single, can have priesthood power in their homes regardless of a visit from a priesthood holder.”37

Sheri Dew, a former Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency and author of Women and the Priesthood, wrote, “What does it mean to have access to priesthood power for our own lives? It means that we can receive revelation, be blessed and aided by the ministering of angels, learn to part the veil that separates us from our Heavenly Father, be strengthened to resist temptation, be protected, and be enlightened and made smarter than we are—all without any mortal intermediary.”38

The temple endowment provides powerful teachings regarding the ennobled position of women. Temple patrons learn about these truths, line upon line, as they take heed over the years and decades, and more significantly, as they receive instruction from the Holy Ghost, who confirms in our hearts and minds the honored standing of women in God’s kingdom.

During a devotional address, President M. Russell Ballard provided several foundational truths that aid us in comprehending the significant status of women: “When men and women go to the temple, they are both endowed with the same power, which by definition is priesthood power. While the authority of the priesthood is directed through priesthood keys, and priesthood keys are held only by worthy men, access to the power and blessings of the priesthood is available to all of God’s children. . . .

“The endowment is literally a gift of power. All who enter the house of the Lord officiate in the ordinances of the priesthood. This applies to men and women alike.

“Our Father in Heaven is generous with His power. All men and all women have access to this power for help in our own lives. All who have made sacred covenants with the Lord and who honor those covenants are eligible to receive personal revelation, to be blessed by the ministering of angels, to commune with God, to receive the fulness of the gospel, and, ultimately, to become heirs alongside Jesus Christ of all our Father has.”39

During general conference in April 2014, President Dallin H. Oaks added greatly to our understanding of women and the priesthood: “We are not accustomed to speaking of women having the authority of the priesthood in their Church callings, but what other authority can it be? When a woman—young or old—is set apart to preach the gospel as a full-time missionary, she is given priesthood authority to perform a priesthood function. The same is true when a woman is set apart to function as an officer or teacher in a Church organization under the direction of one who holds the keys of the priesthood. Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in performing her or his assigned duties.”40

Beyond these teachings regarding women, there are several visual, but unspoken, particulars in the temple that also make us aware of the equality of God’s daughters and sons. Some of these have been identified by President Nelson: “In the temple, all are dressed in spotless white. . . . Through a democracy of dress, temple attendance reminds us that ‘God is no respecter of persons.’”

President Nelson continues, “Age, nationality, language—even position in the Church—are of secondary significance.” No preference is given to individuals from specific nations, no priority awarded to particular languages. Age does not matter! Young and old alike are equal. President Nelson’s next point is yet another remarkable insight: “I have attended many endowment sessions when the President of the Church participated. Every man in the room was accorded the same high regard that was extended to the President.” Men and women, regardless of their ecclesiastical status, all receive the same instructions during the endowment and are equal in the Lord’s house.

President Nelson then writes: “All sit side by side and are considered equal in the eyes of the Lord.”41 During the endowment, there are no hierarchical seating arrangements and there is no podium for ecclesiastical leaders. Females and males are fully equal. And then, at the conclusion of the endowment, males and females have equal access to the celestial room, which signifies the celestial kingdom.

The Temple Constitutes Evidence that Joseph Smith Was God’s Prophet and Seer

There exists a number of evidences that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God; these include the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and other scriptures, the restoration of various ordinances (including baptism and the sacrament), the building of God’s temples, and much more. When Joseph Smith restored the doctrines of the temple, he reinstituted more than two dozen prominent features that also belonged to ancient temples. These will be set forth in the entry “Joseph Smith: Restorer of the Ancient Temple.”

Beyond these various evidences, we can join President James E. Faust, who made this important claim: “Each temple that stands today is a vindication of Joseph and Hyrum Smith and a triumph for them and all of our people who suffered the destruction, the beatings, and the murders at the hands of the cruel tyrants in the mobs who drove our people west.”42

Why Study Ancient Temples?

The 175 entries in this volume pertain to both ancient and modern temples. Why does this volume deal with ancient temples, when we live in the age of modern temples? Because there are many close correspondences between ancient and modern temples, and virtually all aspects of ancient temples enhance our understanding of modern temples. As women and men seek to comprehend their own temple experience, they can glean scores of truths about the temple from the Old and New Testaments and other ancient scriptures. Both ancient and modern temples, therefore, are relevant to each of us.

I have been closely involved with two separate, full-sized replicas of the tabernacle of Moses. Each of these replicas (erected and assembled in various cities throughout the United States) have positively impacted thousands of individuals who received a guided tour and witnessed explanations of the tabernacle, its various components, and its powerful symbolism and meanings. I refer to these two replicas in order to demonstrate how the ancient temple impacts our understanding of modern temples. Furthermore, the following two examples (both of which are associated with the tabernacle replicas) serve to reveal the importance of studying ancient temples:

Example #1: In 2016, Jason Kotter (then the Young Men president of a stake in Meridian, Idaho) led a team of sisters and brothers who built a full-size replica of the tabernacle of Moses in New Meadows, Idaho, which included the courtyard curtains and gate, the tabernacle structure with its two veils, the altars of sacrifice and incense, the menorah, the table of shewbread, and the ark of the covenant. (I personally toured this tabernacle multiple times, and it is an extremely impressive replica! In fact, the entire tabernacle experience has greatly impacted me in numerous ways.) In August of that year, the replica tabernacle and its components became a massive object lesson for the youth of that stake! The youth stood around the altar of sacrifice (a life-sized replica) and learned the six actions that belonged to every sacrifice under the law of Moses; they stood in the holy place and viewed life-size replicas of the menorah, table of shewbread, and altar of incense. They passed through the beautiful veil of the tabernacle into the Holy of Holies and saw the ark of the covenant. Most importantly, the youth learned the many ways that the ancient tabernacle was a Jesus Christ–focused institution.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, when the same tabernacle was erected in Meridian, Idaho. Now the youth were taking their parents and other adults through the tabernacle, and now they were the instructors. Jason Kotter wrote to me concerning this event: “On Saturday we witnessed a miracle as eight young men took 1,550 people through the tabernacle. It was powerful to see these young men as they testified of Jesus Christ, His role as the Redeemer, and the tender feelings they have developed over the past month. . . . I can’t begin to tell you how many parents approached me with tears in their eyes expressing gratitude for [the tabernacle experience]. Many of them shared stories about their young men and how they have changed. We had all the young men giving/attending tours in white shirts and ties. It was so powerful to see these young men as they took the stake through the tabernacle. Every group that met with us after the tour made the same comment, they couldn’t believe the way the youth had taught and testified.”43

I have had several other follow-up communications with Brother Kotter concerning this tabernacle experience. He is now the stake president of that same stake, and he informs me that this experience served to prepare his youth for their own endowments, as they entered our latter-day temples, and also that the tabernacle experience strengthened the understanding of seasoned, mature temple patrons.

Example #2: In 2016, President Rick Johnson directed his stake (the Huntington Beach Stake in Southern California) as they also created a life-size replica of the tabernacle of Moses. Similar to the one in Idaho, this tabernacle in California also included the tabernacle structure with all of its appurtenances; and like the tabernacle in Idaho, this tabernacle was extraordinary in its scope and appearance. Furthermore, Sister Julie Carr had recreated life-size sacred vestments of the high priest, according to the description in Exodus 28 and elsewhere. In a private communication, President Johnson explained to me that his stake had created the replica of the tabernacle of Moses “to help our youth better understand the priesthood, temple, and to help them develop a great sense of the sacred. After the event we found they learned much, much more. The symbolism and parallels to our modern-day temples is very instructive and insightful.” President Johnson also wrote, “Prior to our youth’s tabernacle experience it was not uncommon for me to have youth going through the temple for the first time feel overwhelmed and unsure.” But after the tabernacle experience, President Johnson states, “I often ask the members who are going through the temple for the first time what one thing helped prepare you the most for the temple. The answer is always the ‘tabernacle experience.’”

President Johnson referred to one particular experience he’d had with a husband and wife: “I was interviewing a couple who hadn’t had a temple recommend for years. As I sat down with them individually I asked why they hadn’t been attending the temple. They reported that their first temple experience overwhelmed them because they didn’t understand the experience. When I asked what changed, they reported that the tabernacle tour changed their thinking. They had spent time during the tour reviewing the sacred clothing [of the ancient high priest, as presented on a mannequin]. As they learned the history and the ‘why’ for sacred clothing, they understood their own temple experience and the importance of the sacred clothing. The experience at the tour caused them to rethink their experience and they wanted to get back to the temple to enjoy the blessings of the temple.” President Johnson concluded with this reflection: “I will always be grateful for the many known and unknown blessings from the tabernacle experience. The Old Testament now means much more to me and our members as they understand the tabernacle, which was an Aaronic Priesthood temple. . . . I am now sending members to the temple better prepared for their experience and they are able to understand what is happening and why. Instead of being distracted by the clothing, they can focus on the covenants they make, and the clothing supports and reinforces those covenants.”44

Some Personal Items

It is my testimony that by carefully studying scriptural texts, we heighten and magnify our understanding of the temple and its powerful symbols. Many years ago, I was a young missionary receiving instruction in Salt Lake City before departing to my assigned mission. On June 12, I arose at 5:00 a.m. and arrived at the Salt Lake Temple for a 6:00 endowment session. After the session, a large group of us met in the assembly room of the temple. There was a total of 295 of us, all inexperienced and spiritually unseasoned. We sat together, still dressed in white clothing. It was our rare opportunity and privilege to hear from President Harold B. Lee; after speaking to us, he invited us to ask questions. I do not remember any specific question, but I vividly recall that he answered most of the questions from the scriptures. After receiving a question from a missionary, he would respond by saying something like, “The answer to that question is found in [such and such book of scripture].” He would turn to that passage and read it, and then make some comments. This teaching procedure went on for a period of time. I concluded at that time that most of the questions that we ask about the temple and the endowment are found in the scriptures.

During this same sacred occasion, I recall one elder asking something like, “How often does Christ visit the temple?”

President Lee responded, “How do we know He is not here right now?” Everyone was completely quiet. Then he continued, “There are 295 missionaries here to preach the gospel [suggesting that the Lord is very interested in His missionaries and their sacred work]. When He comes to the earth, He comes to this temple.” Even then, in my ignorance, I knew that President Lee’s response was highly significant and consequential!

Now, decades later, I teach a three-credit course at Brigham Young University that deals with Ancient Near Eastern “Texts and Temples.” The main objective of this course is to gain an understanding and appreciation of ancient temples with regard to their significance in the religious landscapes of the Ancient Near East and world of the Bible. We deal, of course, with only topics that are appropriate to discuss.

For this course, we spend about forty hours in the classroom and then the students spend dozens more hours outside of the classroom as they conduct research and write papers. Because of this class and because of other opportunities to teach about ancient temples, I am regularly asked, “What is the best book that will help me to understand the temple?” My response is simple and to the point: “The scriptures.”

Temple architect Truman O. Angell related a very important item to John Taylor regarding how President Brigham Young selected some of the symbols that belong to the Salt Lake Temple. Angell’s words were brief: Brigham Young chose many of the temple’s symbols “after [an] intense study of scripture, particularly [the] Old Testament.”45 This accords with President Russell M. Nelson’s statement, cited previously, that we should search the Old Testament and other scriptures to enhance our understanding of the temple.46

God’s Temple Ceremonies Are “Foolishness” to the World

Some individuals have considered God’s ancient rituals and ceremonies to be perplexing or perhaps a little strange. How can such strange things be from God, they ask? For example, why would God command His prophet to sprinkle animals’ blood on other people and on their clothing (see Ex. 29:21)? Some would consider this practice to be unconventional. Or why would God command His temple priests to dip a finger in animals’ blood and then to sprinkle the blood seven times (see Lev. 4:6, 17), or to ceremonially lay their hands on the heads of animals (see Lev. 1:2, 4) before the animals are sacrificed in the temple precinct; or to dip a living bird in the blood of a sacrificed bird (see Lev. 14:6–7), or to sprinkle bird’s blood on a leper that is to be cleansed (see Lev. 14:7)?

Other examples—a Nazarite shaved her/his head at the door of the tabernacle and then burned her/his hair in the sacrificial fire (see Num. 6:13–21); such a sacred practice may seem strange to those who do not know God’s ways. Or what about killing animals in the name of religion in the temple precinct, day after day, year after year? How many of our modern animal rights groups would file formal complaints against such a practice? And yet all of these ancient temple rituals are from God! He commanded His covenant people to conduct these sacred ceremonies. Therefore, who would dare to designate them strange or odd?

Another very strange or peculiar ritual (according to some individuals) pertains to the extremely intimate and personal rite of circumcision. This requires a male (including adult males) to uncover himself while another person performs a ritual action that is not only exceptionally private but also very painful. And yet this was God’s covenant, which He established with Abraham: “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child [Hebrew: “male”] among you shall be circumcised. . . . It shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. . . . My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant” (Gen. 17:10–11, 13). Some may question, why would God require such a practice and even call it a covenant?

Some of the things of God have always been foolishness to others, especially to those who lack understanding regarding spiritual things and to those who lack the power of the Holy Ghost. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:18; emphasis added); also, “But we preach Christ crucified . . . unto the Greeks foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:23). In this same epistle, Paul explained how we can comprehend God’s sacred things (which include ancient and modern temple ceremonies) so that we do not fall into the category of individuals who call God’s teachings “foolishness.” Paul gave us several key items:

“The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:11); we cannot understand the things of God unless we have the Holy Ghost.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Cor. 2:12); the world cannot give us knowledge regarding God; we can know of such things only through His Spirit.

“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth” (1 Cor. 2:13); the world’s wisdom and learning cannot teach men and women regarding God and His sacred things; only the Holy Ghost can teach us such things.

“Comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:13); we cannot compare temporal or worldly matters to spiritual things (and fully comprehend such things), rather we must compare “spiritual things with spiritual.”

In sum, as long as we attempt to comprehend God’s teachings, covenants, and temple rituals through our own learning and cultural norms, such teachings will remain foolishness to us. We need the Holy Ghost (and God’s prophets, who teach by the Holy Ghost) to teach us, because such things are “spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).

Special Note: The book’s title, 175 Temple Symbols and Their Meanings, suggests that each of the 175 entries presents a temple symbol together with its meaning. Although this is normally the case, there is an occasional entry that provides an important insight on or significance of the temple, but that entry does not necessarily introduce a symbol. For example, the entry “Angels, Communication with” contains powerful truths, but it is not directly related to a symbol. But note also that some entries contain multiple symbols, such as the entry “Baptism for the Dead,” which identifies several symbolic elements that are associated with this sacred ordinance.

A number of photos in this volume portray a life-size copy of the tabernacle of Moses, together with its various components (altars, menorah, ark of the covenant, etc.). Both the tabernacle and the components are privately owned replicas, designed to serve as instructional aids. Regarding the priests and high priests in the photos—these are models, also designed to serve as instructional aids. The models are not actual priestly figures! And the “blood” in the images (as well as other similar items) is a simple prop (i.e., artificial blood).

1. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” 33; emphasis added.

2. Bednar, “Prepared to Obtain Every Needful Thing,” 103.

3. Whitney, “Latter-day Saint Ideals and Institutions,” 861.

4. Packer, The Holy Temple, 82.

5. Packer, The Holy Temple, 38, 41.

6. Kimball, in Conference Report, April 1915, 79.

7. Scott, “Receive the Temple Blessings,” 27.

8. Woodger, “Recollections of David O. McKay’s Educational Practices,” 26.

9. Nelson, “Prepare for Blessings of the Temple,” 20; emphasis added.

10. McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 1.

11. Nibley, “A House of Glory,” 31–33.

12. Bednar, “Prepared to Obtain Every Needful Thing,” 103; emphasis added.

13. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” 33–34.

14. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, 116.

15. Apple Dictionary Version 2.2.1 (143.1).

16. Nelson, “Prepare for Blessings of the Temple,” 17.

17. Benson, “What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the Temple,” 8.

18. Widtsoe, “Temple Worship,” 62.

19. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” 32.

20. Monson, “The Holy Temple—a Beacon to the World,” 93.

21. The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, 238.

22. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, 143.

23. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, 144.

24. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 416.

25. Packer, “Temples Received with Thanks,” 6.

26. Cannon, Gospel Truth, 1:228.

27. All citations from this paragraph are from Discourses of Brigham Young, 410.

28. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 299.

29. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 299.

30. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 629.

31. Cannon, “Logan Temple,” 743.

32. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 49.

33. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” 32.

34. Holland, “The Message, the Meaning, and the Multitude,” 7; emphasis added.

35. McConkie, The Promised Messiah, 453.

36. Taylor, Mediation and Atonement, 124.

37. Gardner, “Connecting Daughters of God with His Priesthood Power,” 33.

38. Dew, Women and the Priesthood, 125.

39. Ballard, “Let Us Think Straight,” speeches.byu.edu; emphasis added. Portions of this speech were published in Ballard, “Men and Women and Priesthood Power,” 32.

40. Oaks, “Keys and Authority of the Priesthood,” 51.

41. Nelson, “Prepare for Blessings of the Temple,” 45.

42. Faust, “Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord?” 2.

43. Jason Kotter, Personal Correspondence, September 3, 2015.

44. Rick Johnson, Personal Correspondence, June 1, 2018.

45. Letter from Truman O. Angell, Sr., to President John Taylor. John Taylor Letter File, LDS Church Archives, 29 April 1886.

46. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” 33–34.