LDS Keys to Prophecy

8/9/2019 LDS Keys to Prophecy

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The Keys to Prophecy 1: An Introduction

Thanks to modern revelation, Mormons understand quite well what the prophets taught.The gospel has been made very plain due to the restoration and the ministering of modern

prophets.

But there is one exception to that rule: prophecy.

t seems that the imagery of prophecy is still, to a great extent, an enigma to us. !isions

such as those of "ohn in Revelation, Daniel , Ezekiel and Isaiah # $ust to name a few #are loaded with symbolism that mystifies us.

%ven some of "oseph &mith's prophecies have these same, symbolic features. &ections ((and )** of +octrine and ovenants are a case in point.

The fact that "oseph &mith used imagery consistent with that of the ancient prophets is a

powerful verification of his calling as a prophet, but it still does little to help us interpretthe mystifying symbolism of prophecy # either ancient or modern.

There has been no shortage of those who claim to have the answers to prophecy. - wholehost of books attest to the sad fact that anyone's guess is as good as another's. - survey of

the multitude of present offerings suggests that very nearly all of it is guesswork and

hunches, since none of it actually gives the reader the tools to interpret prophecy. %achinterpretation depends on its founder's own approach.

f course, anyone can open the scriptures, turn to a prophetic passage and ha/ard a guessat the meaning of the inspired imagery found there. -nd many do.

0arning of this very practice, 1eter wrote, 23o prophecy of the scripture is of private

interpretation.2

n fact, such guessing is at the heart of the confusion that reigns in hristendom where

prophecy is concerned. The would4be interpreters either avoid the most mysteriousimagery, or they try to interpret it by turning to speculation.

The basic, underlying supposition of most analysts is that the ld Testament prophets,upon seeing our technologically advanced world in vision, were at a loss for words.

5ence, they turned to imagery to describe what they saw in revelations. 6or example, an

atomic bomb became 2a pillar of fire and smoke,2 or an attack helicopter firing missiles became 2locusts2 with 2stings in their tails.2

5owever, research suggests that the prophets were using traditional imagery of their time,

talking about natural events of which we know little or nothing. 0e7ll see that we areoblivious to the the things that they took for granted.

Most damaging is that modern expositors' interpretations take to be literal what was



meant to be imagery and metaphor. ontrarily, they also resort to the opposite device,

making symbolic what was meant to be literal. Thus, they almost entirely sabotage the

original meaning of the prophets' words.

0hat analysts universally fail to see is that there are numerous hints # 8keys' if you will

# found in the scriptures, modern revelation and ancient history that all move us closerto understanding prophecy. By letting the prophets speak for themselves, rather than

7interpreting7 their words, we discover those keys.

There are hints everywhere in ancient cultures that the images of scriptural prophecy

were customary, traditional images, common to all early peoples. Thus, the study of

ancient iconography or symbolism becomes an invaluable interpretive tool in our quest to

discern the meaning of prophetic imagery.

This article is the introduction to a series that identifies and explains the various keys to

prophecy. &ome are found in scripture, some in the words of modern prophets, some in

science and some in comparative mythology. &ingly, they are curiously insightful9 $ointly,they make a powerful case for a truly novel method of interpreting prophecy.

ike fitting the pieces into a pu//le, each key adds a little to our understanding of

prophecy, making the picture more complete. 0hen all the pieces are in place, we see the

big picture. They produce a comprehensive explanation of prophetic symbolism. Theymake prophecy plain and understandable for anyone.

5ence, "oseph &mith's statement, 2;evelation is one of the plainest books <od ever cause

to be written.2

n subsequent installments in this series we will carefully search out and examine each of

these clues as we unravel the mysteries of prophecy. But what may be even more excitingand enlightening is that this quest will also allow us to better understand all the ancient

imagery found in the Bible and even in modern revelation. t will explain otherwise

enigmatic statements by "oseph &mith and other modern prophets since his time #statements that have been neglected or dismissed by many +& scholars because of their

seeming irrelevance or lack of substantiation.

&till more remarkable is the discovery that this analysis will reveal uncommonknowledge about temples ancient and modern # from the icons that adorn their exteriors

and interiors to the very purpose of the rituals enacted within and what they are meant to

teach us.

t will also explain "oseph &mith's interest in things %gyptian and the revelations, such as

the book of -braham, which came from that study.

&o, as it turns out, this effort is fundamentally about understanding the gospel itself rather

than $ust the narrow confines of prophecy. ndeed, this study will lead us to understand

more clearly even the first principles and ordinances of the gospel, the very foundations



of our faith.

nly a study of correct principles could have such sweeping and profound implicationsand ramifications.

= -nthony %. arson, >??@

The Keys to Prophecy 2: Joseph Smith's Marvelous Key

The first and perhaps most crucial key to prophecy was revealed in this dispensation by"oseph &mith when he spoke on the sub$ect of scriptural imagery.

2The prophets do not declare that they saw a beast or beasts, but that they saw the imageor figure of a beast. +aniel did not see an actual bear or a lion, but the images or figures

of those beasts. The translation should have been rendered 7image7 instead of 7beast,7 inevery instance where beasts are mentioned by the prophets.2 A5istory of the hurch, p.*@*.

"oseph's use of the term 2image2 makes his meaning clear. &imilar terms used by today'sscholars are 2icon,2 or 2symbol.2 n this context, all three words mean the same thing.

That is, the images they saw were icons, not representations or pictures of the actual

animals or creatures. ;ather, what they saw were substitutes for the animals or beasts

named.

-n example of these 2beasts2 from +aniel, cited by "oseph &mith, may help to clarify.

2The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings C and was made stand upon the feet as aman C.2 A+aniel D:@.

5ere is that very 2image of a beast2 that conforms to +aniels description. t is a lion withwings and it stands erect. t is the mythical Babylonian 2monster2 Tiamat, which,

coincidentally, corresponds to +aniel's Babylonian era.

&o, these images "oseph referred to are the icons of ancient cultures. 20hen the prophetsspeak of seeing beasts in their visions, they mean that they saw the images, they being

types to represent certain things.2 Abid., p. *@*.

The profound importance of this bit of information becomes clear when we consider that2images2 were the very things that the ancients venerated. 0hen we look at 5ebrew,

%gyptian or Babylonian religious art, we are confronted by nothing but images andsymbols. They are everywhere in ancient cultures, overwhelming and mysterious.

Beasts aren't the only images in prophecy. 0e read of kings, stars, mountains, highways,temples, locusts and women as well, to name $ust a few. +rawing on "oseph's statement,

we can infer that all these are meant to convey meaning and not depict real creatures,



individuals or ob$ects. nstead, they are meant to symboli/e or represent cultural gods and

traditions that were well understood by the people of their era.

pen the quintessentially prophetic book of Revelation, and what leaps out at us, given

this new perspective, are some of the same images we see on the walls of ancient temples

and monuments. This is a key to scriptural iconography that almost everyone has missed,even though "oseph &mith made the connection, albeit obliquely.

6or example, in that same sermon, the prophet mentioned +aniel's vision of a four4headed beast. ne looked like a lion, another a bear and the third a leopard. The fourth he

described as a 2dreadful and terrible,2 beast with ten heads. "ohn apparently described

seeing the same beast, although his description varies slightly from +aniel's. 2-nd

stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven headsand ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of

blasphemy.2 A;evelation )*:).

6urther, "ohn also described seeing aspects of the leopard, bear and lion in his beast.A;evelation )*:>. This suggests that they were describing the same images.

-nd "ohn added this peculiar detail: 2-nd saw one of his heads as it were wounded to

death9 and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.2

A;evelation )*:*.

-stoundingly, this beast#wounded head and all#was depicted in Mesopotamian

cylinder seal art hundreds of years before "ohn and +aniel described seeing them in

vision.

5ere we see the Babylonian dragon Tiamat, clearly the archetype of "ohn's and +aniel's

beast, doing battle with Marduk. 3ote that this illustration predates "ohn and +aniel,meaning that these images were borrowed by the 5ebrew prophets.

ther examples of this link between ancient imagery and prophetic imagery are found in Ezekiel , Revelation and Abraham.

%/ekiel also saw a creature with four heads, listed as that of a man, a lion, an ox and an

eagle. A%/ekiel ):)?. "ohn listed the four as well as a man, a lion, a calf and an eagle.A;evelation @:E, D.

Most stunning of all to atter4day &aints is that these same four FbeastsG can be seen in6acsimile 3o. ) in the 1earl of <reat 1rice, where "oseph describes them as 2idolatrous

gods,2 further confirming our thesis.

&ome beasts of prophecy are virtually identical to the four images on %gyptian funerary

$ars, seen here beneath the couch on the "oseph &mith papyri.



0e tend to think of scriptural imagery as unique, something completely separate and

apart from that of other cultures and religions. But the above examples, and many more

like them, amply demonstrate that this is not so.

The prophets' sacred imagery drew its symbolism from the same sources as the idolatrous

imagery of the pagans, hence the conspicuous similarities between mythological imageryand scriptural imagery.

-s it turns out, we have been repeatedly exposed to these images. 0e simply failed torecogni/e them in the scriptures because our mindset told us they were images of things

from the future, not the past.

Thus, we see that while the visions of the prophets may have been about the future, theimagery they employed was already ancient in their day.

&o it is that we must first look backward in time to learn the meaning of those ancient

symbols before we can properly attempt to interpret their use in visions of future events.

This is likely what 1eter meant when he wrote, 20e have also a more sure word of prophecy C.2 A> 1eter ):)H. That is to say, the images of prophecy were well established

and understood in his day. Then, for clarity, he added, 2Inowing this first, that no

prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.2 A> 1eter ):>?. n other words,guessing # the preferred method of modern interpreters # is out.

f course, to know the meaning of these symbols, 2Cthey being types to represent

certain things,2 as "oseph said, we must learn their source and what they meant to thosewho held them sacred.


The Keys to Prophecy 3: The Prophets' an!ua!e

The bi/arre and mystifying images employed by the prophets # by all ancient cultures,

in fact # are derived from one common source: the heavens of antiquity. 0e have onlyto look at 5ebrew history to determine this, though it is universally true of ancient

cultures.

srael strayed into the same practices as their neighbors, though their prophets strovemightily to curb that idolatry.

2-nd they left all the commandments of the ord their <od, and made them molten

images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and

served Baal.2 A> Iings )D:)E, italics added.

Iing "osiah attempted to 2put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of "udah had



ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of "udah, and in the places round

about "erusalem9 them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon,

and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.2 Aibid. >*:J, italics added.

learly this 2host2 or group was not comprised of <od and his angels, and the heaven

spoken of is not <od7s residence. The prophets referred to astral or cosmological bodies,as is specifically stated: the sun, moon, planets and stars. -nd the heaven spoken of is the

vault of the sky over the %arth where all such astral bodies reside. This concept is key to

understanding the meaning of the prophets.

1ay particular attention to the fact that planets are listed, along with the sun and the

moon, among the things designated as the 2host of heaven.2 3ote that calves, cows and

bulls were intrinsic symbols employed in their worship and the implication longrecogni/ed by scholars that Baal was an astral or cosmological deity.

ikewise, illustrations of the %gyptian goddess 5athor always depict her either as a cow

with what is called a 2sun disk2 between her horns or as a queen wearing a disk and hornson her head.

n fact, it was the worship of astral images that the ord, speaking through Moses,

condemned 2C lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and

the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them,and serve them C.2 A+euteronomy @:)H.

&o, the sraelites worshipped the stars and the planets in identical fashion to their

neighbors the Babylonians, the -ssyrians and the %gyptians. &cholars who studyantiquity have long asserted this.

"oseph &mith, too, emphasi/ed that the %gyptians' gods represented 2planets2 and 2stars2when he produced his explanations of his %gyptian papyri. t is no great leap of logic,

therefore, to assume that the language of the prophets, immersed in sraelite culture,

reflected that astral worship # reverence for the stars, moon, sun and planets # eventhough they condemned the practices associated with it.

&o it is that when we turn to the scriptures, we see an abundance of such cosmological

imagery in prophetic declarations # especially those concerning the last days. Tellingly,the same imagery can be found in other biblical pronouncements, illuminating their

origins for us.

et's look at $ust one example.

2-nd there appeared a great wonder in heaven9 a woman clothed with the sun, and themoon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.2 A;evelation )>:).

This 7woman,7 described by "ohn, is the same 7woman7 worshipped by the idolatrous

sraelites, their Kueen of 5eaven.



2But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn

incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we havedone, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of "udah, and in the

streets of "erusalem C.2 A"eremiah @@:)D.

&umerians also called their sky goddess, nanna, the 2Kueen of 5eaven.2 &he was the

Babylonians' shtar, the -ssyrians' -starte and the %gyptians' 5athor A-thyr, sis, or

&ekhmet.

f particular importance is that the very names of this goddess, -starte, shtar and -thyr

Athe 8s' is aspirated, have the same root as our word 8star,' betraying their astral origin.

They were all 7star7 goddesses.

More familiar names for the same star goddess would include the <reek -phrodite,

-thena, and -rtemis, or the atin !enus, Minerva, and +iana.

-s we learned in the previous installment in this series, "oseph &mith indicated that such

symbols are representations. 20hen the prophets speak of seeing beasts La woman in thiscase in their visions, they mean that they saw the images, they being types to represent

certain things.2 A5istory of the hurch, p. *@*.

n the case of the %gyptian papyri, "oseph explained that those images that did not

represent some spiritual concept such as <od or the priesthood, instead represented stars

and planets.

This is key. ike most %gyptian icons, the woman represents a star or a planet. f course,

in the ancient mind, both words can apply to the same image in the sky because they

looked alike, mere pinpoints of light. But the archetype, the original image for thesegoddesses, was a planet. "oseph was emphatic about that.

Net another connection is provided by the fact that 5athor, who nearly all scholars agreerepresented the planet !enus, was a celestial calf or heifer # the very same calf goddess

worshipped by idolatrous sraelites, as we have seen. This lets us look at the woman of

Revelation with new eyes. &ubstitute the word 7planet7 for 7woman,7 in the above verse,

and you have a more relevant, understandable image that fits better with the sun, moonand stars imagery.

The same kinds of connections can be made for nearly all prophetic images, such as the beasts, the mountain, the kings, horses and other creatures, further strengthening this

assessment.




The Keys to Prophecy ": #$ %easts and Men

-ncient monuments, temples, tombs and sacred texts are replete with strange, mysterioussymbols and creatures. By comparing those symbols to the verbal imagery of prophecy,

we learn that they gave rise to even more bi/arre language.

n order to understand the symbolism of the scriptures, we must allow ancient images toilluminate the texts, beliefs and traditions of the past, while permitting the texts, beliefs

and traditions to illuminate the images. This is one key to understanding the strange

language used by the prophets.

- comparison will allow us to see how one gave rise to the other.

Take the vision of "ohn, for example, in Revelation. 5e described seeing four distinct

creatures.

2-nd C in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full ofeyes before and behind. -nd the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a

calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.2

A;evelation @:E, D.

%/ekiel, too, saw four creatures in a similar setting.

2-s for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion,

on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side9 they four also had

the face of an eagle.2 A%/ekiel ):)?.

The lists of creatures are identical, save that %/ekiel named an ox where "ohn listed acalf. This is understandable given that the two prophets were separated in time by about

E?? years, allowing for a slight 7shift7 in cultural symbolism.

f course, the universal mistake made by Bible scholars of all epochs is to assign some

fantastic meaning to these symbolic creatures # especially in "ohn's vision because hesays these creatures surround the throne of <od in heaven. n truth, the two prophets are

probably describing something far more mundane, but quite remarkable, as we shall see

momentarily.

Most revealing is the fact that these four creatures are not unique to the sraelite religious

tradition. They figure prominently in the religions of neighboring cultures # the%gyptian, for example, where we meet them face4to4face in funerary art. They are called2canopic figures.2 uriously, human figures with the heads of beasts dominate %gyptian

art. They are one of the most obvious features of their religious iconography.

3amed after anopus, an area in the 3ile delta region, these $ars were funerary furniture

used to house various organs of the deceased during internment rites. The four creatures

were said to be the sons of 5orus.



The %gyptians employed the heads of a baboon and a $ackal rather than the sraelite ox

Acalf and lion. This variation is typical from culture to culture and across time, $ust as the

names of the same gods varied. But there is no mistaking that the four creatures seen in prophetic vision also adorned the burial art of %gyptians for hundreds, perhaps thousands

of years.

%/ekiel is more specific in his description of the four. 2-lso out of the midst thereof came

the likeness of four living creatures. -nd this was their appearance9 they had the likeness

of a man.2 A%/ekiel ):J.

&o, these four looked like men with the heads of beasts, which is exactly what we see

here.

-nthropomorphic creatures # animals with the body and limbs of humans # figure

prominently in %gyptian religious art. uriously, this is the same thing the prophets

describe seeing in their visions. %/ekiel described them as 2living creatures2 with 2the

likeness of a man,2 which is exactly what we see here.

sraelite tradition prohibited the use of such symbolic masks, thanks to the Tenommandments, so these did not exist in the sraelite culture. 3evertheless, these four

creatures figured prominently in their traditions, as we've seen in the visions of "ohn and

%/ekiel.

More interesting still is the fact that these same four creatures are also found in the 1earl

of <reat 1rice. Two of the facsimiles copied from the "oseph &mith papyri show these

same four canopic figures, described as four 2idolatrous gods.2

&ignificantly, most of the images for which Joseph provides explanations turn out to be

planets and stars, suggesting that these four also represent celestial ob$ects. This, as itturns out, is a key that will be explored in a subsequent installment in this series.

-s we have seen previously, the sraelites often strayed into pagan beliefs and practices.t should hardly be surprising that these four 7gods7 of their neighbors should show up in

the system of symbols sraelites held sacred.

0hat is not generally acknowledged is that the language of prophecy also draws on thesetypes of well4known images from antiquity.

0hile this explains the imagery of only a few passages of scriptural prophecy, these two, Revelation and Ezekiel , are among the most mysterious. This comparison clearly points

out the mechanism of describing sacred images in narrative form: prophetic imagery is

drawn from ancient images or idols.

0hile this may be a surprising turn of events, this takes some of the mystery out of

prophetic imagery.

= -nthony %. arson, >??J



The Keys to Prophecy &: Stars and Planets

Op to this point in our examination of the many clues to the extravagant images of prophecy, we have learned that we need not look to mystical texts or veiled mysteries for

our answers. 3or have we found that the answers lie in interpreting prophetic imagery

with modern eyes.

nstead, we have found the answers in a more mundane source, in the scriptures and in

ancient history # evidence that has been hiding in plain sight all along.

0e discovered that the dragons, man4beasts, women, kings, angels, stars and other odd

images encountered in the scriptures are but descriptive word pictures of the images that

the ancients worshipped, the same icons seen in ancient temples, tombs and monuments.0e have seen that the imagery of prophecy and mythology spring from the same, ancient

source, hence their similarities.

The next step is a bit larger leap of logic, but a crucial one: 0hat do those imagesrepresentP

ooking at the %gyptian gods, we often see large circular icons on their heads, whatscholars call 2sun disks.2 The $uxtaposition of the disks and the gods is extremely

meaningful.

6or example, in a common %gyptian theme or motif, ;a A;e is pictured seated in a bark

or ship with a disk above his head. This same scene can be seen on 6acsimile 3o. >,

6igure *, in the Book of -braham.

&cholars explain that the ancients were sun worshippers, so those disks must represent thesun. 5owever, "oseph &mith contradicted that assumption when he gave us another key,

and it has been before our very eyes for generations now.

-s "oseph repeatedly asserts in his explanations of the 1earl of <reat 1rice facsimiles,

those disks and creatures represented planets and stars, not the sun. The only exceptionis in 6igure J in 6acsimile 3o. >, first called by "oseph a 2governing planet.2 5e then

adds the comment that the %gyptians called it the &un, which is true of the late, corrupted

%gyptian traditions his papyrus represented. But according to the earliest beliefs, hername designates this cow goddess as a star.

The cow depicted in 6igure J was called 5athor, as we have seen. -long with herequivalents in other cultures # -starte, -ster and shtar # her name bore the root 7s4t4r7sound of our word 7star7 Athe 7s7 and 7t7 were pronounced with the 7th7 sound in 5athor.

Ieep in mind that the ancients designated all celestial ob$ects as stars. The word 7planet7Aderived from the <reek 7planeta, meaning 7wanderer7 is a recent invention, thanks to the

telescope that allows us to differentiate between stars and planets.



5ence, "oseph &mith's designation of a 7s4t4r7 goddess as a planet is symbolically

consistent and extremely meaningful. 5e thus implies that the stars they worshipped

were actually planets, the very thing the $uxtaposed disks suggest.

1utting both the creature and the disk together # common practice in early %gyptian

religious art # was symbolically accurate and a proper way to emphasi/e that they bothrepresented the same thing, a planet or star. n fact, this was a functional way to label the

figures, since most people were illiterate. nstead of text that read 2star,2 those pagan

gods often carried or wore a symbol that bespoke their astral origin.

&ome of the more elaborately rendered disk images, painted and rendered in relief, look

to be nearly virtual snapshots of planets, a few complete with a sun4lit crescent.

"oseph &mith's explanation of disk images such as these was that they represented

planets, which is what all such %gyptian disk images resemble.

et's look closely at how emphatic "oseph &mith was in his explanations of these disksand creatures.

Iolob is said by -braham to be 2the greatest2 of the stars AIokaubeam, but it is

represented in 6acsimile 3o. >, 6igure ) by a figure %gyptologists identify as -mon4;e

or Ihnum, the creator4god, thus implying that the god was an astral body.

The baboons on either side have what scholars call 2moon disks,2 presumably because of

the crescent beneath the disk, placed over their heads in the traditional %gyptian manner.

But these disks do not represent the moon any more than others represent the sun. "osephinsisted that they are 2stars2 in his explanation of 6igure J.

0hat becomes clear from this seeming contraction is that the ob$ects the early %gyptianscalled stars would be called planets in our time. 0hat we see, then, in the disk

illustrations are not stars, but planets, complete with crescents. nly planets have sun4lit

crescents, as depicted in ancient art, not stars.

"oseph &mith understood. 5e did not confuse the issue, as modern scholars do. ndeed,

one can suggest that what looks like confusion at first blush was no mix4up at all. By

freely substituting the two terms, "oseph honored the ancient tradition. 5e acknowledgedthe ancients' reality that some of today's stars, now mere pinpoints of light, were actually

great, nearby planets in antiquity, which dominated %arth's heavens and were worshipped

by their ancestors as gods.

ndeed, this hypothesis fits much better with -braham's vision of the ancient heavens and

"oseph &mith's explanations of the facsimile images than any current view.




The Keys to Prophecy : A (reat Star

f we look closely at the images venerated by the ancients from the point of view thatthey may have been inspired by planets standing in close proximity to the %arth, we see

them with new eyes. -nd because we adopt this view, we can read the explanations of

symbols on %gyptian papyri by the prophet "oseph &mith with a fresh perspective thatalso gives an entirely new dynamic to the imagery of prophecy.

This key is crucial because ancient sky ga/ers the world over drew remarkably similar

pictures and offered stunningly similar descriptions of things that do not exist in our sky,though this vital truth has not been generally recogni/ed.

-ma/ingly, when we heed "oseph &mith's hints that the gods, goddesses, beasts and other images of antiquity all found their inspiration in %arth's ancient heavens, some of the

most mysterious icons suddenly appear to be virtual snapshots of what the ancients saw

in %arth's skies.

The star4in4crescent symbol, for example, so dominant in ancient symbology, appears to

be a combination or blending of two astral elements: ne is the sunlit limb of a planet9

the other is an aurora4like discharge from another planet.

These images of 2stars2 look nothing like things seen in our present heavens. Net, "oseph

&mith implied that these are the planets and stars of antiquity.

5ence, the confusion of a starQplanet symbol with the moon and stars is natural. The only

heavenly ob$ect we see today with a bright crescent is the moon. But if other planetshovered near the %arth anciently, they would have also manifested this same crescent

feature.

ertainly, the lighted crescent on the limb of neighboring planets became the basis for amultitude of symbols: the horns of a bovine, the crescent4shaped ship of heaven or the

outspread wings of a bird, three of the most common symbols in ancient iconography #

all seen in the "oseph &mith papyri as well as in apocalyptic and prophetic imagery.

f the planetary god's crescent looked like outspread wings, then it could properly be

described as a great heavenly bird and subsequently illustrated as a hawk or eagle.

f course, its planetary disk is displayed over its head as well so there is no mistaking

where the image originated. This is precisely what we see in the ancient symbols.

f, on the other hand, the planetary god's or goddess' crescent was seen as horns, he or

she could be depicted as the bull or cow of heaven, a commonplace description in ancient

texts of gods and goddesses. 6or emphasis and clarity, again the planetary disk is set between the horns.



f the planet's crescent appeared to be a ship carrying the planet around heaven, then the

god # with a disk over his head, naturally # would be depicted sitting on the ship of

heaven. This, too, was a nearly universal depiction in %gyptian iconography.

&ignificantly, these same images, and many more like them, can be seen in the "oseph

&mith 6acsimile 3o.>, where they are most often called stars or planets.

Moreover, there must have been much more involved anciently than the simple, pacific

presence of large orbs in the sky. They must have been active, changing, interacting anddynamic powers to evoke the expressions they inspired.

6or example, &umerian texts celebrate the 2terrifying glory2 of nanna Ashtar, -starte,

!enus, invoking the goddess as 2the ight of the 0orld,2 2the -ma/ement of the ands,22the ;adiant &tar,2 2<reat ight,2 and 2Kueen of 5eaven.2 The texts depict the goddess

2clothed in radiance.2 -nd it was said that the world stood in 2fear and trembling at Lher

tempestuous radiance.2

Thus, we get the picture from the texts and the illustrations of a discharging planet,

emitting aurora4like rays that form the basis for all 8star' imagery of antiquity.

The &umerian 2%xaltation of nanna2 says, 2 want to address my greeting to her who fills

the sky with her pure bla/e, to the luminous one, to nanna, as bright as the sun, to thegreat Kueen of 5eaven.

2Nou make the heavens tremble and the earth quake. <reat 1riestess, who can soothe

your troubled heartP Nou flash like lightning over the highlands9 you throw yourfirebrands across the earth. Nour deafening commandCsplits apart great mountains.2

-n illustration taken from an -kkadian cylinder seal shows shtar Astar and her symbol,a planet with aurora4like streamers.

The wheel symbol of the Babylonian god &hamash looks nothing like the &un and further illustrates the discharge streamer or star idea.

Both the texts and the images of the ancients tell the same story, each complimenting the

other.

n fact, this more fully explains why stars and planets were interchangeable in the ancient

mind: n antiquity, a great, nearby planet metamorphosed into a brilliant, awe4inspiringob$ect that earthlings chose to call 2star.2 This alone explains the graphic language and

the myriad star symbols used by the ancients for their star goddesses.

This also explains why all the 7star7 icons, familiar to cultures worldwide, look nothing

like the mere pinpoints of light in the night sky that we designate as stars.

3o wonder "oseph explained that all these archaic images were either stars or planets.



They wereR

= -nthony %. arson, >??E

The Keys to Prophecy ): A *e+ ,eaven- a *e+ .arth

ur culture knows nothing of the incredible changes wrought in the heavens anciently.This is so because of our 7scientific7 view that there have been no significant changes in

the solar system7s arrangement during recorded history.

But the scriptures and the prophets are insistent, in spite of our beliefs: The heavens have

repeatedly changed throughout ancient history. This is a primary message the ancientsand the prophets sought to convey to us across the millennia.

The result: ur modern ignorance of the true past blinds us to the unanimous declarationsof our distant ancestors.

The concept of sweeping changes in the sky and the earth are found everywhere in thescriptures. 6or example, in the +octrine and ovenants we read, 2-nd the end shall

come, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away, and there shall be a

new heaven and a new earth.

26or all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and

the earth, and all the fullness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the

fishes of the sea.2 A+octrine and ovenants >H:>*, >@.

-lso, 2-nd saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth

were passed away9 and there was no more sea. A;evelation >):).

1erhaps the apostle 1eter said it best when he spoke of the +eluge, explaining that it was

the defining event that changed the 7old heavens7 into the sky we see today. 26or this theywillingly are ignorant of, that by the word of <od the heavens were of old, and the earth

standing out of the water and in the water. 0hereby the world that then was, being

overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the

same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of $udgment and perditionof ungodly men.2 A> 1eter *:J4D.

Then, he went on to further explain that a similar change was in store for us in the last

days. 2But the day of the ord will come as a thief in the night9 in the which the heavensshall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth

also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.2 Abid. *:)?.

0e read the same sort of language in the texts of all ancient cultures, where we find the

pervasive, ever4present fear that something terrible that happened in the past would repeatitself in the future. ndeed, all ancient cultures relate that there have been dramatic

changes in the heavens, calling the epochs in between 2ages2 or 2suns.2 The <reek



philosopher 5esiod associates these ages with various metals, as does +aniel in his ld

Testament vision of the statue with a head of gold, a torso of silver, belly and thighs of

brass and legs of iron.

These fearsome changes were universally attributed to stars or planets in the form of

gods, goddesses, beasts or serpents. &urely, then, "oseph &mith was correct to call theseimages of the ancients 2stars2 and 2planets,2 as we have seen.

%ven our language retains this key. The words for world4changing cataclysms arecatastrophe Acat4astro4phe and disaster Adis4aster. Both bear the same 7astr7 root as the

names of the primary goddessQstars of antiquity: -ster, -starte, -shtoreth or 5athor. n

fact, one interpretation of the word 2disaster2 is literally 2from the star.2

This the ancients feared above all: destruction from the stars that changed everything 3o

wonder they were fiercely dedicated sky watchers, including prophets like -braham,

preoccupied with the motions of planets and stars. 3o wonder they endlessly adorned

their texts, temples and tombs with symbols and metaphors of star gods, goddesses and beasts derived from the appearance of those planets.

But because our culture and science turn a blind eye to these declarations, atter4day

&aints frequently fail to appreciate the many statements by "oseph &mith that echo the

beliefs of the ancients: !lanets and stars are the origins of almost all scriptural and

prophetic imagery

That's why those images dominate the exterior of +& temples, $ust as they did their

ancient counterparts. ur temples reflect both realities, the past and the present heavens.&tars and planets on the &alt ake Temple reflect an ancient, customary obsession with

the heavens. n the west wall buttresses, near the bottom of the photo are &unstones. n

the middle are the stars of the constellation Orsa Ma$or, the Big +ipper. mmediatelyabove those is a repeated pattern of circles within a ring, called &aturnstones by Brigham

Noung.

The prophets, both ancient and modern, understood this key. &o should we.


The Keys to Prophecy /: The (rand Si!n

Ma$or changes in the planetary order, some involving earth4threatening catastrophes,have occurred within human memory, and they were recorded by the survivors on the

billboards of antiquity # temples and monuments # as well as in sacred texts of allreligions.

This is a crucial key to understanding scriptural symbolism # not only in prophecy, butalso throughout sacred texts.



6or our culture, these are found in ld Testament events such as the reation, the +eluge,

the Tower of Babel, &odom and <omorrah, the %xodus, "oshua's ong +ay, %li$ah's fire

from heaven, and many other such strange and mysterious accounts.

The latter4day revelations, the Book of Mormon, the +octrine and ovenants and the

1earl of <reat 1rice, reflect that same perspective with numerous accounts of world4changing events connected with heavenly ob$ects or signs, casting "oseph &mith in the

same cosmological role as all the biblical prophets.

By every means at their command, cultures around the world attempted to communicate

their experience to future generations # to us. Through texts, myth, ritual and art, on

parchment and stone, they sought to preserve a record of these tumultuous events. 0e fail

to recogni/e them for what they are because we see nothing in our heavens even remotelysimilar to their accounts.

The first institutions of civili/ation arose from ritual practices honoring, imitating and

memoriali/ing these events and the planetary powers involved. Those monuments,institutions and practices are remarkably preserved in our cultures even to this day, yet

we fail to recogni/e them for what they are.

0hy, then, should it surprise anyone that the prophets would recall and employ the

symbolism generated in their cultures by the physical phenomena associated with past planetary sky pageants to rehearse identical types of events they had foreseen in our

futureP

ndeed, this is the crux of the story and a truth that atter4day &aints should readilyacknowledge. They knew it would happen again. The prophets knew that the

interplanetary phenomena of past planetary catastrophes, complete with the myriad

manifestations that fill ancient texts and adorn crumbling temple walls # images,symbols and icons # would once again be reinstated in the heavens at a future time they

called the 2last days.2

This approach alone explains some peculiar revelations given through the prophet "oseph

&mith in this dispensation.

2There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers

places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds9 then will appear one grand sign of the

coming of the &on of Man in heaven. 0hat will the world doP They will say it is a planet,a comet, Sc.2 A5istory of the hurch, J:**D.

f course this sign, as "oseph &mith implied, will be a planet that looks and behaves likea giant comet. That's what all the heavenly 7signs7 in the past were. But what makes this

planet most unusual is that it will make a close approach to the %arth # close enough to

instigate all the natural disasters outlined in the beginning of the prophet7s statement. A6or

a more thorough explanation of this concept, see 2Modern &igns.2



The above quote from the prophet, as with all prophecy and ancient history, has little

meaning unless seen from the perspective outlined in this series. nly from this point ofview does it become truly meaningful, much more than a colorful metaphor. 3ow we see

it for what it truly is: a completely understandable declaration of fact.

The same is true with many revelations given to "oseph &mith. They are littered with

such declarations.

2C there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together.2

+octrine and ovenants ((:H*, italics added.

2C will rend their kingdoms9 will not only shake the earth, but the starry heavens shalltremble. 6or , the ord, have put forth my hand to exert the powers of heaven9 ye cannot

see it now, yet a little while and ye shall see it C . Abid., (@:))(, ))H.

2C the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall be turned into blood, and the stars shallfall from heaven, and there shall be greater signs in heaven above and in the earth

beneath9 C2 Abid., >H:)@.

Modern revelation brings us the truth: 2C knowledge of things as they are, and as they

were, and as they are to come.2 Abid., H*:>@.

This is a fundamental key. 0e have but to 2open the eyes of our understanding2 to receive

it.


The Keys to Prophecy 0: Apollyon- the estroyer

ike the histories of all ancient cultures, that of the 5ebrews # the ld Testament #

tells the very same story of sky4spanning marvels and manifestations that profoundly and

directly impacted their culture and beliefs. omparing the names of the pagan gods they

worshipped supports this conclusion, as we have seen.

5aving made that connection, we can now turn to the scriptural record to see how well

that knowledge helps our comprehension of symbolism that otherwise seems

unfathomable.

6or example, Baal, a figure we see often in the ld Testament, was the god of theanaanites, sometimes neighbors and enemies of the sraelites. 6rom time to time in their

history most sraelites worshipped him as well, to the dismay of the prophets.

-pollo was the <reek equivalent of Baal. n fact, the name is the same, altered only by

linguistic preferences. The <reeks added an antecedent 7a7 Aa4baal, softened the hard 7b7



sound to a 7p7 and then added an 7o7 ending Aa4paal4o.

The conclusion: "he #reeks worshipped the same sky god as the $anaanites and theapostate Israelites

-lthough the <reek's god -res is more typically associated by scholars with the ;omanwar god, Mars, others insist that -pollo A-pollonQ-pollyon was also a <reek equivalent.

6or that reason, -pollo was virtually adopted intact from the <reek into the ;oman

pantheon. &o, as we make cross4cultural connections of these gods, we learn that the ldTestament god Baal is the same as the <reek -pollo and the ;oman god of war, Mars.

The planets in our solar system, such as Mars, were not arbitrarily assigned the names of

mythical gods, as most suppose. The nine known planets bear the names of ;oman godsand goddesses because some of them were the 7gods7 that once stood near to or passed

perilously close to the %arth, illuminating and dominating the ancient heavens as well as

occasionally raining destruction on the world7s civili/ations.

n fact, ;evelation's -pollyon is usually translated 2destroyer,2 a fitting description of

-pollo's ;oman counterpart, the warrior god Mars.

These connections become particularly useful when we consider the following enigmatic

passage from "ohn's vision. 2-nd they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the 5ebrew tongue is -baddon, but in the <reek tongue

hath his name -pollyon.2 A;evelation H:)).

%arlier in that same chapter, it is a 2star2 that opens the bottomless pit. f course, we'velearned in earlier installments in this series that the ancients commonly called planets that

once hovered near the %arth 2stars.2

an you see where this is leadingP "ohn implied that, this 2king,2 2angel2 or 2star2 #

-pollyon # was the planet Mars. This is the key.

Thus, we learn many things from "ohn's carefully worded explanation in these few

verses.

6oremost, we learn that this 2king,2 which is also the 2angel of the bottomless pit2 andthe 2star2 that fell to the earth, is a planet. Thus, we must conclude that other references

to kings, angels, beasts, stars and creatures in "ohn's account may be references to planets

as well.

This tendency to use common images to describe celestial ob$ects is still practiced today

where star constellations are given names like <reat Bear, ion and -rcher, and wherethe greatest star cluster is called the Milky 0ay. t's a cultural tradition from antiquity,

employed by "ohn, which we preserve in the present.

t also fits perfectly with "oseph &mith7s teaching that the beasts seen by prophets in



heavenly visions are not beasts at all but 2images2 meant to represent something else.

A6or clarification of this, see 2"oseph &mith7s Marvelous Iey.2

0e can also now see that "ohn drew upon traditions common to all cultures around the

Mediterranean to describe the future. This practice of drawing on the past to describe the

future is a common literary device used by the prophets # 3ephi and saiah, for example # one that "ohn employed throughout his record.

-lso implied is the idea that the imagery of the entire vision draws heavily upon thecultural traditions of "ohn7s time, employing the sacred, 2mythical2 stories of those pagan

cultures of the 2seven churches which are in -sia2 that "ohn addressed in Revelation to

explain the place of hrist in those traditions as well as events of the last days.

Thus, the images or icons embodied in those ancient cultural traditions are the keys to

interpreting all the imagery of "ohn's enigmatic vision, Revelation. -nd so it is, too, with

all the visions of the prophets recorded in scripture. -rmed with these keys, which are an

understanding of the meaning of that imagery, the most mysterious symbolism of thescriptures becomes easy reading.

n order to properly understand all these mysterious, symbolic references, we must know

both what these traditions were and their origins. 0e cannot simply guess at their

meaning, as do most modern expositors of prophecy. &uch gratuitous speculation iscommonplace, though dangerously misleading.

In order to grasp the meaning of prophecy% we must know as much about the past as we

do the present


The Keys to Prophecy 1: hat Joseph Tau!ht

ertainly, some will say that discussions of ancient myths, gods, goddesses and pagan

beliefs have little to do with the restored gospel. To others, perhaps all this analysis of

prophetic symbols, planets, stars, beasts and dragons seems a bit tedious and removedfrom core gospel principles.

Most &aints pay little heed to such things in their gospel study, seeing it as irrelevant and

therefore largely valueless. -fter all, they reason, if reading the scriptures and praying aresufficient to understand the gospel, why not leave the study of planets and stars to the

astronomers and analysis of pagan gods and goddesses to the mythologistsP

The reply to such dismissive notions is the evidence that "oseph &mith diligently studied

and taught these things. t was "oseph who first wrote and spoke of planets and stars inconnection with both ancient and prophetic events. t was "oseph who placed the

%gyptian documents alongside modern revelation and then included explanations. t was



"oseph who gave the pattern for those icons collocated on modern temple walls # not as

mere dcor, but as teaching tools.

sn't that incentive enough to look into these keysP ndeed, the fact that "oseph taught

these things makes it incumbent upon every atter4day &aint to learn all they can about

them. f he deemed them important enough to reveal, we ignore them at our own peril.

These keys bear directly upon otherwise arcane aspects of the restored gospel,

successfully explaining what has heretofore remained a mystery to most &aints # thingssuch as temple symbols, the 1earl of <reat 1rice facsimiles and a uniform system for

interpreting prophecy.

0ho would have thought that a systematic approach to the symbolism of prophecy wouldalso explain such divergent elements as temple icons and %gyptian facsimilesP

- few examples that amplify one theme should suffice to convince us.

0e have already seen "oseph's 2planet, comet2 description of the 2grand sign2 of the last

days and the second coming, recorded in his own $ournal, &istory of the $hurch. That puts cosmic phenomena squarely under the prophecy heading.

n keeping with "oseph's statement, in a )HJ) <eneral onference talk, %lder e<rand;ichards reinforced the concept, saying that the latter4day signs will be caused by 2some

great phenomenon in the heavens, Aa misplacement of planets C.2

-n interview with 5omer M. Brown, a past 1atriarch of the <ranite, Otah, &take, fatherof %lder 5ugh B. Brown and grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Ben$amin Brown, who gave

"oseph &mith sanctuary from a mob in 3auvoo one evening, more fully explains the role

of this misplaced planet and its effect on our %arth.

-ccording to 1atriarch Brown, these are "oseph's words to his grandparents regarding a

future encounter between a rogue planet and our %arth. 23ow, let me ask you what wouldcause the everlasting hills to tremble with more violence than the coming together of the

two planetsP

23ow, scientists will tell you that it is not scientific, that two planets coming togetherwould be disastrous to both. But, when two planets or other ob$ects are traveling in the

same direction and one of them with a little greater velocity than the other, it would not

be disastrous because the one traveling faster would overtake the other.2

orroboration comes from the $ournal of another early &aint, &amuel 5ollister ;ogers.

5e paraphrases the prophet thusly: 23ot that the planets will come squarely against eachother, in such case both planets would be broken to pieces. But in their rolling motion

they will come together C which will cause the earth to reel to and fro.2

6urther confirmation is found in the harles 0alker $ournal, wherein he recounts learning



from %li/a ;. &now that "oseph had taught her 2the coming together of these two bodies

or orbs would cause a shock and make the 7%arth reel to and fro like a drunken man.72

6rom these few samples, we begin to see that the prophet obviously elaborated on this

theme on many occasions, as we learn from yet another $ournal. 0andle Mace described

the same planetary con$unction scenario, adding this anecdote from the prophet: 2&omeof you brethren have been coming up the river on a steamboat, and while seated at the

table, the steamboat Aran against a snag which upset the table and scattered the dishes.

&o it will be Awhen these planets come together. t will make the earth reel to and fro likea drunken man.2

0ithout the keys presented in this series, such remarkably consistent statements,

attributed to "oseph &mith by early church members, have been discounted as extravagantand speculative by +& scholars and all but forgotten in recent years by church members.

Net, when seen in the proper context, they become corroborative of our thesis. They argue

eloquently for "oseph's view of the role that a vagabond planet will play in our future.


The Keys to Prophecy 11: Prophecy and the 4estored(ospel

This series has identified several keys to prophecy in the restored gospel. 0hen we letour scriptures speak for themselves, without imposing our own 7modern,7 7scientific7

preconceptions upon them, an entirely different picture of the past emerges than the one

we've been taught.

t was in %arth's ancient heavens # the reator's most spectacular canvas # that all

ancient imagery originated. t is there we must look for the source of all the symbols used by the ancients to depict their gods, even the true <od.

Thus we see that the imagery of the scriptures as well is reflected in the religious, astral

icons of the past. The symbolic icons give meaning to the scriptural imagery, and thescriptural imagery gives meaning to the symbolic icons, as is the case with the %gyptian

facsimiles and -braham. They complement and illuminate one another.

0ith that revised picture, ancient texts become accurate, eyewitness records of marvelousastronomical manifestations that we can only remotely comprehend. The images carved

on the walls of ancient tombs, temples and monuments come alive with meaning.

0ith this improved perspective, explanations of prophecy, offered by "oseph &mith and

all the prophets, turn from metaphorical niceties to accurate, detailed descriptions.

The only way that planets or stars could so profoundly influence peoples of the ancient



world # an influence sufficiently strong to give rise to the religious traditions and

symbolism of their cultures # is if those orbs were manifestly closer than they are today.

Onlike the mere pinpoints of light we see in our night sky, they must have stood inoverwhelming proximity, dominating the ancient sky watchers7 view, giving rise to the

primary symbolic themes of those past cultures.

f we allow the traditions, symbols and rituals of the past to speak for themselves, that is

the message they convey.

Thus we see that the stories from ancient cultures the world over of astral gods and

goddesses who performed marvelous feats and engaged in heaven4spanning battle may

have been based in the appearance and movements of these same planets in a near4%arth

environment # a concept flatly denied by modern science and re$ected by orthodoxhristianity, yet supported by "oseph &mith's observations.

The reason all these images are an enigma to us can be found in relatively recent history

when our culture swerved away from their use and adopted a 7rational7 view of ancienthistory, as is taught in educational institutions everywhere in the world today. ultural,

religious traditions that once taught of recent, dramatic changes in the heavens #accounts held sacred by our ancestors # became myths and fairy tales.

0e divorced ourselves from our cultural roots. 0e cut ourselves off from the message theancients struggled to convey, the one they assumed would be universally understood:

They had seen 2marvelous works and wonders2 in the heavens.

The odd thing is that we don't understand that. n fact, we believe $ust the opposite: theheavens have always appeared as they do now. That flawed, myopic belief prevents us

from seeing what the ancients sought mightily to convey.

-lso, this is why the imagery of prophecy and mythology are remarkably similar. They

derive from the same source: our early cultural and religious tradition from which we

divorced ourselves in the -ge of %nlightenment. t is for this reason that the Bible wasre$ected by the emerging cult of science and scholasticism. n so doing, we threw the

baby out with the bath water.

The oddity in all this is that the guardians of religious traditions fell victims to the samethinking. They re$ected that same imagery, saying that it was pagan, that it had nothing to

do with the proper practice of hristianity. That left us without the touchstone we need to

interpret the imagery of prophecy throughout the scriptures, until "oseph &mith restoredthat knowledge.

"o unravel the mystery that is prophecy% you must first learn the symbolism of anti'uityand the cosmological images from which it sprang # prodigious, heaven4spanning

displays of awe4inspiring plasma phenomena generated in a neighboring con$unction of

planets that produced a monumental sound and light show seen the world over. This



dramatic celestial phantasmagoria dominated %arth's skies in the earliest epoch of history

and indelibly impressed itself on the mind and spirit of all early cultures.

This illustration is stunning evidence that "oseph believed this. -ccording to 1hilo+ibble, "oseph &mith's bodyguard, this is the prophet7s illustration of the planetary

arrangement that existed in %arth's ancient heavens. This 2stacked2 arrangement in

common, polar alignment caused them to appear stationary in the heavens. The propheteven included the apparent 2connections2 between planets caused by the plasma

phenomenon, as depicted in this artist's conception.

These astral events gave rise to the cryptic icons that adorn the walls of ancientmonuments, temples and tombs # virtual snapshots, in many cases, of things seen in

those ancient skies. -ppropriately, they also decorate modern temples # a testament in

stone to the restoration of truth.

The metaphorical language of the prophets also arose from those events. The rhetorical

counterparts of those enigmatic symbols fill the revelations of both ancient and modern prophets. They are the keys to most scriptural symbolism. Inowing this makes prophecy

plain and easy to understand, as "oseph &mith said. t also touches on every point of

doctrine in the restored gospel revealed through him in these latter days.

The Keys to Prophecy 12: The (ospel itmus Test

- chemist can determine the p5 of any substance by dipping a bit of colored paper into it.

alled 2litmus2 paper, its color changes depending upon the acidity or alkalinity of thecompound in question # one color if it is acidic, another if it is basic. t's a fundamental

and uncomplicated test.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1dSBe3Fg-lg/SOuMn9HRAYI/AAAAAAAAAJc/DUEJoesjBJE/s1600-h/Dibble-Opt.jpg



There is a similar such test to determine the extent of our gospel comprehension, to

determine how well we study and comprehend the scriptures.

t's called prophecy.

Most atter4day &aints are likely to dismiss such a notion out of hand, since they consider prophecy to be a rather esoteric and narrow part of the gospel and thus the least likely

candidate for such a gauge or standard. -fter all, prophetic symbolism seems to have

little to do with the day4to4day, practical application of our religion.

&o, how can one possibly construe prophecy to be a test for anything, much less the depth

of our gospel understandingP

t is precisely because the colorful and peculiar imagery of prophecy permeates all of

scripture, not $ust prophetic visions. t is the symbol and imagery4laden language of the

prophets.

The beasts seen in %/ekiel's and +aniel's visions as well as those seen by "ohn in

Revelation are the same beasts that are seen on "oseph &mith's facsimiles and thosedescribed in Abraham in the 1earl of <reat 1rice.

The 7miracles7 of the %xodus are the same as the 7signs7 in Revelation, and theycorroborate and illuminate "oseph &mith's statements about the nature of latter4day signs

in his $ournal, &istory of the $hurch.

The planets, stars and other enigmatic symbols that adorn our latter4day temples are alsofound in our sacred texts, and the explicitly symbolic nature of the rituals and fixtures

found within those hallowed walls point us to the lofty value that latter4day prophets

placed on that imagery, however obscure it may seem to us.

1erhaps more telling is the fact that after the heavens were effectively sealed for

centuries, of all the choice scripture that the angel Moroni could have chosen to quote tothe young "oseph &mith when he first appeared to him in )(>*, he quoted prophecy #

Malachi, saiah, and "oel. Its message is that important.

1rophecy is at the heart of our religion, though we seem reluctant to acknowledge thattruth. The gospel was restored and the church was subsequently founded on the notion of

-dventism, the doctrine that the second coming of hrist, in the wake of a worldwide

destruction called the apocalypse, is near at hand.

nstead, we almost universally focus on the spiritual message of the scriptures,

disregarding the imagery as mere poetic affectation. n doing so, we overlook fully halfof the information in the scriptures. ike the proverbial forest in the trees, it is virtually

invisible to us.

-s a result, our gospel comprehension suffers. 0e cannot make sense of the bi/arre



imagery of prophecy. 0e also fail to see much of what the sacred texts were meant to

convey. 0e go through temple sessions without grasping the profound enormity of the

message that the imagery we see there represents. 0hen we look at "oseph &mith'sfacsimiles, we see them only as oddities and curiosities that once entertained the passing

interest of a prophet rather than the very keys to gospel comprehension.

n making all these omissions, we dismiss as inconsequential the message <od and his

prophets have carefully placed before us. 0e dismiss a vital part of the gospel of "esus

hrist as mere decorative glitter.

If the spiritual message of salvation is the gospel(s heart and soul% then the imagery and

symbolism are its bone and sinew That's why it's found everywhere in the restored

church, from the scriptures, to the temples, to the discourses of modern prophets.

This is our litmus test: To the extent to which we do or do not understand the imagery of

prophecy, we also fail to understand the rest of scriptural imagery.

ur casual acquaintance with our own gospel betrays a lack of study and dedication to its

comprehension. 0e do not 2search the scriptures,2 as we've been counseled to do. 0eskim through them. 0e read, but without comprehension.

5ence, we get repeated pleas from the brethren to read our scriptures # the most recent:;ead the Book of Mormon.

Thus, our comprehension of prophecy is a clear indication of our overall gospel

understanding. This being the case, most of us fail the gospel litmus test, since for mostatter4day &aints prophecy is a mystery, wrapped in a conundrum, couched in an enigma.


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LDS Keys to Prophecy

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