The Pink Triangle

Greetings to you all.  I am grateful to each one of you.  There is a shift in the church right now that is happening.  It is a subtle shift that is almost imperceptible.  It is in the hearts of the members.  Many of them have seen and witnessed the pain that has been caused by Proposition 8 in California and also the many deaths and persecutions of Mormons who have a different sexual orientation.  Some are persecuted by their own families and even by their church leaders.

Millennial Mormonism Today believes that gay rights are human rights.  When we persecute and discriminate against an individual or group it is the equivalent of us harming ourselves.  We are all connected in a divine way.  We sense that and know that in our hearts.

Due to the church's aggressive campaign on Proposition 8 we are being viewed as enemies of gays and lesbians.  Unfortunately this is evidence that most of us are still living in the Telestial Kingdom where hate, animosity, tribalism, fear and fragmentation dominate.  But there is hope.  There is a growing minority of members of the church that are uncomfortable with what happened.  They want to live in peace with their neighbors.  They recognize that gay couples and families mean them no harm and in other countries where gay marriage is legal there is no evidence that it has affected, harmed or "done violence to" the traditional marriage.

Many of our ancestors practiced an alternative marriage lifestyle.  We believed it was our right to do this because of the religious freedoms that are associated with the Constitution.  But we were looked at with scorn and hatred.  Polygamy was called one of the twin pillars of barbarism next to slavery.  Many of our people were hunted down and forced to relocate to other countries.  And yet with this background there are few that see the mirror of history where now we are seen as antagonistic to those who want to pursue happiness and have equal rights.

The good part in all of this is that the church's actions are so well documented and politically and financially aggressive that it has stirred compassion in the hearts of a growing number of members of the church.  While many people think that the direction of the church comes from the top down, in reality it is the collective hearts of the members (symbolic of divine intelligence) that influences the Apostles and Prophets.  As Seers, they will be able to sense this compassion and love for their fellow human beings.

Many Nicodemus Mormons who are uber literalists will stand firm that homosexuality is a great and abominable sin.  What they do not remember or realize is that Jesus never said a word about it.  Is this by accident?  Did he just forget to mention it if it was so crucial and important?  The vast majority of references to homosexuality as a sin is in the Old Testament--particularly Leviticus.  Uber literalists would also be wise to realize that failing to send woman out of the city or camp when they were menstruating was also considered impure and a sin.  Yet we have let that tradition go quite a long time ago.  Both of these examples from the Old Testament or Law of Moses are examples of a Telestial mindset.  A Millennial mindset would be able to see the symbolism, allow it to nurture their lives but would avoid taking a fundamentalist or approach in thinking that they should be considered literal.

What many members of the church fail to know or understand is that before they can enter the Celestial Kingdom they must come to an understanding of the Telestial and Terrestrial (Millennial) Kingdoms.  All kingdoms and degrees are symbolic of our spiritual journey.  For most Nicodemus Mormons, they expect and talk as though they will jump from "this world" (Telestial) straight to the Celestial Kingdom.  What they fail to recognize is that these kingdom designations primarily refer to the state of mind and heart of individuals living on this world.

The millennial state of mind is an acceptance and friendship with those who may be different than us.  It is a necessary step toward oneness and harmony.  Instead of fear, hatred, and fragmentation, there is a culture of love acceptance, tolerance and peace.  Symbolically, weapons of war are changed into peaceful tools that bless the lives of others.

The prop. 8 political drama was very warlike.  It was fear based where the reality is that there really wasn't anything to fear.  It is reminiscent of previous struggles for civil rights where those who hated black Americans pronounced so much fear-based rhetoric.  These elements differ sharply from the Savior's teachings of the golden rule and the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Homosexual Men were one of many classes or groups that were targeted by Nazis and put in concentration camps.  When they were put into camps they were forced to wear a pink triangle that identified them as homosexual.  Today, we as members of the church have an opportunity to turn away from fear, hatred and intolerance and show compassion for our brothers and sisters who have a different sexual orientation.  Let us show support for human rights and allow others who may appear different than us to live side by side as neighbors and in peace.  This will be a great test for us to see if we will continue to wander in a Telestial wilderness or if we will begin to embrace our millennial destiny.  I hope you will join with me and remember the pink triangle.  If we fail to do this then perhaps one day, we will be forced to wear a triangle with a Moroni statue on it.  The law of the harvest can be a great blessing or a great curse.

Peace be with you my friends.

The Death of Todd Ransom

Millennial Mormonism Today wishes to express grief, solidarity and support for the family and friends of Todd Ransom.  This kind hearted soul blessed countless lives.  May his sacrifice not be in vain and help to awaken us out of the harsh Telestial world we wander in and instead take up our millennial journey anew.

Todd, thank you for your friendship and your life.  You will always be a blessing to all those who knew you and you will never be forgotten.

http://blog.affirmation.org/2010/07/candlelight-vigil-to-honor-todd-ransom/

Veils In Comparison

WARNING!  THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT THAT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL READERS.


Hello my friends.  Thank you for reading this blog and for your comments and e-mails.  Please feel free to e-mail me at millennialmormon@gmail.com.  I would love to hear from you.  As always, I wish you and your loved ones peace and goodwill.

Since 9-11 the topic of veils has generated more and more controversy.  Some nations in Europe have even taken steps to ban the veil due to safety concerns.  Additionally, many feminists see the veil as a symbol of the oppression of women.  While all of these concerns are valid and Millennial Mormonism Today agrees with some of these positions, it is important to recognize that a veil is highly spiritually instructive and symbolic.  For Mormons, veils are of fundamental importance in temple worship.  Unfortunately many Nicodemus Mormons and other fundamentalist religions see a veil as a symbol of the subjection of women to men.  This can lead to a failure to treat women as equal partners and can even generate oppression and abuse.  Some disaffected Mormons who view the endowment through literal eyes, see the veil as silly, stupid or at worst, a tool of patriarchal supremacy.  Unfortunately, uber literalist or Nicodemus interpretations of the veil miss the mark(s).  These superficial and externally focused judgements tend to lead to spiritual malnutrition and starvation in the desert wilderness of the Telestial world.

Millennial Mormons on the other hand will see deeper levels of symbolism that are individualized and internalized.  They will see the veils of female patrons and the veils of the temple itself as applying to them regardless if they are male or female.  To them, a veil is a powerful symbol that gives one the opportunity to pierce the illusions associated with the Fall.  Let's take our journey now into the symbolism of the veil.

The Bridal Veil
The bridal veil is of ancient origin.  They seem to find their appearance in a variety of ancient cultures.  In ancient Norse cultures as well as others, it was not uncommon for women from conquered cities to be kidnapped and for the woman to become wife to the kidnapper. A blanket or some other covering would be used to subdue the woman and may have been a proto-veil of some kind.

In an ancient Jewish marriage the act of the husband veiling his wife suggests that he accepts her regardless of superficial or physical appearances.  Their union is not just a physical union but a holy (wholly) union that includes the physical and the spiritual.  The veiling of the wife by the husband can also be seen as a witness to the world that the wife belongs to the husband.  Middle Eastern cultures even today, use the veil as a symbol of modesty.  Only the husband and family members are ever to see the woman without the veil.

For Christians, marriage is a holy sacrament or ordinance.  The symbolism is that Christ is the groom and the church is the bride.  A bridal veil for many Christians therefore, is a symbol of the Church or a Christian being in subjection to Christ and following Him.  Most Mormons are very comfortable with this layer of symbolism and often refer to it and agree with the Apostle Paul when he said:  "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25).  For the vast majority of Christians, a veil is only used in conjunction with marriage.  Catholic nuns however, will often wear a veil as part of their dress symbolizing their "marriage" to Christ.

Millennial Mormons will look deeper and recognize that Paul refers to the marital relationship and the relationship of Christ to His Church as a "great mystery" (Ephesians 5:32).  He also makes a curious reference in Ephesians almost as a side note that Christ is the "savior of the body" (Ephesians 5:23).  Many will see this as a reference to the resurrection which is appropriate but as you know there are deeper levels of symbolism that Millennial Mormons journey to. 

As has been said in previous posts, men and women, Adam and Eve, have reference and symbolism consistent with each individual.  The Garden of Eden story is a parable about YOU!  Yes, it's all about you.  In fact everything that happens in the temple is symbolic of what is going on within you because you are the temple.  Therefore Adam and Eve are symbolic aspects of who you are.  Adam symbolizes your spirit whether you are male or female.  Eve symbolizes your body whether you are male or female.  Once you understand and internalize these things then you will be on the threshold of entering the promised land and an internal millennium will begin for you.  This will lead to "1000 years" of internal peace with Christ (your Spirit) reigning as King over the world (your body).

For Millennial Mormons, a veil is a symbol of the subjection of the body to the spirit.  It is a symbol of possession.  It is a symbol to the world that your body is for your spirit and is not to be contaminated or possessed by anything or anyone other than your spirit.  The spirit possesses the body.  This is not a tyrannical possession that leads to the life of an extreme ascetic.  On the contrary, it is a joyful union.  This joyful union is referenced in the New Testament where Christ turns water (common) into wine (joyful) at a marriage.  He also speaks in parable about 10 virgins attending the wedding feast.  A wedding feast suggests an abundant relationship between body and spirit rather than a tyrannical and ascetic relationship.  The husband is able to unveil the wife and have a beautiful At-ONE-ment relationship with her.  The body and the spirit become one where before they were separated. 

The body fell and the spirit followed so that creation could take place.  Consciousness cannot occur without contrast.  Therefore it was necessary for the body and spirit to have the illusion of separation.  This separation is symbolized in a veil.  But the veil does not last forever.  The veil can be unveiled under the right conditions.  This is our destiny.

The white bridal veil and the bride wearing white is also symbolic of purity and virginity.  The veil therefore is a redundant symbol corresponding to the veil within a woman's body that defines virginity:  the hymen.  In many Middle Eastern cultures, the literalist and fundamentalist obsession that brides need to be virgins before they are married has led to an industry where women's hymens are reattached if there has been previous intercourse or if for some other reason the hymen is not intact.  In ancient Persia, a cultural tradition was generated where the first act of intercourse by a husband with his virgin wife was witnessed to by a white cloth spotted with blood from the pierced hymen being shoved under the door of their room so the family could be assured that the wife was indeed a virgin.  While this fundamentalism and literalism is objectionable by today's standards, the piercing of the hymen veil is an extremely powerful symbol of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and ultimately a symbol of At-ONE-ment between our fragmented Telestial self.

As Mormons we have been told over and over again that sex is sacred and sexual sin is next to murder in it's seriousness (Alma 39:5).  Yet, many members of the church see Jesus Christ's merciful response to the adulteress in the New Testament as incongruity to Alma's harsh stance.  This apparent dichotomy can be reconciled when one understands the difference between literal adultery which can easily be forgiven by the Lord versus internal breaches of the laws of chastity (i.e. your body seeks after false gods associated with the senses instead of being faithful to the spirit) which are more serious in nature.  (Blasphemy of the Holy Ghost is a redundant reference to this as well).  Thus most members of the church fail to recognize Alma's reference to sexual sin as symbolic of the partaking of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil which God says is punishable by death.  The failing of members of the church to recognize the symbolism of the Book of Mormon is identified as a curse in the Doctrine and Covenants that due to the church taking lightly (superficially) the Book of Mormon the whole church is brought under condemnation (D&C 84:54-57).  Thus we see why many members of the church have a lot of sexual hang ups and difficulties in intimacy because they see the scripture in Alma in only its literal form and see that any sexual sin they may have committed is actually akin to murder.  This of course is appropriate for modern Israel to believe since they are wandering in a harsh Telestial wilderness and are in need of numerous harsh and carnal commandments in order to awake to their awful condition.  Due to "not remembering" the Book of Mormon which is an internal symbol of the new covenant between our body and spirit, most Nicodemus Mormons will continue to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.  What they do not realize is that the Book of Mormon is about them, personally and internally.

It is important for Millennial Mormons to remember that the marital-sexual act should be understood in deeper levels of symbolism.  An ordained priesthood holder (spirit) takes his veiled bride (body) to the marriage chamber (their bedroom).  He carries her across the threshold and places her on the bed (altar).  The sacrificial instrument of the high priest is revealed.  The wife (body) is unveiled and intercourse (At-ONE-ment) takes place.  The hymen (veil) is pierced.  Blood is released (symbolic that At-ONE-Ment has occurred).  The woman (body) and man (spirit) are now one flesh (a living soul).

An Aztec Sacrificial Knife.  What does it symbolize?

One may see many parallels with paganistic sacrifice of virgins, Old Testament sacrifice of animals, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.  They all point to the internal symbolism of the body being crucified or sacrificed and subjected to the spirit.  Once this happens, there is a newness of relationship between body and spirit and there is joy and abundance.  This is symbolic of the internal millennium or new and everlasting covenant.  Thus we see, that marriage, sealing and the sexual act between husband and wife is not just a literal manifestation but a deeply symbolic key that unlocks the mysteries of God.

Temple Veils
Veils within the temple are repetitious and redundant throughout the temple.  The temple is saturated with symbolism and therefore one will see veils consistently throughout the temple.  All temple veils have a similar meaning which suggests separation, a boundary, or forgetfulness.  In the Garden of Eden parable, the apron of fig leaves can be considered a veil.  The coat of skins (Genesis 3:21) that The Lord makes for Adam and Eve can be considered a veil.  The veil therefore is consistent with fragmentation or separation and the Fall of Man.  Additionally, in the Plan of Salvation it is said that our spirit passes through a "veil of forgetfulness" as it enters the physical world.  This too is a type of Fall.  We then come full circle and pass through veils to return into the presence of God and become united with Him.

The Book of Mormon
According to church history there were several instances where the golden plates were covered by a veil of sorts.  In the translation process, there were times when a veil separated Joseph Smith (spirit) and Oliver Cowdery (body) as the translation of plates (spirit) into the Book of Mormon (body) occurred.  Further, Emma Smith would move the plates (spirit) covered in a cloth as she would do her housework (body).  Once again, most members of the church bring the church under condemnation because they fail to see the personal internal significance of the Book of Mormon.  To Nicodemus Mormons the superficial, carnal and literal is more important and as a result the church is brought under a curse that will not be lifted until they recognize the meaning or until the plates are translated correctly (individually and internally).

The Myth of the Dance of the Seven Veils
The dance of the seven veils is often thought to be the seductive dance that Herodias's daughter did for her uncle King Herod.  There is no biblical evidence that this dance involved seven veils.  The concept of the dance of the seven veils is probably an amalgamation of this biblical story along with Mesopotamian myths regarding the goddess Ishtar's decent into the underworld.  These myths are curious and describe a journey where Ishtar must leave behind a piece of clothing at seven points in order to get to the underworld.  In other accounts she gives up all her jewelry and all other possessions.  At the end of the journey, she has "consecrated" all things.  The number seven suggests whole (holy) or completeness.  These themes suggest that veils symbolize a form of sacrifice or consecration until eventually all things are consecrated and one has become as a little child returning to the Garden of Eden to embrace the Tree of Life.

Summary
As we can see, veils have significant meaning that goes well beyond the superficial, carnal, and literal.  Veils apply to both men and women and deeper symbolism is connected with the internal rather than external.  When we are able to pierce through these veils of symbolism about veils, we receive momentum in our millennial journey.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is our greatest evidence of the love of God and how we can partake of His antidote to the Fall.  As the Book of Hebrews says:  "By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh" (Hebrews 10:20).  By "thrusting our hands into his side" (veil) and recognizing the marks on his flesh (veil) we begin to remember who we are and begin a new phase in our journey (John 20:27 and 3Nephi 11:14-15).

I hope you enjoyed this post.  Peace be with you my friends.

Why is Church SO Boring?

Look familiar? 

Greetings and blessings to you my friends wherever you might be in your journey.  Thank you for your At-ONE-Ment in reading this blog and your e-mails and comments.

A common refrain from many members of the church is that church is so boring.  In a post-correlation church, there is often little room to maneuver or freedom to share in a church meeting.  On the surface this can be an annoyance in the least, and at worst it can even become a trigger for many to drop out of church activity.  However, it is not uncommon to hear that church is boring with regards to other churches of differing faiths.  In fact, the image of an individual falling asleep in any church because of the "same-old" dull sermon has become nearly ubiquitous.  As a result, many congregations of other faith traditions have adapted and turned their worship services into something akin to a rock concert.  Many members of our own church would not mind a loosening up on traditional restrictions in Sacrament Meetings.  Sometimes known as the Gladys Knight Effect, some LDS congregations are allowing some gospel(ish) choir components to be a part of their services.  While Millennial Mormonism Today welcomes this wholeheartedly, I would remind the reader that being bored in a Sacrament Meeting has profound and deep symbolism that can assist you in your millennial journey.

As a child being born and raised in the church, I've been through my share of dull meetings.  While today, many cope by using the latest technology, one thing that I enjoyed doing was to look at the maps in the back of my scriptures.  For some reason, those maps were always interesting to me.  My favorite map (you won't be surprised) was the one that showed the route the ancient children of Israel took in their exodus out of Egypt into the promised land.  The route was marked by red arrows leading out of Egypt into the desert wilderness.  The portion of the journey that always stuck in my head was the circular course that characterized their "wandering in the wilderness for 40 years."  I always wondered why they had to walk around in circles for 40 years when the promised land was so close!  Why would God do that to them?  They must have seen the same mountains and desert brush over and over again.  The same rocks and sand over and over again.  A contemporary analogy today would be a plane circling the airport until it can come in for a landing.  A holding pattern.

It is typical that most members of the church will identify the cause of the children of Israel's "wilderness holding pattern" as a punishment from God because they worshipped a golden calf.  This uber-literalist Nicodemus interpretation is acceptable to most.  However, Millennial Mormons see deeper levels of meaning.  The worshipping of the calf was merely a symptom of a deeper problem.  The ancient Children of Israel refused to have a personal and one-on-one relationship with God.  The evidence for this can be found in my previous post Let the Journey Begin Part 1 (the relevant scriptures are Exodus 20:19 and D&C 84:23-27 if you are interested).  As a result, God gives his children what they want and they subsequently have Moses as an intermediary and are given strict laws and commandments to follow.  This refusal to have a personal relationship with God, not living by personal revelation, and wanting a prophet to speak on their behalf is played out today in the church and as a result, history has repeated itself.  Many members of the church have no idea that they are wandering in the wilderness and thus they will continue to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until they wake up.  The number 40, of course, is symbolic of any period or length of time that is for cleansing, preparation and generating conscious awareness.  Nicodemus Mormons will see 40 years as just, 40 years.  "40 years" can be any length of time and it is more important to pay attention to the symbolism of the number 40.  The reader may want to think of other examples of the number 40 in the scriptures to help them understand the symbolism.

So, as you "meet together oft" each Sunday for 3 hours and have the same correlated lessons week after week after week, then you can understand perhaps what God is trying to teach you on a deeper level.  It is supposed to be that way for you because that is where you are at in your life.  The REPETITION of talks and lessons is reminiscent of the meaning of the word Deuteronomy.  Once Priesthood Correlation was put into effect, we became a deuteronomic people.  Interestingly, there is some evidence of prophetic concern on the part of Pres. David O. McKay and his counselor Hugh B. Brown that the expanding Priesthood Correlation Committee could have a stifling effect on the church.  However, it is what the people needed at the time and apparently it is still what the church needs today.  While we have it, we can recognize it as a deep symbol of wandering in an external wilderness for 40 years.

Another symbol of wilderness wandering is that the Sacrament Meeting is usually presided over by the bishop of the ward and the ordinance of the sacrament is attended to by the lesser priesthood.  There are numerous members of the church that think that the office of bishop is within the Melchizedek priesthood.  This is not true.  A bishop is an office in the Aaronic priesthood.  This is critical and important evidence that the congregation is wandering in a desert wilderness.  The bishop is a common judge in Israel and is tied to the structure and hierarchy associated with Moses and the children of Israel.  The Aaronic priesthood itself is inseparably connected to the world of the law and the prophets or the Telestial world.  The Aaronic Priesthood or Levitical Priesthood is the PREPARATORY GOSPEL.  A friend of mine pointed out that a careful reading of the D&C will show that the elders of the Melchizedek priesthood are actually to administer the sacrament and priests are only to do it if there are no elders present. 

"The priest’s duty is to preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize, and administer the sacrament" (D&C 20:46).  However, verse 50 states that the priest, "when there is an elder present, he is only to preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize" (D&C 20:50).  Administering the sacrament is deliberately left out and appears to be the sole duty of the elders when elders are present!  The symbolism perhaps is that though there are probably many with the Melchizedek priesthood in the congregation they still may not be "present" for a variety of reasons that the reader should ponder not the least of which is that they are not consciously aware and have not yet woke up. In addition, D&C 20:58 says:  "But neither teachers nor deacons have authority to baptize, administer the sacrament, or lay on hands."

Because many members of the church are in a state of preparation and wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, it is fitting and appropriate for the time being that the sacrament should be presided over by the Aaronic priesthood which is to administer over temporal, external and outward activities.  It seems that most of the church perhaps is in the Nicodemus stage of their journey so this would make perfect sense.  The living prophet of course has the power to generate current policy for the church and thus the Aaronic Priesthood is left to administer the sacrament today. If most of the church were in a Millennial phase of their journey we would see a different meeting.  Perhaps you will witness a new day when the sacrament will look much more like the ordinance that Jesus, The Nephites and Joseph Smith instituted. For now, Millennial Mormons will concern themselves with the internal sacrament more than the external sacrament.

Another important symbol that the church as a whole is wandering in the wilderness (for 40 years) is the actual sacramental emblems themselves.  JST Genesis 14:18-19 states: "And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine; and he break bread and blest it; and he blest the wine, he being the priest of the most high God, And he gave to Abram, and he blessed him, and said, Blessed Abram, thou art a man of the most high God, Possessor of heaven and of earth;"


As most members of the church know, wine was used by Melchizedek, Jesus Christ and his Apostles in Jerusalem, the Nephites in the Book of Mormon, and in the early history of the Mormon church.  When the Church moved West, and later at around the time of the prohibition movement, obedience to the Word of Wisdom's restricitons became little by litte the new policy, and water completely replaced the wine.  In many ways it is an example of a reversal of the miracle Jesus performed by turning water into wine.  While most members of the church today will see nothing significant about that, for Millennial Mormons, the symbolism is profound and evident.  Today in the church there continues to be a mythology spread that the "wine" that was used by Jesus and Joseph Smith was pure grape juice.  This of course is not true.  The accusations of being a "winebibber" against Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith would hardly carry any significance and would be folly if the wine was merely grape juice.  However, in some instances grape juice has been used for the sacrament in the past, as well as actual wine.  The symbolism of moving from wine to grape juice to water is significant.  A friend of mine suggests that this is symbolic of the "watered down" spirituality of many members of the church.  He also said that the small "crumb of bread" contrasts sharply to many examples in the scriptures where the physical and spiritual bread completely filled the individual.  Do you see the symbolism for yourself dear reader?  Many members of the church today are certainly not being filled physically by the Sacrament nor spiritually in many instances, as portrayed in our current Sacrament Meeting.  Thus, as a result, they may say it is dull or boring.

Another symbol that Nicodemus Mormons are wandering in the wilderness for 40 years (which tends to be dull and boring) is the physical surroundings within the chapel itself and certain policies related to sacrament meeting talks.  In the chapel you will find absolutely no artwork and typically it is not ornate in the least.  The walls are typically made of concrete cinder blocks.  The concrete mixture to produce the blocks are made of SAND or very fine gravel.  Thus a person in the chapel could be said to be surrounded by sand!  Sounds like a desert to me!  (Hmmmm.  Also, isn't there a primary song that talks about sand????)

While visual aids are strictly forbidden to be used in conjunction with talks from the pulpit in a sacrament meeting, and there is no artwork hanging on the walls within the chapel itself, one thing that does hang on the wall is a clock.  Most Nicodemus Mormons will simply see it as merely just a literal clock.  However, Millennial Mormons will see this as a symbol of the Telestial and that we are immersed in time and space rather than transcending time and space into eternity.  In a dull or boring meeting, the clock will serve as a "constant reminder" that you are not consciously awake and that you are still wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.  Perhaps the clock should have an alarm on it to wake Adam (Spirit) from "his" deep sleep.  Perhaps the alarm could be a voice that would call to Adam.  What would the voice say dear reader?

President Henry B. Eyring tells an interesting story in his book "To Draw Closer to God".  He shares an incident when he was at a sacrament meeting with his father and they listened to a High Counsel speaker who young Henry considered to be DRY (like a desert) and dull.  Young Henry was perplexed because during the same talk he noticed his father's face "beaming".  His father, one of the greatest LDS scientists of all time, told his son that from the time that he was a young man, when he listened to a speaker at church, he would listen carefully to the speaker and what he or she was intending to talk about and then he would help the speaker by giving himself an additional sermon internally.  What a great example of creating an internal millennium within oneself!  President Eyring then concludes this treasured story with his father finally saying to him:  "Hal, since then I have never been to a bad meeting."  (Henry B. Eyring, To Draw Closer To God, page 23).

While many disaffected Mormons feel that they have no power or say in how the church operates, Millennial Mormons see clearly that the church is always recreating itself and changing.  The change is tied to the prayer in the hearts of the collective membership.  God knows what His children need and desire before and/or without any of his children themselves knowing what they need or desire.  If we choose to avoid being sanctified and having a personal relationship with God and want instead "Moses" to speak on our behalf, we are granted our request.  As a result, we will follow the prophet in the wilderness for 40 years.  Why is church SO boring and dull?  Because we are internally boring and dull!  Once we choose to create an internal millennium we will see things differently and there will be no such thing as a boring, dull or bad meeting.  As more and more members of the church move from being Nicodemus Mormons to Millennial Mormons, God will reveal this secret to his servants the prophets and the church will once again re-create itself as it has many times before.  Let those who have ears, let them hear what the symbolism means for themselves.

Take care my friends.  I hope your Sunday meetings are millennial both internally and externally. 

Keep it millennial until next time!

A Second Helping Of Fig Leaves

Hello everyone!  I hope this post finds you in a millennial moment.  May peace, blessings and abundance fill your cup to overflowing.

I recently came across a website that was promoting green ribbons for the month of May.  The website said that May was Mental Health Month.  Knowing family and friends who struggle with mental health problems, I became curious and looked into the site further.  What I found was a treasure trove of interesting information and also pragmatic help that can aid us in our millennial journey.  This post should be considered an addendum to a previous post on the symbolism of the color green and the apron of fig leaves in the Garden of Eden story.  The name of the previous post was Please Pass the Fig Leaves.  I recommend that you read it if you haven't already or re-read it in light of this new information that I will share.

On the mental health website, the question was asked:  Why a green ribbon?  The answer according to the text of the website said that in the 1800's the color green was used to brand people who were labeled "insane".  Unfortunately, the treatment of mental health issues carries a stigma and I know it is reality for many people.  Many of the treatments for mental health problems in the past were barbaric and science is only now starting to come to a clearer understanding of the causes and the treatment of mental illness.  I continue to hope for better and better treatments for all mental health problems. 

However, I found it interesting that people chose the color green of all colors to label people as "insane".  Perhaps there is a lesson here for all of us in our millennial journey.  The reference to the 1800's is fascinating since this was the time period that the Nauvoo endowment was generated.  Was Joseph Smith and the early saints aware that the color green was used to label people as "insane"?

For most members of the church who look at the Garden of Eden story in an uber-literalist lens, they see the fig leaf apron as an important and necessary step in the journey of Adam and Eve.  They also see it as a symbol of chastity.  For most members of the church, the Fall was a positive event and Eve is the hero of the story.  All of these interpretations have meaning and relevance.  What many members of the church don't realize is that a deeper, more individual interpretation is that Eve is symbolic of our bodies and Adam is symbolic of our spirits.  Therefore, the symbolism of Eve partaking of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is symbolic of our body becoming dominant over our spirit.  Once this happens we enter an illusory world that is dominated by our body and senses.  Our physical eyes are opened at the expense of our spiritual sight.  This spiritual blindness is symbolized by the apron of fig leaves that Adam and Eve make.  It is interesting to answer the question:  Who told thee thou wast naked?  Thus, Adam and Eve, once they partake of the fruit, and make the aprons, enter a world filled with shame, guilt, anxiety, and blame.  They have truly fallen, and are lost, and they haven't a clue of what is really going on.

The symbolism of the color green has many layers and can be very contradictory.  Depending on the culture or circumstance, it can symbolize life or death.  It can symbolize sickness or health.  As mentioned above, it sounds like people in the 1800's used the color to label individuals "insane".  (If any of you readers have a reference to this, I would be most appreciative).

The word insanity is actually a very appropriate word to describe what happens to all of us as a result of the Fall.  We know from the D&C that the perfected union of spirit with the body leads to a fullness of joy.  However, the opposite of this, which is consistent with the Fall, is anything but joyful.  The tension and blame between Adam (Spirit) and Eve (Body) if not rectified will lead to deeper insanity and death.  As a result, God, in His mercy, provides a symbolic formula for Adam and Eve to follow so that they can regain their sanity and ultimately have Eternal Life by embracing the Tree of Life after a long and difficult self-imposed journey.

The journey consists of breaking Adam and Eve down and humbling them so that they can see that the way they are perceiving the world is faulty and in error.  It will take many lessons for Adam and Eve to realize that they are in error and are surrounded by constant consequences that flow as a result of this error.  The danger is that they believe they are seeing clearly right up to the "bitter" end!

Of further interest is contemporary research and treatment of mental health issues.  Apparently the "gold standard" of counseling is the use of the evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  In CBT, the therapist will help a client to understand and learn about cognitive thinking errors that appear to be a major culprit in common mental health problems such as Depression and Anxiety.  This research backed form of treatment is evidence-based and has been proven to be very effective from what I understand.  According to the research it's as effective as medication.  When CBT and medication are used together it creates a complimentary and synergistic effect that increases the opportunity for recovery even further.

Apparently, one of the major "cognitive distortions" that CBT works on trying to help clients confront and eliminate is "ALL OR NOTHING THINKING".  This type of thinking is described as seeing events, people, circumstances and things as entirely good or entirely bad.  There is no in between or grey area.  Does this sound familiar dear reader?  (COUGH.  Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil).  Thus, All or Nothing thinking is a central dynamic in mental health problems and for the purposes of this blog it is the central dynamic in spiritual health problems.

Another interesting way to view this topic is through the lens of the anti-mormon.  The anti-mormon who also looks at the endowment literally will often mock the temple clothes of faithful members of the church and the ceremony.  It is not unheard of for anti-mormons to believe that temple clothing is "crazy".  In this sense, anti-mormons may inadvertently be helping us to see that we have lost our minds (spirit) and our senses are now in control.  Little do anti-mormons realize that they too have partaken of the fruit (as evidenced by the fact that they see the church as entirely evil or bad) and are as blind as anyone else!  Talk about "the blind leading the blind"!!!

The good news in all of this is that God provides a means to become spiritually free.  Jesus Christ and the At-One-Ment are the main ingredient in the antidote.  The spiritual insanity can be cured and health, wellness, peace and stability can be achieved.  Problems will now be seen as opportunities and challenges instead of catastrophes and crisis.  The world will fade from a black and white Telestial world into a rainbow of color connected with the millennial world.  We will no longer wander in the wilderness.  We will enter the promised land.

The mental health web site went on to say that they continue to use the color green in spite of its use in labeling people in the 1800's as "insane".  They said that now the green symbolizes "new life, new growth, and new beginnings."  May it be so for all of us.

I encourage you to support mental health awareness and the decreasing of the stigma of mental health.  I believe we all struggle with mental illness to one degree or another just as we struggle with physical health problems to one degree or another.  Universally, we are all struggling with spiritual health problems.  Thus the next time you wear green whether it is a ribbon or something else, remember the old meaning and embrace the new meaning. 

God bless you in your millennial journey my friends.