The LDS Temple Endowment and its deep, ancient, rich symbolism is very often unknown and misunderstood even by Latter-day Saints. We live in an age so literal and devoid of mythic symbolism that even the most simplistic rituals can be seen as strange and confusing to the modern man. This is even more so for the Endowment, which is steeped in ritual and symbolism as old as history itself. Here I attempt to peel back one of these layers of mystery by exploring the Endowment in relation to the scriptural concept of the Divine Council of the Gods and what understanding this teaches us not only about the Endowment but the purpose of the Endowment and the Temple in the lives of the Saints.
Category: LDS Church
On Signs, Symbols, and Statist Sacraments
In past parts of this series I have touched upon how governments use religious rituals to reinforce loyalty and obedience to it, such as with the Pledge of Allegiance, but haven’t gone into much depth on the subject. Here I really dig into the concept and explore some concrete examples of the ways that the government manipulates religious symbolism, religious architecture, and the natural feelings of the people to present itself and its officials as divine and to command obedience from the masses. For examples of this idolatry, I look at such religious artworks as The Apotheosis of George Washington and the Enthroned Washington and such religious architecture as the American temples, the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, and the religious messages thereof.
True Manhood and Toxic Masculinity
What does it mean to be a man? I don’t just mean in the sense of having a penis and some testicles. That makes you male, but that doesn’t make you a man. So what makes you a man? How can you look at someone and recognize there is a true man. It is an important question, especially in the modern age where even the concept of there being such a thing as masculinity, maleness, or definitive manhood is under fire. Gratefully, the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us definitive guidance on how to recognize both toxic masculinity and true manhood, what the qualities of each are, and how to fulfill our potential as men of God in the image of the Great Father.
The Modern Moloch, Part 5: The Political Messiah
In the former parts of this series we have explored how the State, the government, is in form and function an idolatrous death cult as well as how the cult functions in our daily lives, indoctrinating us into its service from childhood. As we have explored these issues the question has arisen of how such an organization developed in the first place and what is its ultimate end? To answer that we must start before even the Beginning and range across time and scripture to beyond even the very End of the World- going from the Council in Heaven to the Apocalypse. Here we find out the Satanic origins of the Cult of the State, see how it is described in the revelations of the prophets Nephi and John the Revelator, explore some of the most important yet confusing symbols in scriptures -the great and abominable church in the Book of Mormon and Revelation’s Dragon, Beast, Antichrist, and the Whore of Babylon- and see what scripture tells us about the ultimate downfall of the State and all the governments of the world.
Brigham Young Explains The Purpose of the Church
Near the end of his life, President Brigham Young gave an address that taught what the sole purpose of the church is and what is the single goals its members should strive for. In this age of social and political division in the church, these truths are more important than ever. Additionally, his remarks in regards to taxation and public education herein are also quite instructive in the present day.
The Modern Moloch Part 4: The Religion of Statism- Section B
In Section A we explored the foundational beliefs of the Cult of the State- its temples, gods, prophets, sacred texts, and common prayers. Here we continue this exploration of how the governments of the world act as secular religions within the lives of those under the power of the various countries of the world. We do this by looking at the churches, religious leadership, some mystical rituals and forms of worship, and the holy wars of the Death Cult of the State. If Section A was the motivating beliefs of the government religion then Section B is what those ideals look like put into action both in the government’s efforts to indoctrinate us into the cult and what it looks like we when do as we are taught to believe. Though far from exhaustive, hopefully by the end of this part of the Modern Moloch series you will know enough to pull back the curtain on the government and begin to root out all the ways it has manipulated you for its own glory and gain.
Did The Church’s November 2015 Policy Cause LGBT+ Teens To Harm or Kill Themselves?
It is common among ex-Mormons to claim that the doctrines and policies of the church regarding homosexuality cause gay teens to harm and kill themselves, especially the November 2015 policy of the church that says same-sex marriage is an offense that can get you excommunicated. This argument has even been made by major news outlets. But is it actually true? Here I republish an online essay from another writer that addresses the strongest evidence for this argument head on, evaluates all the proof, and comes to powerful, fact-based conclusions that demonstrates that the argument, for all its emotional power, is contradictory and false. In my afterword to the essay, I point out that the evidence is actually the opposite, that deeply religious gay teens are less likely to harm or kill themselves, and draw conclusions about how we can keep from falling for similar emotionally manipulative and erroneous arguments made by the critics of the church and its policies.