THE KINGDOM & GOVERNMENT OF GOD
We've delved (at a very surface level) into what I've described as a cosmic layer of the Gospel [Cosmism]. This aspect is intimately tied to the temple, to prophecy, and to gospel and world symbolism. Now we'll divert slightly to explore and splice in another facet of the Gospel reality; one that also holds an inseparable connection to the temple and order (cosmos) and these same things.
This is the layer of Government or politics (politics = understood here as the science of governance). The Kingdom of God is the Government of God, not just the Church. It’s both in it’s full form.
“The Kingdom of God is the government of God, on the earth, or in the heavens.
The earth, and all the planetary systems, are governed by the Lord; they are upheld by his power, and are sustained, directed, and controlled by his will.”
President John Taylor - The Government of God
Government is part of the Gospel and the temple is central in the Celestial Kingdom of God where the ecclesiastical and the political are one in harmony.
We also know that there is no space in the which there is not a kingdom and laws and bounds to govern it.
According to God’s own word, we can know for certain that God is:
The Heavenly Father - Perfect in Fatherhood. A Glorified Resurrected Husband who procreates. A means to propagate/expand His likeness and image (Work & Glory). [Replication]
The High Priest - Perfect in Priesthood. The Chief administrator of Spiritual/Ecclesiastical matter through the Gospel of Exaltation and all of it’s required keys. [Endowment - ability to mediate power]
The King - Perfect in Judgment. The Head of governance of Natural/Social matter within His Kingdoms/Domain. [Justice/Dominion/Inheritance]
Now truly consider and let it soak in, that we were born and are alive in the flesh now to assume the likeness and bodily image of our Celestial/Heavenly parents. To become through a process - like our Father.
There’s no getting away from it, we are anointed in the temple to become Husbands and Wives, High Priests and Priestesses, Kings and Queens of the Most High, in HIS KINGDOM contingent upon our faithfulness in this probationary state. We’ve been given the perfect template or example in the Messiah. The temple is where these covenants and rites are made with transcendent (Celestial/beyond-death) authority. This very language of Kingships and Kingdoms and Principalities, etc. implies that government is an integral part of the social structure of Eternal Life.
The perfect social order is that of Zion. It’s no secret to the Latter-day Saint. It’s where we came from, it’s where and what we are seeking to return to and obtain for ourselves even now as we enter into the Millennium, where Christ will literally be crowned our King forever as we’ve discussed regarding Adam-ondi-Ahman. From Zion to Zion with mortal dragons to slay in the interim.
OUR ROYAL IDENTITY
In May of 2022, our beloved Prophet Russell M. Nelson and his wife Sister Wendy Nelson delivered a worldwide devotional for young adults titled, “Choices for Eternity”. President Nelson proclaimed his responsibility as the Prophet to educate us in spiritual matters and to prepare us for our immortal experience. He identified 3 major eternal truths that the world does not properly keep in focus when considering education:
“First, each of us is going to die.
Second, because of Jesus Christ, each of us is going to be resurrected and become immortal.
And third, Judgment Day is ahead for each of us.
These three absolute truths should form the foundation of your spiritual education.”
This screams of Joseph Smith and our explorations in previous essays where he encourages and proclaims:
“All men know that they must die.
…and it is a subject we ought to study more than any other.
We ought to study it day and night, for the world is ignorant in reference to the matter, and it is a subject we ought to study more than any other. We ought to study it day and night, for the world is ignorant in reference to their true condition and relation.
If we have any claim on our Heavenly Father for anything, it is for knowledge on this important subject. Could we read and comprehend all that has been written from the days of Adam, on the relation of man to God and angels in a future state, we should know very little about it. Reading the experience of others, or the revelation given to them, can never give us a comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to God.
Knowledge of these things can only be obtained by experience through the ordinances of God set forth for that purpose.
Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject.”
He’s pointing us to the Temple (ordinances) - just as President Nelson is.
President Nelson continues his address and I feel it is important enough to read a large part of it here. We have to remember who we are.
Because of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness, we know a lot about our postmortal possibilities. We know that our Father’s house has many mansions. We know that God loves His children so much that, as President Dallin H. Oaks has taught, “all the children of God”—with the fewest of exceptions—will “wind up in a kingdom of glory.” Just think of it! Our Father created kingdoms of glory—telestial, terrestrial, and celestial—to provide a glorious place for His children.
My purpose tonight is to make sure that your eyes are wide open to the truth that this life really is the time when you get to decide what kind of life you want to live forever. Now is your time “to prepare to meet God.”
Mortal lifetime is hardly a nanosecond compared with eternity. But, my dear brothers and sisters, what a crucial nanosecond it is! During this life we get to choose which laws we are willing to obey—those of the celestial kingdom, or the terrestrial, or the telestial—and, therefore, in which kingdom of glory we will live forever.
Every righteous choice that you make here will pay huge dividends now. But righteous choices in mortality will pay unimaginable dividends eternally. If you choose to make covenants with God and are faithful to those covenants, you have the promise of “glory added upon [your head] for ever and ever.”
These truths ought to prompt your ultimate sense of FOMO—or fear of missing out. You have the potential to reach the celestial kingdom. The ultimate FOMO would be missing out on the celestial kingdom, settling for a lesser kingdom because here on earth you chose only to live the laws of a lesser kingdom.
The adversary, of course, does not want you even to think about tomorrow, let alone eternal life. But please don’t be uninformed or naïve about the opportunities and challenges of mortality. In that spirit, you need to understand three fundamental truths that will help you prepare your future course:
First, know the truth about who you are.
Second, know the truth about what Heavenly Father and His Son have offered you.
And third, know the truth related to your conversion.
He’s asking us to remember our divine and royal identity. He continues to expand on each of those 3 bullet points in the devotional. I will highlight what he says about knowing who we really are.
Now, let us turn the question to you. Who are you?
First and foremost, you are a child of God.
Second, as a member of the Church, you are a child of the covenant. And third, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Tonight, I plead with you not to replace these three paramount and unchanging identifiers with any others, because doing so could stymie your progress or pigeonhole you in a stereotype that could potentially thwart your eternal progression.
So we are:
Children of God [Home : Fatherhood : Family]
Children of the Covenant [Temple : High Priesthood : Church]
Disciple of Jesus Christ [Co-Heirs to the Throne : King : Kingdom]
This fits mirrors what we’ve established we understand about God - because we are literally His progeny. We must understand that he wants to give us ALL THAT HE HAS. That’s what’s on the table. That is what the current Prophet is urging and pleading that we understand.
These 3 layers of our divine and royal identity also map right along the identity of the literal Kingdom of God. Christ is the Father of the Resurrection, and with the restoration of the Latter-days through Joseph Smith - God has established the foundation (the stone cut without hands) of his literal Kingdom with the seeds and incubation of both the ecclesiastical and political aspects (High Priest : Kingship) to be brought forth at the correct moment in time.
Let’s read some excerpts from Bruce R. McConkie’s The Millennial Messiah. From pages 594-601.
[594] CHRIST REIGNS ON DAVID’S THRONE
The Lord Jesus Christ -- the King of heaven and the rightful ruler of the earth — set up his earthly kingdom among men on the 6th day of April in 1830. That kingdom, now named The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is an ecclesiastical kingdom. It is ruled and governed by the priesthood; it administers the gospel; it holds the keys of salvation for all men. It is the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth and is the [595] one place where salvation may be found. It is, in the true and literal sense of the word, the kingdom of God on earth, and as such it is preparing men to go to the kingdom of God in heaven, which is the celestial kingdom.
When the Lord, in the first instance, in the days of Adam set up his kingdom on earth, it was both an ecclesiastical and a political kingdom. From the day of the first man down to the flood, all of the righteous people in the earth were governed, both ecclesiastically and politically, by the same leaders and with the same power — the power and authority of the holy priesthood. Apostate peoples who broke off from the true church, as then officered and organized, created both churches and governments of their own. Often these were united as one, patterning themselves after the true Adamic system; sometimes the two ways of life were separately administered. Such peoples had false religions and, from the true theocratic perspective, false governments also. There is only one true religion, the religion in which God rules by revelation. And, in the full and divine sense, there is only one true government, the government in which God rules. All things are spiritual unto the Lord; from his standpoint there is no such thing as a temporal commandment, and it is his right to rule in all things both temporal and spiritual.
For the time being, however, because men are not prepared and are unwilling to take direction from the Lord; because they love darkness rather than light, their deeds being evil; because they choose to believe false religions and to be governed by political powers that fall short of the perfect and divine standard — because of these conditions, the Lord has ordained a system under which church and state should be separated. In the full and true sense this system of separation of church and state is in active operation only in the United States of America. Some other nations make reasonable attempts to allow freedom of worship, but most of the population of the earth is ruled by governments that also tell them what they must believe, [596] how and what they must worship, and what they must do, as they falsely suppose, to gain salvation. These are corrupt, evil and apostate systems. As the union of church and state under God is the most perfect form of worship and government, so the union of church and state under man leads to false worship and denies men a hope of full salvation. Whenever in our day the power of the state, with its armies and jails, usurps the prerogatives of the church and proceeds to govern in religious matters, the church of the evil one flourishes. Men are hailed before a Spanish inquisition; they are put to death for forsaking Islam and becoming Christians; they are driven into ghettos and murdered in concentration camps; or they are scourged in synagogues and crucified on crosses. There is nothing more evil, more cruel, more wicked than false religion that can survive only by the sword of Cortez, or the armies of Mohammed, or the gestapo of Hitler.
Both church and state, as the world knows them, will soon cease to be. When the Lord comes again, he will set up anew the political kingdom of God on earth. It will be joined with the ecclesiastical kingdom; church and state will unite; and God will govern in all things. But even then, as we suppose, administrative affairs will be departmentalized, for the law will go forth from Zion (in Jackson County), and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (in Palestine). But, nonetheless, once again the government of the earth will be theocratic. God will govern. This time he will do it personally as he reigns over all the earth. And all of this presupposes the fall of Babylon, and the death of false religions, and the fall of all earthly governments and nations. And these things, as we are aware, shall surely come to pass. [Leiland: just let that soak in - it will come up later as we discuss Daniel and Ezra and political prophecies in later essays.]
Thus, when we speak of the Lord returning to reign personally upon the earth, we are talking about a literal return. We have in mind a King ruling on a throne.
We mean that laws will come forth from a Lawgiver; that judges will be restored as of old; that there will be a full end [597] of all nations as these now exist; that earth’s new King will have dominion and power over all the earth; and that Israel, the chosen people, will possess the kingdom and have everlasting dominion. It is to these things that we shall now turn our attention.
Elder McConkie proceeds to cite a number of Prophets and prophecies that support his claims. I want to skip ahead to how he ends this section in this chapter.
[600] Nephi speaks of the destruction of the kingdom of the devil in the last days, of the wicked being brought low in the dust, and of their being consumed as stubble. “And the time cometh speedily.” when all this is brought to pass, he says, “that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory.” (1 Ne. 22:23-24.) Truly, he shall reign whose right it is; he shall make “a full end of all nations” (D&C 87:6), and with his saints he shall possess the kingdom forever and ever. In that day a great voice in heaven shall say: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15)
The Eventual triumph of the Lord’s people is assured; there is to be a millennial day of glory and honor and peace; the fulness of the earth shall be theirs in that day, and all nations and kingdoms shall serve and obey them. But all the promised rewards need not be deferred until that day. Even now the saints can begin the process of inheriting the kingdom. They have power to begin to reap some of the millennial rewards. “I have decreed a decree which my people shall realize,” the Lord said in the early days of this dispensation, “inasmuch as they hearken from this very hour unto the counsel which I, the Lord their God, shall give unto them. Behold they shall, for I have decreed it, begin to prevail against mine enemies from this very hour. And by hearkening to observe all the words which I, the Lord their God, shall speak unto them, they shall never [601] cease to prevail until the kingdoms of the world are subdued under my feet, and the earth is given unto the saints, to possess it forever and ever.” (D&C 103:5-7.)
Take into consideration the very word KING. Let’s define it fully.
Let’s also take into consideration the etymology of the word.
So a KING is the leader of his KIN, HIS CHILDREN - “a descendant of a divine race” - in a defined territory or space over which he exercises dominion, a city.
Kingship is directly related to Fatherhood. The king gives a NAME and a likeness and agency to his subjects (children), which implies order and ability and freedom. He provides for their sustenance, their protection, and their education in the ways of his name. He provides Justice, Mercy, and Grace, and an Inheritance. The name is their identity.
Zion and Babylon.
These are the warring governments of Christ and Satan for the Kin-ship (Eternal Fatherhood/identity) of man. Are we Children born again in Christ through Baptism and taking upon his His name of ultimate will power? Or are we Children of the Father of Lies, the Devil - giving our souls wholly up to the subjugation of the flesh and the natural man, who is an enemy of God.
Mosiah 3:17-19
17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
We’ll inevitably come back to Zion and Babylon in this discussion of Kings and Kingdoms and Fathers and Children. Let’s zoom back out to make a cosmic transition into this.
THE TEMPLE AS THRONE
“For God so loved the [Cosmos], that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16
The Greek for this passage uses the word ‘kosmon/kosmos’ and it is often translated as ‘world’ in English - but again, from our eternal perspective, the full understanding of the word enlarges and includes our cosmic musings as it clearly implies Christ’s infinite and cosmic authority.
Here’s the Strong’s 2889 section:
In our Saturnian-synthesized paradigm, we are already familiar with the idea of the temple representing a cosmic wheeled throne or an ark or an impenetrable fortress and seat of power in Heaven. Temples and monuments being built after the likeness of things seen above, as above - so below.
This throne language and iconography is also one in the same conversation as the mythological ‘Cosmic Mountain’ or the axis-mundi around which creation turns, the home of the Gods - the House of the Lord - the sacred place from which the Word of God, Commands and authority (endowment) are given.
The symbols of the Temple are symbols of the Mount of Transfiguration - meaning experiencing the ascending up through the Spirit unto the throne of God, which includes seeing the Millennial restoration and even the later permanent Celestial state of the Earth. We’ll take Abraham’s transfiguration experience as an example below.
So conveniently for us - this is essentially a continuation and an enhancement of the same symbolic stack that is the conference center roof symbol and the new symbol of the Church we’ve previously discussed. Since they are all centered on Jesus Christ - this shouldn’t be a surprise! That’s the point!
Christ underlines and connects everything.
Here is a depiction of Ezekiel’s vision of the Lord on his wheeled throne in Heaven. (Keep in mind how translated beings are often depicted as being carried up in a whirlwind and with a chariot or a cart or an ark of sorts, typically aflame.)
In the Book of Abraham, we learn that great stars are ‘near unto the throne of God’ - one of them termed ‘the great one’ is called Kolob and was set originally as the “governing” star over the Earth and other planets/stars in their primal and perfect form.
You can’t separate stars and planets from the throne and residence of God concept and doctrine. Consider again Section 130 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Time is a function of what kind of ‘Heaven and Earth’ - or Planet and Host Star/s scenario a being finds themselves in, and there are limitations to it (v.5). We are told that Angels reside ‘in the presence of God’, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire - this is called a great Urim and Thummim. The next verses explain that the Earth will itself become one of these crystal globes of everlasting burning - a Urim and Thummim - and receive the endowment of the presence of God. Likewise, the inhabitants of this endowed Kingdom/Territory will be endowed with the proper corresponding ordinances of the quickening of the heart. Note again how we enter anew into the Celestial Kingdom, then with our resurrected bodies - to take upon us a new name. A new ability and authority to act in an ordained way. The ability to become Heavenly Fathers and Heavenly Mothers, Heavenly Priests, and Heavenly Kings.
In the conversation of order and dominion and the temple - name doctrine is very important and keeps popping up, it is all about our identity and our destiny as the Prophet has instructed and as we’ve been exploring. We are Children of God who is a Father and a Priest and a King and so our divine identity is that of righteous royalty, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together..” (Romans 8:17). This comes up later, as our covenants all along the way are to take the name of Christ upon us, to act after his template.
Jumping back to the Book of Abraham:
The Lord instructs Abraham in this encounter in the order and hierarchy of planets and stars - ascending the scale of time and energy unto Kolob and a degree of glory/power that is in harmony with the ‘Presence of the Lord’ or a Celestial Governance of light/glory. He also says in verse 10, “it is given unto thee to know the set time of all the stars that are set to give light, until thou come near unto the throne of God.” This implies to me exactly what we’ve been exploring, that during the Fall of the Earth since Creation and Adam - our primary star of governance has not always been the Sun/Moon that we look to for life and to measure our time today (Sol/Sin). It implies that on the Earth’s path back to redemption, or back to the throne and Presence of God (made possible by the Messiah) would include becoming captive to various stars that would give light and govern the Earth at various times.
Here’s a little visual reminder I made for this - I added the next governing stars to the previous version - I also added in some Prophets who sought Zion and achieved it along the way in the flesh. I could have included the 4th Nephi people as well - this isn’t a perfect graphic, but I like it to get the general progression of the governing stars over the earth during it’s fall and captivity into strange kingdoms.
This pattern of captivity and deliverance is an overarching theme of the Gospel.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
And
2 Nephi 2:24-29
24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.
27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;
29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.
The Kingdom of hell or the Kingdom of God, captivity or liberty, eternal life or death. We are captive to death but delivered by Christ, and we are guided and led by His Holy Spirit unto a higher resurrection in the Kingdom of God. Israel as a Nation herself expresses this pattern of captivity and deliverance in time and through the Pride Cycle. The Book of Mormon history reveals the same pattern of captivity and redemption in the people of the Jaredites and the Nephites and even the prophetic warning to the Gentiles and Israel today; we are a captive and scattered Israel participating in the promised Gathering and Deliverance from a Mystery Babylon. The Earth and her family of planets are going through a similar process in parallel with our macro fall and redemption. From Michael as Adam to Christ as Messiah.
Adam [an immortal being] gave up his immortality to bring all of us into mortality. Christ [an immortal being] gave up his mortality to bring all of us into immortality.
At a personal level - the Prophet’s direction to learn to love and embrace ‘daily repentance’ is another iteration or instance of this pattern of captivity and deliverance through the atonement.
“Make your focus on daily repentance so integral to your life that you can exercise the priesthood with greater power than ever before.”
You can experiment with it right now because of the gift of repentance. It’s real.
Let’s get back to Abraham’s temple/transfiguration encounter with the Lord take a closer look at the word govern for just a moment.
On the etymology side: The word "govern" comes from Old French "gouverneur," which itself is derived from Latin "gubernare," meaning "to direct, rule, guide, govern." Interestingly, "gubernare" was borrowed from Greek κυβερνᾶν (kybernan) meaning "to steer or pilot a ship, direct". This maritime metaphor was used in the ancient world to describe the act of guiding or steering a state. Hence, the etymology of "govern" carries the connotation of steering or guiding, which is very much in line with its current usage in the context of controlling or directing the affairs of a state or organization. This is also perfect in the cosmic context we are seeing this term used by the Lord to Abraham when referring to planets and stars, or the locations and hosts upon and through which the Spirits of God can gain immortal bodies of flesh and bone.
The Lord doesn’t stop at identifying great stars as the pinnacle of intelligence and governance among his works - he ensures that Abraham understands that HE, the Lord, is the grand governor and ruler of them all - this is the message Abraham is to convey in Egypt to his apostate Brethren. That God the Father created all those great stars by and through Jesus Christ with the express intent to provide his Spirit Children physical bodies of flesh and bone (dust/earth/planet - denser/carbon material element “shall be added upon”), a 2nd Estate to be tested through faith in the Son of Man who was chosen to redeem them from death from the beginning. Jesus acts as proxy for the Father - who was already Resurrected, permanently embodied in Celestial Glory - one of us had to volunteer willingly to give up his will and life as an immortal (infinite) blood sacrifice. “Here am I, send me” Jehovah volunteered.
Embodied. Here comes another important tangent. They are always important.
Our bodies give us the ability to act - to move - to become - to grow. They are the “work/capacity” element of the Plan of Salvation, the “work” element of God’s express purpose and intent, “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)
Let’s reframe our understanding of ‘The Plan of Salvation” as we normally think of it for a moment - let’s call it now also “The Plan of Embodiment”.
Why would I do this and what does this mean?
We know that we are participating in a process of development. We are “being added upon” as the Lord says to Abraham. Line upon line, grace upon grace.
We are only able to exercise our agency with a body.
We began as unembodied intelligences - we were born by a Resurrected Heavenly Father into spirit bodies in what we call the First Estate or premortal existence (often referred to as ‘preexistence’ generally). Based on the use of our agency there - we were either damned (prevented from progressing - see 1/3rd who followed Lucifer) from being born into a natural body, or we were given this probationary experience which will again, through our agency and use of this body, will determine our 3rd and Final Resurrected estate - or which kind of resurrected body we will be given for eternity.
To be intentionally redundant, it is because of Adam and Christ that we are able to participate in such a probation. It was because of our faith and agency in following Christ already in the premortal First Estate, that each of us here today have been given this opportunity to once again choose the will of the Father over the cunning deception of the Accuser.
Let’s break down intelligence.
From Mormon Doctrine:
Let’s also see what the Guide to the Scriptures says:
Reading all of D&C 93 is recommended in this flow and mind state. One last reference on the subject from the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith:
I created this graphic to express this perspective of the Plan. I want to emphasize the idea that, like a pendulum, we swing from an over-spiritual bodily situation, to an over-natural bodily situation - to an eventually permanent bodily situation after judgment.
I visualize it this way as well to help understand the context of scriptures like that of 1 Corinthians 15. We are going from a Zion (Celestial Kingdom) state to a Zion (CK) state.
Bodies are important and they bind us socially. From our individual bodies, to our family bodies, to our ward and stake and Church bodies, to our Temple bodies, to our planetary and stellar bodies and beyond. It’s ‘body-ception’.
The “Throne” of Revelation 4 - is the Temple or body of Christ - but including the planetary restored form of ‘Heaven’ that brings the Millennial paradisiacal environment. It’s the state of the earth seen on the Mount of Transfiguration and in all visions of the “Throne”. In our Saturnian/Adam perspective, this is powerfully coherent with the antique solar system being a fixed polar column with Saturn at the apex over the North that represented the Mountain of the Lord’s House, or the Temple of the Gods.
Just a reminder, I am not without evidence to suggest that a Saturnian interpretation of these things is not “looking beyond the mark” - but rather as I like to say, looking directly at the obvious.
And again, here’s what they looked like on one of Angell’s original drafts:
See my essay on New-Neo Catastrophism for more on the SLC Temple Saturn Stones. We’ve gone over this already.
Let’s turn though for a moment to some classically respected thinkers for additional witness in support of a serious consideration and synthesis of Saturnian cosmology to our eternal perspective.
PLATO
Plato’s “The Statesman” is a dialogue (I think of it like an essay like these) of his that hinges on a quest to define the ideal statesman, or ruler (king). In it, a key device is the myth of Reign of Cronos (Saturn / The Golden Age of Paradise). Two contrasting eras are depicted within this myth - Cronos' reign and the then present day ruled by Zeus (Jupiter) according to Plato. This would be Pre-Flood (Antediluvian) v. Post-Flood ages generically.
In Cronos' reign, the world was directly governed by the gods (especially through lesser gods - as in Angels and other Planets/Stars/comets). The Antediluvian era described in the myth was a period of ideal harmony, akin to divine shepherding as he describes it, where rulers ensured the welfare of society, and citizens were passive recipients of their rule.
In contrast, the present age under Zeus is characterized by self-governance and independence. Divine supervision is replaced by a more 'watchful' role from the Divine, reflecting the gods' retreat from direct involvement. The world is left to navigate its own course, highlighting the essential role of a capable statesman.
While the myth might seem purely allegorical, Plato insists on its historical value. By doing so, he strengthens the credibility of his discussion on statesmanship - but it also harmonizes very nicely with our perspective that the myths are more historical than most would consider (because of the inversion of truth in this Dispensation of Deceit we are up against). Plato refers to the antediluvians a few times as ‘nurslings of Cronos’. This is a worthwhile passage to read that I lifted out of it. It briefly mentions at the start a story of the past in which the sun and stars used to rise in the West and set in the East before there was a reversal of the order of heavenly things by Zeus (Jupiter) - he then backs up in natural history and starts to speak on the reign of Cronos (King of Heaven).
HESIOD
In Hesiod’s Works and Days, he records the myth of the Five Ages of Man that I sort-of referenced above in my diagram and that we also see portrayed in prophecy in a manner being applied to kingdoms of the world (Daniel 2) - especially those who oppress and scatter Israel. In the myth, the five ages represent different eras of humanity: the Golden Age under Cronos (Saturn) was a utopian era of peace and abundance, followed by the Silver, Bronze, Heroic, and Iron Ages. Each age represents a moral and societal decline, with the then present Iron Age being a time of hardship and strife.
According to Hesiod in the Golden Age, similar to Plato's Statesman, divine beings directly governed humans, creating a harmonious existence. As the ages progress, however, humans gradually take control of their own destiny, correlating with an increase in toil and moral corruption. Here’s a passage I like that supports and is made pretty plain in our paradigm:
OVID
Ovid's "Metamorphoses" is a sweeping epic that charts the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar, all through a lens of constant change and transformation, as the title suggests.
Within this narrative, Ovid explores the reigns of various gods, starting from the Golden Age under Saturn (Cronos), similar to both Plato's "Statesman" and Hesiod's "Works and Days". This age is depicted as a time of harmony and abundance, where divine rule directly guides the world, and where mankind lives in peace. Saturn was fixed in the North.
Following the Golden Age, Ovid outlines the Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages. Each subsequent age experiences a decline in moral values and societal harmony, mirroring Hesiod's depiction. The Iron Age, in particular, is characterized by strife, hardship, and the necessity for self-governance. But Ovid too, treats these examples from the past as historical realities that should not be disconnected from the understanding of society and man and even the very environment in which we find ourselves.
Here’s a snip that I like that once again harmonizes with our paradigm of planetary capture and a re-orbiting that involved the creation of the seasons.
“When Saturn had been banished into night and all the world was ruled by Jove [Jupiter] supreme, the Silver Age, though not so good as gold but still surpassing yellow brass, prevailed. Jove first reduced to years the Primal Spring, by him divided into periods four, unequal,—summer, autumn, winter, spring.—then glowed with tawny heat the parched air, or pendent icicles in winter froze and man stopped crouching in crude caverns, while he built his homes of tree rods, bark entwined”
These changes to life after the Saturn flare/flood event further signified the purpose of this plan and journey we and our Earth are on - highlighting the process of death and rebirth as a cyclical and observable process, both in the sowing and the harvesting of crops - but also in the setting and the rising of the Sun and the new stars that were then visible after the flood. In most mythos, the stars weren’t visible until after the flood and separation of the polar column event.
I digress - okay what am I saying?
I just provided 3 witnesses from ‘classic’ minds to the outside world at large that point to Saturn being the governing star and sun of this Earth prior to the Flood event, the planetary King of Heaven - after which, Jupiter usurped the ‘throne’ and became the governing star for a time, the new King of Heaven. They both eventually were forced to the outer region of this new condition of ‘heaven and earth’ (or solar environment) and are today called ‘Gas Giants’ and ‘Failed Stars’ even in the popular paradigm.
We still see echoes of this historical understanding in our quasi-Saturnalia holidays and also in the Sabbath day previously being Saturn’s Day (Saturday) - the day of Creation/Rest and the day from which Adam and the Earth fell.
Even our New Year’s tradition of lowering an illuminated sphere in blaring noise and fanfare and explosions of light to signify the changing of a ‘year’ or ‘cycle’ around the Sun/Star… I have a whole thread on this, seems like a good place to drop it for a quick tangent, it may be the building block for a more developed essay on the topic in the future about this and also how parades and floats are also planetary mirrors as well in the same way:
https://twitter.com/LeilandTanner/status/1344907977254338562
Alright - so the temple is clearly the center and smothered in this language of time and eternity and ruling/kingship and authority and order and family and life in sum. The Tabernacle, or Body of God, the Temple: is representative of this polar column of paradise lost and of the Millennium to come. The ancient polar column and the future heaven and earth to come will be a larger GLOBAL version of the more regional phenomena of the Exodus in the wilderness and other witnessed and recorded events involving planetary encounters (with either other planets or comets).
The Tabernacle, and the Temple of Solomon are the “Heaven Man” personified. The Tree of LIfe concept in Jewish mysticism fits right in and overlays with our paradigm - and even Lehi’s Tree of Life vision is, at the root, depicting the same fundamental process of the plan of salvation. The journey of man. The Condescension of Christ.
Or we’ve seen a modern aerial version of our own - signifying the same cosmic message of the Messiah and his bodily Work and spiritual Glory.
The Tabernacle and the Temple were both built to provide a space/location for the Presence/Spirit of the Lord to embody - to abide - to possess.
We read in:
42 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.
44 And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office.
45 ¶ And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God.
Within the Holy of Holies, the High Priest would ascend unto the mercy seat, access to the throne of God!
The Gift of the Holy Ghost and the Endowment of the Temple today give us access to the same divine presence and ascension experience and personal revelation and relationship with the Lord.
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it."
—Isaiah 2:2
Let’s explore this a bit to show the more global pattern. Here are other names and concepts and symbols that stack onto the temple and that harmonize with an interpretation that the temple represents a heavenly throne, a polar configuration of planets endowed with the Celestial Glory of creation.
Temple = Mountain of the Lord's House Cosmic Mountain Throne (Authority of God) Home/House of God Jacob's Ladder (Rock) Stairway to Heaven Tree of Life World Tree Axis Mundi Mount Zion Tabernacle (Body) JESUS CHRIST
This is Zion to Zion still, the Temple as the beginning and the end. The Alpha and the Omega. We started in the Celestial Kingdom and will see and participate in the transfiguration of this Earth back to the Celestial Kingdom.
The very name of “throne” implies government, rule, law - power to enforce it - a seat for a king, a ruler. We are anointed to become like Him.
The temple is representative of Christ, who is the King of Kings, the creator of the cosmos and our mediation between the immortal realm, the mortal realm, and the unembodied. This is why he’s referred to as the ‘Veil’ - the passthrough back to the Celestial Kingdom. It is his name and likeness that we learn about and are endowed with at the Temple.
It is from God and Heaven (Cosmic Mountain/Celestial Kingdom) that Earthly rulers and kings receive their authority by proxy through Christ (who is the Heir of the Kingdom of Heaven of the Father).
"Thus Israel gathers for the purpose of building temples in which the ordinances of salvation and exaltation are performed for the living and the dead."
—Bruce R. McConkie
When King Solomon was allowed to complete the temple, we see this focus from the Lord that it is a holy place “to put my name there for ever” (a place where Eternal Life is ordained with Priesthood authority) with the contingency that Israel keep the Lord’s template/commandments and not fall into idolatry or else be cut off from the land and the covenants of the temple.
Section 109 of the Doctrine and Covenants is all about the Kirtland Temple, the first temple authorized by the Lord and built by the Saints in these latter-days. In this Section, the word “name” is repeated 19 times in direct reference to the Temple as a place where the Saints take the name of the Lord upon themselves in the process of receiving their endowment of power and authority and in everything that is done in the temple. It is through the Atonement and His sacred name that we are made pure and holy and like Him in mortality, and promised to become ‘co-heirs’ with Him, in the end.
The Temple and the connection to God that we can secure therein is the pinnacle of our religion and our covenant path here on Earth. It is our Resurrection and Glory insurance, or assurance. As we work in this endeavor, to see with an eternal perspective centered on Christ, we are filled with the Holy Ghost and power and presence of God that elevates us to connect with the Celestial.
Let’s baptize our minds for a moment in the words of modern Prophets speaking about the importance of the temple. Consider these in context of the big picture we’re drawing as well, that the temple is much more than an ecclesiastical center.
"Clearly, when we baptize, our eyes should gaze beyond the baptismal font to the holy temple. The great garner into which the sheaves should be gathered is the holy temple."
—Neal A. Maxwell
"As we come unto Christ and journey to higher ground, we will desire to spend more time in His temples, because the temples represent higher ground, sacred ground."
—Joseph B. Wirthlin
"It is plain that a Temple is more than chapel or church…; it is a structure erected as the House of the Lord, sacred to the closest communion between the Lord Himself and the Holy Priesthood, and devoted to the highest and most sacred ordinances characteristic of the age or dispensation to which the particular Temple belongs."
—James E. Talmage
"The temple is the house of the Lord. The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant…is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house."
—Russell M. Nelson
"The crowning blessings of the gospel are received in temples, in holy sanctuaries apart from the world, in the places where only the faithful assemble."
—Bruce R. McConkie
"The temple is concerned with things of immortality. It is a bridge between this life and the next. All of the ordinances that take place in the house of the Lord are expressions of our belief in the immortality of the human soul."
—Gordon B. Hinckley
“We as children of the covenant are highly favored. In our hearts have been planted the promises made to Fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Lord has said:
“Ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God. …
“Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my goodness, a light unto the Gentiles, and through this priesthood, a savior unto my people Israel.”
This life is the time to prepare for salvation and exaltation. In God’s eternal plan, salvation is an individual matter; exaltation is a family matter.
As children of the covenant, we have met in this morning’s solemn assembly. Attention has been focused upon the sacred titles of prophets and apostles. But the final responsibility to prepare for salvation and exaltation rests upon each person, accountable for individual agency, acting in one’s own family, bearing another sacred title of mother, father, daughter, son, grandmother, or grandfather.”
—Russell M. Nelson
"Because Jesus Christ is at the center of everything we do in the temple, as you think more about the temple, you will be thinking more about Him."
—Russell M. Nelson
"You are never lost when you can see the temple. The temple will provide direction for you and your family in a world filled with chaos. It is an eternal guidepost which will help you from getting lost in the 'mist of darkness.'"
—Gary E. Stevenson
All quotes taken from here. I spent an afternoon reading them all, that’s why I included so many. All of these are witness to the idea that the temple is the pinnacle of our worship and religion. It is there that we can learn the most about Christ.
All of this - my cosmism manifesto - has spawned out of turning my awareness to focus on the temple over all else.
Our goal is to return HOME through the name of the Lord with a Celestially resurrected body - our Temple covenants provide the pathway to that destiny. I love the Temple and the relationship with my Lord that it has provided me in my life.
KEY: The temple is representative of Christ, who is the creator and who is our mediation between the immortal realm (eternal world), the mortal realm (probationary world), and the unembodied (spirit world). Worldly kings and kingdoms are given limited authority by God
THE COSMIC MOUNT ZION
The myths of a cosmic mountain in our written histories and traditions near unanimously relate to government and kingship through the symbolism of the mountain as the center of the world and the connection between the earthly and divine realms. The cosmic mountain is the place of the heavenly throne.
In most traditional societies, rulers were seen as divine or semi-divine figures who mediated between the people and the gods or higher powers, like faux-Christs. The cosmic mountain represents this link, often serving as the dwelling place of the gods or the location where divine knowledge and authority are granted to the earthly ruler.
So, by associating themselves with the cosmic mountain or other axis mundi symbols, rulers could legitimize their rule and reinforce their authority. They could emphasize their unique position as intermediaries between the people and the divine, receiving wisdom, guidance, and power from the higher realms to govern and maintain order in their kingdom.
In some traditions, the ruler's palace or the main temple in the city would be built on a hill or a raised platform, symbolizing the cosmic mountain and further connecting the ruler to the divine. The idea of the king as the guardian or representative of the cosmic order on earth, responsible for maintaining balance (harmony) and ensuring prosperity. Let’s look at some post flood examples to paint the cohesive tradition even among the Gentiles.
EGYPT
We know that the founders of Egypt were attempting to imitate the Patriarchal/Priesthood order that existed before the Flood thanks to Modern Revelation. They had an apostate understanding of Resurrection and Temple worship, because they did not have the Priesthood authority. Nevertheless, Pharaohs in ancient Egypt were considered to be living gods of sorts, and their pyramids [Fire in the Middle] were designed to serve as cosmic mountains that connected the earthly realm to the divine. The Great Pyramid of Giza, built for Pharaoh Khufu, is one example of this association. By constructing these massive monuments, Egyptian pharaohs aimed to secure their place in the afterlife and demonstrate their divine authority to the people they ruled. There is no separating these structures and the practices around them from the planets and cosmos, they often functioned as astronomical observatories.
SUMER/MESOPATAMIA/BABYLON
In ancient Sumer/Babylon, the ziggurat was a step pyramid/mound structure that was considered sacred and central to their religious practices. They were seen as the dwelling places of the gods and as bridges between heaven and earth. One famous example is the Ziggurat of Ur, which was dedicated to the moon god Nanna [SIN in Akkadian]. Sumerian kings, like Ur-Nammu, would associate themselves with these ziggurats, as they were seen as the earthly connection to the gods. The kings would claim divine favor and support for their rule by emphasizing their role in constructing or maintaining these sacred structures. This would have been the same with Nimrod and the ancient Tower of Babel. It was an apostate City and Temple. It was the inversion of Salem and the Zion of Melchizedek, a failed faux-’City of Enoch’ attempting to return to ZION - or the Celestial Kingdom and Order.
INDIA/ASIA
In Hinduism and Buddhism, Mount Meru (aka Sumeru) is considered the center of the universe and the dwelling place of the gods. Several Hindu rulers in ancient India have associated themselves with Mount Meru in various ways. For example, the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia, built by the Khmer king Suryavarman II, was designed to represent Mount Meru. By constructing such a monument, the king aimed to establish a connection between his rule and the divine order represented by the cosmic mountain. I invite you to take a few minutes and image search “Hindu temples” or “Buddhist temples” or “temples in China” to take in the repeated stupa/mound/mountain/tree/throne pattern. Sometimes you have a giant god (Vishnu or Buddha) actually sitting or standing on the temple as a throne and making kingly gestures to unite the above and the below. This is again evidence of the same practice of the personification of the Temple as the “Heaven Man” or polar/pillar God of Creation/Rebirth. The Alpha and the Omega.
Look at some related art that depicts the same sacred concept. This is labeled as ‘Tibetan/Buddhist cosmology’ art - you’ll find lots of squared-circle mandalas there too.
GREECE/ROME
In ancient Greece, the concept of a cosmic mountain appears with Mount Olympus - the home of the divine - and Greek rulers would associate themselves with the gods. For example, Alexander the Great claimed to be the son of Zeus (Jupiter), the chief god in the Greek pantheon, which reinforced his divine right to rule. Temples and sanctuaries dedicated to the gods, such as the Acropolis of Athens and the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, symbolized the connection between the divine and human realms.
Roman emperors adopted the practice of deification (in which they would be proclaimed as gods upon their death or sometimes even during their lifetime) and they assimilated the belief of Mount Olympus from the Greeks. These practices like in other civilizations emphasized their divine connection and the legitimacy of their rule. The concept of a cosmic mountain manifested in Rome in structures like the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, which again served as symbolic connection between the governors and the heavenly.
MAYA/AZTEC
The concept of the cosmic mountain in Maya civilization is closely synthesized to their idea of the "World Tree" often depicted in their art and glyphs. Again, we as Latter-day Saints are very familiar with this synthesis thanks to the Book of Mormon and especially Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life - which is the same symbolic temple-stack but presented in a straightforward way. This Mayan world tree/mountain connected the celestial, terrestrial, and underworld (Xibalba) realms. Maya kings often built their pyramids (cosmic mountain) with references to these cosmic symbols, thereby associating their rule with the cosmic order. One notable example is the Temple of the Cross Complex at Palenque. I served a proselytizing mission for the Lord in this area and in the city of Palenque specifically for nearly 8 months. I visited this site several times.
On the sarcophagus of King Pakal the Great of Palenque (683AD) is a depiction of him on the same cosmic throne or journeying along the same world tree pathway, but he is falling into Xibalba having passed through the veil of death and into the spirit world (which is here btw - we are at the bottom of the pit - “If the Lord would permit it, and it was His will that it should be done, you could see the spirits that have departed from this world, as plainly as you now see bodies with your natural eyes. Where is the spirit world? It is right here.” —Brigham Young).
Here’s a snapshot I took - looking particularly long at the shape of the windows.
I also served in the area of Tapachula, Chiapas - where I was able to visit he Izapa Stone that has yet another clear depiction of the world tree/cosmic mountain on a site near ancient pyramid/temple grounds.
The Aztecs also had a concept of a cosmic mountain, it was called Coatepec or "Snake Mountain", where important mythological/creation events happened. The Templo Mayor, the main temple in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, can be seen as a symbolic representation of Coatepec. The Templo Mayor and its twin temples were the central piece of Aztec rulers' coronation ceremonies, thus reinforcing the connection between the king, the cosmic mountain, and the act of creation.
Even the layout of the city of Tenochtitlan was designed to imitate the cosmic city/mount. Here’s a whole thread I put together that displays many other capitol or otherwise holy cities that are intentionally patterned after a heavenly or celestial city/temple of a distant paradise lost, where a former King once ruled and was dethroned by death and sin (Adam/Saturn/Father Time).
https://twitter.com/LeilandTanner/status/1282385579791888384
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As I am always saying, this is by no means an exhaustive list of comparative traditions and mythologies - and there are many other ‘dead-ringer’ examples we could include that further support a syncretized interpretation.
The temple represents the seat of authority over creation and government. The temple represents the throne of God.
All religions and traditions hearken back to a more cosmically involved relationship with deity and planets in the past. This is Paradise Lost of Eden past and the Apocalypse and Millennium of our immediate future. All governments are imitations of the kingdom of god and will collapse through war and wickedness and corruption. While we strive for a name (Christ) and a city (Zion) - the devil and his angels strive his name (Satan) and his city (Babylon).
In future articles we will explore how this Zion v. Babylon binary is a key to understanding prophecy and we will explore Daniel and Ezra and John and Isaiah all saw our day, and gave us clear warning as to what will befall the Gentile Nations and how God’s covenant promises to Israel will be manifested in great power to all the world.
The Book of Mormon is also totally encoded with the proper balance of ecclesiastical and political understanding of the Kingdom of God and how to bring it about now without the apocalyptic commotion required normally to wake awake the sleepy and destroy the wicked. It’s no wonder that Moroni’s Standard of Liberty is situated at the immediate CENTER of the text. We will need entire essays to explore the Kingship/Temple rites and examples and evidences to further enhance our understanding of this Gospel layer. The Book of Mormon is a key to understanding Isaiah and John and Daniel. I rejoice in the Book of Mormon and the fullness of the Gospel it contains!
Adam was the first mortal Father of this Earth - born of Heavenly Parents from another world. Adam was the first mortal High Priest and King. Having been commanded to exercise righteous dominion and replicate upon the face of the earth by his Father from another world. With the literal planet Saturn being the governing star of that age - it becomes more obvious how the story of Adam and Saturn (representative of Adam’s Father, or Adam himself) could be conflated or confused through centuries and millennia of cultural and experiential diffusion. Especially without restorations of authority to the gentile world in the form of Revelation and the Ministering of Angels of Truth to Prophets. This apostate personification/diffusion problem ultimately has resulted in the current popular delusion (of many) even among professed Christians that God is not embodied or personified at all.
The line between worshipping one (a Divine Being/Man) v. the other (a Star/Idol/some other body) is the danger and allure of idolatry when we become disconnected from the Gospel and Law of our mediator. It’s noteworthy to remember that the first 4 of the 10 Commandments given as the Law by the Lord to Moses at Sinai were laws that would specifically address this pervasive issue of the time (and that would haunt them in their journeying and experience in the Holy Land beings surrounded by ‘Babylon’):
Note especially commandment 3 in v.7 - taking the name of the Lord God in vain - isn’t about swearing exactly - but it’s about the covenant name that a relationship with the Lord provides through the ordinances (what they would experience through the Tabernacle after they rejected to go up to Mount Zion themselves with Moses - who was mediating through transfiguration/a temple experience). That power of a name and a city that is needed for Zion - or the Golden Age to be restored.
Even as we attend the temple ourselves - we are asked that we imagine ourselves as who? As Adam and Eve - who then take upon ourselves the name of the Messiah to overcome the consequences of this fall into mortality and to secure our passage back into the Celestial Kingdom of heaven. Home.
There’s much more to explore with regards to our divine nature as Kings and Queens to rule and reign in the Kingdom of our God Jesus Christ. Once we realize and truly accept our divine royal identity and destiny as heirs to the Kingdom of God, we can be immunized from the intentionally inflammatory and caustic rhetoric of the political commentary and information/propaganda war being waged upon all of mankind right now.
We are living in the climax of the Dispensation of the Deceit - but also of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times, where the political kingdoms of the world are about to collapse and the political kingdom of God will unstoppably rise.
I look forward to further essays that will build upon our cosmic paradigm but that also shine light in a powerfully cohesive manner on the political layer of the gospel and our immediate reality that exists within prophecy. A proper Gospel/temple-centered point of view on the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world is the perfect immunization against the intense and fiery winds of modern information warfare of Mystery Babylon.
We must remember who we are. If we are striving to always remember Him, we will remember who we are too.
You are a Child of God. You are a Child of the Covenant. You are a Disciple of Christ, and a co-heir to the throne of God. You are divine royalty and you are loved more than you know by the Heavenly Parents who let you go for a time.
Be sure to write down any impressions or questions you may have had while reading/listening.