The New Symbol of the Church
10. The Cosmism Manifesto
OPENING THE HEAVENS FOR HELP
The new Symbol of the Church was introduced in the Sunday Morning session of General Conference in April of 2020 - 200 years after Heaven literally opened for Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove - and about a half hour (~20 years) in the Lord’s time after the establishment of the Conference Center (‘Meeting place’ aka pseudo-Adam-ondi-Ahman - symbolically stamped with that message as we’ve explored) with the Hosanna Shout, pleading for deliverance.
The new symbol was introduced here in President Nelson’s address titled “Opening the Heavens for Help”: [Skip/Watch below]
The talk is set up against a background of commemorating the anniversary/memory of the First Vision.
Focus on the name, no more ‘Mormons’ - a true test, promise extended that the Lord would: “pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen.”
Removing the name of the Lord - removes Him from our focus (Eternal Perspective)
“To help us remember Him and to identify The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Lord’s Church, we are pleased to introduce a symbol that will signify the central place of Jesus Christ in His Church.” —- the central place/remember
Call for worldwide fast
—Later another ‘Hosanna Shout’
[Here is a shorter condensed version that gets to the points we will focus on]
"This symbol should feel familiar to many, as we have long identified the restored gospel with the living, resurrected Christ."
- President Russell M. Nelson
Familiar… because symbols echo from the eternal truths they foundationally represent, things we shouted for joy about in the pre-existence. This is also why marketing and entertainment are full of symbols after the likeness of and the abuse of their archetypes.
Before we jump into the symbol itself - I want to note how in the same General Conference the Prophet gave his hallmark “Hear Him” talk as well - in that talk he says this:
Let’s read a bit more of the context in which that reference that the Prophet uses in 1st Nephi sits - because it squares very conveniently with what we’ve already discussed regarding he conference rooftop symbol as a herald for Adam-ondi-Ahman and the ‘setting up’ and ‘casting down’ of thrones. After the scene Nephi sees - he is told that John the Revelator would write the rest and the footnotes take us to Revelation Chapter 1. Click on the image below and re-read verses 10-30 with this macro-prophecy vision in focus.
Now on to the new symbol.
I want to cover 5 parts of this new symbol that we can acid test our cosmic plumbline against which in turn will anchor them to the canvas we’ve established.
The Cornerstone
The Inscription
The Arch
The Heaven Man
The combined symbolic body
1. THE CORNERSTONE
At the base or foundation of the symbol sits a 4 sided box symbolic of a cornerstone. The cornerstone is the first stone installed to a foundation and orients or aligns the edifice [temple/body] with the cosmos - the planets, the stars, the heavenly.
The reference directly cited in President Nelson's talk is Ephesians 2:20.
Christ is the Cornerstone that we must accept for our own Temple. But this idea goes for any ‘body’, in the case of this scripture - the body of the Church.
Jesus bears the heaviest load - the Atonement.
Christ is referred to as the cornerstone repeatedly throughout scripture. If we pattern our own lives with the template of Christ's example - if we make him our cornerstone and orient ourselves to Heaven based on our faith in Him - we shall not fall. See verse 44 of Doctrine and Covenants Section 50 below:
As Peter [AKA Cephas - also given the name of stone, or seeing stone, to be the rock and foundation of Christ's Church-body by foreordination and delegation] said: "The stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made head of the corner" [Christ = Chief Cornerstone].
As always - this is not meant to be exhaustive - find your own connections and rabbit holes related to these symbolic elements and feel the power of the Spirit teach you.
Share them with me! I would appreciate them!
Here's a great article from the Ensign Jan 2016 edition: The Cornerstone. The history of the symbolism of the Cornerstone is vast, deep, and beautiful. You can’t take Jesus out of it.
In the Masonic building and in the Temple building tradition of the Church alike there are serious and solemn traditions and rites involved with the laying of a cornerstone. You should study them.
Some interesting things to me:
Most cornerstone rituals involve the pouring of grain [bread], wine [blood], and oil [spirit] on the stone.
The stone receives 3 taps with the masonic mallet once placed.
The cornerstone is "tried" meaning measured by the Square, Level, and plumb.
If you want a more esoteric and Gentile view of the Cornerstone in Masonic and mystery tradition I recommend these videos and any others you can find. Part 1:
Part 2 :
Part 3:
This idea is ancient. Divine.
We've briefly mentioned the idea of a Cornerstone of:
the Church Body (Jesus Christ)
the Temple Body (Edifice)
the Individual Body [The Broken Heart/White Stone]
You could explore the Family Body and others like Christ as the cornerstone of Heavenly Bodies.
2. THE INSCRIPTION
Words are important. Words compel. One of the names of the Lord is the Word, or the Verb. The thought is created within, the word or name or [spell]ing gives description to the outside.
*I wonder if time capsules might symbolize the thought inside the stone.
Names are important. Nothing is random but all is order, our Father in Heaven is a God of order and power. All names are titles and are given with covenants/ordinances/rituals and stack on your soul like literal merit badges. Just take into consideration what we heard from President Nelson in this very talk about using the proper name of the Church and correcting that bad habit.
I think of this as, "Name Doctrine". I would like to write a future essay on this in depth. I think It’s that important. How many names do you receive on your ascension to Celestial Glory? Here’s a quick partial list of the obvious ones:
Spirit name
Pre-existence titles
Birth name
Member
Deacon
Teacher
Priest
Elder
Husband
Father
High Priest
Adam
Patriarch
Jesus Christ
Heavenly Father
and more
Names and titles evoke action, or at the least - they imply potential action & power. Name-giving used to be very ritualistic, sacred, and symbolic to ancient Israel and further back the timeline to Adam through the Patriarchs. In modern Israel...?
In more esoteric paradigms, like through a lens of symbolic and ritual magic - symbolic inscription and the invocation of sacred phrases or titular names and spirits is a fundamental framework.
It is the same pattern as Prayer as we practice it.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, invoking the Father through the Spirit, the Holy Ghost.
I would like to go into more detail about the similarities between ritual ‘high magick’ and the Priesthood - but I won't at this juncture. It is enough, for now, to say that they all function according to eternal laws, one is authorized [Restored Priesthood], others are not, or are unto lesser glories.
The following are a few examples of things ‘inscribed’ with the intent to invoke.
How many times can you remember God inscribing on stone, or sand, or crystal, with binding power in Scripture? Here are a few I can think of immediately:
10 commandments
The Ephod
Mene mene tekel upharsin
Adulterous woman
Revelation 2:17
What are we supposed to inscribe in/on our fleshy hearts as we break them and repent? The heart is the cornerstone to the mortal body, the first organ to form.
We are asked to inscribe the name of Jesus Christ and his commandments on the cornerstone of our mortal temples.
The body is a Temple and The Church is a body. So upon the cornerstone of the symbol of the Church is inscribed the Holy name of the Lord and his Church as given by Him to Joseph Smith.
There is power in a name.
There is power in words.
I would like to prompt your recollection of the Temple and other places where Holy Names and phrases are also inscribed and consecrated in stone.
And upon the commemorative cornerstones - inscription.
3. THE ARCH
There exist a lot of relevant and powerfully meaty symbolic directions the student of symbolism can go with the arch - but I will, for now, stick primarily to what the Prophet outlined during the unveiling of the new symbol.
"The arch reminds us of the resurrected Savior emerging from the tomb on the third day following His Crucifixion"
-President Nelson
The Arch symbolizes the ASCENSION/RESURRECTION of Heavenly/Spiritual Bodies to the Highest point, Celestial Glory!
An archway is created by two pillars/sides - which are bound together to create a unified support structure and a gateway/passageway/portal.
This can be displayed in a single arch or more symbolically prevalent, in 3 separate arches.
Again - we can unify, or ‘stack’ many amazing doctrinal teachings in/onto this symbol - but I will stay on point to keep my take here relevant to the Resurrection of Man.
Imagine husband and wife, male and female as the two pillars or sides of the structure, bound (sealed) and supported by the cross or the Lord in their achievement of AT ONE-MENT in Celestial Glory and a continued pathway to Eternal Lives. Would you believe me if I told you that this article, which this image - was in the Liahona of March 2020, the same month that President Nelson revealed the new symbol?
What a coincidence!
"And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it"
A half-circle arch is made with a circle and a square.
As we discussed previously - the circle represents perfection and the eternal, the spiritual, the flame, the soul - FIRE and truth, and light! The square represents the mortal and carnal container, the box, the house, and the body. The circle inside the square is symbolic of the unity of the Spirit Body and Mortal Body.
The TEST of mortality is to give control of your physical body to the divine laws of the spiritual. We must circle the square.
Your spirit must control the passions and desires and appetites of your physical coat of skin - the square body. The Earth-body. The Natural man. Your Will -> to the Father's in the example of Christ.
Let’s take a look at some Temple arches and designs with this lens of ‘Resurrection and Ascension’. Do we see a pattern of ascending spheres and circles?
Rapid fire:
I also like this spiral staircase that is oriented, to what?
The dome is a symbolic manifestation of this same ‘Ascension’ doctrine. The sphere (3D circle) emerges and rises above the temporal (3D box/cube), bound together but the spiritual and immortal rising above the boxed and enclosed.
The Latter-day Holy of Holies is constructed after this symbolic understanding. The arch as a symbol contains so much more than we often think or are willing to believe.
It is a shame that the rainbow or fire arch is abused in modern culture by those who wish to invert eternal laws and ignore Celestial Covenants.
4. THE HEAVEN MAN
Now we address the centerpiece. The focal point. The Heaven Man. Jesus the Resurrected Lord and Savior, the creator, the ALPHA, and the OMEGA.
Acting as the central pillar to a 3 column symbol - Christ takes his rightful place as the Messiah - the cosmic redeemer at the center. The anointed one, given power and authority from the Father to bring to pass the Infinite Atonement of all living things.
I love my Jesus!
Take a minute to digest this graphic. For funsies. Keep the triple-pillar/triple-mountain/triple-arches archetype present in your mind.
Traditionally - “the Heaven Man” across all cultures is depicted with his arms and hands STRETCHED UP toward the Father Above. As depicted here in the apostate distortions of the True nature of the Messiah, the Son God.
All 7 continents echo this same archetype and heavenly symbol that they witness was SEEN in the ancient Northern skies before the Flood and in new variations after the breakup of the original Sun and system or family of planets through various events and passovers (planetary/cometary encounters).
Let’s again review a 3rd party witness:
(I’ve been doing a few breakdown threads on Twitter on this series above Discourses on An Alien Sky - I may convert those to articles/essays in the future if I have the time, but I may not. Regardless, I highly recommend you take in the series for free on YouTube. Here’s a link to the playlist)
As our Eternal Perspective and cosmic-enhanced paradigm emphasizes - planets are part of The Plan of Salvation. They are alive and they exercise agency to obey God. I believe that this cosmic understanding is pivotal if we have any desire to more comprehensively understand the symbolic language of the prophets in scripture.
All of the following images share the same theme we’re weaving together - look for the arch and the heaven man or central face - the ZION or ‘mountain of creation’:
In Chinese mythology, the mountain of creation is called Kunlun Mountain (昆仑山 Kūnlún Shān). According to legend, Kunlun Mountain was located in the center of the world, and it was the dwelling place of many important gods and goddesses, including the Queen Mother of the West and the Jade Emperor. Kunlun Mountain was also said to be the source of many important rivers in China, such as the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. In Chinese mythology, Kunlun Mountain is often depicted as a sacred and mystical place, and it has been a popular subject in Chinese literature and art for thousands of years.
Do you see a central ‘triple-mountain’ or 3 ‘arches’ flanked by two streams of water and also two trees and two stars?
These elements are present in nearly all ancient creation stories - including our own.
What do you see here now? I see the triple mountain.
As we’ve explored in earlier essays, Nibley called this Cosmism and Joseph Smith taught this - the symbols are derived from Cosmic/Heavenly archetypes. Cosmism is the TEMPORAL side of religion that is in modernity shunned because plain and precious truths were taken away by wickedness. Just as we as is included in 1 Nephi 13-14, the prelude to Revelation - to Heaven Opening.
For review - this is from Anthony Larson’s playlist that has been suggested previously:
Back to the new symbol.
It’s curious that Bertel Thorvaldsen created the statue around 1820. It's also curious that originally the arms of Christ were to be upraised. This is again another positive win for our paradigm.
Peep this from LDSLiving:
I love the explained symbolic gesture of his arms now welcoming and extended down to us - as He has overcome all through the Atonement and the Resurrection. Now he will stand from his Celestial footing and "lay a measuring line" to his people - to bring them to Him and his level as the Father of our Resurrection.
His religion - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the stone cut forth without hands that will SMASH the earthly kingdoms and the idols and false interpretations of all the world.
As corruption among kingdoms boils over and is uncovered - no other 'Christian' body will survive the unveiling of truth.
Jesus Christ has already overcome the world. And so will his faithful Saints and their collective body.
Let's address the totality.
5. THE COMBINED SYMBOLIC UNITY
All of these separate parts combine uniquely to create a powerfully divine symbol after an ancient pattern, with a Millennial twist [arms lowered and new name of Church].
We thank thee oh God for a Prophet! To guide us in these Latter-days!!
Remember how the Prophet mentioned that this symbol would feel familiar? Yes, it is eternal - but we can readily find this pattern all over the Temples and the Scriptures when we have trained our minds and hearts to understand their properties and manifestations. They are hidden in plain sight.
Like this - apply what we’ve explored and look for symbolic markers that map onto the Temple.
How about some aerials:
And here’s a profile view - notice the 3 pillars/arches/mountains. Doesn’t it look like a throne? It does to me.
How about another:
I love this Temple - and it also is a magnificent Throne.
We can find this pattern/symbol in the Scriptures too:
So in conclusion - how did we do against the black stone and the acid?
Have we sufficiently experimented and demonstrated that our Eternal Perspective and this Cosmism Manifesto can indeed coherently interpret both the ancient Saturnian symbol on the roof of the Conference Center and the new symbol of the Church?
I am compelled to say yes. The more I acid test different parts and implications of our alternative Restored cosmological framework - the more I am compelled to continue seeking - and in turn, the more my roots of faith and wonder and worship in the Temple and as a Disciple of the Lord are enlarged, amplified, and the fruits are delicious to me.
Does the new symbol map or anchor onto our conference roof symbol? Yes!
I again want to reiterate that find it incredibly moving that the name of President Nelson's talk revealing this symbol is: "Opening the Heavens for Help". And this, accompanied by another Hosanna Shout (Save us! As at midnight during the Exodus) - at about a half hour according to the Lord’s time after the dedication of the Conference center, heralding the establishment of Adam-ondi-Ahman and the imminent return of the King of Kings at the MIDNIGHT hour.
Sister Wendy Nelson has published a book since then with the title, “The Heavens are Open” - I invite you to read her book and witness with all of this and President Nelson’s mission present in mind. It is a terrific book and has inspired me.
So with this upcoming Passover week/holiday and Easter season - our remembrance of Jesus Christ's atonement, resurrection, and of his saving of the covenant people from bondage - let us rejoice in the further light and knowledge he is bestowing and pouring out upon us today.
I know that Jesus LIVES.
I know that I was sent to Earth at this time to take a body so that I could help prepare the world for His Second Coming.
I love him and I know he has restored His Church through living prophets today!
We must repent and turn to Him!
The door of the Temple of Heaven is opening!
Don’t forget to write down your own impressions and questions in a study journal or somewhere where you can readily meditate and ponder and pray about them.
Brother Tanner,
Have been chewing on this for a few days. Thank you.
The overlay of the new symbol against a few temple photos and landscapes is masterful. Well done.