The Restoration of All Things: Cosmology Pt. 3
6. The Cosmism Manifesto
THE PLUMBLINE: THE PENDULUM AND PERPENDICULARITY
With a general framework of restored cosmism doctrines now articulated - we have a strong anchor and backdrop (a foundational layer of revealed cosmology to establish our Temple of Knowledge upon) with which we can filter and sift and organize all other ideas into our eternal perspective. I call this my ‘cosmic measuring line’ - the plumbline of the Lord.
Before we introduce any new ideas from external sources (outside of the Priesthood/Church) - let’s first explore several important scriptural and prophetic words and concepts that will help us to properly utilize our established cosmological ‘measuring line’. We will get a taste for how the layer of Gospel cosmism can enhance our understanding of the scriptures - this will be a test of the word.
PERPENDICULAR
What does it mean to be perpendicular?
Let’s recall chokuzuki; the goal is to connect the energy of the body (the strike) to the target in the most efficient and direct path as possible. To connect at a right angle - 90 degrees.
This is the definition of perpendicular given online — notice the synonyms:
The most efficient and direct path of absolute truth and knowledge is directly from God through revelation. The plane of absolute truth is only accessible through a direct connection via the Light of Christ or the Holy Ghost. It is with this plane of truth that we seek to stand ‘upright’ and ‘vertical’ to. Walking in this verticality is walking with God.
In the restoration, the standard of truth has been ‘erected’ - an ENSIGN - a perpendicular flag that stands JUSTIFIED to the laws of the Celestial Kingdom.
For each of us individually - our quest in a temporal probation is to wrestle our will more in line or justified or upright according to the Celestial standard as revealed by God to his Children.
We seek perpendicularity with God so that he can lift us out of this bottomless pit. We seek to unify ourself to that Being who can exalt us to His LEVEL.
REMINDER: Our quest of Melchizedek Syncretism is one of Temple construction - all of these concepts revolve around the Temple and our goal to walk/stand in Holy Places. This idea in particular regarding the plumbline/measuring line is a means with which we can keep our vision focused on the reality of the final judgment and the 2nd Coming. Keep present the symbols of the holy garment and be open to consider how an understanding of the concepts I’m presenting here can enhance how you ‘remember’ them and their associated covenants and blessings like they have for me.
A compass creates a perfect circle and is used in finding the perpendicularity of a line segment - a square also is used to create perfect right angles - and the rule, or measuring rod is a harmonious parallel to the plumbline.
PLUMBLINE
What is a plumbline?
It is a building tool, used to determine verticality or depth composed of a chord/line and metal deposit that hangs, usually lead. It is also known as; a plumb bob and a plummet. The name is derived from the fact that most plummets were made of lead. Lead = Elemental symbol [Pb] The Latin word for lead is plumbum, the French equivalent is plomb and the noun 'aplomb' is derived from the meaning of 'standing upright'.
Here's a great video to enhance our understanding:
He mentions a few Biblical instances where the Lord directly refers to his measuring line or plumbline.
Let’s explore the visions of Amos where my favorite example of this principle is found.
I’m going to read right from the Institute Old Testament Manual to set this all up:
(8-16) Amos 7–9. The Visions of Amos
The last three chapters of Amos deal with five visions Amos had. The first four of these visions begin with a phrase such as “Thus hath the Lord God showed me” (see Amos 7:1, 4, 7; 8:1). The fifth commences with the words “I saw the Lord” (Amos 9:1). The first four visions show the various judgments of the Lord upon Israel, while the fifth vision portends the overthrow of their apostate theocracy and the restoration of fallen Israel. The visions are (1) a swarm of locusts (Amos 7:1–3); (2) devouring fire (Amos 7:4–6); (3) the master builder with the plumbline (Amos 7:7–9); (4) the basket of summer fruit (Amos 8); and (5) the smitten sanctuary (Amos 9:1–6). Each has a symbolic meaning that clearly shows that the Lord intended to bring the kingdom of Israel to an end if His people did not repent. The meaning of each vision will be considered individually.
A swarm of locusts (Amos 7:1–3). “The king, who has had the early grass mown, is Jehovah; and the mowing of the grass denotes the judgments which Jehovah has already executed upon Israel. The growing of the second crop is a figurative representation of the prosperity which flourished again after those judgments; in actual fact, therefore, it denotes the time when the dawn had risen again for Israel (ch. iv. 13).” (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 10:1:306–7.)
Devouring fire (Amos 7:4–6). The fire that devoured the great deep (presumably the ocean) is symbolic of the partially destructive wars that Israel was later involved in. Like the fire which “did eat up a part” of the great deep, Israel’s land was partly despoiled and many of its people led away.
The master builder with the plumbline (Amos 7:7–9). A plumbline is used to obtain exactness and accuracy in construction work. Here it seems to symbolize that God’s strict justice will prevail in judging Israel for her evil ways. All wickedness will be sought out, measured (judged), and destroyed.
The basket of summer fruit (Amos 8:1–9). The harvest of summer fruit symbolized the ripening of Israel. Just as summer fruit must be eaten when picked or it will spoil, Israel was ripe for picking and spoiling by enemies.
The sun going down at noon (Amos 8:9–14). A man’s sun can be said to set at noon if he is taken by death during the prime of his life. A nation’s sun figuratively sets at noon when the country is destroyed in the midst of prosperity. But Amos’ dual prophecy is also a reminder that before the Second Coming of the Lord, the sun will be darkened and refuse to give her light. Indeed, it will be a sign for the wicked of the latter days that their sun is about to set at noon. (See Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 10:1:317.)
The smitten sanctuary (Amos 9:1–6). From His dwelling place, the Lord will smite the wicked. There is none to escape, hide where they may. Only the Second Coming of the Lord fulfills such a description, for when the Lord comes in His glory, the rewards of justice will be met. No mountain is high enough, no sea so deep that the unrepentant sinner can hide from the judgments of a just God.
The vision of the master builder with the plumbline is the highlight with regard to our present focus - but make a mental note of the context of his visions collectively; we will eventually see that they follow a prophetic pattern and order that witnesses to catastrophe and underlying principles of cosmism - in other words - they have Latter-day apocalyptic/cosmic applications.
As mentioned above from the Institute Manual, this part of the book of Amos [Chapters 7-9] is a sequence of 5 recorded visions in short paragraphs. I will focus on the 2 visions in sequence in Chapter 7 found in verses 4-6 & 7-9.
When the Lord God calls to "contend by fire", the wicked are consumed and made as stubble while the righteous, or those who repent and seek the covenant path are spared. This fire is the same fire mentioned in all prophetic language that comes from HEAVEN.
It is Cat[ASTRO]phe = STARS come down. Dis[ASTER] = of the STARS - celestial bodies. With our cosmic perspective coming into focus, keep these associations in mind. These terms can be synonymous: Star = Planet = Host = Rock = Angel ['Planeta' is a Greek word to indicate 'wandering' star] Great Deep = the Oceans [or] Space Fire = Plasma = Lightning
After the vision of the locusts and the fire - the Lord shows Amos his 'plumbline'.
7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand
Notice in v.7, the Lord stood upon a wall MADE by a plumbline, with a plumbline IN HAND. What does this mean given what we're exploring? A generic interpretation for now is that His footing in Heaven is "plumb", perfectly upright according to Celestial rule, or law - and he is the Mediator between us and that Kingdom.
"What seest thou?"
The plumbline catches Amos' eye.
The Lord then explains that he will set a plumbline IN THE MIDST of his people. I will not again PASS[over] by them any more.
Our Institute and Seminary manuals are all but silent as to what this all literally means - though they accurately explain the millennial judgment it ushers in.
The symbolism of the plumbline and pillar of fire are in harmony and parallel to the symbols of the Rod of Iron and the Measuring Reed. Here is some additional commentary I found online that I enjoyed and which support my suggestion.
Jeremiah uses the same apocalyptic imagery but described as the measuring line. I also like his testimony of planetary ordinances and laws he includes. They are alive too as we’ve determined! They are actively participating in the plan of salvation through their obedience, and the Earth abides celestial law.
Isaiah also uses this cosmic/Temple imagery of the master builder and his plummet. In my minds eye, I see that Isaiah's description here is of the same thing Amos saw - but Isaiah is giving more context and description of what Amos called a "wall". The Savior is the Foundation Stone, the Tried Stone upon which we are building our Temple of knowledge. That “wall” is the foundation of heaven - the cornerstone of heaven.
Where is the cornerstone of a circular building? It is in the center. The cornerstone of a circle is in the center place, the spoke or axis of the wheel. Thus, if heaven were to be depicted in a circle - we would expect the cornerstone or a representation of Christ to occupy the center. Do you remember our previous mention of the cardo & decumanus crossing of the Roman Augurs? It was the center of the city or the heart where everything met - a Temple/Augur was at the center, the communication spot between heaven and Earth (center to center - heart to heart). Now know this - the Augurs of Rome and other corrupt worldly (read apostate) priesthoods would consult and perform ritual ordinance to PLANETARY idols. The literal Rocks of heaven. Our Priesthood endowment and restored cosmology allows us to see the inversion - but we must not dismiss the planets in our condemnation of idolatry.
Now also consider these:
NOTE: The ‘pillar god/s’ and ‘wheel god/s’ of antiquity match this cosmic perspective of the plumbline being more than a metaphor for an upright heart - but a literal cosmic phenomenon as well witnessed by our ancestors during the Golden Age of the Patriarchs. We’ll explore this much more in the future. For now - I am introducing the connection only superficially. This ancient planetary conjunction above the northern pole is the original cosmic root of all ‘throne’ and plumbline/stairway/pillar/obelisk/pyramid symbolism.
I see our Temple steeples as the Earthly Zion's outstretched plumbline imitating the pillars of fire and glory that will descend as plummets to measure all of Israel from across the vineyard when Zion of Heaven descends from above. Note how the chandeliers and lights within the temple that hang down like plummets act as this corresponding revelation in harmony.
It was a heavenly rock (planet/star) that led the Israelites in the time of Moses. The Angel of the host (rock/planet) was Jehovah. The Rock was Christ.
It was a new STAR (planet) that appeared as the sign of his birth.
It was a planet that PASSED OVER at his death too, and every pass over where the same catastrophe is described is a likeness and a similitude for the destruction from heaven that comes at the last day - when the planets that once wandered, return to be congregated before their Lord and Savior.
According to the words of the Lord to Amos in his vision of the Master and his Plumbline, this time, his 2nd Coming - "I will not again pass by them anymore".
Moses as well calls the Savior the "Rock of Heaven" in the context of Zion.
This entire idea is enhanced and cohesively integrated according to our restored Gospel cosmological framework and the planetary and bodily changes we are expecting to take place to prepare the Earth for the Millennial reign of the King. Line upon line - we will see this theme and these principles time and time again.
PENDULUM
Speaking of time - a plummet in motion is a pendulum. A back and forth swing of momentum and energy - often used to measure/regulate time.
Here’s a worldly definition of a pendulum:
NOTE: This motion and tool are also used in mind control techniques such as hypnosis - this should be a huge queue even at a surface-level understanding that there is something deeply foundational to our nature connected to an understanding of these concepts.
A pendulum creates a frequency - it is sinusoidal in motion. A sine wave is created by an oscillating frequency - like sound produced by the vibration of our vocal cords, or the strings of a violin. In our mortal probation, our righteousness oscillates away from and then back to the desired vertical harmony or standard of God and his Celestial Law.
Our life, through the law of opposition, is one large wave through time in eternity.
Consider that a cycle (like the ‘pride cycle’ or in this case, the cycle of life and death of a mortal probation) that can be expressed on a time-line as a wave. Our enduring exercise of faith and repentance creates the peaks and valleys - maintaining and striving for an ever tighter vector around the Rod of Iron and the will of the Lord.
I like this visualization also:
We swing from extremes in our own journey individually in many different ways and on just as many levels. One example is evident in our macro-mortal journey; from being born naked and unable to feed ourselves as a dependent child > to a phase of independent self-exploration as youth and young-adults > to an interdependent spousal relationship of harmony and ‘equilibrium’. From one extreme - to the other - then finally adjusting or moving closer to the desired mean.
This pendulum-like shift is everywhere - and it is especially important to be aware of this phenomenon and related associated patterns in societal trends, both on the small scale (personal relationships, fads, etc.) as well as along the prophetic or macro-timeline (trends in society as a whole). Just as a pendulum can be used to regulate time or intervals - so too can a controlled dialectic of swinging ideas ‘to and fro’ be used to influence social narratives and guide human actions and values. This is an eternal truth that Satan is very aware of.
We now come back full circle to the vision of the Tree of Life and the Great and Spacious Building. We are back looking through a House v House bicameral perspective. Remember now how the House of the World is foundationless.
Our plumbline is secured to the eternal source - from root and foundation to heaven itself through the cornerstone of Revelation. The ‘fixed point’ of the pendulum of the Tree of Life will never move. Think of looking down at the Tree of Life in Lehi’s vision from an elevated perspective - the Iron Rod would then be the plumbline or perpendicular line of a pendulum with the Tree of Life as the fixed center-point.
The plumbline of the world - in contrast - is free-floating and foundationless. This allows for the ‘fixed point’ at the apex of the ideological pendulum to be manipulated away from the divine and eternal center.
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Christ as the head is Christ as the fixed point - as in Amos’ vision, Christ is the one holding the plumbline.
Daniel 12:4: (read the whole Chapter - as our awareness of the cosmic layer of the Gospel is increased and gradually added to our perspective, Michael saving Israel and the establishment of Adam-ondi-ahman will take on a whole new meaning with clarity, but a story and focus for another chapter)
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
An enhanced awareness of the sinusoidal and baseless nature of the doctrines and philosophies accepted by the House of the World - as well as an awareness of the same pendulum-like patterns manifested within the culture and House of the Lord will help us to identify and maintain a more measured and balanced approach to seeking and synthesizing intelligence to our Temple of Knowledge.
We can calm the storms of the extremes that manifest in our lives by staying rooted and focused on the fixed point of Jesus Christ and by staying firmly grasped to the Iron Rod.
CATASTROPHISM v. UNIFORMITARIANISM
In the previous essay [Part 2] - I introduced a passage from a book by M. Garfield Cook that spoke of an example in the Latter-day history of Geology that reflects this sinusoidal trend. He was relating a vision of Joseph Smith that revealed a rising ‘dispensation of deceit’ to parallel the Restoration of Truth (House v. House):
“Shortly following the publication of the Book of Mormon and restoration of the Church in 1830, doctrines of deceit began to arise. [Charles Lyell] came forth in 1830 with “uniformitarianism and its geologic time scale;” Marx claimed to have been “suddenly awakened” in the early 1830’s Darwin began formulating his theory on the origin of the species while on a voyage on the Beagle. This led to his loss of faith in the biblical story of man’s creation in favor of evolution, a doctrine which has, perhaps more than any other, led to the secularization of our society.
..
The “great awakening” in the development of geology in the early years of the 19th century was described by Erling Dorf as follows:
In the middle of the eighteenth century, [contemporary] Geology as such had not yet been conceived. The origin and history of the earth and its inhabitants were thought of in terms of the supernatural rather than the natural. There was no need for a concept of a geologic time scale, so long as the world’s history was reckoned in terms of only a few thousand years. With respect to the origin of fossils,…spontaneous generation was giving way to the Diluvial or Flood Theory, which considered fossils as remnants of the annihilation of living plants and animals by the Noachian deluge…. Until about the end of the eighteenth century, the Flood Theory remained the prevailing and dominating concept. There was still no need of a geologic time scale… The early years of the 19th century ushered in the great awakening in Geology…. The determination of the value of fossils as chronological documents has done more than any other discovery to change the character and accelerate the progress of difference between the conditions of the silence before and after that discovery was made. One of the results of this important discovery was the conception and development of a geologic time scale…(Erling, Dorf, Geol. Soc. Am., Special Paper 62, 1955, pp.575-577)
In light of Joseph Smith’s “Vision of Darkness,” one is led to ask what caused the great awakening which resulted in the development of the theories of modern geology which have tended to take away from belief in the flood of Noah and provided an illusory foundation for evolution.”
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
I then wrote:
In ‘the House of the World’ - the ideological pendulum swings within disciplines of specialization (the example given above of changes in Geology described by Cook and Dorf post-1830) are a an example of the satanic dialectic deployed in the parallel ‘dispensation of deception’.
That is this baseless societal ideological pendulum in full global motion in the Latter-days - making wide swings initially that shift the ‘fixed point’.
Here’s the wiki definition of catastrophism:
Let’s dig into this 1800s debate a bit - because it is foundational and important, especially to cosmology and understanding Earth's history.
I actually want to go about this by sharing a few videos from the perspective of the House of the World - then we’ll work backward and apply our Restored Cosmism framework. These are a few YouTube videos from the first page of results presented when I typed in “Catastrophism v Uniformitarianism”. The overall tone and framing represented in these videos are typical of what I experienced at the University (of the House of the Devil, lol) in classes that explored these concepts in depth.
“The present is the key to the past” is an inversion of the Prophetic version - “The past is prologue”, or “and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last”1.
The idea that the ‘present is the key to the past’ is an outright denial and an assumption in opposition to the Spirit of Elijah. I’m referring specifically to an enhanced full-spectrum version where we are also remembering the voice and witness of our fathers, part of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers (again with the first to last and last to first).
As a quick insert - consider the whole 4th Chapter of Malachi, notice how this promise of the Spirit of Elijah is couched in the language of catastrophe?
At the Second Coming, the proud and wicked will be burned as stubble—Elijah will return before that great and dreadful day.
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2 ¶ But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.
4 ¶ Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
5 ¶ Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
The House of the World is intent on moving the ‘fixed point’ of intelligence (glory and perceived truth) away from God and His Son to some mingling, mangled imitation. This swing into uniformitarianism was the full decoupling of Geology from a ‘supernatural’ and a mythic/religious/historical perspective that once dominated the new Latter-day Gentile world.
Let’s watch one more presentation on this narrative debate from the early Latter-days.
@4:13 - “so when you're trying to remember it [catastrophism] um, this would be like … so basically um people who fall into this field are really trying to make all the observations that they see on the earth fit into what is explained in the bible, alright so this is not what geologists believe today and even for a long time..”
It is a denial of the witness of those who came before us.
They testified that they survived - and were protected and blessed by God - through various catastrophes. The very name-sake of our Church implies we are expecting the great final cataclysm that will end the world as we know it and usher in the Great Millennial Day of the Lord.
“Latter-day Saints have not typically thought of the Book of Mormon as prophetic. Yet, that may have been one of its primary, but unstated, purposes. When Mormon set out to write the Book of Mormon, he knew what was to befall the Gentiles who would one day inhabit this continent. After seeing them in vision and comparing their doings to those of his people, the Nephites, he noticed remarkable similarities and carefully edited and composed his record to illuminate the parallels between the Nephite and Gentile nations.
Yet, it seems, that we who read the book today almost completely miss that point. We read the Book of Mormon, but we fail to understand that subtle message. As it turns out, American history is foreshadowed in Nephite history — beginning to end. But even more informative, recent American history and futurity are paralleled by events in Helaman. That is, we can know what will happen in both our immediate and distant future by reading the Book of Mormon!”
The past truly is our key to preparing for and understanding the future. It is also a key to unlocking and fulfilling our role in the present. The Book of Mormon is undoubtedly the KEYSTONE of our Religion. Let’s remember this:
A CRIME SCENE
The late Anthony Larson would often describe this debate regarding catastrophism as analogous to a crime scene investigation. When an investigator creates a case - they utilize both the evidence observed/collected at the scene AND the testimony of eyewitness accounts (as well as any additional information that they can piece together).
Uniformitarianism willfully ignores the eye-witness testimony of Revelation, Scripture, Mythology, and the Mystery and Native Oral Traditions of the fathers of the past and their children present. Just as Peter warned:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Catastrophism in a Restored Cosmism framework doesn’t need to ignore any part of the investigation - not the evidence at the present scene, nor the eye-witness accounts of the past. What a tremendous advantage! We can harmoniously bring all things together.
The pendulum of the house and church of the Devil is manipulated by ‘the scientific consensus’ - playing a part and role as the imitation ‘Priesthood’. Dark characters like Hutton and Lyell in the 1800s pushed the plummet of Geology (and we can see this trend across all disciplines) with force to an antichrist extreme - initiating a wild swing. Keep this in mind - it wouldn’t be until 1980 that this consensus would admit that it was possible an ‘asteroid’ could have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and they began to selectively approve certain catastrophes that could explain blind spots in their own theories and timescales.
TAKE NOTE: this happens one year after Immanuel Velikovsky dies in 1979 - we will become familiar with this name - he is referred to as the father of neo-catastrophism, and he’s a big key to all of this.
With the adoption of gradualism into the foundations of science - in a sweep, and in parallel to the unfolding of the Restoration and the persecution of the Saints - the nature and origin of Man are lost and inverted, and the comprehension of the timing and nature and creation of the Earth is also inverted while the narrative is appropriated to lustful desires and overexaggerated gradualism.
Let’s now bring in our cosmic measuring line and remind ourselves of our Eternal Perspective and synthesize the truth correctly. Here are the 12 points of restored cosmism we established in Part 2:
GOD EXISTS - AND IS A GLORIFIED MAN
THE UNIVERSE IS INFINITE AND ETERNAL
NO IMMATERIAL MATTER: INTELLIGENCE & ELEMENTS ARE ETERNAL
LIGHT IS THE ULTIMATE MOTIVE FORCE IN THE COSMOS
PLANETS ARE LIVING BEINGS AND HAVE AGENCY
STARS ARE CELESTIAL PLANETS
THE EARTH WAS FORMED NEAR A DIFFERENT STAR/PLANET
7000 YEARS/[7 DAYS] OF TEMPORAL HISTORY - FROM THE FALL
A CONGREGATION OF PLANETS SHARING A COMMON AXIS
EARTH TO BE RESTORED TO A NEW CONFIGURATION OF HEAVEN
PLANETS CAN MOVE FROM THEIR ORBITS - CHANGE BEHAVIOR
THE ‘LAST GRAND SIGN’ AS A PLANET OR A COMET
In the context of what we are discussing (geology and Earth history), when we apply our cosmic measuring line - we cannot accept a uniformitarian world-view. Catastrophe plays a prominent and focused role in our cosmology. As I studied in college, I kept this very present in mind when learning about various subjects - especially the subjects that lean or rely very heavily on a modern understanding of a ‘geologic-time-clock’ and extremely long timescales (i.e. archeology, astronomy, cosmology).
What is the answer? What is the appropriate harmony between a world history of unanimous cultural testimony of sudden catastrophic planetary changes in the memorable past - and an emerging ‘faux-enlightened’ worldview that literally ignores the past witnesses altogether?
GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO IMMANUEL VELIKOVSKY
For a long time, I pondered in my heart the apparent contradiction and the consequences this faulty foundation has caused and continues to cause to the superstructure of intermingled scientific disciplines and the intelligent thought established atop. Let’s again remember Brigham’s cutting teaching:
I was guided by the Spirit to specifically study the Creation in my free time with these things in mind. I found something in the Institute Manual that set me off on this quest that I’m still in the joyful midst of.
Right here, in the commentary on the Creation in Genesis and the age of the Earth specifically, the manual relates:
Before I ordered and began studying the books of the scientists mentioned in the manual to further explore their arguments, it comforted me to at least know that my intuition against uniformitarianism was justified and supported by other respected thinkers. Then - sure enough, as I began to learn about Immanuel Velikovsky, I was introduced to several more paradigm-shifting ideas and evidence that harmonizes and supports more points on the Restored Cosmism framework above than any other interdisciplinary and integrative explanation I have encountered.
Let’s start with a quick rundown of his Wikipedia page - I personally do not consider the Wiki a neutral/objective source, but I realize most people will still read a wiki page when introduced to a new topic so I figured I’d read along and add my perspective.
Some things to remember - our institute manual calls Velikovsky a ‘reputable’ source. I don’t accept everything he put out there because it doesn’t all fit within our Restored Cosmism framework - but he is definitely an underappreciated genius and a scientific visionary of our time. His ideas support the cosmology of Joseph Smith. I can now see how his work will play a huge role and already has in the future revolution in science/cosmology. While we will consider him a reputable source, keep very present in your mind that his ideas and position and his postulations are extremely threatening to the very foundation of the modern establishment of Consensus Science in the House of the World with their desire to remove all connection to the witnesses of the past or the God of Heaven.
This opposition is reflected in how the popular world and cult of the Standard Model write about or speak about Velikovsky - look right there in the first paragraph of the wiki article. The reader is immediately tainted with dismissive brainwashing buzzwords and phrases like “pseudohistory” and that “Velikovsky’s work is frequently cited as a canonical example of pseudoscience..”
What Velikovsky is, is an interdisciplinarian. In the hyper-specializing world of the mid-20th century, he committed the academic foul of the day by stepping out of bounds and cross-synthesizing disciplines with which he wasn’t technically qualified for by the club standards and using comparative mythology and eye-witness accounts to corroborate and support his postulations. It was a slap in the face to the willfully ignorant of this Gentile day that Peter saw.
Velikovsky postulated that Earth had suffered close contact or ‘pass-overs’ with other planets in the solar system within recent human memory.
He argued that electromagnetic effects must play a role in celestial mechanics (he wanted to put LIGHT back at the foundation - think of point #4 from our measuring line.
He proposed a revised chronology of the ancient world based on his research
His ideas open the door to explain logical scientific causality for the more dramatic or seemingly ‘supernatural’ events of the Biblical record - like the flood of Noah.
We will explore all of these concepts a lot moving forward - this is all meant to be a general introduction. You’ll need to take them in slowly over time and with much mental effort on your part, but I testify that it is a wonderful and exhilarating journey when done with an eternal perspective. The fruits of understanding are worth it.
Moving along:
Key points:
Learns several languages
Medical degree in 1921
He spends time setting up the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
He was contemporaries and friends with Albert Einstein (Velikovsky’s Worlds in Collision is said to have been on Einstein’s desk when he died - their correspondence with one another is also published on the Velikovsky Archive website)
He marries an equally brilliant woman
From 1924-39 he goes hard into practicing medicine including psychoanalysis where he studies under a Freud pupil.
Key points:
On a quest to prove Freud wrong about one thing - he uncovers evidence for the plagues and the catastrophe of the Exodus. His book Worlds in Collision is the starting point I recommend now for anyone interested in following this path. It discusses these findings in detail.
In his research he finds evidence that the history needs revision - he has books that address this as well in compelling detail.
Velikovsky makes enemies of the astronomers and uniformitarians and they mobilize with help from all kinds of places to ban his books and shun him - “The Velikovsky Affair” is an introduction to mob rule/corruption/conspiracy within academia and institutionalized science. Another fit in a Book of Mormon prophetic context.
We’ll come back and study this more - for now, we move on.
Now for the general list of the new ideas we can explore and measure:
Each of these bullet points above can and may likely become its own future essay/chapter in my manifesto.
A neo-catastrophism over uniformitarianism (Velikovsky has inspired several generations of interdisciplinarians who are proving him right today in many ways - we’ll get to this)
Planetary catastrophe as myth/legend - a ‘one story’ (YES!)
Mankind in Amnesia. He has a whole book by this name, and the topic is very on-point for the entire theme of this Cosmism Manifesto and the endeavor to remember Him always and to control our minds. The House of the World is in an intentionally ‘disassociated’ state of fear perpetually - remember? Extremely traumatized and suggestible.
‘Passover’ was originally an actual close encounter(s) with other bodies in the solar system - like comets or planets or ‘comet-like planets’, namely Venus and Mars during the Exodus and down through the age of the Prophets.
The planets moved along different orbits at different times in human memory
Electromagnetic forces should be considered in celestial mechanics
Earth had once been a ‘satellite’ of Saturn before it’s current orbit
The Flood of Noah was the nova of Saturn
Mercury played a role in the destruction of the Tower of Babel
Jupiter as prime mover/actor in the catastrophe of the plains (Sodom and Gomorrah)
There are many more ideas and points that Velikovsky brings to the table, this is a great starting list for us now though to get acquainted with. Consider how the points above resonate with our list of Restored Cosmism doctrines.
The main connection I want to highlight now is that Joseph Smith stated explicitly that the last grand sign before the plagues and destructions and the shaking of the heavens at the 2nd Coming would be described by the world as “a comet, or a planet” appearing for all to see together and incite panic. This is the same language that Velikovsky uses to describe the agent of the plagues and the pillar of fire and smoke and the seemingly mysterious events of the Exodus and scriptural/legendary accounts.
This should inspire the faithful seeker to at the very least - explore the ideas of Velikovsky in full and compare them to what Joseph Smith has taught and stated and to the scriptural record. I testify that the effort is worth it - I have done this for myself and I am still reading and learning and synthesizing from the ideas of Velikovsky and those he has inspired present day. It strengthens my testimony of Restored Cosmology and the Revelations of God.
We know that the Prophetic mantra is that “The Past is Prologue” and that we are living in anticipation for the Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord which will be as the Exodus was obviously caused by catastrophe or ‘trouble from heaven’ - only more global this time. We have access to the Temple/Horeb of the Lord and the Endowment of the New and Everlasting Covenant - including great spiritual gifts of wisdom like the Spirit of Elijah.
I want to end this current essay with a few monographs from Velikovsky on The Hebrew Cosmogony and Planet Ages.
Until next time - to be continued…
Came back to say that the sinusoidal GIFs are mesmerizing. Terrific introduction to Velikovsky and his ideas.