Religious - Symbology - Part 3

Temple worship has often been called and is certainly thought of in the church today as the highest form of worship. Everything about the temple is there to point the way back to God. Every act, the building itself, the process of preparing to go to the temple and most importantly the work that goes on there is meant to teach us.

Judeo-christian Religious rites over the years have focused on basically one thing. The need for a Saviour and his mission on earth. From the sacrifices made in ancient times that represented the sacrifice which the savior would make, to the last supper which represented the sacrifice made. The temple is no different.

We must prepare ourselves to enter by living certain standards. Many have found this unfair, but in a very real way it is part of the symbolism meant to teach us. We must prepare to meet God, so before we symbolically go to seek Him in the temple we to must prepare ourselves. We obtain a recommend to go. This again gives us a chance to give an accounting of our deeds and in a way is symbolic of the final judgement before entering the kingdom of God.

Then we enter the temple. Every aspect of the building itself is to lift us higher and make us feel as though we have entered a place apart from the world. They are lit as a light to the world. The ceremonies are symbolic re-enactments of our journey through this world and back into God's presence. We are symbolically clothed in power and taught, symbolizing how in life we seek wisdom and knowledge from God.

What makes temple work the most sublime of all work is that the work is service. We help those that cannot help themselves as the Saviour helps us. Not that we do the work of the Saviour, but just as those beyond the veil cannot do this work for themselves, neither can we bridge the gap between sin and death and make it back to God without a Saviour. By doing this work, we are not only doing the Lord's work, but we are reminded that we must have a Saviour.

Thus, the work we do in the temple today, is symbolic of our need for a Saviour and our journey back to God. Though the acts may have changed from ancient times, the message is still the same. The symbolism of the temple should help us draw closer to God. We must learn to see beyond the mechanics and into the principles they represent.

Religious - Symbology - Part 1

Religion is full of symbols. Most people realize this, but some don't realize to what extent. Even actual events or people and their acts can be symbolic. The stories of creation found throughout the world are a great example. First they symbolize our creation by a supreme being and second they usually contain elements about how we should live our life. Creation stories are found in almost every culture throughout the world.

The Christian world believes in the symbolism of Jesus Christ. As I said, symbols do not have to be made up and can be based on real events. Christ's role as an example, teacher, neighbor and most importantly a Savior are import teaching tools to bring us happiness. While Christians consider the events to be real, the real power is in their ability to teach us how to be better and to give us hope.

We come to Christ through Baptism, which is symbolic of burying our old sinful life and rising anew in Christ. This event is then celebrated through the Sacrament or Eucharist. In the LDS tradition, we partake of the Sacrament almost every week. It sometimes goes un-noticed the symbolism of the event because we see it every week. The body and blood (water) of Christ are prepared as though for burial. We are passed the emblems of his body and blood symbolic of the gift of salvation he has given to us. But even more symbolic is that it is given to us, we do not take it of ourselves. We renew our promises made at baptism and lay or "sacrifice" our sins symbolically upon the altar of the sacrament. They are covered and buried with Christ, symbolizing Christ taking upon himself our sins.

Religious symbols are a part of everyday life, but maybe none so consuming as the symbolism of the LDS temple. Part 2 will discuss this often misunderstood symbol of the LDS faith.