For Sarah

A few weeks ago, I got an email. And all it said was "for sarah".  It was perfect. 

Symbolism: Circle and Square

If you asked someone to pay you a dollar for every squared circle you saw at Temple Square and it's surrounding buildings (conference center, museums, etc.) you'd come away rich! It's everywhere in downtown Salt Lake.

The square is a symbol for the Earth.
(also foundation, balance, stability, direction, basics etc.)

Four corners of the earth
Four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west).
Four major season (winter, spring, summer, fall).
Four prime elements (fire, earth, air, water).

The circle represents Heaven
(also complete, unity, wholeness, infinity, without beginning or end, without sides or corners, the circle is also associated with the number one.)
When you stand on the earth looking up, the shape of the heavens is a circle.

So "squaring the circle" is a representation of Heaven on Earth.

It's a very beautiful concept, taught with a very simple symbol.  (That's the real beauty of symbols). They can teach so much, by showing so little.

I just had the thought that, from up above, temple SQUARE is also a depiction of heaven "the temple" (in the place of the circle) on earth. (square)

Heaven on Earth. It's no wonder it's on many temples.  But what else could it mean? Our homes can and should, most definitely be a heaven on earth.
And our hearts.

Which brings me to another thought:

Jospeh Smith said he was a rough stone rolling.  What could a symbol for that look like?

A square rolling, as the corners are chipped off it becomes an octagon, getting smoother and smoother to finally reveal a circle.

Which is why Christ as our Mediator is sometimes symbolized as an Octogon.  He stands between us and Heaven.
This concept is taught on the steeples of many LDS meeting houses.

A path of progression towards heaven.

Symbology

I am by no means an expert in symbols.  I have however, learned a little, just by observing, pondering, and studying.  I thought it'd be fun to talk about a few symbols and their meanings.. as I've come to understand them.  I'd love to hear others' insights as well!

Symbolism: 8

8 is symbolic for rebirth, baptism, and the big RE

Resurrect, reconcile, recreate, refresh, regenerate, rejuvenate, repair, restore, resuscitate, revive, reclaim, reconstitute, redesign, redevelop, redo, refurbish, rehabilitate, remake, renovate, replenish, restart, revitalize, renew, restitution.  List goes on..

To create.. AGAIN.

So why is 8 symbolic for Rebirth?

Well, 7 is symbolic for complete or finished.  (Think of the 7 day creative period.)  So the 8th day is the new day!  It's the restart or new beginning.

The temple I go to most often is the Draper temple. (I can actually get there in 8 minutes from my house, believe it or not. :) And 8 abounds in the celestial room.  Why would that be a good place for 8 to show up?  The beautiful chandelier is also symbolic, right underneath a large 8 pedaled flower.

(There is also a ladder motif that's all throughout that temple, but that's a symbol for another day)

The color that goes along with 8 and rebirth is Green.  (for obvious reasons I think.)

Beautiful photo taken on a hike up Mt.Timp

Many ancient baptismal fonts are octagons.  And in some temples.

(Octogon is also symbolic for Christ as mediator. I'll talk about that later)

Symbolism: Spiral

I think there is a lot to learn from the spiral staircase.

Some things to think about:

"The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.  For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth." (John 5:19-20)

I cannot exclude the atonement from that. I'm sorry, I just can't.

"As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become."
Lorenzo Snow

I believe that is truth. (See also Lectures on Faith 7:12-16)

Who is Satan? If he "fell" where did he fall from?

D&C says he was "an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God" He was a "son of the morning" and then, "he is fallen!" And "the heavens wept over him." (76:25-27)

Tell me, how would a person become an angel in authority? And what does a "son of the morning" even mean?

"The expression “morning star, son of the dawn” (hêlēl ben-šāḥar) denotes a category of “sons of God” who attained exalted status before the creation of the earth (Job 38:4–7)." Avraham Giliadi

Is there some way to obtain an exalted status without actually living?

How did God *know* that Christ would remain true, and perform the atonement? That is a lot to stake on one man.  Had he proven Himself before? So that Father knew?

Does Christ know our sufferings firsthand? From experience?

If someone can answer these questions for me, without using the idea of multiple mortal probations, or re-mortalizations (whatever you want to call it) I'd love to hear it! (Btw, I don't think it's the same this as reincarnation-generally understood. "Comeing back" as a plant, human, or animal to pay for your past sins or mistakes).

It's about eternal progression.

"And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace; And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness;
And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first." (D&C 93:12-14)

Spirals are different from circles, because yes, you're starting over again after going around, but have you not also ascended?

What does One Eternal Round actually mean? Isn't Eternal also a name for God? (Moses 7:35)

Should we not judge others? Because we just may not know everything that's going on in their (entire) lives.. Or ours? Or who or what we are?

Did someone like 14 year old Joseph Smith get to that level of faith by living in mortality for 14 short years?

Who are the Noble and Great ones? Why are they Noble and Great PRIOR to coming to earth?) They must have proven themselves somehow.

I think there is more here to be uncovered and understood.  Joseph Smith expounded on this in the King Follett Sermon.

Lectures on Faith 7:12-16Lectures on Faith 7:12-16

A Parable

I took this beautiful picture today, on my walk up American Fork Canyon.  The winter scenery was spectacular! 

I wrote this a few days ago.

There was once, on a high mountain top, a tree.  He was the most beautiful tree that ever lived.  Because of the clean air, pure water, good soil, and close proximity to the sun, he was able to produce fruit; the most delicious fruit.  This fruit had the ability to take flight in the wind, and spread seeds down in the valley below, producing other sapling trees.

The saplings in the valley, lived in various places and circumstances.  Some were in pretty gardens, while others lived in mud fields.  But they all came from the same father tree.  The only thing about these valley trees is, they were unable to produce fruit themselves because they lacked sufficient soil, air, water and sunlight.

One night an earnest young tree had a dream.  In this dream he saw father tree.  He told this young sapling that he cared for all of his trees, and wanted them to come live up on the mountain top, so they could be together, and produce fruit of their own.  He explained how the views on the mountain top are glorious and unrivaled.  And the soil, air, water and sunlight is pure above any other place in the land.

This young tree who's name was Noble, was able to convince a number of other trees to make the journey to father tree. (The same as other groups that lived before him long ago)   As they started their journey, they didn't realize that they had in their company an old, ancient tree, who had been around for a long time.  His name was Decay.  He looked magnificent from the outside, but his core was rotten, full of mold and putrified.  He knew that because of his rotted core, he would never produce fruit, which made him jealous, and mean.  He desired all other trees to be miserable like himself.  He was a master manipulator, and was able to persuade many of the other trees to destroy young Noble, who was leading the journey.

This was a sad time for the trees, but they decided to press on, and make the journey to the top of the mountain, as he would have wanted them to do.

The journey was long, extremely difficult, and full of many hardships.  They were nearing the top, when they realized that the last leg of the journey, was very treacherous.  Full of boulders, sharp rocks, and very steep cliffs.  The trees looked around and discovered that they were near a beautiful, green meadow.  Full of various flowers, mountain streams, and sunlight.  In fact, they've never before had such clean air to breath, or clear water to drink.  It was a lovely place, so they decided to stop here and rest for a while.

Over time, they created a wonderful community of trees.  They served and helped one another,  they laughed, and sang, and ended up living in this meadow for many, many years.  They even started carrying fresh water and better soil down to the other valley trees as a service, so they could also live happier, healthier lives. And often times convinced numerous valley trees to join them in their expanding, meadow home.  They did many wonderful things for one another, that the whole land was blessed by their kindness and generosity.

As time went on, a lot of the older trees died, and many of the younger trees had forgotten about climbing to father tree.  Life in the meadow was so blissful, it didn't seem necessary at the moment.

Decay was very pleased by this.  In fact, he had been to that exact meadow before many times, with other more ancient societies of trees, and knew precisely what circumstances caused them to forget about completing their journey.   He was very good at persuading them that there was no hurry to get to the mountaintop, but that    they could complete that part of the journey later, another day, when the trail was paved and the boulders gone.  Decay knew that the better their life was in the meadow, the less inclined they'd be to complete the journey.

With his wily ways, he whispered to some of the tree leaders the things he wanted them to say in their meetings.  "Remind them of how much good we do in our community." He'd say.  And all of the service we give to the other, "less fortunate" trees in the valley."  "Also," he'd whisper, "Tell them that we are a thriving community of trees, who sing beautiful songs, and cultivate beautiful gardens, and are always inviting the lower, valley trees to join us, so that they too may partake in our meadow splendor."

It was true enough.  The meadow was in fact beautiful, and they had become a generous, thriving community.  The only problem was, they were all still barren.  And there was a foretold landslide that was going to wipe out most of the trees who lived in the meadow and below.  But Decay did everything he could to convince them that they should stay.  He'd say the landslide wasn't going to harm the meadow! As long as they were there, they'd be safe.  And they always had more time to complete the climb.  "There was no need to make it a top priority now!" He'd proclaim.

On quiet nights, when the breeze was just right, some trees could hear a familiar voice whispering to them from the mountaintop.   It was father tree.   He longed to see his once saplings, because they were a part of him, and he loved them very much.   With his deep, gentle voice he called to them.  He told them to finish the climb, and join him.  "The journey is hard, the path is steep" he'd warn. But he assured them he would be there reaching out his branches for them to hold onto, and he would bring them home to him if they'd just hold on.

A few slipped away over the years, unnoticed, and up the overgrown path. but now more and more trees were starting to hear the call.  This upset Decay, and it actually upset many of them.  "The meadow is wonderful!" They'd say.  "We do so much for all our lands and community, why would you ever want to leave such a blessed society?" They loved reminding themselves and others how altruistic they were; how good and benevolent.  It became the focus of all their meetings.  They didn't speak much about the last leg of the journey to father tree, the need for it, or the tools they'd need to conquer the difficult climb. They knew of the foretold landslide, and even believed it was going to happen.  But they thought that by being in the meadow, this guaranteed them safety and protection from its fatal damage.  They refused to see in the many prophesies, the warnings that only those a top the mountain were guaranteed survival from the catastrophe.

One young tree thought she could hear her father's gentle voice calling to her.  Her name was Ash.   She knew of trees that lived in other parts of the meadow who had taken the forgotten trail to father tree.  Ash didn't want to leave the meadow.  Some of the best trees she ever knew lived in the meadow.  She grew up there! She helped cultivate and build it.  She had lived in the meadow since arriving there as a young sapling, and she loved it very, very much.  What she really desired, was to have all of the trees in the meadow, finish the steep climb up the mountaintop together. But some had put their roots so deep into the ground, they couldn't leave without considerable damage. The path to the top, and the path to the bottom were the same in their eyes--leaving the meadow was leaving the meadow, no matter what trail was taken.

But these newly determined trees remembered the words of Noble, and they knew that his intention of the climb from the very beginning, was always to reach the top, not to stop short in the meadow.

As Ash was preparing for her journey, the community of trees had many strong emotions and feelings towards her. They told her that she was betraying them.  That she is going to fall off the cliffs, and end up wallowing in the valley mud.  That the sharp rocks were going to harm her or worse.  That she can make the climb later, after the landslide. The trail is going to be paved eventually they'd say, and it would be much safer and wiser to finish the climb then.   Ash knew that the landslide was coming soon.  She could see the foretold signs all around her, and she remained unconvinced that the meadow was the safest place to be anymore.  So she got a small pack of necessities together, and started up the overgrown, mostly forgotten about trail.  She felt very alone, as she was unable to convince any of her closest friends or family members to journey with her.

She can hear father tree calling her name. The path is steep, but with each step she takes his voice gets louder and more clear.
I hope she makes it to the top.

2 Nephi 28:21

2 Nephi 28:21