The Endowment Parable

Unknown’s post here, especially this paragraph reminded of the symbols I see in the Endowment parable:

I have come to see the endowment, and all the ordinances, not as requirements for a future exaltation, but as a powerful metaphor for growth, and even enlightenment. It is interesting to imagine each personality in the presentation as being just another phase of me, within myself. So, at this point, as I piece together my faith, I am not currently paying tithing (to the church). It’s not to say that I never will, I just don’t feel like I would be doing it with a pure heart, like I did before. So I am missing the temple, and I would like to go. But I guess now is not the time, if ever.

I love this post and fully agree, especially with this last paragraph. I see the temple, especially the endowment, as an allegory or parable. I see myself both in Eve and in Adam. I see myself in the stages of creation, in the stages of awareness and knowledge.

The temple prep manual states(emphasis added):

In a symbolic way, the teachings and rituals of the temple take us on an upward journey toward eternal life, ending with a symbolic entrance into the presence of God. The characters depicted, the physical setting, the clothing worn, the signs given, and all the events covered in the temple are symbolic.

http://www.lds.org/manual/endowed-from-on-high-temple-preparation-seminar-teachers-manual/lesson-5-learning-from-the-lord-through-symbols?lang=eng

Elder Packer said(emphasis added):

If you will go to the temple and remember that the teaching is symbolic, you will never go in the proper spirit without coming away with your vision extended, feeling a little more exalted, with your knowledge increased as to things that are spiritual. The teaching plan is superb. It is inspired. The Lord Himself, the Master Teacher, taught His disciples constantly in parables—a verbal way to represent symbolically things that might otherwise be difficult to understand.

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/10/the-holy-temple?lang=eng

I recently wrote the following on my blog:

When I spent time in the Salt Lake and then Manti temples experiencing a live acting session rather than the temple film depiction of the creation and Adam and Eve experience I’d always experienced before, I realised more than ever before that, like a play, this was a series of lessons and symbols of our life.

I believe that in trying to imagine ourselves as Adam and Eve we can also imagine them as us. It’s our story, our journey. Seeing the progress of the rooms in some of the early temples, especially the world room in Manti temple just further re-enforced how much this is a symbol of the latter days and our own lives.

I sometimes hear people talk about the Endowment/Adam and Eve story historically and technically and it seems to miss the point. I’m absolutely fine with the notion that they could also be historically ‘real’ people. I’m also fine if they aren’t. They can be both. But I think they are more important as symbols than historical figures. If they aren’t ‘real’ then I’m even fine with them being taught as ‘real’ anyway, because that gives them much greater presence in religious teaching than fictional people in parables.

Here are some of the allegorical principles I take from the story:

Gathering matter unorganised and creating planet earth: our conception, the creation of our bodies

Separating water and land: my body growing in darkness, growing in the womb

Separating the light from the darkness: birth, coming into the light of the world

Initial innocence in the Garden: Spirit world and/or early innocence of childhood

Eve eating the apple: the active and positive choice to live a mortal life that would result in all of us (male and female) experiencing the challenges, struggles, joys and delights of life.

Adam eating the apple: perhaps Christ being willing to also join us on earth. Also our potential roles (both as males and females) in being leaders and teachers to other people (male and female).

**I can fully appreciate the concerns that some female members have about the apparent submissiveness expected in the temple. When taken as literal covenants I would also squirm if I were in your position. Given I consider them to only be symbolic I also see myself as Eve. I think we should see ourselves as Adam AND Eve.**

Leaving the garden: Beginning of accountability. 8-years old perhaps (or 12, or adulthood… depending on your perspective).

From Baptism onwards we start making covenants. Ezra Taft Benson taught about some of the covenants we make in the temple: “…law of obedience and sacrifice, the law of the gospel, the law of chastity, and the law of consecration.”

At baptism we also make covenants of sacrifice and obedience. We sacrifice our old self, including a final sacrifice of the pre-mortal self we might have had a distand memory of at infancy. We make a covenant of obedience. It’s one of my favourites. It’s a covenant of service.

After baptism we go on to make further and ongoing covenants at the sacrament. These two covenants are Aaronic priesthood ordinances. Preparatory ordinances from a preparatory priesthood. Part of an ongoing commitment to learn and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. A gospel that is, again, centered on love and service.

The later interactions with other priesthood figures remind me of Melchizedek priesthood ordinances and marriage commitments. The covenant of chastity relating to that marriage is one I appreciate and keep.

I take the signs and token as symbols of some of the stages of life and the priesthood ordinances that act as markers along the way. I think the symbol of not sharing them represents the idea that only I can make those covenants with God for myself. I can’t make them for anyone else and no-one else can take my covenants from me. The tokens are, for me, a minor part of the bigger story of who I am. Their source was a little organic and not in the originals, so I don’t get too hung up on them. They were, and perhaps in future will be, an organic, evolving, changing aspect. Just like the whole endowment.

While discussing the Endowment:

“Bro[ther] Joseph [Smith] turned to me [Brigham Young] and said: “Brother Brigham this is not arranged right, but we have done the best we could under the circumstances in which we are placed, and I wish you to take this mat[t]er in hand and organize and systematize all these ceremonies with the signs, tokens, penalties and key words.” I did so and each time I got something more; so that when we went through the Temple at Nauvoo, I understood and knew how to place them there. We had our ceremonies pretty correct.”

http://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V20N04_35.pdf” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V20N04_35.pdf

Eventually we have a direct interaction with God. This is also a symbol of my growing self. An initial need to have other people lead me towards God, culminating in me being able to eventually move on from that dependency. The moment at the veil is, in a way, me reaching my independent relationship with God. The temple is a parable for us growing to a stage of not needing or relying on other people to be able to interact with the heavens. That moment teaches me that eventually I will need to reach an independence from church leaders, church structure and interact with God directly.

This is why I like the endowment, regardless of its source. This is why I see it as a parable, an allegory and I see myself in all of it.