GOSPEL
DOCTRINE LESSON
Supplements for
LDS Sunday School Courses for the Book of Mormon
(Including
Information for
Preparing Gospel Doctrine Lessons in Hebrew)
by Daniel Rona
Lesson Number 41
"He Did Expound All Things unto Them" (3 Nephi 22-26)
Carrying on the theme of the "Cities of the Lord" in the previous lesson supplement, let us reflect that the original "Temple" was the camp of Israel. The stakes and curtains or banners identified the various tribes’ habitation. The eleven tribes surrounded the tribe of Levi and it surrounded the Lord’s habitation. In addition to the stakes identifying each tribal area, the stakes around the tabernacle had curtains creating a presence of sacred privacy, a habitation for the Lord.(Isaiah 33:20)"Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken."
The sacredness and worthiness of the Camp of Israel were compromised and the Lord’s "presence" was taken to a special site of Shiloh which is north of what later became Jerusalem. The Prophet Joshua redistributed the "camp of Israel" by making Shiloh the House of the Lord and giving land assignments to the tribes of Israel for their houses.
"And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them." (Joshua 18:1)
"And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions." (Joshua 18:10)
"And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle." (Joshua 21:2)
Later, when the Jebusite city of Salem came into the hands of King David and became the City of David, Jerusalem. He purchased the threshing floor of a Jebusite for the future House of the Lord.
"And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing floor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people." (2 Samuel 24:21)
Later, through the modern day restoration of the gospel, buildings were erected as Houses of the Lord.
‘The Prophet Joseph Smith, and my father, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and other choice spirits who were reserved to come forth in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundations of the great latter-day work,
Including the building of the temples and the performance of ordinances therein for the redemption of the dead, were also in the spirit world." (D&C 138:53-54)
In the future, the temples will return to the Stakes of Zion and in fact, some cities will become temples. So, in addition to the title "Houses of the Lord," there will be "Cities of the Lord."
"And after this time, your baptisms for the dead, by those who are scattered abroad, are not acceptable unto me, saith the Lord.
For it is ordained that in Zion, and in her stakes, and in Jerusalem, those places which I have appointed for refuge, shall be the places for your baptisms for your dead."
(D&C 124:35-36)In year 70 when Titus destroyed Jerusalem, the Jews lost their temple and the city of Jerusalem. Ever since, religious Jews have prayed three times daily at each meal and at other times for the rebuilding of the temple. That tradition continues into modern times. I have found three trends of though about this. First, there are some who think the temple will come from heaven as the Messiah manifests himself. The second, is a foreboding thought that few Jews espouse of destroying the present Moslem shrine, the Dome of the Rock and the nearby Al Aksa mosque and build the temple as last remembered. But, the third has some truthful possibilities recently talked about by the late Rabbi Abraham HaKohen Kook as he referred to a tradition of rebuilding the temple. When asked if the Temple could be built soon. He deferred to a "latter-day Joseph" and purportedly quoted the twelfth century Rabbi Moses Maimonides, who said about a latter-day Joseph, ". . . to him will be given the keys of the gathering of Israel, he will restore Temple worship."
Latter-day Saints claim to be descendants of ancient Joseph and testify that the keys of the gathering of Israel and temple work have been restored. They also have some information that the Jews will build the Temple in Jerusalem. At the beginning of the century, Latter-day Saint President John Taylor was speaking to Baron Rothschild as he was showing him the Salt Lake Latter-day Saint Temple.
Rothschild said,"Elder Taylor, what do you mean by this temple? What is the object of it? Why are you building it?"
President Taylor answered,
"Your fathers had among them prophets, who revealed to them the mind and will of God; we have among us prophets who reveal to us the mind and will of God, as they did. One of your prophets said--The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, but who may abide the day of his coming? For he shall sit as a refiner's fire and a purifier of silver! . . . sir, will you point me out a place on the face of the earth where God has a temple?"
Rothschild said,
". . . Do you consider that this is that temple?"
President Taylor answered,
"No, sir, it is not. . . . The Lord has told us to build this temple so that we may administer therein [ordinances] for our dead and also to perform some of the sacred matrimonial alliances and covenants that we believe in, that are rejected by the world generally, but which are among the purest, most exalting and ennobling principles that God ever revealed to man."
Rothschild asked,
"Well, then, this is not our temple?"
And President Taylor responded
"No. . . . you will build a temple, for the Lord has shown us, among other things, that you Jews have quite a role to perform in the latter days, and that all the things spoken by your old prophets will be fulfilled, that you will be gathered to old Jerusalem, and that you will build a temple there; and when you build that temple, and the time has arrived, the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple."
(Gospel Kingdom, John Taylor, Page 293)It becomes obvious that both Jews and Latter-day Saints have "temple" and "gathering" perceptions. In order to fulfill our prophetic destinies we must learn more about each other. The Latter-day Saints can already lead out in learning more about Judah and his customs and ancient religious procedures. The gift of the spirit with the learning of the Jews will assist in expounding the very teachings given to our ancient forefathers so that we can understand them and apply them to our present and future lives.