symbolism and creation

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THINGS ASTHEY ARE,WERE �

ARE TO COME

Symbolism

and CreationANTHONY E. LARSON



The story of creation is at once of our most familiar yet almost completelymisunderstood in scripture. Remarkably, creation stories from other cul-

tures share important similarities to those found in Genesis and the book of Abraham. What if all of these accounts were witnessed by human beingsliving on the earth at the time and involved not the formation of our planetbut a new and dramatic change in the heavens above us?

Part 1

In my view, when we ully grasp the story the ancients recordedor us, we begin to see clearly or the rst time what in scripture isc wh . M , w u h u

ception had to be ipped nearly 180 degrees. What we saw as symbolicturns out to be largely literal, and what we thought to be literal turnsout to be mostly symbolic. From that perspective, we have as much tolearn about the gospel rom its symbolism as we do rom its literalism,

h c c p h c p u u .At one time, we spent all our e ort trying to understand the literal

wh c p g g h c. Y , g v h weight o symbolism in scripture, one has to wonder how we man-aged to avoid it so completely? It must be meaning ul or God and hisprophets would not have put it there. Remember, Joseph said that Godwould give no revelation without also providing the key to understandit. It’s my experience that we’ve had the keys be ore us since early in the

. Ou u w c g z h wh hAnd while all o it is vital to us in our quest to understand the pastand the scriptures, the most important element is the “local principle,”as presented by Kip Farr, a researcher and scholar who coined the

THINGS AS THEY ARE,

WERE�

ARE TO COME

Symbolism and CreationCopyright © 2008 Anthony E. Larson



3Symbolism and Creation · Part 1

term. Tat is, what we read in the scriptures in general, and Abrahamin particular, that God has revealed to his prophets about the heavenspertains only to our small corner o the universe: our solar system.

Kolob and the other celestial bodies are not ound in distant parts o our galaxy, as most Mormons assume. What is recorded there tells thestory only o “this creation,” (See Moses) not all the creations o God.T v k . K , w gh h u pneighborhood, masquerading as a mere planet in our time. All ancientcultures revered it as the “God Star,” Saturn, though it was given a

u u — c p v , u . H c , w the descriptive, Semitic name “Kolob”—which probably means some-

h g k “H S ”— pp h P GEv h h I u u h c c u .Elohim, usually re erred to by historians as a Canaanite god because

h c g z h h “C ” w cIsraelites, was connected to the planet Saturn. In act, several ancientsources afrmed that the Israelites worshipped the planet Saturn.Ev h “I ” ( - - ) h g k “P p

S u ” “S u .”From a gospel perspective, we can explain that circumstance by not-

ing that when the Israelites strayed rom the teachings o the prophets, w w h cu h gh

w . Bu h ’ h v p h cu uthat tendency. Te progenitors o the Israelites, the Hebrews and their

ore athers be ore them, experienced the actual events that gave rise tothose idolatrous symbols and practices in all ancient cultures. Except

h p ph , wh h u u h h vw v w A h , h h H w ctheir own traditions to retain the memory o the original heavensand Earth that once existed and what they saw and experienced in

h p v p wh h ch g .Naturally, those traditions paralleled those o their neighbors, who

experienced the very same events. Te names changed, but the stories,

traditions and rituals created to remember those ancient times becamepart o their culture, and history tells us that they retained those tradi-

w h ugh , v h ugh h gh h v p their idolatrous ways. It was per ectly natural that the prophets draw




up h c ch h g p h whenever it might be. Joseph Smith, a thoroughly modern man, still

p h c .

Tus, a widespread, cultural tradition lled with imagery and ritualbased on the ancient order o the heavens was preserved, even thoughlater generations hadn’t a clue as to what it all meant. Ancient andmodern historians readily identi y the Israelites as Saturn worshipperswh , c , h p p S u u

ch g p p c p u p c h cu u h h .We, today, in act, do exactly the same thing. All our holidays (holy

) c v , h S uChristmas celebration is a ull-blown example, since everything romSanta Claus to the Christmas tree draw on celestial symbolism born in

h g , S u - h v . T qu temple, in Salt Lake, is replete with Saturn symbolism—includingSaturn Stones, which were originally intended to be displayed as aplanet with two rings around it at the top o the buttresses on the south

w h c h, h c c Sh h v c , h . M v , h B g D pp

temple’s west wall is strategically placed so as to point to the pole star,Polaris, the exact location o Saturn in Earth’s ancient skies. (Tisc h p ph k w p c h w p uchsymbolism correctly. It’s not mere decoration nor is it haphazardly

pp .) C c h v w c u h Ma cult, in part because o our prophets’ afnity or using planetary symbolism, a practice most o en associated with paganism in theChristian mind. Yet, with all that, we do not consider ourselves Saturnw h pp . I ’ ju p u .

Nowhere is this key more pertinent than in the creation story andG ’ v h c A h .




Part 2

P erhaps the rst thing that the symbolic images in Joseph’s ex-planations o the acsimiles in the book o Abraham tell us isthat he is not revealing some deep mysteries known only to the

Egyptians. Tis is the common perception o the Saints who read these,u w . Wh h g u wh h Eg p

u h .

T v c c p h u images properly. Joseph was not revealing gospel truths here. He wassimply interpreting these images to the best o his ability. So, what weare con ronted with in his explanations are Egyptian concepts, notg p c c p .

Tis is implicit in the language he used. For example, o Figure #3,in the hypocephalus, he wrote, “Is made to represent God, sitting uponhis throne, clothed with power and authority, with a crown o eternallight upon his head.” Te words he chose to explain this depiction o Horus seated in his solar boat — “made to represent” — clearly indicatesh p g h g u h Eg p

“wh ” h h g p h g w h Eg pthemselves — not God, not Joseph Smith. Te phrase can have no

h p .Tus, we learn that even Joseph’s explanations o the acsimiles are

h g u c p h .I we extend that principle or point o view to the term Kolob, then

we must admit that he is also describing something that the Egyptiansbelieved and used in their iconography. He is not describing somedistant place, star or planet ar rom the Egyptians’ view. It must have

h g w h wh ch h w v p h .

Tis corroborates the “local principle.” Tat is, not only did God say h w g g xp A h h h g h v g w h u , w c w h J ph’ xp

x h h Eg p . Tu , h c cpoint to a local perspective, implying that Kolob was/is a local star or




p . I c , h c J ph xp c hu g w w .Tis concept is vital to understanding the symbolism o the creation

account. Only by understanding the role this symbolism plays in the v c h c c c w

u h c u g w k h c cNotice, too, that in calling this “governing” planet Kolob, God was

using an Egyptian or Semitic word to name it. Tus, Abraham wouldhave known exactly which planet or star he was looking at. SinceAbraham came rom an area known or its expertise in astronomy, Ur

Ch , h w u h v k w h h pone the ancients called the “best Sun,” the one the Babylonians calledSh h, ( h O g Ch h).

God wanted to eliminate any con usion. A er all, planets havecertain commonalities that make them hard to di erentiate unlesswe know which one we’re looking at. In e ect, God said to Abraham,“S h p ? I h u p p c K . I ’ h

g v h h h v .”

N x , w w h p S u h K A h Eg p .

Part 3

Th v k h u c g h udone be ore we can move orward to a discussion o Kolob, andthat has to do with the source o our Bible’s creation account itsel .

Most Latter-day Saints who read Genesis come away with the ideathat God revealed something to Adam, Enoch, Abraham or Mosesthat mankind would have no other way o knowing. Tat is, Godalone was present at the creation; man came later. So, i man were tohave any knowledge at all o what went on be ore Adam and Eve wereplaced on the earth, that in ormation would have had, o necessity, to

c h ugh v .So, in e ect, we believe we are reading revelation when we readG . Bu , h .

A h j , c cu u h v c cc u . Tare some pro ound di erences with the biblical creation account, but

h k g c .




H w c h ? H w w cc u h ? God call prophets in each o those cases and reveal the creation to

h ? O , w c u h u

process by which cultural traditions are transmitted rom one culture h . A , h cu u h v ‘

, uch k h c N ch ug .T w qu p : T w cc u —

cluding the biblical account — o the one, singular event the ancientsc “ h c .”

Mankind was a spectator when the events recorded in the creationaccount occurred. Tose events subsequently, and quite naturally,

c p h v c cu u , ch pu gown peculiar twist on the same, basic pageant they saw played out

E h’ h v . T h p c v those accounts with a catastrophist’s eye, rather than a religionist’s eye.

How can I make such an outrageous claim? Te evidence is in theancient records and cultural traditions o people rom all around thew , I v . Bu h G cc u , ,

.We have already alluded to the act that most o the Adam and Eve

story is couched in symbolism. I would maintain that Adam and Evew h v h c ch c h w h vactions o planets hovering over the Earth anciently. Just as our solemn

“ ,” p u c h p h pp p jutures, nds its roots in the name o the Egyptian god Amen (Amun),

uch A -h p, u - k- u A , does the name Adam derive rom the Egyptian god Atum, the sun o

gh R ’ g .Te very creation o Adam rom “the dust o the earth” is, according u , c, h ph . Ev ’ c

rom Adam’s rib — the rib being a type or symbol o the lighted plan- c c — p u c.

Note that I am not saying that there was no Adam or Eve. wo

individuals most certainly did come to this world to become the seedo humanity planted in this vineyard. Teir speci c story, however, is

G .Tese creation accounts, and many others like them, start to make

sense only when seen as mythical or traditional accounts rather than




truth dispensed through revelation. Tat’s probably why BrighamY u g c h c cc u “ ch ’ .”

Te Adam and Eve account was never meant to be a logical, accurate

description o what happened in the beginning o the human race.I w p g ch u h g u u vour relationship with God. Tat’s it. It was never intended to carry theburden o accurate history we impose upon it with our misconceptions.

Tis, o course, demands that God participate in the use o this samesymbolism, and there is no doubt that he does so. Look at the revela-tions given to Joseph in modern times that are loaded with traditional

. T h v g h g v S , h c p . G v h p ph ’ p p cc h c wh wh v

So, whenever God revealed the creation story, he did so in thec h h p k . I h w , h w

c g h wh h cu u ugg h ch w g p u h .Tus, we now see Genesis as a traditional account rom the Hebrew

p p c v , g c w u , v gI c , w c p ph c u h v c . Bu , h ’ h wh p c h .So, what about the rest o the biblical creation account? How much

o it can we trust to be accurate? Well, a little comparison o the bibli-cal creation with the other creation accounts reveals some remarkabledetails that seem to be rather accurate, though littered with metaphorand symbolism. When the biblical creation account is considered

g w h h h c cc u , w g h p c u wh u c w h w .

But rst, we must return to the Kolob = Saturn equation be orev g w .




Part 4

Since we are taking a new look at the creation rom the perspectiveo the restored gospel, let’s begin the next phase o our discussionwith statements attributed to the First Elder o this dispensation,

J ph S h, wh ch h k u g c . W ghere because it is a core concept upon which depends the entire inter-pretation o the scriptural creation accounts we are about to examine.

Orson F. Whitney, in September o 1889 wrote the ollowing in hisCollected Discourses.

“It has been taught that it was the object o the people who builtthe ower o Babel to reach heaven, to attain to one o the starry planets, hheavenly bodies.T u , , k

airy tale; and or one I cannot conceive now — although I oncev — h w c p p , u wh Z

had arisen, a generation so intelligent as to have produced such acity, intelligent enough to build a great tower o which the worldh c h c u p , h w w , c uch h h h h c u c u ch h u ,

h p p g ck up ck up . Bu h P ph J ph S h, wh j w

h gh up h k h g , h

c h w h ch h v , ureach Zion, which was then suspended in mid-air, between heaven h, uch h gh h p j c

T c .” ( ph )

T ’ gh . Acc g B h Wh , “ to think, as he claimed Joseph said, that a planet once stood above theE h, c ugh h hu h ugh , u w

h ch .Where do you suppose a prophet o God and an Apostle came

up with such a heretical concept? In all that has been written andsaid o the Babel story since Gutenberg rst published the Bible in1457, no one else has ever suggested such a thing. Tis is truly a novel




c c p — cc p h , c c g v p v .

Y , B h Wh w h c , h w

Earlier, in 1885, in a book entitled Elias, he broached the subject. “Ac-c g h B , h p p wh u h w B

h p gh ‘ ch u h v .’ (G . 11:14.) J ph S h h v c h h ‘h v ’ h h v w w h

E ch, h u p w h h gh h h.”Tere’s that word “suspended” again. What does all this mean? How

w c uch c ?W , k uch , h c c p qu

u h c .Tis “starry” planet didn’t rise and set as the sun and the moon

pp . Wh ’ u h w “ u p ” p c c ph c. I h B c c v c c

a planet, it must have hung motionless in the sky — suspended. Tey would have correctly deemed that reaching a moving body that dri edacross the sky daily, however slowly it might travel, would prove

p c . Bu , h g x p cpearing close enough to almost touch might just make the Herculeanc uc p j c p c c .

Oh…and just in case you might think that Brother Whitney, one o the welve, was alone in his attribution o this notion to the Prophet,

h k g . O P , Ap , h h g 1873 c u . “A u h A h , h w B w

u . T p p g gu g , g h g h ua tower to reach, as they supposed, the crystallized heavens. [Te

“c z h v ” c h h h v — h u , , p — w

o nested, transparent spheres that encircled the earth.] Tey thoughtthat the City o Enoch was caught up a little ways rom the earth, and

h h c w w h h ph v h h; they could get a tower high enough, they might get to heaven, where

h C E ch h h h w c .”Clearly, Joseph taught o a condition in Earth’s ancient heavens o

wh ch u c c u k w h g.More amazing still is the act that when we turn to the mythology




and religious belie s o ancient cultures, we nd virtually the samething, except in that case they were speaking o their pagan gods. For

x p , h h g , R , h Eg p , “O h u

born, who dost lie without movement,” who “rests on his high place.”Atum, another personi cation o Ra, was called “the Firm Heart o theSk .” T C f x : “T G G v x h o the sky.” In the Papyrus o Ani, the honored decedent is compared

h g u c h, O : “O h u wh w k u O .”

Tat all these ‘gods’ had a planetary aspect almost goes withoutg. I w h c h v u u v c c

that these gods were planets, but you may read all I and many othersh v w h u j c ckg u .

Sufc , h h g h c w g, h v g h E h, p uc g p g u c

h p u c . T hreasonable interpretation o both the above citations rom ancientEgyptian texts and the belie s attributed, anecdotally, to Joseph Smith.

Tus, when the Mesopotamians wrote o this bright planet, “Like themidst o heaven may he shine! O Shamash…suspended rom themidst o heaven,” they were talking about a god who was a planet.(M u Sh h .)

Wh u h k u , h p c E h’ wh p , c u w h u v g. I ’ place in the northern skies where the star Polaris or pole star setstoday. And in act, that’s what all the ancient traditions say about theg h c h h v . T w h

h p k . H c , h w c “ h v .”I I , V h u “wh k h g p

in the sky.” It is the celestial pole, “the exalted seat o Vishu, roundwhich the starry spheres orever wander.” A Vedic text says o Vishnu,“ h h g .”

Read again the Egyptian’s descriptions o their god cited above. In

h c x p g , h c g u .C , J ph, ch g h B , h

reality as these ancient traditions. Both speak o a star, planet, orb orc ‘h v g’ x p E h’ h k .




Te payo and clincheror this idea among Mor-

mons is the stunning illus-

tration produced by PhiloDibble, a aith ul Saint, closec gu the prophet. Dibble claimedthat in 1842, Joseph drew thispicture o the Earth and gave

h .here is much to be

gained rom a care ul exami-nation o this drawing. But

w, w w c uobservations to the simple

p c h h P ph ’ c c p E h’ cc v v h p c p x , into position along a shared polar axis that would have made any orb

v h E h h v , “ u p ” h h v .Tere is much, much more evidence or these things than I can

c v h v u .Next, we will see how this unique planetary positioning plays into

h c .

Part 5

T u h c , w u u v h c g v A h .

Every Latter-day Saint has read about Kolob in Abraham h P G P c . M h v p cu u ;

h v g v h ugh . K ’ p c our universe seems to be the primary ocus o such speculation. A

care ul review o this bit o revealed knowledge in light o the Saturn p v v .I ch p 3, pp h G v A h

u K h ph c c h , h L , c u h u v . A p xp




K c u p g 37, pp c . 2, Egyptian hypocephalus Joseph Smith ound among the papyri thatc h h .

Te rst thing we see upon reading Joseph’s explanation is that some h u h c Eg p . T h u u p

since he is gleaning this in ormation rom an Egyptian document.Te question is: Where did he learn these ancient Egyptian terms?For example, Joseph names one gure Hah-ko-kau-beam (Pearl o G P c , F g. 5, p. 37.)

It is reasonable to assume, given his lack o ormal training inthe Egyptian language, that he rst heard the word spoken duringa revelation, since his rendering o the name is clearly an attempt

w ph c ( h g u gh c when attempting to write a word rom a oreign language we had only h p k ).

A close look tells us that the hyphenation does not con orm to theway the Semitic word is actually written. A more proper hyphenation

h w w u h v : H -k k - . T Eg p k k

the word or ‘star.’ ypically written in consonants, without vowels, itis rendered: KKB. Modern scholars choose the vowel sounds that areimplied by their use in equivalent words in related modern languages.In e ect, they make a guess as to the vowel sounds. Tus, Joseph’skokab (or kokob as it is in Abraham) may be more accurate than the

ch v , k k . T p c g h v , g ‘ h ,’ p u g, h qu v h

E g h. Tu , J ph S h c c w , ph cEg p w ‘h k k ,’ g ‘ h .’

Kolob continues this same pattern. Written KLB, it is clearly closely g KKB, k k . S , K h ‘ ’ p

g, u N h h c the Arabic word qalb, meaning ‘heart.’ Yet, the Arabic-speaking peoplesroutinely use qalb as part o star names: qalb al-asad or Regulus, orexample. Te verb orm o the word also means to turn upside down, to

turn over and over. (Tis will become more meaning ul in a moment.)Te Egyptians thought o Canopus as the premier heart-star. Atum,

h Eg p c g , w c “ h F H h Sk, Eg p c c v h c /k g u g , wh




will identi y as the planet Saturn, as having two hearts — the hat-heartwas emale, e nut, and the ab-heart was male, Shu — one within theother, although translators rarely concern themselves with the dis-

c . A , H u w h , “h h h k h h u h w h wh

p ‘h ’ g k k k .Ironically, Shu is also the one “who sits in the midst o the Eye

which is the seat o his Father.” Tus, the eye and the heart o the sung , R , v u u Eg p , u xp c

cu u c .

Part 6

In order to understand gospel symbolism, one must understandits ancient origins. No one has done more in modern times tomake this understanding possible than Dave albott, compara-

tive mythologist and researcher extraordinaire. Rather than rehearse

his ndings here, I re er the reader to his writings, beginning withh S u M h. O h h w g c u h w , “T h,” wh ch c u www.k .c , g

w h c pu c .For those who have my books, you can nd a summary o his views

and their value to our understanding o gospel symbolism in volume3 T P ph c g , “A T Sh B A N w H v AA N w E h.”

albott’s principle thesis presents us with an entirely new view o Earth’s ancient heavens, one that explains all gospel symbolism.Wh h c k up h h v , h wh h

u g p h v uo the “grand constellation o worlds,” asAp O H pu — c c phe undoubtedly learned rom Joseph

S h.Te larger o the three orbs was Sat-urn, the turquoise-colored orb in the

w V u h , w M .




Here is yet another v w h c -

usion about the plan-

etary arrangement we’rek g u , h p

con guration also pic-tured in Joseph’s illustra-tion given to Dibble (seeP 4).

When Joseph’s ac- h B k

Abraham are considered in light o albott’s Saturn thesis, we see thatK p h Eg p h S u /V uMars assemblage o planets during Earth’s earliest epoch. Tose three

k h h p J ph S h w Ph DT v c h : E h h c x

with those three, as pictured in the Dibble illustration, there werethree planets in both scenarios and the Dibble illustration, i you

look closely, even includes the plasma connections between the three.T c p xp w .

In the Egyptian tradition, Re/Atum is Saturn. He is the ather-god,the xed, immovable sun god. Te hat-heart is Venus, the emalegoddess who is everywhere in ancient mythology identi ed as the

h g . T -h M , h w /h /chwh h h ’ , h ‘ pp ’ h h ’

h ughg g xp h c c p .Te entire polar con guration was seen to rotate once every 24

hours, due to Earth’s rotation. Hence, the verb orm o qalb, meaning“to turn over and over” is most appropriate. Additionally, the LatinV u w c V c , h u g wh g h .

In ne, Joseph’s declaration that Hah-ko-kau-beam (ha-kokab-im) w ccu . T g c c c w k

and Kolob indicates that both have the meaning ‘star.’ Kolob also has

h g ‘h ,’ h w cthe word ‘star,’ except in the context o the Saturn myth and the PolarC gu .




Part 7

Turning now to Joseph Smith, we can see that what he describedand explained in the Pearl o Great Price matches the Egyptian

h S u h .Joseph’s explanation o Kolob as “First in government, the last

pertaining to the measurement o time,” ts Saturn’s ancient role per-ectly. It was perceived as the primary governing power in the heavens.

Ev h g pp v v v u . Wh

p u c , x h. A , w h p c p xc c . I o Kronos (Cronus), Saturn’s appearance was commensurate with thebeginning o time. Tat is, the ancients had no way o telling time

g gh u h c u S u rotating crescent. Tus, its early appearance in the ‘creation’ was said

k h g g k p g.What is more exciting is that a reading o Abraham, chapter 3, rom

the standpoint o albott’s polar con guration o planets reveals whatwas, undoubtedly, the undamental meaning o the Lord’s explana-

h c p ph . H u S c w uch ‘k ‘h -k k - ’ c u h h gu g A h p k . H

described the original planetary con guration that existed be oreh F c u v ch A h h c u h h

traditional belie s and practices, as well as provide a teaching tool or

p u u h , wh ch h xp u h ch pIn act, to someone well versed in the arrangement o the PolarCon guration, it becomes apparent that this is what God revealed toA h — h c h h v h x G F . T c k , h pp h cO u ‘ c ’ h p g h p

LDS ch h v p , h cthis revelation. On the other hand, given what we know about thepolar arrangement, it accommodates the description remarkably well.

I v 2, w h A h w “v g ” throne o God. o the ancient mind, Saturn was perceived as thethrone o god, i not god himsel . Te other planets in the arrangement,




Venus, Mars and the 7 small moons that were seen to orbit Saturn, werec . T w h “g v g ” h E

c h v . T K w pp , h cc u ,

S u c u h “ g v which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.”Saturn was the apparent ‘anchor’ or ‘governor’ o all the heavenly host

qu , c u g h E h.T u gh w v u h c

skies, dominated by Saturn. Te light that ruled the day was the samegh h u h gh , h ugh ch w g v

most cultures. Janus, (ya-an-us) depicted in the Joseph Smith papyri h w -h g , p h gh u

same orb — one ace or day, one or night. Signi cantly, it is thisgure that the prophet identi ed as Kolob, the very orb that we’ve

S u .I h p w w u c , S u w v u u pp c , w h u , u w , h gh u

However, when the sun set, it grew brighter until, at the time o day we

w u c gh , w gh . S wh h L to Abraham that “the planet which is the lesser light, lesser than thatwh ch u h , v h gh , v g hupon which thou standest in point o reckoning,” he is only reiteratingwhat he already declared in verse 3, except that this time he calls this

“p ” “ .” H w p g ccu h c p .Indeed, the Lord’s description to Abraham o one planet stand-g v h u c K w h

w J ph S h, pu h Ph D , E h’ uv , uch h w h

g p v g . (S P 4 u .)

S w h wh w v A h w qu rom what most Latter-day Saints believe, yet it serves to urther sub-

h u h ’ h h h P C gu , xp , w h c u h h v qu ,

u g h c u h c p u h gT w K c uc h Eg p g ,




the ancient heavens and not a present physical reality. What Godrevealed to Abraham was actually the order o the planets during

h p ch u , h P ch Ag , h

be ore the Flood known to Egyptians as ep Zepi, or Golden Age,wh u w h h v v w v they are today. Both Abraham and Joseph Smith used Egyptian terms

c h g h w — A h w v , Jw h p p .I h u g g L - S h

into Egyptian traditions, myth and legend has given credibility to theteachings and writings o this dispensation’s ounding prophet and

u u u c p h c p u .

Part 8

Now, that we have a better perspective o the Earth’s ancienth v , ’ k g k h c cc u

themselves. But, be ore we do, let me give you the lay o theland at this point in our quest so you will not enter this phase withoutu p u p g .A ugg g p h c cc

terms o our present views o cosmology and cosmogony — a rustrat-ing exercise that o en le us scratching our heads and wondering what

h c p u — w w h v h p h h c c p h P C gu p h S u

w uch c , c p h ph v u h qu w c h .

I true, this would be a monumentally positive development, espe-c h h w p integrated with the rest o the restored gospel. Tis would be wonder ul

w L - S v k u g g , u u g p ph , h c p ph h c p u

Tus, what we are about to examine and explore has the potential toexpand our gospel comprehension ar beyond anything we may haveh c . M v , pu h h guthis in ormation is peripheral and there ore inconsequential. Rather,it goes to the very core o our gospel understanding, to enlighten our

u p . T p h xc




g p u u h v v .As with the universal ood stories, all ancient cultures have creation

. A u h, h h v w h h

stories we nd in the scriptures. But, upon closer inspection and withthe aid o our knowledge o the ancient polar con guration o planetsand the Saturn traditions, we begin to see ascinating similarities that

c p u .F x p , cc u w h c cu u

learn that they all considered the creation to be the act o a god org . T Eg p c g w g c A uR . A w h v , h w h p S u .

Ra was seen by the Egyptians as a solitary god, and ancient sunh h c p . “I A u , wh I w Nu ,” h

. H c h “T G O ,” “O G ” — “ xc p wh h g g h x .”

As in the Old estament account, Atum is the uncreated creator. “Iw h k ,” “I c g .”

In Genesis we read, “In the beginning God created the heaven and

h h.”Reading the scriptural accounts o the creation leaves one with

the impression that God related those events to Moses and Abrahamwho lived long a er the actual event. Tat is, Genesis begins with thecreation because the assumption is that it was the rst thing to happen,

g A Ev w p c h E h, wh ch w h c G h c cc u .

But, upon reading the creation accounts rom other ancient cul-tures, one cannot assume that they came by that in ormation via

v , h c p u . S , wh h c ctold by other cultures come rom i God revealed this in ormation to

h p ph ?H w c c c w h h c c p h c w

a spectator to the events as the “One God” created the “heavens” andh “ h.” U k h H w p ph A h M , wh

leave the impression that God revealed the events o the creation,h cu u u h h h c

creation. In act, many accounts recall a time be ore the creation.T gu g, u h ph z h h v




cu u c h ‘c ’ w h c u cTis concept cannot be overemphasized in our discussion here.

Tat is, the creation that mankind observed and remembered was

h c h E h . R h , w h ch v , G ’ h , h c , v h ugh h c

“ h.”Furthermore, i that is true, then the Genesis account may all into

the same category as the creation accounts rom other cultures. Tat, u u p h - g h c v

C h h p ph c c .In act, when we compare Genesis with those other accounts, it be-

comes apparent that it is simply another version o one event, anotherg h h g cu u h ‘c

D ch v w ? T w : Y . E ch count rom separate cultures has its own, curious take on that creativeevent, but they are remarkably similar in the story they tell. In act, by

k g g v w h cc u , w c h c ch h “O S ‘ u h w .” Wh h

many respects rom the Genesis, Abraham and Moses accounts, they have remarkable similarities — so much so that by comparing ourscriptural accounts to those rom other cultures, a more accurate andc p p c u h v k w h ‘c ’ g .

Part 9

So, i all these creation stories, including those in the scriptures,are but various “tellings” o the One Story, then a valid approach

g wh h pp h p ch w u a comparative analysis o the in ormation or belie s they provide.T h u pp ch h g v u ,c p h v u g h c p u c cc u

I h G cc u w , “A h h w w h u

and void; and darkness was upon the ace o the deep. And the Spirito God moved upon the ace o the waters.” In the Moses account, ap-parently the same event or condition is described thus: “And the earthwas without orm, and void; and I caused darkness to come up uponthe ace o the deep; and my Spirit moved upon the ace o the water;




I G .” T A h cc u : “… k gup h c h p, h p h G w up h c h w .”

Te Egyptian version o this story declares that this “ ace o thew ” “ c h p” w “ , w ” cthe heavens or sky in which Atum, the sky and creator god, “the godOne” sat, alone and in an “inactive” state. “I was the Primeval Waters,he who had no companion when my name came into existence.” Tat

, h ‘w ’ c w h c , ure erence today. It was an astral phenomenon, something seen in theh v .

Tis explains why, later in the creation story, we are told o “wa-ters which were above the rmament.” Tis puzzling re erence hasp p x c x g w h ugh h g . N h v hbelievable explanation or it. Yet, when seen through the perspective

h c , p u p c c xpemerges. So it will be with the entire Genesis account as we move

w w h u .

Interestingly, a simple wavy line is the Egyptian hieroglyph or water.Te sound given this wavy line hieroglyph is the ‘n’ sound, as in Nile.In act, this seems to be true o all very early cultures, because this ‘n’

u p h v c g . F x pSumerian creator was An or Anu; the Greek was Ouranos (Our-an-os);and the Roman was Janus (J-anu-s). O course, all these ‘creator gods’c c ck ph g c h p g , S uwas also said to be a creator or ather o the many gods that came later.

Tus, it becomes apparent rom reading other creation accountsh h g c “w ” “ p” w p p c

c g h h h h v . H v h p v w wh ch h c ccu .Once again, Joseph Smith casts great light upon the subject. In the

his acsimile No. 1 we see this rmament illustrated as water near thebottom o the panel, above the “pillars o heaven.” Te “ rmament”

h v p c wh k wexpanse. Yet, i these “waters o creation” were a heavenly phenomenon,

uch p c v h v ’ p w u u . N h c h ch h p u v h w




ideogram or hieroglyph or water, urther rein orcing the idea thatthis rmament was water. Moreover, a crocodile is pictured in this

rmament. Crocodiles are seen in the water, not in the sky. But, i our

c c , h g c g u u jux psky and the crocodile above the pillars o heaven make per ect sense.Tese are the waters o creation, the “deep” spoken o in the scriptures.

S , w ’v c h p , J ph Srevelatory power comes to our rescue. Tese acsimiles and his ac-c p g xp v u k u u

h g p h c .S , wh h c w w h g v h

p c u w g g G . A h c creation story told in the scriptures does not tell the whole story. Only by re erring to outside sources — contextual analysis — can we get the

u p c u . T u w h v h g c p u .

Part 10

Now that we’ve ascertained that the astral waters o creationwere called “the deep,” we have a key to understanding severalother such puzzling and mysterious re erences in scripture.

F x p , R v , Ch p 13, w hu h “ .” C u h h c h v w

c w h v u G ? Ag , D , Ch7, w u g u “ h g .” Cu u , Etoo, saw these same our beasts, which appears to indicate that he saw

h h g D h J h h . Exc p , Ezekiel’s story the sea is described as a cloud. Actually he afrmed that

h c u “wh w ” u h h, “ g cO course, the north is where all things signi cant are said to hap-

p c . A h k p g , I u pthat all the creator gods were located in the celestial north, where our

h p c h p S u .A w h , h h c w c hw h v wh ch h g w c , c

h . I g ugg h w uch h h “ ” wh ch uch g




w ph , h g h h EIt urther strengthens our assumption that the beasts themselves wereoriginally astral in origin. Tus, we see that even the symbolism used

h p ph c wh h w v w ch ph c v qu .As in Ezekiel’s account, these waters o creation were more than an

ph u w - k ph . T w wh g, c u - k ph , k g uch k u u u u wh p

h k . H c , h c h w g, chu w h u u h c g .Tis was the original Cosmos, the creative cosmic sea rom which

the rst astral gods emerged. Te Egyptians called it the “Pai-land,”the Island o Fire” and “the divine emerging primeval island.” Tiswas the “island o Hetep (rest).” Tat is, while it slowly churned inp c , h c p c v .

Tis is the Greeks’ lost island, which they called Ogygia, whichh v h h. T w h v

the sea o heaven. It is the aether (again, a ery sea) o the Orphic

H M wh ch c h v v g, g “ ggu wh ch c h c . I h Eg p c f x w

“I w h wh c x c c c , h wh w h win his egg. I was the one who began everything, the dweller in thep v w .”

Envision, i you will, a slowly rotating whirlpool o seething, boilingclouds — not those we see in the sky on a summer day, but those thatroil and entwine. Moreover, these clouds seemed to have a li e o their

w , h u h v g w pp , thick smoke rom hot coals. Another way to envision this creativewhirlpool is to visualize an artist’s rendering o a black hole, then ipit upside down in your mind’s eye so that it is above you in perspective.

Tis is where the concept o the witch’s cauldron comes rom, aboiling, churning mass o creative energy rom which emerge antasticc u p w u g c p .

Japanese legends recall a similar celestial island to the Greeks’Og g . T c O g , “ h g .” I w h o the “Congealed Drop”, that is, the island emerged rom these ce-lestial waters. Tis was the “white island” o Zeus, which revolved “in




h h .” T H u h “wh (Shweta-dwipa), which was located at the polar center. Te oltecso ula, Mexico, told o this “white island,” calling it the center o the

w .Tis is undoubtedly the same mythical island that Plato learned

about rom the Egyptians, which he called Atlantis. Although heembellished the myth greatly, the description o that legendary islandc v z h h h k S u c .

It is no less an authority on things Egyptian than Budge, who sum-z h Eg p v h c hu : “T

creation began with the ormation out o the primeval watery mass o gg, wh u h gh h , . . R .” T w

“I h Egg.” H w , “F v u p g uthe religious, mythological and uneral texts o all (Egyptian) periods,

u c h p v , , h Ebelieved in the existence o a deep and boundless watery mass out o which had come into being the heavens, and the earth, and everything

h h .”

Tus we see that in the ancient mind, the land that arose rom theheavenly waters was equated with an egg. Why? Because, that ‘egg’

v u ‘ p ’ h c c u g u p v g h h h u p S u w h “gthe two planets Venus and Mars. Te Earth, o course, was located

h ‘ ,’ u w , h p g ‘ ck ’In the Babylonian creation myth, called the “Enuma Elish,” we read,

“Wh h gh h h v h , g u w h c , h w ugh u p Aptheir begetter, and mother iamat, who bore them all, their watersc g g g .” T Ap u w A z

wh c c h G k h R u , u qu u w “ ,” h “ p” c p ph

So, the “heaven” and the “earth” o Genesis are nothing more thanallusions to di erent parts o this astral whirlpool or nebular disc that

h v v h . T , h “ ” w h “Te waters surrounding that heavenly land were said to be the “waterswhich were under the rmament” and the “waters which were above

h .” T gg, , , h h“ v h w ,” c h v .




Tis also explains the otherwise contradictory use o the term“ rmament” or the sky or the “vault o the heavens.” Dry land can becalled “ rm,” but not air and sky. Yet, when the island or land emerged

h c h w g u c, c u called “ rm” or rmament. So, it is to the planet emerging in theh v h h c wh h u h .

O course, where the Egyptians saw an egg emerging rom the wa-ters and the Greeks saw an island, the Hebrews saw “dry land appear”when the “waters” were “gathered together unto one place.” O course,God called this dry land “earth.” Tis was Saturn and its companions

g g h p g u v p (C c “p c c u ”) h h p v u h h h g z

h- u v .

Part 11

Thus, when we read in Moses’ version o the creation in the Pearl

G P c , h g k p c .“And again, I, God, said: Let there be a rmament in the midst h w , w , v I p k ; I : L

h w h w ; w ; A I, G , rmament and divided the waters, yea, the great waters under the

h w wh ch w v h , was so even as I spake. And I, God, called the rmament Heaven; ….”

Te above creation event rom Moses was not to be con used withh x h h h ccu h “h v ” wh w

p k x v v h E h w w up .“A I, G , : L h w u h h v g h

g h u p c , w ; I, G , c h Earth; and the gathering together o the waters, called I the Sea;…AndI, God, said: Let the earth bring orth grass, the herb yielding seed, the

ruit tree yielding ruit, a er his kind, and the tree yielding ruit, whose

h u up h h, w v I So, thanks to the clari cations o Joseph Smith and our revised v w h c cc u , w h h M cc u more accurate and much less con using than the Genesis account,

v h ugh h c g c




T v p k qu h v u ccon orm to the proposed model outlined above as well as clari ying themore laconic Old estament account. Tis is no coincidence. Rather,

it is a direct result o the comparison o creation accounts rom allancient cultures to esh out the original intent o the Genesis author.Only allowing the accounts to speak or themselves rather than orcing

h p c c v u w v p pu c v p uc h z g u .

At the same time, that knowledge allows us to understand revealedscripture as never be ore. Tanks to the perspective provided by an un-orthodox view o ancient history and the resulting imagery, Latter-day Saints can ully comprehend the imagery o this account, as revealed

h . Wh w c puzz g c uthis account, due to our ormerly awed paradigm, now becomescrystal clear detail with astounding accuracy. Tis realization will only

c p u w p c w h h .Tis ‘gathering’ process, into what Cardona calls the “placental

c u ,” h , h w g p h k k wh p

tornado in the northern sky, allowed the rst glimpse o the glowingball o light at the center o the ‘waters’ to more ully emerge. Tis alsoallowed what had been only a dim glow in the whirlpool o clouds tonow cast much more light on our planet. So, the scriptures relate that

h “ h w gh ” w wh h “ k .”Te ‘creation’ had begun, and mankind was there to watch it happen.O course, in this ‘darkness’ there was never a total absence o light,

as one might believe rom reading the scriptural accounts withouturther corroboration. Tough it was probably dim, there was enough

gh k u h u h k p u .

I u p p , S u , w c u w w Tornhill speculates, then the light rom Saturn that reached the Earthin this earliest epoch was probably much dimmer than the white lightw c v h Su , u c p , . H c h

in many accounts to signi cantly reduced light, which can only bedescribed rom our perspective as a di use glow, akin to our twilight.

T p c u gh w p qu h wh xp c . I w p h w h




spectrum, which accelerated plant growth but also gave a very di -, k k u w . A , h w / gh

h c , h E h w u h v qu w

h p h qu . T w c w u h v p v v v h h wh ch x , k

w “G E .”T k h wh v , hu w

provided or them without any e ort on their part. Tis is implied inh c cc u w g A Ev ’ xpu

g wh h h h E h “cu ,” h pthe easily obtained oodstu s there would now be “thorns and thistles”Terea er they will be required to work to eat, “… in sorrow shalt

h u h h .” T , “B h h c h h u ….”

Ev g c , h cc g g p c , wh chnow endure, was not a problem or them. Te environment, dramati-c w , p v c h h

w.

Tus, statements rom other cultures about that rst epoch provideus, again, with much more in ormation. Hesiod, the Greek philosopherwrote: “First o all the deathless gods who dwell on Olympus made ag c wh v h K whw g g h v . A h v k g w h u h , g ; g

h …T u u h, u c , h u uand without stint. Tey dwelt in ease and peace upon their lands with

g h g, ch ck v h g .”

Part 12

Th c cc u xp h gh w c the darkness on the rst ‘day’ or event o creation. “Let there be

gh ; h w gh .”T uc h puzz . W h cch h u , w p u h u h

o creation. How can that be? I the sun is our primary source o light,




w h h h g g up c p c , wh h gh h c p c

It’s a small leap o logic to in er that the light came rom the emerg-

ing planet at the hub or center o the abyss, tornado or whirlpool.Further, the present source o all our light, the sun, the moon andthe stars did not appear until that plasma ‘ og’ around that emergingbody ully dissipated. Tis is why the “lights” o heaven did not appear

h c p u c u h ‘ u h ’ — h h qu c v .

So, while the creation story may be ully symbolic, it also gener- p v h qu c v w k

observations o the realities behind or beneath the symbolism in c .

O c u , h uch, uch h G cc u hc u xp . I , xp p c hation and garden stories alone could ll a thick book. But, this should

ufc h c u h .And, what can be said about the rst part o Genesis also holds or

h . I , h u c p u , gh h N w . N u , h u h ck h w g

c h cc u , k g G h c all — the only exception being the dreams and visions o the prophets

h w w J h ’ R v .A c c u h , I p u ,

c c w h h c .Let’s begin with a direct quote rom Cardona’s recent work, God Star,

wh ch v g. H qu h ch p Gstituting English words with the original Hebrew at critical junctures:

“In the beginning Elohim create the shemayim and ‘eretz. And ‘eretzwas tohu wa bohu, and darkness was on the sur ace o the tehom. And

h u ch E h v up h c h .”“… Elohim was one o the ancient names o Saturn. Shemayim are

“the heavens” — in the plural. Eretz is the word usually translated

“E h,” u p p “ .” T w hu w hu “w h u v ” “v

empty.” Te tehom is understood as a watery abyss — the deep. Ruachmeans “spirit” or “soul,” but also “wind,” while the mayim are merely

“ h w ” — h p u .




“… the words o Genesis actually tell us…that, “in the begin-ning” — that is, as ar back as man can remember — Saturn ash-

h “ ” — wh ch g h h g

h ] — wh ch w p , wh h “ p ,” “w h S u v v h k w .”F w g h , h Eg p x u h x ph

, u h c ch c u ck h :Atum [Saturn], the All, spits out or exhales the emale power e nut

h cu p w Shu — “ g I c h ”,say the texts, noting that the All, the One, the Creator-god “repeatedhimsel ”. All three together are Atum-Re (the archaic “sun” god, whomw w k w S u ), h g Shu ( h wh , c w h M ) h g ( h v h , h p V u ).

albott summarized this creation event thusly: ”What ollows thisphase is the displacement, departure, or “spitting out” o Mars andV u h h h g , wh w c

quasi-independent, highly active gures in the creation events.” Tat, h v p ch h g c h u h h

T h w p , h , w p c v h u creative words uttered by Atum, the sel -created god; these ‘words’were seen and heard. Te words o the creator actually became his

w g w h p (p ).”But, the concept o a god actually creating two others has endured

since that astral event. Hence, John, the apostle alludes to that unda- c h p g v h g p , wh ch

the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and theWord was God. Te same was in the beginning with God.” Tis is justanother version o the three-gods-in-one doctrine that dominated

g g c Ch , uCatholic dogma. But, we have to look to the Egyptian creation accountsand those rom other cultures to understand John’s intended meaning.

Tus we see that the prophetic symbolism o our scriptures retainsthe essence o all those ancient archetypes and subsequent elabora-

. O c u , w h u h ugh g p h gthat symbolism and its proper use, we stumble around in the dark




as we attempt to understand our own scripture. We are as blind men w , g p g h k.

T p c p pp h B , u c

v J ph S h w , c h honored symbolism. Moreover, it applies equally to modern temples,

h ch c u , , u u h g .Without this vital understanding o its symbolic meaning, we mis-

understand and misinterpret all that has been restored in these latterdays. Tough we give homage to the restoration, we turn a blind eyeto all its symbolism: It is a mystery to us. Tus, we turn a blind eye to

ully hal o the truths restored to us. How, then, can we still claim to “ch h gh ,” h S v ?S , h uch c p c xp g

symbolism. o those Saints who read this, it should be a wake up call.I I w p ph , I w u h g k h :

“R p , u wh h v g v h u h. Y u h v this truth, this pearl o great price, as though it were dross and re use,

p g u u , wh ch c u u h v ugh c

up u v u ch .“Repent! And learn that which God, in his in nite mercy, has

deigned to reveal to you through his servants, the prophets—evenh p ph J ph S h.“ urn your hearts to your athers, as the athers turned their hearts

to you, their children. Despise and ignore not that which your athersugh qu h ch u u h c u G

urn away rom the worldly knowledge you so ardently embrace thatg k c u , k g u u ch G h w k .

“R p , h, p , L - S !”Bu h , I’ p ph . I’ ju v g L - S .




F h :h p:// p ph c . g p .c /

For online classes, videos, newsletters and published books exploringh p h:

http://www.mormonprophecy.com/

Y u qu c w c :h @g .c

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symbolism and creation

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