On symbolism:
Behind every symbol, there is a spiritual reality. Often this truth cannot be easily articulated, and yet it can be intuitively grasped through a simple image. Take the cross for example. It’s made of just two intersecting lines, and yet its meaning can be understood by people of all languages and cultures. As we behold those two crossed lines, we see the space where God himself suffered to redeem a world because of love. We are reminded of the greatest sorrow ever experienced, and, at the same time, our hearts are filled with gratitude and hope. Volumes could not contain all that the cross expresses, and yet, there it is, with just two strokes of a pen.
Although symbols can often express more than words, their meaning is also more subjective. One symbol can be interpreted a myriad of ways, and no one can definitively prove that their interpretation is correct. The ambiguous nature of symbols has its benefits, though. Because the meaning of a symbol is not definitive, it can take on new layers of meaning throughout one’s life. As a result, the same symbol can retain its relevance through life’s changing seasons.
My goal in this work is not to provide a comprehensive guide to all sacred symbolism; instead, I wish to focus on symbols that fit a dualistic theme. By this I mean that the symbols complete each other as two halves of a pair. A good example of this is the right and left hand or the sun and the moon. The importance of these paired symbols is that they are used to represent fundamental theological pairings like body and spirit or justice and mercy.
So where are these symbolic parings coming from? It might not sound like anything you have heard in Sunday School. Believe it or not, dualistic symbols weave through all of scripture and also play a key role in temple ritual and imagery. In fact, the symbols that I will describe are fundamental to the temple endowment, and understanding their significance will increase your appreciation for this ordinance.
The concepts presented in this paper will also increase your appreciation for scripture, particularly the Book of Mormon. There are many subtle literary techniques hidden in scripture that lead to profound insights when discovered. One example is chiasmus, featuring ideas that progress to to a key point, and then repeat in reverse order after the point is made. Once the pattern is discovered, it is easy to identify the most important truth within the passage. In this paper, I will introduce another hidden technique in the Book of Mormon: symbolic geometry. Pairs of geometric shapes are referenced throughout the text, and these shapes are tied to doctrinal principles. You could read the book for years without seeing the pattern, but once it is discovered, it opens up a new level of comprehension.
Duality in LDS Theology:
The symbols that I will describe in this work are representative of a theological duality. The most common duality represented in Christianity is that of good and evil. There are many variations of this duality: righteousness and sin, faith and doubt, heaven and hell, knowledge and ignorance…the list could go on forever. This form of duality pairs a positive attribute with it’s negative opposite. While this form of dichotomy is important to a spiritual understanding, there is a more subtle duality that I wish to illuminate: the duality of opposites that are both positive. These opposites include male and female, Father and Son, heaven and earth, body and spirit, and justice and mercy. I will refer these 5 pairs as “sacred dualisms” to distinguish them from the good/evil dualisms. As you can see, unlike the good/evil pairings, God does not favor or promote one side of the sacred dualisms. In fact, He works to keep these dualisms balanced and in harmony with each other. Below, I will elaborate on the spiritual significance of each of the sacred dualisms. These are principles that will already be familiar to you, but please be patient; I am laying a foundation that will support a deeper discussion.
Male/Female:
The importance of the balance between male and female in LDS doctrine can be summed up by these lines from Eliza R. Snow, “In the heav'ns are parents single?/No, the thought makes reason stare!/Truth is reason; truth eternal/Tells me I've a mother there.” (Oh, My Father, Hymns, #292) Although the existence of a Heavenly Mother may be a reasonable conclusion, it has tremendous implications regarding gender. Before this truth was revealed, conventional wisdom indicated that gender was an innovation of God at the time of creation. Adam was made in God’s image, and God, sensing that something was missing, created Eve as Adam’s counterpart. According to this school of thought, God is essentially genderless because He existed long before the creation of the first female, and masculinity cannot exist without it’s opposite. To put it another way, what would define God’s masculinity? Manhood can only be understood in contrast to the feminine. The traditional belief in a virtually genderless God leads to the conclusion that gender only serves a purpose in mortal life. In contrast, when the Father is understood to be paired with a Heavenly Mother, male and female become eternal ideals that find their scope outside of this mortal existence. As eloquently stated by modern Church leaders, “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.” (The Family, A Proclamation to the World)
Father/Son:
Through modern revelation, we know that the Father and Son are not two manifestations of the same being; they are two separate and distinct beings that each have a “body of flesh and bones.” (D&C 130:22) Although the Father and Son play a similar role, they are not identical. The distinguishing factor between them is their relationship to each other. The Father performs the executive function, and the Son is obedient to His Father’s will. As Jesus explained: “I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” (John 8:28-29)
Heaven/Earth:
At first glance, heaven and earth don’t seem like an even pairing. Heaven is a place of holiness where God dwells, and the earth is a place of corruption inhabited by mortals. It is undeniable, however, that the earth and its inhabitants are precious to God. The way that God has organized men on the earth parallels what we know of the work of angels in heaven; it is as if saints on earth and angels in heaven are conducting two parallel efforts, united in purpose. After the earth has filled it’s purpose as the testing ground of mortality, it will be “crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father.” (D&C 88:19)
Body/Spirit:
This is another misunderstood dualism. The spirit is eternal and proceeds from God, but the body is temporal and a source of temptation. If that were all we knew of body and spirit, the body would not have much significance. Fortunately, God has revealed the reason the spirit and body were paired in the first place: “The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy; And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy.” (D&C 93:33-34) This is why God’s plan includes a universal resurrection of all who have lived on the earth; without the body, the spirit would be incomplete: “And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.” (D&C 88:15)
Justice/Mercy:
The Book of Mormon covers the duality of justice and mercy extensively. It presents justice as an eternal principle by which God himself is bound:
“Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God…And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.” (Alma 42:13, 15)
Notice that the atonement was performed to appease justice, not to destroy it. The intent of the atonement was to preserve and sustain justice while still allowing for mercy. One effect of Jesus’s suffering is that it allows these two opposites to be fully realized without diminishing each other.
Dualistic symbols:
This may be hard for you to swallow, but all of the sacred dualities (male and female, Father and Son, earth and heaven, body and spirit, and justice and mercy) are represented by the same three pairs of symbols. These pairs are the square and circle, sun and moon, and right and left. For a visual, see the table below:
Symbols
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Circle
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Square
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Moon
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Sun
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Left
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Right
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Principles
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Female
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Male
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Son
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Father
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Heaven
|
Earth
|
Spirit
|
Body
|
Mercy
|
Justice
|
At this point you are probably wondering how these symbols could possibly be related to our dualisms. Before I dive into connections, however, I want to talk about the symbols themselves. Once the symbols are clearer, the connections can be made easily.
Square and circle, the geometric symbols:
Although you might not realize it, geometric shapes are often used symbolically. Because the shapes can be incorporated into almost any design, they are extremely versatile symbols. There is a basic duality in geometric symbolism: shapes composed of straight lines form one group, and shapes composed of curved lines form another. The square and circle are emblematic of these two groups.
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| William Blake, Ancient of Days, 1794 |
First, I will address the square family of symbols. These include any four-sided object with right
angles, but simpler versions exist as well. Two lines that form a right angle bear the same symbolic meaning, and the symbol can be further simplified into a single straight line. The implied meaning of these symbols is captured in many English idioms. For example, a person who is honest and dependable can be referred to as a “square” or a “strait shooter.” Perhaps the most telling idiom is that we refer to a 90 degree angle as “right.” The eye can instinctively recognize when a line is straight or an angle is at 90 degrees. This innate sense of a “right” angle can represent the conscience, which intuitively discerns right and wrong. Hence, the square symbols have come to represent moral integrity and obedience to divine law.
The word “square” appears dozens of times in the Old Testament, and always in reference to either an altar or a temple. The rectangular design of these objects could have been more than functional; it is possible that the Israelites saw square geometry as sacred.
When architecture is used as a metaphor, the square takes on another meaning: it represents a foundation or corner stone. In this way, the square can symbolize the beginning of a process. You can see how square imagery is tied to beginnings in the following passage (the voice is God’s):
“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof…” (Job 38:4-6)
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| Artist Unknown, circa 1220-1230 AD |
Now we will move on from the symbolism of the square to it’s counterpart: the circle. Like the square, the circle has a family of related symbols. These include the vesica pisces (the lemon shape formed from overlapping circles) and the crescent. A compass also fits into this group of symbols because it is an instrument used to create circles.
A circle can be seen as a boundary. The word “circumscribe” illustrates this point; it is used as a synonym for “restrict” or “limit,” but the literal translation from Latin means “to draw a circle around.” A circular boundary performs two functions; it can set limits on what is inside of it, or it can create a distinction between what is within and what is without. The first function, setting limits, can represent moral restrictions on one’s actions. The second function, forming distinctions, represents creation. Think about it: nothing can exist without edges—they define an object. According to the Genesis account, the creation of the earth can be seen as a series of separations: the light divided from the darkness, the water from the land, the living from the inanimate, the plant from the animal, and the male from the female. This is why the compass is associated with creation in two Old Testament passages:
“He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.” (Job 26:10)
“When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth…” (Proverbs 8:27)
Similar to the square, the circle has architectural symbolism. A circle resembles a dome or arch, signifying beauty and completion. Because of this, there is a progression from square to circle in architecture. The square, as the foundation, represents a starting place of strength and stability. When the domed roof is completed, the building has obtained it’s full glory.
The square can also symbolize a starting point in a geometrical sense. Shapes with linear sides are mathematically more simple than curved shapes (this will be clear to anyone who has mapped shapes using equations). Because of this, they come first in the progression from simple to complex. A circle is formed from the rotation of a line, and the circular can therefore be seen as the product of the linear.
Sun and moon, the heavenly symbols:
There can be little doubt that God intended for the sun and moon to serve a symbolic purpose. The fact that earth has only one moon is unusual in comparison to other planets, and earth’s moon is proportionally larger than the other planet’s moons. Amazingly, the relative sizes and distances of the sun and moon are such that they appear the same size when they are viewed from earth (as you will notice when watching a solar eclipse). Another similarity between the moon and sun is that they each provide us with basic measurements of time: we have days and years from the sun and months (and possibly weeks) from the moon. In spite of their similarities, the sun and moon have an obvious difference in their relative brightness. It is symbolically significant that the sun is the source of light, and the moon reflects that light. The sun, therefore, represents the active force, and the moon is its passive counterpart; it gives beauty and completion to the duo. In this way, the sun and moon parallel the foundation/completion pattern of the square and circle.
Left and right, the bodily symbols:
Human anatomy provides yet another dualistic symbol: left and right. The left and right sides of the body are perfect mirror images. They look equal, but they aren’t; for most of us, the right hand is stronger and more dextrous. The right hand thus becomes the symbolic foundation or active force, while the left hand completes the partnership.
I ought to add a caveat to the symbolism of the left and right hands: the meaning is reversed for Deity. God’s right hand is symbolically equivalent to your left, and vice versa. I know it’s confusing, but it becomes much clearer if you picture yourself standing before God. The reason for the left/right reversal is that God interacts with man face to face. Think of the last judgement or Moses on Mount Sinai.
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| John Scott, The Last Judgement, 1974 (The favored ones on Jesus' right hand are on the left side of the painting.) |
Making the Connections:
This is the part where I connect the symbols with their sacred dualisms. Because these relationships are intuitive, you have probably already started to make some connections in your mind. My aim is to give you some guidance through supporting insights.
Male and female:
The symbolism of male and female is where all of this started for me. I was in an endowment session, and I was contemplating how the women are always on the left side of the men. It seemed like there was some symbolism in this gender segregation. Next, I considered the orientation of the endowment’s geometric symbols, and everything came together for me. Suddenly male, female, right, left, and geometry were all interrelated.
Some connections between male and female and the square and circle will be obvious to you. Of course, men have a more square physique, and women are more curved. The square and circle also represent personality traits inherent in men and women. Men are characteristically strong and stoic like the square; women are refined and elegant like the circle. In addition, men and women fit the foundation/completion pattern of the geometric symbols. In Genesis, the man is the source from which the woman is created. This could be compared to the creation of a circle (feminine) through the rotation of a line (masculine). To take things a bit deeper, the foundation/completion concept also applies to male and female nature. Masculine strength and courage provides a foundation to society, and female wisdom and grace completes and beautifies society. I am not implying that women can’t be strong and men can’t be wise, but these virtues do have traditional gender associations. Have a look at how wisdom is personified in scripture:
“Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.” (Proverbs 4:5-9)
There is further evidence in Genesis that wisdom is a feminine quality. When Satan tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, he told her that it would make her wise. Eve’s desire for wisdom motivated her to eat the fruit: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat….” (Genesis 3:6) Adam’s motive for eating the fruit is not explained in Genesis; it simply says that Eve gave him the fruit. It seems likely that he ate the fruit because of Eve’s influence and not out of a desire for wisdom.
As for the dualistic symbols of sun and moon, the connections to male and female are obvious. The sun’s strength and power convey masculinity, and the moon’s subtlety and elegance convey femininity. Furthermore, the moon’s monthly cycle of phases parallels a woman’s menstrual cycle. Also, the way that the moon reflects the light of the sun can represent a wife’s submission to her husband.
Left and right can also symbolize male and female, as I have already alluded to. The right hand is connected with masculinity through its strength, and the left hand is connected to femininity because it completes the pair. Just as Adam was incomplete without Eve, the right hand would be insufficient without it’s counterpart.
Heaven and Earth:
The use of a circle and square to represent heaven and earth goes back to antiquity. The earth was thought to be flat and was seen as having four quarters; hence, the symbol of a square was applied. The heavens were perceived as a dome above the earth, and so the circle became their symbol. Furthermore, the ancients observed that all of the “heavenly bodies,” the sun, moon, and stars, were circular.
As I have illustrated previously, there is a progression implied in all of the dualistic symbols: right to left, square to circle, sun to moon. This can represent a spiritual progression from mortality to exaltation. Heaven and earth fit this symbolic pattern. Earth is represented by the simpler, foundational symbols (square, sun, right) because it is the starting place in our spiritual journey. As we progress on that journey, we advance to heaven, represented by the secondary, complex symbols (circle, moon, left).
Interestingly, the male/female dualism can symbolize earth and heaven (and vice versa). In the creation story, Adam is formed from the dust of the earth, so he has a connection to the earthly. Eve was not made from the earth; she was made from Adam. The fact that she was derived from another living soul makes her more etherial and heavenly.
Body and Spirit:
The body/spirit duality is connected to heaven/earth, and much of the same symbolism applies. Note the connection between body and earth in the following passage:
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7)
So the body of man was derived from the earth, but the spirit, or “breath of life,” came directly from God (heaven). Our understanding of the preexistence further links the spirit to heaven.
As with the other dualisms, there is a progression implied in the body and spirit pairing. In mortality, the body and it’s needs tend to take precedence over the spiritual. As we mature in our discipleship, however, the spirit gains ascendence over our physical desires.
Father and Son:
The duality of the Father and Son finds it’s best representation in the sun and moon. The doctrine of the three degrees of glory actually plays off of this symbolism. We think of the sun, moon, and stars as representing three kingdoms, but they also represent persons. Those who receive the celestial kingdom will be in the presence of the Father “whose glory the sun of the firmament is written as being typical.” (D&C 76:70) Those who receive the terrestrial kingdom (represented by the moon) “receive the presence of the Son, but not the fullness of the Father.” (D&C 76:77) I do not think that the sun and moon symbolism is meant to imply that the Father and Son differ in glory; it does, however, illustrate the source of the glory. The Father, through his paternity, is the source of light, and Christ, through His obedience to the will of the Father, reflects that light. So where do the stars come in? They represent the Father’s other spirit children. Like stars, we each have glory, but our glory does not come near that of Christ (represented by the moon). God’s spirit children have varying levels of righteousness, and this may be what Paul meant when he said that “one star differeth from another star in glory.” (1 Corinthians 15:41)
The symbolism of right and left also relate to the Father and Son. In the New Testament, Christ is sometimes described as “standing on the right hand of God.” (See Acts 7:55-56) If the Father and Son were standing before you and Jesus was on the Father’s right, He would be on your left (remember that God’s right and left hands are symbolically opposite yours). So, in relation to your perspective, Christ is associated with the left, and Heavenly Father is associated with the right.
Associating the Father with the right and the Son with the left has some interesting symbolic implications. If the sacred dualisms are divided into two categories (male/earth/Father and female/heaven/Son), connections can be found within these groupings. The most obvious of these connections is the relationship between the Son and the feminine. Because of the virgin birth, Jesus is the only man who can claim an earthly mother but no earthly father. In this way, He fulfills the prophecy of being the seed of the woman who will bruise the serpent’s head. His first miracle was performed at the request of a woman (his mother), and was for her benefit. Also, the first person He appeared to after His resurrection was a woman. He often gave women priority in His ministry. One example is the respect He showed to the woman at the well in Samaria. Another example is His defense of the woman taken in adultery. Furthermore, Jesus’s key attribute, charity, “the pure love of Christ,” is personified as female in the scriptures.
As far as the connections between earth and the Father or heaven and the Son, I was at a bit of a loss at first. My initial inclination was that earth should be connected with the Son as one who lived a mortal life. Then I realized a simple connection that I hadn’t thought of before: the Father provided a way for us to come to earth, and the Son provided a way for us to return to heaven. Those who were obedient to the Father’s plan in the preexistence gained the opportunity to come to earth. On the other hand, obedience to Jesus Christ and acceptance of His atonement bring us to heaven.
Justice and Mercy:
Justice and mercy form the last sacred dualism to connect to our pattern of symbols. As I studied mercy and justice in the scriptures, I started catching glimpses of a geometric theme. Following these hints eventually led to a large catalogue of connected motifs.
First, I’ll cover the geometric symbolism of justice. Justice falls under the square category of symbols, and it is usually represented by linear objects. One of the most obvious of these is the plumb line. A plumb line is a tool to test the verticality of a structure, and it is made by attaching a weight to the end of a string. The most famous example of the plumb line is from Amos:
“Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more….” (Amos 7:7-8)
In Amos’s vision, a man, representing the Lord, is standing on top of a wall and holding a plumb line. His purpose is to use the plumb line to test if the wall is vertical or leaning. In this allegory, the plumb line represents God’s commandments. Like a plumb line, the commandments come down from above, and they are the standard by which our behavior is judged. In the scripture above, the wall represents Israel. Like the man on the wall, God judges Israel to find imperfections and correct them. Two other Old Testament passages use the plumb line as a symbol of judgement, but they use the terms “plummet” and “line.” (2 Kings 21:13, Lamentations 2:8)
Another linear symbol of justice is the rod. The relationship between the rod and judgement can be seen in the following passage from Isaiah (speaking of the Lord):
“But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.” (Isaiah 11:4)
Other examples of the rod of judgement can be found in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. Sometimes the rod is referenced in connection to God’s mouth, as in the example above, and sometimes it is used as a synonym for a shepherd’s staff.
The Book of Mormon has it’s own unique symbol for justice: a bar. The bar of God is referred to 12 times in the Book of Mormon, always in connection with last judgement:
“Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil….” (Mosiah 16:10)
“The bar” can be used as a synonym for “courtroom” because courtrooms traditionally have a railing that separates spectators from those involved in the proceedings. One thing to note about this terminology is that it finds its roots in European legal traditions. The term “bar” could have been employed in the translation of the Book of Mormon as a term that a Western audience would understand. The other possibility is that the term “bar” had its own symbolism in Nephite culture.
Another unique Book of Mormon symbol is the sword of justice. The words “sword” and “justice” appear together 7 times in the Book of Mormon, but the same word combination does not appear anywhere else in scripture. In all 7 cases, the sword is wielded by God and either “hangs over” or will “fall upon” the disobedient. A prime example comes from Samuel the Lamanite’s preaching to the wicked Nephites in Zarahemla:
“I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do speak the words of the Lord which he doth put into my heart; and behold he hath put it into my heart to say unto this people that the sword of justice hangeth over this people; and four hundred years pass not away save the sword of justice falleth upon this people.” (Helaman 13:5)
The image of a sword hanging down from above is similar to the concept of the plumb line. The difference is that a sword also implies a penalty (typically destruction).
It is worth noting that all of these symbols of justice (the plumb, the rod, the bar, and the sword) are linear objects. Because of their shape, these symbols can all be seen as derivatives of the square. The similarity between these symbols may not be intentional on the part of the writers, but even so, it shows a subconscious tendency to represent justice through linearity.
There is one more way in which the line can represent justice: if the line is horizontal, it becomes a symbol for God’s equal treatment. The scriptures sometimes use a flat landscape to tech us that “God is no respecter of persons.” (Acts 10:34) Notice the metaphorical smoothing, leveling effect of God’s justice in the following scripture:
“Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain….” (Isaiah 40:4)
A more literal rendering of this sentiment was expressed by Mary: “He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree.” (Luke 1:52) Jesus also taught of God’s leveling: “Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12) If God’s equal treatment of man is symbolized as a horizontal line, and God’s standards are symbolized by a vertical line (like the plumb line), then a right angle can be constructed from the union of these symbols. In this way, a right angle can be a representation of both aspects of God’s justice.
In contrast to the linear justice symbols, the Book of Mormon uses circular imagery to represent mercy. Often mercy is described as “encircling” a repentant sinner. Compare the following examples:
“But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” (2 Nephi 1:15)
“And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.” (Alma 34:16)
“O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me!” (2 Nephi 4:33)
These scriptures refer to mercy as an encircling robe or embrace. Another related motif in the Book of Mormon is a circle of fire. The first instance of this motif in the book of Mormon is when fire encircles the missionaries Nephi and Lehi in order to prevent their execution. (See Helaman 5) In this example, the circle of fire is a form of deliverance, which is related to mercy. Those that intended to execute Nephi and Lehi are so struck by the appearance of the fire, and by the darkness that overshadows them, that they pray for mercy. As they pray, the darkness clears, and they find that they are each surrounded by a circle of fire. In this second manifestation, the circles of fire represent the redemption of the penitant. Later in the Book of Mormon, a circe of fire surrounds the Nephite children at the time that Jesus ministers to them:
“And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.” (3 Nephi 17:24)
Notice that the children were encircled by fire and by angels, duplicating the symbol. This event could have been intended to teach the beholders that children are universally redeemed through Christ’s mercy. This makes sense given that the salvation of children is a theme in the Book of Mormon. On the day following this occurrence, fire also encircles all who are baptized. It is fitting that a symbol of mercy would follow baptism because Christ had promised mercy to those who receive this ordinance.
Now that we have seen how the square and circle are linked to justice and mercy, we will move on to the next pair of symbols: the left and right hand. Fortunately, the connection is straight forward in scripture. The following quote from the Book of Mosiah lays it out clearly:
“I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ. And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God.” (Mosiah 5:8-10)
Similar passages to this one can be found throughout the scriptures. These passages about God’s right and left hand always refer to the division of the righteous and the wicked at the final judgement. The wicked (on God’s left) face a just penalty, while the righteous (on God’s right) receive mercy. However, as I have mentioned before, left and right are symbolically flipped for those whom God is judging. If you are standing before God at the judgement, His right hand is on your left, and His left hand is on your right. As a result, your left side symbolizes mercy, and your right side symbolizes justice.
Now that we have explored the symbols of justice and mercy, we can identify the connections this pair has with the other sacred dualisms. Not surprisingly, justice and mercy have a connection to the masculine and feminine. The following Book of Mormon scripture confirms this connection:
“For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.” (Alma 42:24)
This passage struck me at first because I couldn’t understand why the justice and mercy were being described with gender specific pronouns. This his/her dichotomy may be referencing the natural qualities inherent in men and women. It could also be highlighting the necessity of a balance between justice and mercy: they must act in harmony with one another just like a man and a woman in marriage.
Justice and mercy are also connected to the duality of Father and Son. The connection is so obvious that it hardly needs explaining. The Father, as the law-giver, is connected with justice, and Jesus, who made forgiveness possible through His sacrifice, represents mercy. As with the other dualities, there is a progression from the foundational attribute to the completing one. Justice is the original principle: it existed without any sort of provision or intervention. Mercy, on the other hand, required an atonement. The justice and mercy duality also represent a disciple’s progression toward salvation. As we come to Christ, we move from the “demands of justice” into the safety of His mercy. (See Alma 34:16)
Conclusion:
To some, the exploration of all of these symbols might seem like a tedious exercise that bears no spiritual fruit. I admit, if these concepts do nothing to influence one’s behavior or strengthen one’s faith, they have little value. My hope is that understanding scriptural symbolism will improve behavior and strengthen faith. It can improve behavior by allowing the symbols that surround us to direct our minds heavenward. It can increase our faith by providing evidence for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. Every new insight into the literary complexity of the Book of Mormon helps to confirm the belief that it was not the work of Joseph Smith. For me, the discovery of these symbolic patterns in the Book of Mormon has further convinced me of it’s divine origin.
It is my hope that as we encounter symbols such as the square and circle, the sun and the moon, and the right and left hands, we can follow the spiritual progression implied in them. As we progress, we will add female wisdom to masculine strength. We will rise from the physical to the spiritual, and from the earthly to the heavenly. Through sacred covenants, we can advance from being children of Heavenly Father to being children of Christ, and He will deliver us from a just condemnation to a merciful redemption.
Finally, may I suggest that the combination of symbolic pairs can remind us of the perfection of God who is the beginning and the end, both just and merciful. This is why the Book of Mormon uses both linear and circular Imagery to describe Him: “his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.” (Alma 37:12)
Areas for further study:
As I was considering symbolic dualisms for this paper, I realized that many ordinances are split into two parts: the bread and water of the sacrament, baptism and confirmation, and the washing and anointing. These ordinances may fit into the dualistic patterns that I have presented here, but it is not a topic that I have delved into yet. I also failed to cover dualistic themes in Solomon’s temple. One of these pairings is Jachin and Boaz, the pillars that stood on either side of the door to the temple. The fact that these pillars had names suggests that they served more than a functional purpose. The meaning of their names is “He will establish” and “In Him is strength.” Another noteworthy feature of Solomon’s temple is the two cherubim in the Holy of Holies. According to Jewish lore, one cherub was male, and the other was female.
Acknowledgment:
I must give credit to Steve Reed for his contribution to my understanding of symbolism. Steve runs a great website at ldssymbols.org that discusses the meanings of numbers and shapes. He also shares a great video on this subject at oneclimbs.com. Steve’s work is brilliant, and I can’t endorse it enough! He is the one who taught me that the circle and square can represent heaven and earth. As you can see, the expansion of that concept led me to make many other connections.
