I mentioned in a post back in August 2013 that there could be up to 3 new temple movies coming out. The Deseret News is reporting that the 3rd movie was finally released this week to give variety to temple attendees.
The temple teaches in symbols. I overheard two temple workers in the lunchroom discussing one of the new films. One asked if the other had noticed the butterfly portrayed in the temple film, and noted that it was a Monarch butterfly. Confident in his own opinion, he asked why a Monarch butterfly was used instead of another. This reminded me of a conversation I had with a co-worker in which my co-worker asked me to name 2 species of butterfly. I couldn’t–Monarch was the only one I knew.
Anyway, the confident temple worker said that “Monarch” represents royalty. We are to become kings and queens, so the Monarch butterfly is symbolic of what we will become: royalty. Having recently attended the Salt Lake Temple which does not use films, but rather live actors, there was no butterfly in the Salt Lake Temple presentation (and I wonder if it is hidden on the murals there–does anyone know?) It makes me wonder if this butterfly is really significant, or if this is just some random artifact that this man decided was important.
In another post, a temple sealer noticed that the carpet in the sealing room and celestial room was different than the endowment room. Some of you thought this was a ridiculous observation. He thought it signified difference between Before/In the Presence of God. Are these observations important, or superficial? What are we supposed to learn in the temple?
[poll id = 413]
If you answered “Superficial”, what are some important ideas from temple symbolism that are important for patrons to know?
Wheat & Tares 
So far, I’m winning the poll. 🙂
Seriously, I think this underlines one of the issues that we face in our stubborn silence about the endowment. Since we don’t discuss it except in the most abstract terms outside the temple, and we certainly aren’t encouraged to discuss it in any depth inside the temple, all we do is speculate to ourselves, and so we’re left to wonder if things like butterflies, or the color of carpets, or other minutiae are actually meaningful.
Does it matter if the carpet in the SLC Temple changes color from room to room, but does not in the Saint Paul Minnesota Temple? Or if there are butterflies in Boise but not in Bismarck? Or if I’m officiating for a Hispanic man and see the movie where Adam is a Nordic blond, and next time I have a Swedish name and Adam is swarthier and dark-haired? Oh, I hope not.
I’d go superficial. It’s like people noticing that, in one film, Eve was blonde, rather than brunette – “It’s so much more realistic!” People take meaning when they work out that someone depicting Satan is left-handed, or even if Adam or Eve ate the fruit with their left hand – “Doing things with the left hand is evil!”
Me, I thought it was interesting that in the SLC temple, some of the rooms have rounded corners at the wall corners, some at the wall and ceiling corners. I figured someone tried it, thinking it was neat, but couldn’t go back and redo the rooms that had been done the other way.
On a slightly tangential note – does anyone know a resource with a good (or even definitive) answer on who the statue of a woman in the SLC temple Celestial room is supposed to be?
We have a small temple, and therefore local units clean it all the time. I have noticed some small symbolism in the architectural details, and as we move from one room into another and then finally another, the carpet and wall and woodwork do get nicer and nicer. Read a good book on all the symbols that are in the Nauvoo temple as well as other temples throughout the world. I think church architects do think about these things, and most likely, the people doing the films do too.
It would not surprise me that those in charge of such things try to place as much symbolism in butterflies, left-handedness, carpets, and architecture as they can. I am not a fan of such–though the film and all the ceremony are fully symbolic in their intent.
However, I have always been disturbed by the scriptures’, and other so-called sacred sources’, use of royalty as symbolic of what we are striving for. The history of kings and queens (and all the lower forms of royalty)–especially in history when they wielded real power–is almost totally negative. As in: “it is the nature of nearly all men, when they get a little authority as they suppose, they immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.” My guess, to give the origin of “scripture” the benefit of the doubt, is that the authors had no other ready analogy. Becoming gentle, kind, and Christ-like doesn’t didn’t have the ring or the impact of “kingdoms, principalities, and power.”
No great answers on who the female statue is in the celestial room, but good internet discussion (either Venus/Aphrodite or Biblical Mary). An 1893 news article described it as a statue of Mary by a Utah artist (http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/53525-temple-clamshellfan-design/).
Look at the comments on these for various theories:
http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-digital-public-library-of-america-has-launched/
That is really sweet what the temple worker said about Monarch butterflies. Actually, in spite of his naivite, he is on the right track. Sorry to keep quoting from my favorite author, but Hermann Hesse said:
“Each phenomenon on earth is an allegory, and each allegory is an open gate through which the soul, if it is ready, can pass into the interior of the world where you and I and day and night are all one. In the course of his life, every human being comes upon that open gate, here or there along the way; everyone is sometime assailed by the thought that everything visible is an allegory and that behind the allegory live spirit and eternal life.”
So even if the film director had no intention of symbolizing our royalty through his film clip of the monarch butterfly, the temple worker is looking for symbols in the right way, as portals, allegories, and open gates through which to explore the metaphysical. If he can just learn to do that with the symbol of Adam, learning to see himself completely and totally as Adam, rather than seeing Adam as some kind of inspiring historical figure from the past, then he will really be on to something in my opinion.
I said 'other'.
If a person finds meanings in them (these extra found symbols and their interpretations) that bring them closer to Christ, then the Temple has served a purpose.
A butterfly is generally accepted as a powerful symbol of transformation, transcendence, rebirth, and renewal. This is especially true of many indigenous peoples. It might be that it says much about our hearts if we are seeing additional symbols of royalty and ascribing it to us rather than symbols of change and renewal and applying (or even practicing) these ourselves. To some degree seeing royalty, or an aspect of the eternal goal, is needed, but it is often the only kind of interpretations I hear from others. Kind of like seeing the ends of the temple, but not it's means. We really can be thoughtlessly prideful and think we have it all wrapped up and in the bag.
Outside of the architecture and theatrical presentation (the film), most of us miss that some of the most important symbols we should be working to understand are the ritual gestures, our movements through the sacred space, the signs, tokens, and even names, but alas, we still usually fall back on those being the secret handshakes and passwords to get into heaven and don't give it more than a passing thought.
Take this as thoughts only and not definitive. It could be a representation of Wisdom or Mercy, and if memory serves she is holding a branch of Acacia. I would want to verify the tree, each has it's own meanings, but acacia is usually seen as a symbol of the immortality of the soul, often as resurrection and is used in funerals. It can also represent innocence or purity. Some also say that Moses' burning bush was acacia.
I wish we would ditch our needlessly tight lipped culture and talk more openly about the ritual. It seems it might be the only way to increase our understanding, since members also seem afraid to read or study sources concerning these topics unless they are found at Deseret Books.
Nate:
Forgetting stands, cheers, does the happy dance, and then a one man wave.
Now, make this one little change, “learning to see himself completely and totally as Adam and Eve”, and I would start tossing flowers at you as well.
I thought everyone knew the Monarch butterfly was a symbol of being involved with MK Ultra
I’m loving forgetting’s idea of the statue as the personification of Wisdom. Proverbs 8:1-3 “Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.”
Proverbs 8:32-35 “Now therefore hearken unto me [wisdom], O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.”
1 Cor 2:7 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory”
And I am loving that Mary Ann just revealed some of my secret sources. Those are the verses that came to mind the first time I saw the statue and where/how it was placed in relationship to the veil. Thank you for putting that together, it was good to read those passages today.
Nate (6) – “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar” (attributed to Freud)
Once when in one of the sealing rooms in the Mesa temple, the sealer pointed out the symbolism of the purple accents in various parts of the room, representing royalty. Obviously, we can go overboard finding symbolism, but the the temple by nature is symbolic. The Monarch butterfly symbolism doesn’t sound far-fetched to me.
Monarchs are poisonous. Just sayin… 😉
And the interior design of our local temple looks just like a Marriot hotel…
Myself, I think that shows me how limited an understanding of Deity we have, so I just go to worship these days. This stuff gets in the way of my relationship with Deity, I’d rather see beautiful stones, wood, coral-these materials, God made, inspire my reverence. If we are going down this road, then medieval cathedrals are full of such symbolism. I thought I had turned away from such graven images.
The architecture and film art and choices should enhance the Temple ceremonies. They shouldn’t replace them or the attendee will lose focus.
Just asking, what are Monarch butterflies called in other languages? Is this something that translates?
So far as the butterfly symbolism goes I prefer the suggestion forgetting gave, but not having seen the film and when the butterfly appears, well it just simply be a part of creation.
“…Salt Lake Temple which does not use films, but rather live actors…”
Sandra Bullock and Tom Cruise have no need to worry if you call these elderly brothers and sisters in the SL Temple “actors.”
With 88 votes in so far, I’m surprised that nobody has answered “These observations are meant for themselves and should not be shared with others.”
MH, re. 19, I’m thinking of D&C 88:118-119 with its injunction to us to help one another learn, and the later use of those words in the Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer, Section 109. 😉
““Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar” (attributed to Freud)” I thought that was Bill Clinton.
Wasn’t it Monica Lewinsky?
Has anyone seen the new film? Are there any actors/actresses we would recognize? (We’ve had Michael Ballam, Gordon Jump, Corbin Allred now. It would be nice to get an Eve that we recognize.)
I spent the first few years of temple attendance searching for this type of symbolism: ie “oooh, that bird was a dove; dove = Holy Ghost; so dove flying out of screen in Garden means they did something that the HG left before partaking of the fruit…..
Or, look a lamb! Lamb = Christ; lamb is carried which means????
Seriously, let’s just say I think I was off the mark. I started paying more attention to how I felt there, how I participated, and how I could draw closer to God. It’s been a progression, for sure.
Def think we could benefit from more temple instruction 🙂
Temple secrecy and ceremony and Masonic influence is what began my husbands distrust of the church during his first year after baptism. Broke my heart a bit.
There is a lot of people on this earth who look at monarch butterflies much differently. Granted, they may made a pure creation of God into something defiled. Do a search on monarch mind control and you will be surprised what you find and how much of it. With all the controls and secrecy in the Mormon church, I am somehow not surprised they choose a monarch butterfly. I am not surprised president monson did a Masonic handshake and put it in his book to the rescue, I am not surprised bishop Glenn pace did a report in the early 1990’s of ask the satanic ritual abuse going on in the Mormon church, I am not surprised that temple ceremonies (sometimes verbatim) are parallel to Masonic and witchcraft ceremonies…. the bible says learn not the way of the heathen, nor did Jesus do ANYTHING in secret as he said. I love that lds purple usually want to serve God to the best of their ability, but know, we must deal with God directly, not through any church. What’s more, He he wants us in a personal relationship, and believe me, He governs that relationship without any help from anything or anyone else. Thank you Jesus!
ere are a lot of people on this earth who look at monarch butterflies much differently. Granted, they may have made a pure creation of God into something defiled.
Do a search on monarch mind control and you will be surprised what you find and how much of it. With all the controls and secrecy in the Mormon church, I am somehow not surprised they chose a monarch butterfly.
I am not surprised president monson did a Masonic handshake and put it in his book, “to the rescue”, I am not surprised bishop Glenn Pace did a report in the early 1990’s of all the satanic ritual abuse going on in the Mormon church, I am not surprised that temple ceremonies (sometimes verbatim) are parallel to Masonic and witchcraft ceremonies….
The bible says learn not the way of the heathen, nor did Jesus do ANYTHING in secret… as he said.
I love that lds people usually want to serve God to the best of their ability, but know, we must deal with God directly, not through any church. What’s more, He wants us in a personal relationship with Him, and believe me, He governs that relationship without ANY help from anything or anyone else. Thank you Jesus!
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