Mount Shelem and the Temple

Several details about the experience of the brother of Jared on Mount Shelem in Ether 3 points to the temple. The account begins, “And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord” (v1). He went to the top of the mountain, which is a symbol of temples just as Isaiah suggested in this passage: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains” (Isaiah 2:2). When the brother of Jared was at the top of this mountain, he made these small stones that were white and like glass. That language points us to John’s revelation: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it” (Revelation 2:17). Modern revelation tells us this about this verse: “And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:11). All of these passages speak of a “white stone” which is connected with a new name and coming into the celestial kingdom. The Church website describes the end of the temple endowment experience this way: “At the end of the endowment, participants symbolically return to the Lord’s presence as they enter the celestial room.” These stones with their new name are connected with coming into the presence of the Lord in the celestial kingdom, just as the temple endowment symbolically brings us into the Lord’s presence. And for the brother of Jared, it was these stones that brought him to the Lord and ultimately to be able to see Him.

            The brother of Jared prayed to the Lord on the top of the mount, asking the Lord to give light to his stones. The account continues, “The Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood” (v6).  The word veil appears two more times in this chapter: “And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus…. Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus” (v19-20). The veil was an important part of the ancient temples, for it divided the holy of holies from the holy place (Exodus 26:33). In Christ’s day, when He was crucified, “The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” (Matthew 27:51). The Church website says this about the veil of the temple today: “The temple garment can also provide a personal connection to the temple veil and the Atonement of Jesus Christ… The Apostle Paul referred to the torn temple veil and explained that entry into God’s presence can only be ‘by the blood of Christ” and that we “enter into the holiest by the blood of Christ.’” The “veil” mentioned in the account of the brother of Jared is surely connected to the veil of the temple. The brother of Jared conversed with the Lord, seeing only His hand, answering questions from the Lord until finally the veil was removed and the brother of Jared of Jared was brought completely into the presence of God.

At the end of Ether 3 the Lord said this to the brother of Jared, “And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read. And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write” (v22-23). The brother of Jared was to seal up the words he would write describing his experience on Mount Shelem, and the word seal is another that points us to the temple. The Church website says this: “In our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness, a husband and wife can be together forever. The authority to unite families forever is called the sealing power. It is the same power that Jesus gave to His Apostles during His ministry on earth (Matthew 16:19). An eternal marriage is therefore called a sealing. Children born or adopted into such eternal marriages can also be sealed to their families forever.” Though of course the kind of sealing the Lord was suggesting to the brother of Jared was different than that of binding families together, the word choice to me is another connection with temples in this most incredible experience of the brother of Jared. That mountain was his temple, and what he experienced was sealed up to only come unto those who were prepared to receive it. And in a similar way, the temple experience is only for those who have prepared to participate in it, and there they are symbolically given the opportunity to return to the presence of the Lord.