"Hie unto Kolob" -- The most unique, imaginative and thought-provoking hymn of all

 "HIE unto Kolob" (page 284) is probably the most unique, as well as the most imaginative and thought-provoking of all hymns in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 More than a century before "Star Trek" or "Star Wars," in 1856, the hymn's author, William W. Phelps, created a tune about outer space, vast distances, eternity and infinity.

  The hymn begins with the premise of a person traveling to Kolob (nearest star to God's residence) "in the twinkling of an eye," (faster even than warp drive, or light speed) and then alluding that even with such vast velocity that one could still not find the beginnings of eternity and the universe (as the universe is limitless and unending).

   Of all the concepts in existence, "eternity" or "limitless" are perhaps concepts that mortal man just cannot fully comprehend!

  The first verse also states "Gods" in the plural, as an endless chain of generations of "God the Fathers" (alluding to LDS belief in plurality of Gods).

  No other hymn in the church delves into such deep doctrine.

  The hymn also uses various scriptural terms, like "one eternal round," to state how the universe and Gods continue to expand in endless harmony, on continuing cycles of existence.

  The hymn stresses that no one can see outside the curtains that God has put in place (probably meaning we cannot see outside the bounds of what God lets us see in the universe).

  "There is no end to matter: There is no end to space; "There is no end to spirit; There is no end to race (or mankind)," Verse 3 states.

  Later verses continue to stress the limitless nature of other factors too, like light, priesthood, love, virtue, truth, youth, wisdom and more.

  The hymn concludes by declaring there is no end to being or (life) and that death does not exist "above" (meaning beyond mortal life).

  You could almost have a course of meta physics on the verses of this hymn.

  Now, I've noted a few shortcomings in this hymn in past blog posts. For example, "Hie" is probably not doctrinally correct, as in Old English, it means "to quickly, hasten, hurry," according to Webster's Dictionary. "Hie" is also NOT found in the Book of Abraham.

"Nigh" means "nearly, almost," according to Webster. "Nigh" is found in the Book of Abraham.

  So, the title of the hymn to be more correct should likely be "Nigh unto Kolob" (also the title of this blog).

  But, wait, there's more -- in the third line of the first verse, it states about "continue onward" (beyond Kolob). Thus, for complete accuracy, the title and premise of the song should be "Nigh beyond Kolob," as Kolob is NOT the ultimate destination mentioned in the hymn.

 It is likely that too many church members appear to incorrectly believe Kolob is WHERE God actually dwells.

In fact, Kolob is simply the name of a great star that is NEAREST where God dwells (Abraham 3:3) and not actually the place where God dwells.
(We are given no specific name as to God's residence, except perhaps highest level of the Celestial Kingdom.)

  How many singers of this hymn actually ponder the words in the verses?

 (None in Spanish do, as this hymn is NOT in that version of the LDS Hymn book...)

  -William Phelps wrote dozens of other early LDS hymns too. He was also excommunication a few times, but always returned to the church. He was a gifted poet and his poetic language is visible in his works. "The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning" is perhaps his other, most famous of hymns.

   An early 20th Century photograph from archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 -In addition, there was an astronomical observatory located on Temple Square, for decades -- right next to the Salt Lake Temple -- confirming the church's strong interest in outer space, especially in the 19th Century.

  NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.

What did Jesus Christ do from age 12 to about age 30?

 

                                 Christ will return in red apparel for his "Second Coming."

  

JESUS Christ didn't begin his preaching of the gospel, at least to large groups, until he was about age 30. (At age 12 he had shown in the Temple that he was already an astounding person.) So, what did Christ do for about 18 years?

   The Scriptures don't contain details on that.

  (In fact, I think some accounts were originally in the New Testament on Christ's missing 18 years, but were taken out by corrupt Christians over the centuries.) 

  Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated in his "Mortal Messiah" book series:

"We cannot doubt that the youthful Jesus . . . was himself now beginning to teach and to testify. HIS FORMAL AND LEGAL MINISTRY cannot begin for another eighteen years. For the time being he is to go back to Nazareth and be subject to Joseph and Mary. He is to mature and grow in the Spirit and find favor with God and man. HE IS TO PARTAKE OF THE NORMAL LIFE OF JEWISH MEN, DOING WHAT THEY DID, ENJOYING THE FAMILIAL ASSOCIATIONS THAT WERE PART OF THEIR CULTURAL, and gaining all the experiences he would need for the arduous hours of his formal ministry." (Volume 1, pages 378-379).

  Now according to Alfred Edersheim's, Sketches of Jewish Social life in the Days of Christ, 1876, Elder McConkie writes the following: "Men married at sixteen or seventeen years of age, almost never later than twenty; and women at a somewhat younger age, often when not older than fourteen. THESE AGES APPLIED TO ALL, Joseph and Mary included" (p. 223). 

  So, Jesus undoubtedly got married in his teens. Perhaps raising his family (yes, with children) was his primary focus for those missing years. 

 Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: "The Lord doesn't reveal all His truth to men . . . We are often asked if Christ was married. If you say yes, you get into a heap of trouble. I've got a habit of saying the scriptures don't tell us and let it go at that . They wouldn't understand it if you tried to tell them . . ." (Joseph Fielding Smith, President of the Twelve, An Address to Seminary and Institute Faculty, August 28, 1954, The Origin of Man, p. 23). 

   The Jews would NOT have listened to Christ at all, if he was not married. That was the Jewish way.

  Also, for one who was baptized to fulfill all righteous, does not the command in Genesis to "multiply and replenish the earth" also apply to him?

  Yes, there are key questions remaining -- who were his wife or wives? Who were his children and what happened to them?

  As difficult as a successful marriage can be, it is comforting to know that Jesus was married and had children too. That way he is certainly the ultimate example to us.

Jobs that may be extinct in the Millennium

 

                                         A farm in southeast Idaho.

AFTER Jesus Christ's "Second Coming," the 1,000-year Millennium premieres and the Earth switches from Telestial to Terrestrial world.

As such, certain parameters change in a Terrestrial world.

For example, there will likely be no meat eating and no alcohol, or weeds, or disease.

As such, here are some jobs/professions/companies that will, in my opinion, no longer exist during the Millennium (and most people on Earth then might be farmers/temple workers):

-Butcher/meat cutter

-Cattle rancher

-Zoo Keeper

-Bar tender/drink mixer

-Football coach/player. 

-Boxer

-Casino employee

-Insurance agent

-Mortician (after all the dead are buried from latter day wars.)

This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.

All Dogs go to Heaven -- and to the Spirit World too! The 'Henrie" Miracle

                                                                 Henrie

A sad limitation with dogs is that they don't live long enough.

Eventually, usually 10-16 years or so, they will die, or require a "put to sleep" decision.

I'm a dog lover and have had to endure the loss of about a dozen beloved dogs over the decades.

One was in August of 2023 -- and after 10 losses, it didn't get any easier, but there was a miracle involved with No. 11.

My daughter-in-law, Whitney, had a dog, "Henrie," that seemed to care for me a lot.

Whitney had to go to her veterinarian to put Henrie, about age 14,  to sleep, as he wasn't walking or eating anymore. (I got to say my goodbyes to him that morning.)

                                                           Henrie, a very small Yorkie.

I really struggled with the loss of Henrie. I strongly believe people will be met by their loved ones when they enter the spirit world, but I wondered, "What do dogs, or other pets encounter they die? Are they met by their animal parents, owners, or what? Do they even enter the same spirit world that people enter when they leave mortality?

Whitney actually stayed with the veterinarian, while the two shots were given to humanely end Henrie's life. He was gone a good 30 seconds or so when an outright miracle happened.

                              Henrie, in his prime.

She heard Henrie bark, as in the distance, after he was deceased. Then, she distinctly heard her late mother's voice (Anita) state, "I have him."

Her late mother was also extremely fond of Henrie, and Henrie of her. Whitney has a declared, spiritual gift to at times see through the veil, to the spirit world. (She can also apparently hear through the veil at times too.)

"All dogs go to heaven," well, "all dogs apparently go to the spirit world" too.

  This miracle made the loss of Henrie more tolerable to me and gave specific hope for my past and future dogs, that we will meet again. 

                                     Henrie

Has a family member greeted all, or some, of my deceased dogs in the spirit world? Perhaps. These dogs were loved and important to me and my deceased family members likely know that.

It seems our late pets, at least dogs, are not far from us, in the spirit world... just as our beloved humans are.

                                        The author and Henrie.

UPDATE and MORE DOG MIRACLES?

  A couple of months after Henrie's passing, I was faced with my own dog, Mozzie, almost age 11, having a terminal illness. His stomach was enlarged and cloudy, with likely tumors; plus his lungs were failing.

  As I faced that, another, dog, Oreo, unexpectedly came into my life. Looking at ads for dogs on a whim, there was this free dog being offered some 50 miles away ... and his eyes just called to me, to come take him home -- and I did just that. Little did I know that less than three weeks later, my current dog, Mozzie, would indeed pass away.

                                                                  Mozzie, in his prime.

  I not only prayed for Mozzie (and gave him a priesthood blessing too) to pass quickly and in little pain, but he seemed to do just that. In fact, he passed so quickly, that he could not even be taken to the vet to be put to sleep. (Mozzie hated the vet, also his boarding location and so that was a blessing that he passed away at home.) 

I prayed that my late parents would meet Mozzie in the spirit world too and I believe that they did just that.

 

                                 My new dog, Oreo, a border collie-corgi mix.

Having a new dog, Oreo, too, eased my grief somewhat -- and the Henrie "miracle" helped me even further.

  God definitely looked out for me and gave me and my animals some tender mercies.

  Joseph Smith was reputed to once say that he expected to have his favorite horse in the eternities. He also said that we can speak with animals in the spirit world and thereafter, they understanding us and we them (from "Teachings of The Prophet Joseph Smith," pages 291-292).

NOTE: Yes, these miracles are a rather personal revelation. Still, I decided to share it on this, my LDS-oriented blog, because I strongly feel other dog and pet owners will find comfort and inspiration in my family's miracles and tender mercies.

Note 2: If you like pets, search for my blog entry on "Miracle of the Washington, D.C. Temple Guard Dog: Zacharias."

NOTE 3: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.

The Manti Temple: From Rattlesnake Heaven to Mummies to Bigfoot

                                            The Manti Temple.

By Lynn Arave

THE story of Adam and Eve and the Serpent probably has a little more relevance at the Manti Temple, than at any other Church Temple.
Why?

ACCORDING to www.ldschurchtemples.com, "The Manti Utah Temple was built on a rattlesnake-infested site, known as the Manti Stone Quarry."
The Temple's construction started in 1877 and was completed 11 years later in 1888, as the third temple in Utah.
Located on "Temple Hill," the exterior of the Temple was obtained from quarries in the hill where it is located.

                                          Some of the exposed rock just east of the Temple.

                Some above ground rock, left intact,  in a yard just to the south of the Manti Temple.

This hill was apparently rattlesnake heaven as not dozens, but hundreds of the poisonous reptiles called it home when the first pioneer settlers arrived there.
In fact, according to the Ensign Magazine of March 1978, settlers "battled rattlesnakes for possession of the valley." 
According to several pioneer diaries referenced on scholarsarchive.byu.edu, the Temple Hill had the greatest infestation of all.
The first pioneers arrived in the fall of 1849 and sought refuge by building dugouts on the south side of the hill that would later be known as "Temple Hill."
After what was one of the worst winters ever in the area (according to the local Native Americans), a warming spring brought hope to the settlers.
However, as temperatures warmed in the spring of 1850, rattlesnakes began to appear everywhere on the hillside -- even in people's dugouts, beds, etc.

             The famous, now cancelled, Manti Pageant used to be held on this open lawn.

One pioneer diary claimed 300 snakes were killed during the first night they appeared. Another stated at least 500 were killed. Still another claimed "1,500" were wiped out. The extermination of the reptiles continued several more nights too.
Settlers primarily used primarily torches and clubs to kill the snakes and the miraculous factor is that there was not one report of a snakebite.
According to Utah Pioneer Stories on Sanpete.com, the spring of 1850 brought this development:
"Soon hundreds of hissing rattlesnakes appeared in the dugouts. They were everywhere! As the sun began to go down the snakes became more plentiful and the battle was on. The settlers armed themselves with clubs, torches and anything else that they could use as a weapon against hundreds of snakes."

                   Manti is a Utah pioneer city older than any outside the Wasatch Front.

Some 27 years later in 1877, presumably most of the snakes were gone by then, as Brigham Young announced the temple site.

President Young reportedly said, “Here is the spot where the Prophet Moroni stood and dedicated this piece of land for a Temple site, and that is the reason why the location is made here, and we can’t move it from this spot; and if you and I are the only persons that come here at high noon today, we will dedicate this ground.” (LDS Church News, March 8, 1958.)

A section of the City's garden, southwest of the Temple. There used to be a "Mortal" Moroni statue standing nearby, but it was permanently removed in about 2012.

(Note that some now question that Moroni  actually dedicated the site for this temple. That's because it relies upon a single source and the occurrence was never included in any official Manti Temple histories, such as its dedication proceedings.)

Construction began that same year and the first step was to level out the hilltop so a temple could sit there. It required significant blasting as the hill contained a lot of rock.

Note that there is no Angel Moroni on either of the Manti Temple's spires. That's ironic, a lack of Moroni's image on the outside of the temple, given that from at least one source, the Prophet Moroni as a mortal, wandered the Americas and possibly dedicated the very spot where the temple is to be such.

(In fact, even today Temple Hill only has dirt that extends downward from a few inches deep to several feet before hitting all rock.)
When the temple builders were creating the western foundation for the structure, they discovered an extensive network of caves and tunnels, obviously where the rattlesnakes used to nest in winter several decades earlier.
Rattlesnakes have left a lasting impression on the Manti area. Indeed, one of the tallest mountain summits in the area is named Rattlesnake Peak, at 8,612 feet above sea level.

-There are also other, more fanciful tales regarding the Manti Temple.
There are unconfirmed stories of strange inscriptions on some of the rocks found inside Temple Hill's caves during the early construction.
Other tales speak of even metal plates and mummies found beneath the hill in its caves.
Some stories claim local Native Americans spoke about an ancient temple and altar being on the hill long ago. These Indians also warned of the dangers of going inside any of the caves.

-Even stranger story: At the timber camp in Ephraim Canyon, during the early construction of the Manti Temple, likely in the late 1870s, there was an incident one night where men of the camp were terrified by some creature in the forest. It made strange noises, killed some of their dogs and frightened their horses. They finally started a bonfire and shot guns in the darkness to try and get it to leave. It did finally depart.
Some believe this creature was Bigfoot and could have been the first recorded sighting ever of Sasquatch in Utah territory.

The enclosed arch where you used to be able to drive through the temple without a recommend.

-TRUE TALE though is that you used to be able to drive THROUGH the Manti Temple.

The original construction included an arched tunnel at ground level, just wide enough for a small automobile or wagon to pass through.

The archway was eventually filled in decades later and is now a large window and stone.

Still, people back in the day used to joke that Manti was the only temple you could go through WITHOUT a recommend.

(Some early photographs of the Manti Temple clearly show the archway.)

Another ironic occurrence to the construction of the Manti Temple was that much of its lumber came from the nearby “Hell’s Kitchen” area of a nearby forest.

NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.

A capsule look at the 'Three Nephites'

 

                       Moroni was the last known mortal Nephite to live on the American Continent.

Elder Orson Pratt was the first leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to call attention to the famed “Three Nephites” to the general church.

He did so on April 7, 1855 in a sermon at the new bowery in Salt Lake City.

(The “Three Nephites” are translated beings, like John the Revelator from the New Testament. They cannot die and are beyond the powers of earth. They will remain on earth until Jesus Christ returns.)

Elder Pratt’s sermon said these heavenly beings can show themselves unto whomever they choose to. Otherwise, they remain unseen. They do come among us openly because the time is not right and there is work for humans to do to prepare to Christ’s return. They work in secret to promote righteousness.

Elder Erastus Snow and Brigham Young also gave sermons later that alluded to the existence of these Three Nephites.

However, Elder James E. Talmage, an LDS Apostle in the early 20^th Century stated the church members in his era were too eager to attribute any unusual happening to the Three Nephites. As such, he said they must be the most overworked of all individuals.

Later, it has been assumed that since physical struggles are so easy for us in modern times, that we don’t have the need to these individuals, at least for physical matters.

Notwithstanding, in many of the tales of visits by these beings, they are described as old men with white hair and beards.

From ghostly hitchhikers who appear, offer some spiritual advice and eventually just disappear from a back car seat, to beggars who ask for food to test our generosity, there are various such stories from Utah over the decades.

In others, someone is saved from death. For example, in the 1950s, a young boy fell into deep water at the Ogden Bay Bird Refuge, located west of Hooper. He might have drowned had not an older man appeared out of nowhere to save him. Then, the man vanished.

In another tale, two young girls were hiking in the mountains around Richfield in the early 20^th Century. They became lost and then a man appeared and led them back to the trail, before disappearing.

-Some of these stories are contained in a 1947 book by Hector Lee, “The Three Nephites: The Substance and Significance of the Legend in Folklore,” (1947), a Ph.D. dissertation for the University of New Mexico.

 

Should Church members celebrate Halloween?

A ward's "Trunk or Treat" decorated vehicle, as part of a Halloween party, with inside the cultural hall events too.

THERE are some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints who DO NOT believe in celebrating Halloween, mostly because of its dark beginnings. That is their freedom of choice to do so.
When I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, Halloween was mostly about scary and the equivalent in costumes.
However, today that is NOT the universal case. When some 170 children came to my door on Halloween night of 2019, I'd estimate that 95 percent-plus were wearing super-hero and fantasy costumes -- not scary ones.
Halloween today is mostly about candy and cute or inventive costumes. Yes, there are some haunted houses one can visit and even Lagoon Park in Farmington, Utah, hosts "Frightmares" each fall, with a scary twist.
However, even some of the most popular decorations of Christmas have strong roots in pagan rituals and so does one forsake Christmas because of that shady past?
The choice is yours, but about the only advice on Halloween in Church Handbooks has been that masks are not allowed inside a Church building.
So, Halloween is what you make it.