The meaning of the veil

Growing up in the church, we learn about the veil as something that we pass through on our journey from the pre-mortal existence to mortal life. Similarly, we read about ancient temples where a veil separated the holy of holies, God's presence, from the rest of the temple. This is familiar also to a latter-day saint who has been through the modern temple. Until recently, I didn't think much about the fact that this concept is quite unique in latter-day saint theology. At least to my knowledge, this kind of symbolism is not used in other christian churches.

I am currently reading Margaret Barker's very interesting book called "Temple theology", where she explains the meaning and theology connected to the first temple of Solomon and also argues that the early Christian theology to a large degree was based on it. She describes the meaning of the veil in this temple. According to her research, the veil represented

the web of matter that conceals the throne of God from human perception

When making the portable proto-temple in the wilderness, Moses was instructed:

And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount. (Exodus 25:40)

Barker uses extra-biblical sources as evidence that the creation account was revealed to Moses on the mountain (which fits nicely with the Pearl of Great Price) and that the temple was built after the pattern of the creation account. Just as God created "heaven and earth", the temple had the holy of holies with the throne of God (heaven) and a veil separating it from "earth". The veil represented the second day of creation when the firmament was made to separate the waters above (heaven) from below (earth).

In Barker's words:

Those who passed beyond the veil found themselves outside time.

Passing through the veil was thus a transition from earth to heaven and from time to timelessness or infinity, from mortality to eternal glory. This symbolism is very recognizable to a latter-day saint.

I have previously written about the heaven-earth pairing in the scriptures. See here and here. I didn't mention the veil in those posts, but the idea of bringing heaven and earth together is very relevant in this context since the veil separates the two. We sometimes talk about the veil being thin in certain circumstances. There are also examples in the scriptures where the veil can be rent. When Christ died on the cross, the following happened: 

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent (Matthew 27:51)

The heaven-earth posts I linked explain that the heaven earth connection is typically made in conjunction with creation, atonement, restoration or covenant making in general. The rent veil brings heaven and earth together. In this example from Matthew, Christ's atonement opened the way for man into the holy of holies, God's presence.

With all this background, I will finally turn to the Book of Mormon, more specifically, the story of the Brother of Jared. His interaction with the Lord after he brings the sixteen stones to the mountain is very interesting in a temple context.

• In Ether 3:6, the Lord "stretched forth his hand" and the veil was removed enough for the brother of Jared to see his finger
• An interaction follows where the Lord asks some questions and the brother of Jared answers
• Then in verse 13, the brother of Jared was "brought back into [the Lord's] presence"

The brother of Jared had passed through the veil and found himself in the holy of holies or the celestial sphere, God's presence. Notice how verse 25 describes the timelessness, where both past and future are right in front of him

And when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth.

Compare with D&C 130:7

But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord.

Moroni explains how this way through the veil is available to us and that the brother of Jared shows a pattern to follow. 

And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad. (Ether 12:19)

Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea... then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. (Ether 4:15-16)

Notice also how the heaven-earth pairing appears in Moroni's comments to this story about the brother of Jared.

And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are... And at my command the heavens are opened and are shut; and at my word the earth shall shake (Ether 4:7-9)

Summary

• In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. He also separated them. The veil in the temple, ancient and modern and the use of this word in the scriptures, symbolizes this separation.
• The intention was not to keep them separate. Rending the veil and unifying heaven and earth is the goal. But we first need to learn to see with the "eye of faith" and walk the covenant path
• The story of the brother of Jared and the temple shows a pattern for how we can pass through the veil