Stisa's last post reminded me of a few concepts I'd like to touch on as I continue to flesh out the "mantic versus sophic" battle of worldviews. The contest between the materialist/intellectual mindset and the 'heavenly order' mindset goes back to Cain and Abel. Abel "hearkened unto the voice of the Lord" whereas Cain "hearkened not," instead asking: "Who is the Lord that I should know him?" (See Moses 5:16-17.)
On the surface, the differences between the brothers might have seemed trivial. Able tended sheep. Cain tilled the ground. But there was a major difference beneath the surface. Cain loved Satan more than God and obeyed Satan's commands. God warned Cain against rejecting the "greater counsel which was had from God." Cain, in response, grew angry. The following sequence of events results in Cain covenanting with Satan in exchange for worldly wealth and murdering his brother.
In this story, we see a pattern -- rejecting the word of God led Cain to "get gain" in this life but lose eternal life. (I mentioned the Hebrew connection between Cain and "get gain" in a previous post here.) Abel, by contrast, lost his mortal life as a result of his faithfulness but found eternal life in the process. Abel honored the vision of a heavenly order by which all things must be done on earth. Cain rejected this idea and sought to create for himself the things he desired on earth. Thus by valuing God's wisdom over his own life, Abel will never die, and by rejecting God's "greater counsel" in favor of worldly gain, Cain will never return to God's presence.
This is ancient wisdom told in the form of a simple story of two brothers, with the deeper wisdom tucked safely beneath the surface. This understanding of the need to find new life through Christ was also taught symbolically through ancient temple rituals. Stisa's post pointed out how the holy anointing oil is a temple symbol for light and life, and how Abinadi makes this same connection in Mosiah 16:8-9. He didn't choose those words randomly, either. He is clearly preaching to these priests the things they have rejected by favoring the Law of Moses over the Doctrine of Christ.
Abinadi's experience is a nice analog to what must have been happening in Jerusalem following Josiah's temple "purge" around 621 AD. This was a battle of worldviews, and the original temple symbols which emphasized the Doctrine of Christ were suppressed.
Old becomes new
If the Doctrine of Christ was stripped from the temple a few decades before Lehi first saw his vision, many parts of the Book of Mormon suddenly make much more sense. Nephi's obvious disdain for "the Jews" in Jerusalem (see 2 Nephi 25:2, for example) makes sense in this context -- they corrupted the holy temple. Jacob's condemnation of the Jews for "looking beyond the mark" also makes sense (see Jacob 4:14). Just prior to that verse, Jacob lays out in several verses what the ancient, original meaning of the Israelite religion is:
4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.
5 Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son.
6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.
7 Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.
8 Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God.
9 For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?
10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works. (Jacob 4)
This is the mantic worldview in a nutshell. That is the religion of Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. The "Old Testament religion" we think about and read about is a corrupted version of this, not the other way around.
Margaret Barker writes about the importance of establishing what came first in the context of the early Christians. Her words apply just as aptly to thinking about the ancient Israelite religion:
There is a tendency to classify according to the categories of a later age. What became the canonical texts are the norm, and all others, together with the ideas they represent have a lower status. Instead of asking how such 'strange' texts came to be written, we should be asking how they came to be excluded. (The Great High Priest, p. 26)
If the religious reformation is successful enough in suppressing older doctrines, these will appear to be completely new when they are restored. For example, consider the following words of Jesus:
24 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. (Matthew 16)
It seems Jesus was reiterating suppressed truth with these words (rather than breaking new ground). He is teaching the same lesson we can learn from the story of Cain and Abel.
