This post is a continuation of my previous post on the endowment narrative in the Book of Mormon. This is part 2a. In this part (and part 2b to follow), I'll lay out the evidence I've found so far about the general pattern described in part 1. Before I get to that, I will make a few general comments on the importance of stepping back from our "hyper-factual historical" approach when we study scriptural symbols. In part 3, I will begin to discuss possible meanings of each element of the pattern and why I believe it belongs in this endowment narrative.
A note about the modern "Hyper-factual historical" mindset
Our modern worldview is practically obsessed with historical accuracy. There isn't anything inherently wrong with this, and in many ways it is a blessing to be able to discern between things that actually happened and things that didn't. But in other ways, our laser focus on historical accuracy limits us, in that it causes us to ascribe value to stories only to the extent that we can prove they faithfully recount what actually happened. In this mindset, "myth" takes on a very negative connotation, because it suggests a thing didn't happen precisely as it is told.
The stories of Adam and Eve and Noah are three perfect examples of this. These accounts are so important they occupy a prime position in the Bible, and yet modern discussions rapidly descend into debates about belly buttons and the plausibility of global floods.
To be clear, I personally believe in a literal Garden of Eden, a literal Adam and Eve, and a literal Noah who protected his family from a massive flood by obeying God's command to build a ship. But I also believe that the reason we are given these stories has little to do with their historical accuracy. Rather, we are given these stories as archetypes. These stories embody grand themes relating to the arc of mortality: humanity's fall into carnal sin and their efforts to reclaim God's presence through obedience to His word.
In other words, the ancients were far more concerned with archetypal patterns than historical fact, and if we read an archetypal story with a modern "hyper-factual historical" worldview, we are likely to miss the point entirely. To the ancients, archetypal myth held a higher place of importance in their minds than factual accuracy, because myth conveyed more important information than simply factual recounting of historical events.
How this relates to the Book of Mormon
I believe the authors of each of the following accounts in the Book of Mormon were following a specific literary tradition of embedding deeper messages within their accounts by conforming their descriptions of these groups of people to specific archetypal patterns. I'll discuss what I believe the meaning of the pattern is in much more detail in part 3 of this series, but it can be summarized as: "this new group of covenant-keeping people accepted God's gift to them and became like Adam and Eve in their efforts to regain God's presence." That is the message that is transmitted without being overtly stated. (It also happens to be one of the central messages of the endowment narrative found in the Book of Moses and in modern temple worship.)
One other note: Please do not just take my word for it as I lay out this pattern. I strongly encourage you to take your time and look up each of these stories on your own and find each of the details listed. As I've been studying these accounts repeatedly, I've gained a deep respect for the deeper message, and I've found more examples and details each time I've taken the time to look.
As a reminder, here is the list of details:
- Commanded/warned (often in a dream or vision) to depart
- The group they leave are involved in secret combinations or intend to kill them.
- They seek to bring all who will hearken/listen
- The new covenant people passes through a wilderness on their journey
- "Many days"
- Tents (a symbol of the presence of the Lord)
- A list of animals (sometimes "of every kind")
- They inherit a land
- New names are given (see Genesis 2:20)
- They obey the commandments of the Lord
- Abundance/Prosper
- They are usually led by a righteous patriarch/king/royal family member
Examples
I'll begin with a quick recap of the story contained in 1 Nephi of Lehi's family leaving Jerusalem and becoming a new branch of the covenant people as they passed through the wilderness to a land of promise. This was discussed in more detail in part 1, but there is a recap:
The second Lehite example
Just after Lehi dies, the separation narrative repeats itself in 2 Nephi 5. This pattern is perhaps the most complete and concise, with all twelve items showing up in verses 2-18, essentially in the order I list them (with the exception of items 1 & 2).
Additional notes about this example: This example is also positioned right after the account of Lehi's death/Nephi's psalm and just before Jacob (the anointed priest) gives an important sermon at the temple about "learn[ing]" and "glorify[ing]" the name of God, which echoes the language used to describe Adam and Eve (see Moses 5:8-12).
Mosiah - Benjamin - Mosiah
This example comes next in the text of the Book of Mormon, but it is quite fragmented because of the missing portions of Mormon's abridgement. This one also plays out over three generations of righteous kings. There are some elements not clearly mentioned, yet many parts of the pattern fit pretty cleanly:
Additional notes about this example: The connection between obedience and prospering is made abundantly clear in this example. These two elements are mentioned both in the positive context and the negative context in multiple places.
Conclusion (to be continued)
Those were the first three examples of the pattern. We have five more (generally shorter) examples to go in part 2b. I hope you can see the pattern and how it seems that the authors are following a specific archetypal pattern as the recount the events surrounding the formation of a new covenant group.
