The small meal, the grand feast, Adam and Eve, and ancient temple worship -- Part 1

In this post, I mentioned a very interesting presentation on ancient Egyptian priestly rituals. The overall pattern of the rituals share much in common with ancient Israelite temple rituals, and we can also see some fascinating parallels with our modern worship in the church.

This post will discuss one set of rituals in the Egyptian practice that has a clear parallel to Israelite temple worship: the small meal and the grand feast.

Dr. John Thompson explains the connections between the small meal, the sacrament, and grand feast, and the harvest/gathering here (~2.5 minute clip):

The parallels are certainly fascinating.  It seems the essence of the small meal/sacrament is demonstrating a willingness to receive from Christ. In contrast, the essence of the grand feast is demonstrating a willingness to bring forth an offering. First we receive, then we give. This implies transformation. We become a new creation.

I have questions to ponder as I consider these symbols.  Here are some of my initial questions:

• What is the connection between the small meal and the grand feast?
• The connection between the small meal and the sacrament seems obvious, but what part of our worship represents the grand feast?
• How does this symbolism relate to Christ and His doctrine?
• Is this another connection to Noah, the covenant symbolism of the ark, and his obedience to God to bring animals of every kind into the ark with him?

This post will set off a series in which I'll explore these and other questions. I hope to connect some of these ideas in a meaningful way, but I apologize in advance if they seem a bit disjointed. At present I don't see a clear sequence to present these ideas, so I'll simply present them one at a time as best I can.

Connection to Adam and Eve

In pondering about what this grand meal might represent in our modern temple worship, it seems to me that we're talking about consecration. Just as the ancients gave of their possessions (animals, grain, etc.) we are asked to offer all that we have to God:

The law of consecration is that we consecrate our time, our talents, and our money and property to the cause of the Church: such are to be available to the extent they are needed to further the Lord’s interests on earth. (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, source here)

It occurs to me that this grand offering might be a symbolic reflection of obedience to the commandment given to Adam and Eve:

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1)

Each of the colored words above directly connects to the doctrine of Christ and will be the discussed in future posts in this series. What better way to demonstrate dominion over the creatures of the creation than to bring them as an offering to God? And of course the devotion does not stop with the bringing of animals as offerings. Ultimately, we make ourselves -- our "bodies" (see Romans 12:1) according to Paul and our "whole souls" (see Omni 1:26) according to Amaleki -- an offering to God. 

This offering is part of the process of spiritual creation and results in at least two things:

1. We fulfill the first commandment God gave to Adam and Eve just after their creation, prior to their transgression. 
2. We transform from hearers of the word into speakers of the word also -- from receivers to givers. 

Perhaps the small meal -- a reminder of the gate by which we entered (see 2 Nephi 31:17) onto the path -- is like manna. It is daily bread -- enough to nourish us as we walk the covenant path, but not enough to "fill" us.  When we are made clean and prepared to participate in the grand feast, we "feast" and are "filled," thereby learning to "speak with the tongue of angels" (see 2 Nephi 31:20; 2 Nephi 32:2-3)

All of this meal/feast symbolism involves the mouth.  Feasting happens through the mouth, as does speaking. That's probably an important part of the symbolism.

I've posted before on Noel Reynolds' observation that one fundamental lesson we can take from Alma 36, with its beautiful chiastic structure, is that Alma's word has become God's word (by the process of conversion). That is a message that fits into this feast/speak symbolism as well.  The process which begins with our willingness to hearken to the word of God ends up teaching us to speak with the tongue of angels. The nose is the symbol of the consecrated offering we must bring to fulfill the commandment God gave Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. That final act of consecration prepares them to be "filled" (see Alma 32:42).

Might this be what James had in mind when he wrote:

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1)

In the next post, we'll start to look in more depth at Genesis 1:28.

To overcome vs. being overcome

Reading D&C 50 as part of the Come, Follow Me lesson last week, I noticed the word, "overcome" four times in that chapter. Twice with negative connotation and twice with positive connotation. Here they are: 

wo unto them who are cut off from my church, for the same are overcome of the world. (verse 8)

Not with railing accusation, that ye be not overcome (verse 33)

the kingdom is given you of the Father, and power to overcome all things which are not ordained of him (verse 35)

Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me (verse 41)

Notice the contrast in the first and last example. You can be overcome of the world or you can overcome the world. In this life where there is a constant battle between good and evil, we ultimately win or lose, we overcome or we are overcome. This is another example of The Two Ways. From what I have learned about the plan of salvation, it is difficult to see any other alternative. I cannot imagine a future peace treaty between God and Satan, working out some compromise. Therefore, overcoming or being overcome are ultimately the two options. This is speaking in simple terms, of course, since we also know there are degrees of glory. 

Let us turn to other scriptures to see if we can learn how to ultimately overcome and avoid being overcome. More than anywhere else in the Book of Mormon, this expression is used in the allegory of the olive tree in Jacob 5. We see several examples of both overcoming and being overcome like verses 40 and 66

And the wild fruit of the last had overcome that part of the tree which brought forth good fruit

ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad

The interpretation of Jacob 5 is intended to be on more of a global than personal level, but the principle is the same. The wild fruit and branches can overcome the good and vice versa. For the good to overcome the bad, a lot of effort is needed. Even with all the pruning, digging, dunging and tender care by the master of the vineyard, it is a real challenge to accomplish the good overcoming the bad in the end. But he manages with the help of his servant and "other servants".

In the context of this allegory, it is also interesting to read what D&C 52:18 says

And again, he that is overcome and bringeth not forth fruits, even according to this pattern, is not of me.

The fruit symbolism of Zenos' allegory is coupled with "overcome" but on an individual basis in this case. What do we learn from these verses about what it takes to overcome instead of being overcome? There are some clues already but I will quote two verses from the New Testament before we conclude. The first one is better contextualized without the chapter division. The original letters of Paul obviously did not have any chapter division. Reading the last verse of chapter 12 and the first two verses of chapter 13, we get

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers" is a way to overcome instead of being overcome. This adds to the lessons from the other scriptures quoted. In D&C 50:8 we learned that those who are "cut off" are overcome. Since it says "cut off from my church", we might conclude that the difference between overcoming and being overcome is church membership. But I don't think that is correct.

Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church. (D&C 10:67)

The difference is not made by a membership record but by coming unto Christ. This is consistent with the other scriptures quoted. Consider D&C 50 again that was quoted at the beginning: "You are mine" and "you are of them that my Father hath given me" in verse 41 is the contrast to the "cut off" in verse 8. But in verse 41 it is Christ who has overcome the world. In other verses, we can overcome. How does that work? One last example from John 16:33

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Jesus then goes on to pray that his disciples should become one with him as he is one with the Father, similar to Paul's advise to be subject unto God. With all that the conclusion is crystal clear: The only way we can overcome evil/the world is through Christ and covenants. If we come unto him and stick to him like a branch of a tree, nourished by the roots, we do not have to overcome the world by ourselves. He has done it already so we will automatically too if we just stay "one" with him. It is a simple but profound lesson.