I just have to share with you my lesson on settling the Salt Lake Valley. It was way out there enough that I hope you’ll find it interesting too.
As we read in Eph 2: 19-21, Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone. At each of our temples, we have cornerstones, with the Southeast being the chief cornerstone. For the Kirtland, Independence, and Nauvoo temples, Joseph Smith conducted a lively celebration when these cornerstones were laid for each corner. To honor those celebrations, Pres. Hinckley recreated the ceremony when the Nauvoo temple was dedicated.
Pres. Hinckley explains,
“…When buildings were built, as this building was first built (talking about the Nauvoo Temple), they dug a trench around what would become the foundation of the building. Then they laid a huge cornerstone at the southeast corner and had some dedicatory services, including a short speech and a prayer…The first corner is presided over by the First Presidency of the Church. Then in the southwest corner, the Aaronic Priesthood will participate with the Presiding Bishop of the Church, as well as the bishop, a deacon and a priest of the ward. Then we move around to the northwest corner, where we will have the stake presidents and the elder’s quorum presidents. Then we will move to the northeast corner, where President Packer, representing the Council of the Twelve Apostles, will place that cornerstone. Then we will come back to this place of beginning for a brief service…”
He further explains why we start at the southeast corner.
“Brigham Young explained that this is where they first see the light of day. As the sun rises in the east, it is here that they first see the light. And that is the reason for placing the southeast cornerstone first. And in the construction of temples, the Melchizedek Priesthood is on the east side, and the Aaronic Priesthood is on the west side.”
The Church is nothing short of consistent. If you have ever noticed, on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, the Base Meridian sits at the southeast corner fanning out throughout the state where everything is perfectly measured against Temple Square.
As well, on this map, you will see marking the original nineteen wards that Brigham Young organized. Starting at the southeast corner of the valley (they had only made it as far as 10th East, 9th South, roughly 6th West, and 6th North), the First Ward was formed and each ward continues snaking toward Temple Square (Temple Block), with the Nineteenth Ward north of Temple Square.
If that wasn’t enough to consider, I did some research on the Internet about cornerstones and found something that was totally new to me and may be of interest to you, as well.
For several years, Jews have been trying to move the cornerstone of Herod’s Temple into place to build their Third Temple. As we know, there was Solomon’s Temple, then Herod’s, and Jews know the prophecies that a Third Temple must be built on Temple Mount before the coming of Messiah Ben David. I found several articles where they were announcing that the cornerstone would be moved amidst a great celebration. But it was evident that it never actually happened. Until May of this year. (I believe this is an ongoing attempt, however.)
The article I found finally used past tense, so I can only assume it actually happened. I feel bad that the media didn’t spread this great news to the world, but I guess I’m not surprised. This is what the article opens with:
(Note: Jews never use the name of God. They use other names and the Tetragrammaton. In this article, you will see how they avoid using His name–G-d.)
“The Cornerstone for the Third Temple, weighing 13 tons, that the Temple Mount Faithful Movement prepared to be laid on the Temple Mount and start the process of the building of the Third Temple, was carried by the Temple Mount and land of Israel Faithful Movement as they marched from Ammunition Hill to the Temple Mount on ‘Jerusalem Day’, 21 May 2009. The holy Cornerstone was driven from Ammunition Hill to Jaffa Gate and along the western walls of the Old city to the downtown streets of Jerusalem and was presented to the people of Israel and to the entire world for the first time since the destruction of the Holy Temple in the year 70 CE.”
“The G-d of Israel had a very clear intention, as a focus of His end time plans, to bring to pass the focus and the climax of His prophetic end time plans: to rebuild His end time Third Temple and to open a new g-dly moral time in the life of Israel and all the world exactly as He prophesied through His prophet Isaiah.”
They quote from Isaiah 2:1-4, which talks about “the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains”, which brings us back to the Salt Lake Temple being built in Utah, high in the mountains.
I am in awe at seeing prophecies in the act of fulfillment, and being right in the middle of everything. Old Jerusalem is being prepared, as well as New Jerusalem. According to the Jews, these are the prophecies that must be fulfilled. They match very closely with what the LDS believe will happen:
- “First is the foundation of the modern state of Israel and the miraculous victories that G-d gave the people of Israel in the wars against 22 Arab enemy states.” (Indeed, God has been with them all this time, especially during the many wars they’ve fought, including the Six-Day War, which was truly a miracle.)
- “Second is the regathering of the people of Israel from all over the world to the Promised Land.” (There has definitely been a gathering to Israel, but we believe that the true gathering comes in entering the fold of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.)
- “Third is the liberation and consecration of the Temple Mount and fourth is the building of the Third Temple.” (We all want to see this event. To have the Dome of the Rock either demolished or made available to the Jews. Then, dare I even say, one of our temples will stand on this sacred mount. This cannot be ignored by any news agency.)
- “The final step is the coming of the King of Israel, Messiah Ben David.”
I not only discovered something I had no idea about, but I also feel that all of these happenings greatly involve me as a member of this church. There are hidden meanings and happenings that may not determine my salvation; nevertheless, this is eternal history in the making and maybe I ought to be paying better attention to it.
“President Hinckley and the Nauvoo Temple,” Ensign, July 2002