Inspiration
    He is not here, but is risen - Luke 24:6
    Trending Posts
    • The Sower, the Tree of Life and the Degrees of Glory
    • Characteristics vs. Attributes: Demystifying Lectures 3 and 4
    • Macrocosm, Mesocosm, Microcosm
    Trending
    • Have you been baptized by fire?
    • 26 – What is the doctrine of Christ and the fulness of the gospel?
    • #25 – How Nephi leverages scriptures heroes to his advantage
    • “Whoso knocketh, to him he will open”
    • Lehi’s escape from a polygamist Jerusalem
    • #24 – The attributes of a Heavenly Mother?
    • #23 – Comfort is the thief of growth
    • #22 – Coyote, chickens, and an impenetrable fortress designed in wisdom and love
    oneClimbs.comoneClimbs.com
    • Podcast
      • Apple Podcasts
      • Spotify
      • Anchor.fm
    • Topics
      • Atonement
      • Symbolism
      • Temple Prep
      • Temples
      • Notebook
      • Vlog
    • Study Tools
      • Etymology Dictionary
      • Lectures on Faith.com
      • LDSSymbols.com
      • LDS Architecture Blog
      • Number in Scripture
      • Interpreter Foundation
      • Isaiah Explorer
      • ScriptureNotes
      • Septuagint (English)
      • Strong’s Condordance
      • The Book of Isaiah (IIT)
      • Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
    • About
      • About oneClimbs
      • Contact
    oneClimbs.comoneClimbs.com
    Home»Sugardoodle»Symbolism and Sacredness: Ideas for Teaching Children

    Symbolism and Sacredness: Ideas for Teaching Children

    We can respect the sacredness of the temple by teaching children and youth of all ages about symbolism

    President Benson once lamented, ”Because of [the Temple’s] sacredness we are sometimes reluctant to say anything about the Temple to our children and grandchildren. As a consequence, many do not develop a real desire to go to the Temple, or when they go there, they do so without much background to prepare them for the obligations and covenants they enter into.” (President Benson, “What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the Temple,” Ensign, August (1985): 6-10, emphasis added)

    We want to maintain the sacredness of the temple and be true to our covenants, but we also want to make sure we are properly preparing our children for the temple. This can be a challenge for many members of the church, but there are many things we can do to help our children prepare now, at any age.

    President David O. McKay revealed that his first temple experience was difficult because he was so focused on what he called “the mechanics” that he missed the symbolism.

    “Do you remember when you first went through the House of the Lord? I do. And I went out disappointed. Just a young man, out of college, anticipating great things when I went to the Temple. I was disappointed and grieved, and I have met hundreds of young men and young women since who had that experience. I have now found out why. There are two things in every Temple: mechanics, to set forth certain ideals, and symbolism, what those mechanics symbolize. I saw only the mechanics when I first went through the Temple. I did not see the spiritual. I did not see the symbolism of spirituality… I was blind to the great lesson of purity behind the mechanics. I did not hear the message of the of the Lord. … And then that great ordinance, the endowment. The whole thing is simple in the mechanical part of it, but sublime and eternal in its significance.” (From Gregory Prince and Wm. Robert Wright. David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2005): 277, emphasis added)

    Symbols bridge heaven and earth and are essential to all of God’s covenants

    David A. Edwards observed, “Through symbols, the Lord forges a link with us by using the things of this earth to represent the things of heaven. He has given us revelations, prophecies, teachings, ordinances, and ceremonies filled with symbols that can give us spiritual insights if we are prepared to receive them.” (The Simplicity of Symbols, The New Era, February 2007, emphasis added)

    Joseph Fielding McConkie and Donald W. Parry wrote, “Symbols are the universal tongue. … Symbols are the language in which all gospel covenants and all ordinances of salvation have been revealed. From the time we are immersed in the waters of baptism to the time we kneel at the altar of the temple with the companion of our choice in the ordinance of eternal marriage, every covenant we make will be written in the language of symbolism.” (Joseph Fielding McConkie and Donald W. Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols (1990), 1., emphasis added)

    John A. Widtsoe taught about the importance of symbols, “We live in a world of symbols. We know nothing, except by symbols. We are glad to have symbols, if only the meaning of the symbols is brought home to us… No man or woman can come out of the temple endowed as he should be, unless he has seen, beyond the symbol, the mighty realities for which the symbols stand. (“Temple Worship,” page 62, emphasis added)

    We can prepare our children at any age, and those preparing for future missions and marriages for the temple by teaching them now about symbolism. This may seem like a daunting task, you might not know much about symbols yourself let alone how to teach others, but we can help you get started!

    Helping Children Understand Symbolism

    If you want to get started learning about symbols, here are some links below with some age-appropriate material that can be studied by the youth.

    Primary

    • Teaching with symbols (lds.org)

    YM/YW (12-18)

    • What symbols do you see? (lds.org)
    • Symbolism and Temple Preparation (lds.org)
    • What happens inside temples? (lds.org)
    • Why Symbols? (lds.org)

    Pre-mission/marriage

    • Understanding Scriptural Symbols (lds.org)
    • Symbolism and Temple Preparation (lds.org)
    • Endowed From on High: Lesson 5: Learning from the Lord through Symbols (lds.org)
    • David O McKay Temple Address (byui.edu)
    • Through the Veil: Pondering the Temple Experience Through Scripture (oneClimbs.com)
    • The Simplicity of Symbols (lds.org)
    • Moses and Facial Veils
    • “Putting on the Names”: A Jewish-Christian Legacy
    • Creation sequence from the movie “The Tree of Life”

    Websites about LDS Temples and symbolism

    • LDSSymbols.com
    • TempleStudy.com
    • LDSChurchTemples.com
    • thetrumpetstone.blogspot.com
    • LDS Topical Guide: Symbolism

    Symbolism activities and resources

    We have assembled some practical tools, activities, and resources to help even young primary-aged children learn about symbols! There are printables, products, and fun activities to help get you started!

    Printable and Products for all ages

    • LDS Symbol Cards
    • Symbol Card Printables

    Primary

    • Resource 1
    • Resource 2
    • Resource 3

    YM/YW (12-18)

    • Resource 1
    • Resource 2
    • Resource 3

    Pre-mission/marriage

    • Resource 1
    • Resource 2
    • Resource 3

    Recommended books on symbolism

    If you feel like you would want to expand your own knowledge of symbols, there is a list of great books below that we recommend.

    Symbolism Essentials

    • A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe, Michael S. Schnieder
    • The Lost Language of Symbolism: An Essential Guide for Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols of the Gospel, Alonzo L. Gaskill

    Preparation for Temple Ordinances

    • Dear Jeff: Candid Advice from an Older Brother on Preparing to Enter the Temple, J Washburn
    • Your Endowment Paperback, Mark A. Shields
    • Sacred Walls: Learning from Temple Symbols, Gerald E. Hansen and Val Brinkerhoff
    • Sacred Symbols: Finding Meaning in Rites, Rituals and Ordinances, Alonzo L. Gaskill
    • The Gate of Heaven: Insights on the Doctrines and Symbols of the Temple, Matthew B. Brown

    Advanced Study

    • The Day Star: Reading Sacred Architecture, Val Brinkerhoff
    • Symbols in Stone: Symbolism on the Early Temples of the Restoration, Paul Thomas Smith and Matthew B. Brown
    • Number in Scripture, E. W. Bullinger
    • Sacred Geometry Philosophy and Practice, Robert Lawlor
    • The Book of Symbols, Taschen
    • Symbols and Their Meanings, Jack Tresidder

    Other references to Symbols from LDS leaders and publications:

    Gerald N. Lund
    “Sidney B. Sperry noted some years ago that this penchant for figurative language is partially due to the fact that the Bible is the product of Oriental or Eastern peoples—and Eastern peoples are much more prone to use imagery than are the Occidentals or Western cultures: “We ofttimes read our Bible as though its peoples were English or American and interpret their sayings in terms of our own background and psychology. But the Bible is actually an Oriental book. It was written centuries ago by Oriental people and primarily for Oriental people … It may be of interest to contrast the speech of modern and ancient Palestinians with our own. In thought and speech the Oriental is an artist; the Occidental, on the other hand, may be thought of as an architect. When speaking, the Oriental paints a scene whose total effect is true, but the details may be inaccurate; the Occidental tends to draw diagrams accurate in detail.” (Ensign, May 1972, pp. 29–30.) While this difference provides some interesting challenges for the modern reader in our Western civilization, those challenges are not insurmountable, and when they are met, the returns can be productive and satisfying. (“Understanding Scriptural Symbols”, October 1986)

    David A. Edwards
    “Almost anything can be used as a symbol: images, shapes, colors, objects, actions, gestures, words. From architecture, to art, to corporate logos, to computer icons, to national flags, to civic and religious ceremonies, symbols are all around us. One of the greatest virtues of symbols is that they stimulate our minds and help us learn. And they are especially valuable when they make us think more clearly and deeply about things that truly matter, such as the gospel.” (The Simplicity of Symbols, The New Era, February, 2007)

    John W. Welch
    “Because of our difficulty in comprehending His infinite nature and divine fulness, God speaks to us in similitudes (see Moses 5:7). Symbols draw our finite minds to sacred truths that are embedded in the mystery of Christ’s incomparable gospel…” (“The Good Samaritan: Forgotten Symbols”, Ensign, February 2007)

    Russell M. Nelson
    “There we are taught in the Master’s way. His way differs from modes of others. His way is ancient and rich with symbolism. We can learn much by pondering the reality for which each symbol stands.” (“Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” Liahona, July 2001, 38; Ensign, May 2001, 33.)

    Lenet Hadley Read
    “For many reasons, scriptural symbolism can and should be generally self-discovered. All we need is an awareness of the presence of symbolism, a desire to comprehend it, a willingness to study, and perhaps a few examples to get us started. Then, as we study the symbols, the Holy Ghost will help us discover what meaning each symbol has for us.” (“All Things Testify of Him: Understanding Symbolism in the Scriptures,” Ensign, January 1981)

    From the New Era
    #42. Study symbols or objects from the scriptures whose meaning you don’t understand. You can divide it into categories, such as colors (red, white), body parts (shoulders, heart), animals (lamb, wolf), clothing (robe, hem), food (milk, fruit), natural elements (fire, water), places (Zion, Dead Sea), numbers (7, 40), objects (swords, oil), and nature (trees, sand).” (“50 Fun Things to Learn,” The New Era, September 2014)

    Inspiration

    The Lord Almighty chose the weak things of this world. He could handle them. He therefore chose Joseph Smith because he was weak and he had sense enough to know it. - Wilford Woodruff

    New Post Email Notifications

    You can subscribe any time, and I will ONLY use your email to send you new post updates.

    Trending Posts
    • Articles , Symbolism
      The Sower, the Tree of Life and the Degrees of Glory

      There are several similarities between the the parable of the sower, Nephi'...

    • Articles
      Characteristics vs. Attributes: Demystifying Lectures 3 and 4

      Every now and then you find an answer that is extremely satisfying almost i...

    • Symbolism
      Macrocosm, Mesocosm, Microcosm

      Macrocosm: the harmonious order of the natural Universe. Mesocosm: the harm...

    • Articles
      *UPDATED: Possible First Century Christian Lead Plates Discovered in Jordan

      A group of 70 or so "books", each with between five and 15 lead leaves boun...

    • Articles , Symbolism , Temples
      Restoring the pentagram to its proper place

      Most people today associate the pentagram with evil, but why? The truth may...

    Recent Comments
    • Robdog on The Mother, the Dove, Mercy, and the Holy Spirit: “Also, if you read the entire chapter this same messenger is referred to as an angel of the Lord. Upon…”
    • Steve Reed on Have you been baptized by fire?: “Very cool, Michael, thanks for sharing. For the sake of others who may be reading your comment and wondering, I’ll…”
    • Michael on Have you been baptized by fire?: “I really enjoyed this post. To be short and concise, I had a baptism of fire experience when I was…”
    • Steve Reed on Have you been baptized by fire?: “I hear you, but I think the core promise of Christ’s doctrine should be experienced by every member of the…”
    • Particle Man on Have you been baptized by fire?: “Everyone’s experiences vary. Each of us has been allotted differently. We are blessed according to our faith, repentance, forgiveness, sacrifice,…”
    New Post Email Notifications

    You can subscribe any time, and I will ONLY use your email to send you new post updates.

    Inspiration
    Forgiveness can never be indifference. Forgiveness is love towards the unlovely. - George MacDonald
    About this Site

    I created oneClimbs as a place to organize my thoughts and share my observations with anyone who might find the information useful. All content on this site is considered a work in progress that is often updated when new insights are obtained.

    oneClimbs.com

    LecturesOnFaith.com  //  LDSSymbols.com

    © 2023 oneClimbs. All content unique to oneClimbs is fair use. All other content is property of the respective copyright owner. oneClimbs.com is not owned, controlled, or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All views and opinions are of the authors here who are solely responsible for their content and should not be interpreted as official statements of Church doctrine, belief, or practice, unless specifically stated and correctly referenced.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.