Without Disclosing My True Identity
mind that everything presented in the endowment is purely symbolic and
figurative of some greater eternal truth.)The purpose of mortality has been explained as the opportunity to experience
existence without the intervention of the Gods or the institution of Their
laws. This is so that in the end, by virtue of the nature of adversities
experienced and recorded in the memories of our probations, we will
ultimately agree with the sensibilities of our Eternal Parents and with the
eternal plan and laws of happiness as they relate to our individual
propensities.^69 Thus consigned and reconciled, we will be able to resurrect to
the environment (different kingdom/planet) which best befits our nature and
happiness wherein we freely choose to follow those eternal laws without
adversity or flaws within our nature, which we experienced with a “fallen”
body of flesh and bone.Keep in mind, it was God who planted the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
(which is the Veil under which we suffer and experience the vicissitudes of life),
thereby becoming the source of both Good and Evil. Our Creators provided the
opportunity for evil just as They did for good. However, as explained above, the
nature of a Celestial Being is such that They will not tell us to do that which will
bring us unhappiness; therefore, Elohim commanded Adam and Eve not to
partake of evil fruit (that which brings us unhappiness) because our Creators
cannot go against the very purpose of Their own existence.Cherubim and the flaming sword have been explained, with the flaming sword
symbolizing the refining fire of the word of God (the real truth) that comes
from the words the prophets and others speak as they preach repentance
without revealing the mysteries of God. Ultimately, these mysteries can
only be known by the power and ministrations of the Holy Ghost (common
sense and reality). Cherubim (the Veil, or our inability to remember
anything previous to our current mortality)^70 is in place to keep us from
knowing or remembering the reality of our Creators and Their laws, so
that we can truly experience the effects of Their absence without feeling
compelled or coerced into following Their commands.^71Joseph Learns Truth Hidden in Ecclesiastes
When Joseph asked the Brothers where his education should begin, he was given
some homework. Because Joseph knew how to read the Bible, it having been the primary
source of his early learning since the First Visitation, John told Joseph to spend the next
few days (this was given on Monday, September 22, 1823) studying the book of
Ecclesiastes. That was all that he was told to do until they met again. Because Joseph
now had the ability to call upon many past memories that he otherwise would not have
been able to before Moroni “adjusted” his brain, he had a completely different overall
perspective of everything. Upon reading Ecclesiastes, everything started to fall into
place. John knew that Ecclesiastes had more truth in its short 12 chapters, in regards to
real truth, than the rest of the entire Bible.