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Parry sees in Psalm 24 a possible reference to ancient prayer circles, noting that “prayer with upraised arms was an essential feature of holy petitions put up to God in the temple of Solomon.” “Clean hands” can also be thought of as a symbol of the justificatory remission of sins while a “pure heart” can be considered as the result of the process of sanctification. James Tissot, 1836–1902, Dedication of the Temple, ca. In other words, both acts (represented by the hands) and thoughts (represented by the heart) must reflect righteousness, along with the lips that utter the prayer. The message of the Psalm is clear: In order to enter into the temple (the “hill of the Lord,” called “the mountain of the Lord’s house” in Isaiah 2:2), one must have clean hands and a pure heart. The Psalmist wrote: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” John Tvedtnes explains: Notably, in the art of the catacombs, the orans posture was specifically associated with prayer offered by or in behalf of deceased souls. This classical orans (= Latin “praying”) position was practiced by priests in temples throughout the ancient world, and was formerly used in Latter-day Saint sacrament prayers. Not surprisingly, Christians have also long connected the tradition with the posture of crucifixion. Even today, this gesture is widely recognized as a sign of distress, a call for help, and a demonstration of peaceful intent. Indeed, some texts specifically assert that its exercise goes back to the very beginning (e.g., “Adam was then offering on the altar, and had begun to pray, with his hands spread unto God” ). The practice of prayer with uplifted hands is frequently mentioned in ancient sources. Notable features of such prayers include uplifted hands, introductions spoken in an unknown language, repetition, and the veiling of the face by women.
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In this essay, I will explore sources that purport to give details about ancient forms of prayer rooted in the experiences of Adam and Eve. (Note that some modern temples have only one or two ordinance rooms, where a given room might represent multiple stages in our return, but only one stage at a time. Later, He gave them additional instruction and commandments in order to set their feet back on the way toward the Garden of Eden which is, of course, the path that terminates in “the way of the Tree of Life.” In a passage from the Midrash Tehillim, the Hebrew term teshuvah, which denotes “return” but scripturally means “repentance” or “conversion,” is used to describe the way back to the Garden, signifying “the movement that brings every thing and every being back to its supernal origin,” the “return to the celestial abode.” The spiritual movement of turning away from the sinful world and back toward humankind’s heavenly origins is mirrored in the layout of ordinance rooms in some modern temples. In answer to their petitions, Adam and Eve heard the Lord’s voice calling them back from their place of exile on the fallen earth. Moses 5:4 tells us that Adam and Eve offered prayer after they left the Garden of Eden:Īnd Adam and Eve, his wife, called upon the name of the Lord, and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden, speaking unto them, and they saw him not for they were shut out from his presence.
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Walter Rane (1949–), The Angel with Adam and Eve. Complexities in the English Language of the Book of Mormon - 2015įigure 1.Undaunted: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon.Robert Cundick: A Sacred Service of Music.