Astrology
The entry in Mormon Doctrine that caught my attention was on the subject of astrology. Interestingly enough the Church denounces the practice of astrology yet has many carvings on the outside of the Nauvoo and Salt Lake Temple of that very thing.
I wrote an in-depth article on this some years ago and thought it’d be worthwhile to post what McConkie said as well as excerpts from my article. So what do you think? What’s the Mormon to think of this info?
Mormon Doctrine, pg 56; “Astrology. See ASTRONOMY, DIVINATION, FORTUNE TELLING, SORCERY. A form of divination and fortune telling akin to sorcery, astrology is a pseudo science that pretends to divulge the influence of the stars upon human affairs; it is a false science that claims to foretell earthly events by means of the positions and aspects of these heavenly luminaries.”
Continue reading, it keeps getting better…
“… Ancient uninspired peoples were frequently deluded by the snares of the astrologers among them (Isa. 47; Dan. 1:20; 2:27; 4:7; 5:7), but it is difficult to understand why people in modern and supposedly enlightened and civilized nations should submit to these same stargazing absurdities. Enlightened people in and out of the Church shun them for the abominations they are.”
Did you get all that? Amazing stuff wouldn’t you say? I’m wondering why they’d say one thing and do another…what a tangled web we weave…
Now read the following information coming directly from the same source (LDS Church);
“Located directly above the earthstones, the moon is depicted in its various phases around the temple. The changing moon can represent the stages of human progression from birth to resurrection or represent the patron’s journey from darkness to light.”
“Sunstones. Located directly about the moonstones, the sunstones depict the sun—a symbol of the glory of the celestial kingdom.”
FYI: For Your Info”, New Era, April 1993, pgs. 34-37; “Saturn Stones are located directly below the parapet on each side of the six towers. They represent Kolob, the dwelling place of God.”
“Cloud stones — There are only two cloud stones on the temple. They are located on the east center tower and represent the gospel piercing through superstition and the error of the world.”
“Starstones. Six-pointed stars represent the actual stars in the heaven. Upside-down five-pointed stars represent morning stars, compared to the “sons of God” in the scriptures. The large upright five-pointed stars may represent the governing power of the priesthood while the small upright five-pointed stars may represent the saving power of the priesthood for those who attach themselves to it.”
“Big Dipper. High on the west center tower is a depiction of the Big Dipper, a constellation used by travelers for thousands of years to find the North Star. It is an appropriate symbol for the temple where patrons come to get their bearings on the journey home.”
You can read my article on Inverted Stained Glass Pentagrams here.