The new movie for the endowment is awesome - choc full of great symbolism and much more expression of the true dilemma faced by Adam and Eve as they navigated the beginnings of their earthly agency.
The one symbolic thing I really loved was how the Tree of Life was portrayed. It was pretty doctrinally correct as it showed the springs of living waters flowing out from under it and initiating the head of the four rivers that flowed out of the Garden of Eden in the four cardinal directions. Since this new film, I have been inspired to get out a book that is just packed with fantastic doctrine and is a must-read for anyone who is a regular temple attendee - and who wants to get "something new" out of the symbolism each time they attend. I am not counting the personal revelation that can be had - as well...... Anyway, this book, is fantastic - and I would bet that the author is related to Hugh B. Brown:
In this book, there is affirmation of what I already knew about this flow of living waters. Both temples (the New Jerusalem and the Old Jerusalem) will have this flow of water out from under them restored. According to Jewish legend, the old Jerusalem is the first place to emerge from the waters during the creation process and is known as the navel of the earth. Fitting for a place that was also the birthplace of modern Christianity. The place where the umbilical with the Divine was established so firmly.
Spencer spoke of the waters that were so curative and had such life-giving properties flowing out from under the temple at the NJ. These are the same waters that flowed out of the Garden of Eden - that was there. The Tree of Life is associated with the Holy of Holies. This same phenomenon will occur when the waters begin to flow from under the temple at the OJ.
As an interesting side note, there was a spring in the basement of the original Nauvoo Temple - which was capped and used as a well for filling the adjacent Baptismal Font, etc. I cannot speak authoritatively, but the St. George Temple was built on marshy (springs?) ground. They had to bring in rock and compact it into the marshy ground using an old canon before the ground was stable enough to put a foundation on.
I do not believe a similar set of circumstances existed in either the Manti, Logan or Salt Lake temples. This may be due to the fact there was running water in pipes by that time and it was no longer necessary, etc.
Anyway, I highly recommend the book. Even though I read it several years before, I have learned many things since then - and this is really proving to be fascinating to me once again.
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