"And my father dwelt in a tent" (1 Nephi 2:15)

Lehi's Tent

One of the truly remarkable and overlooked verses recorded by Nephi in the Book of Mormon is probably his shortest and most simple: "And my father dwelt in a tent" (1 Nephi 2:15). Some commentators suggest that this verse was a simple expression of Nephi's astonishment that his father, who used to be a man of material means, was now willing to live in a dwelling that offer much less comfort. The record states that Lehi "dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days" (1 Nephi 1:4). Thus, Lehi's living conditions undoubtedly changed as he adapted to the lifestyle of the nomad, but dwelling in a tent was not something completely foreign to him. This is suggested by an earlier notation made by Nephi that when his father departed into the wilderness, he "took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents. . ." (1 Nephi 2:4). Owing to the fact that he possessed tents, it reasonable to conclude that Lehi had more experience dwelling in them than what would have been discovered in this first epoch journey into the wilderness.

Nephi's record was written nearly 30 years after the actual events contained therein took place (see 2 Nephi 5:28-33). He further emphasized that upon "these plates" he recorded "the things of [his] soul" (2 Nephi 4:15) and did not "write anything upon plates save it be that [he thought] it be sacred" (1 Nephi 19:6) and "of worth unto the children of men" (1 Nephi 6:6). From a temporal perspective, Jacob noted that he could not "write but a little of [his] words, because of the difficulty of engraving [their] words upon plates" (Jacob 4:1). Nephi, his brothers, and Ishmael and his family all dwelt in tents as they traveled in the wilderness. So, why did Nephi make particular mention that his father dwelt in a tent when such a simple fact would have been more than obvious to any one reading the record? In light of all that is noted above, Nephi's mention of this rather ordinary fact must mean that he thought it was sacred and of worth to the children of men.

Although tents were the ordinary dwelling places of nomads, there were times when a tent represented much more. This was one of those times. The Hebrew for "tent" is o'-hel which means "a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance): covering, dwelling place, home, tabernacle, tent." In close connection herewith, the word "atonement" is derived from the Hebrew kaphar which means "to cover." Thus, the "covering of the tent" of the Tabernacle is symbolic of the covering provided by the Atonement for those who make the journey to come under its protection. Tent, therefore, is the name given to the dwelling places of many of the ancient patriarchs. Of particular interest is the description of the tent in which Abraham dwelt as he traveled from Ur, in Chaldea (i.e., Babylon):

Abraham's Tent

And I took Sarai, whom I took to wife when I was in Ur, in Chaldea, and Lot, my brother’s son, and all our substance that we had gathered, and the souls that we had won in Haran, and came forth in the way to the land of Canaan, and dwelt in tents as we came on our way;

Therefore, eternity was our covering and our rock and our salvation, as we journeyed from Haran by the way of Jershon, to come to the land of Canaan. (Abraham 2:15-16)

The conjunction "therefore" in verse 16 associates "tents" in verse 15 with "eternity as a covering, a rock, and salvation". In short, it places Abraham's tent in context of the "tent" of the Tabernacle, the name of the "covering" built by Moses and "every wisehearted man" in Israel (Exodus 35:10). To Moses, the Lord instructed:

And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.

And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.

And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.

And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins. (Exodus 26:7, 11-14; note that "badger's skins" is a mistranslation made by the King James translators. In each case, it should be translated as "dolphins' skins").

When King David afterwards became determined to build a house for the Lord, the Lord instructed Nathan, the prophet, to go to David and inform him that he was not to be the one who was to build a temple. He further informed Nathan that He had not dwelt in a house since the day when the children of Israel were brought up out of Egypt "but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle" (2 Samuel 7:4-7).

The tent in which Lehi dwelt was distinct from the tent in which Nephi and other members of the family dwelt. This is observed in the fact that Lehi's tent was the place where Nephi, his brothers, and Ishmael and his family congregated to offer sacrifice and burnt offerings:

And it came to pass that we did come down unto the tent of our father. And after I and my brethren and all the house of Ishmael had come down unto the tent of my father, they did give thanks unto the Lord their God; and they did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto him (1 Nephi 7:22).

The tent in which Lehi dwelt was a temple! Stating that his father, Lehi, dwelt in a tent was, therefore, "sacred" (1 Nephi 19:6), "of worth unto the children of men" (1 Nephi 6:6), and reflected "the things of [his] soul" (2 Nephi 4:15). Thus, despite "the difficulty of engraving [their] words upon plates" (Jacob 4:1), this simple sentence was certainly worth the effort and space.

As an aside, I think it is interesting to note that implicit in the concept of tent was the idea that it was "clearly conspicuous from a distance." Most temples today are built on high places and are such large edifices as to be "clearly conspicuous from a distance." In this regard, the Hebrew for "tent" is derived from from the primitive root word aw-hal' which means "to be clear: shine." In the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland temple, the prophet Joseph Smith made this important connection:

Remember all thy church, O Lord, with all their families, and all their immediate connections, with all their sick and afflicted ones, with all the poor and meek of the earth; that the kingdom, which thou hast set up without hands, may become a great mountain and fill the whole earth;

That thy church may come forth out of the wilderness of darkness, and shine forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners;

And be adorned as a bride for that day when thou shalt unveil the heavens, and cause the mountains to flow down at thy presence, and the valleys to be exalted, the rough places made smooth; that thy glory may fill the earth (D&C 109:72-74).

Referring to this bride, John, the Revelator recorded: "And there appeared a great sign in heaven, in the likeness of things on the earth; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars" (JST Revelation 12). When Joseph Smith built the Nauvoo temple, it was built with moonstones at its base. Above the moonstones were sunstones that circumferenced the temple round about. Around the top of the temple and under its eaves, were five and six-pointed stars, respectively. Wandle Mace—the foreman for all of the framework done on the Nauvoo Temple—left behind a statement that makes a clear connection between the visions of John the Revelator and the design of the Nauvoo temple. He said,

The order of architecture [on the Nauvoo Temple] was unlike anything in existence; it was purely original; being a representation of the Church, the Bride, the Lamb's wife. John the Revelator, in the 12[th] chapter [and] first verse of [the book of Revelation] says, 'And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.' This is portrayed in the beautifully cut stone of this grand temple (Wandle Mace, autobiography, 207, L. Tom Perry Special Collections Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah).

This woman, according to JST Revelation 12:7, is the Church of God. On earth, it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its temples on earth represent the bride being adorned for the coming of the bridegroom. They are clearly conspicuous from a distance and are the means by which the "church comes forth out of the wilderness of darkness, and shines forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun". Upon the east wall of each bride is the name of her husband, "The house of the LORD", symbolizing the fact that she has taken upon herself His name in solemn marriage. Another name for "house" is "tabernacle" and another name for "tabernacle" is "the body". Thus, she, the Church, is also referred to in scriptures as the "body of Christ" (see 1 Corinthians 12:27 and Ephesians 4:12). In her, the new birth occurs and the children of Christ are brought forth. Such children are "pure in heart" (D&C 97:21), or Zion (see JST Revelation 12:2-3, 7 and D&C 105:32).

What Nephi wrote concerning his father's tent places him squarely in an Old Testament setting. Maintaining this verse in the translation of the Book of Mormon is a confirmation that the Book of Mormon begins as an Old Testament book. If also confirms the truthfulness of its translation and witnesses that its translator, Joseph Smith, was a prophet, seer, and revelator. Of this I bear witness.

"Shewing Himself that He is God"

"Lesson 31 of the Sunday School curriculum includes some very familiar verses from the apostle Paul concerning the relationship between the Second Coming of Christ and the Great Apostasy that was to precede his coming. To correct the Thessalonian saints concerning their expectation that Christ would return in their day, the apostle Paul wrote:

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)

These verses were, and continue to be, favorites used by missionaries. They establish the fact of a universal apostasy following Jesus Christ. They further create the condition that necessitated a restoration of the true gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith. This application of these verses, however, is not what I desire to write about in this blog. Rather, I would like to focus my comments on the man of sin, the son of perdition, that is to be revealed and, moreso, the fact that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

"Anti" Christ Defined

"Anti" is a "a preposition signifying against, opposite, contrary, or in place of" (see Webster's 1828 Dictionary). Hence, when applied to a belief in Christ, two types of antichrist appear; one being, by far, more dangerous and seditious than the other. The first that poses the least threat to God and His saints are individuals, like Sherem, Korihor, or Zoramites, who argue that there is no Christ (see Jacob 7:2, Alma 30:6, 12-44, Alma 31:16). Inasmuch as Christ is the emblem of their religion, it does little good for one to tempt Christians to deny Him or to declare that his works do not redeem. Such antichrists, who outwardly adorn the wardrobe of wolves, are easily discerned and turned out by the congregations of the righteous.

Contrary, the second type of antichrist--the one who argues that he is Christ--is, indeed, a peril to the Saints. Some might argue that such wolves, dressed in their "Sunday best", are easily diagnosed and separated from the flock. NOT SO!! Such antichrists are far too subtle and, in fact, most Latter-day Saints have already embraced their philosophy.

"Anti" Christ Revealed

When he speaks of “the temple of God,” without other qualification, the apostle Paul appears to refer to the existing Temple of Jerusalem (comp. Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11, cited by our Lord in Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14). Attempts have been made to show that the Apostle’s words were literally fulfilled by certain outrages committed by the Herods upon the sacred building (see Meyer's NT Commentary). The shout of the populace at Cæsarea, hailing “the voice” of Herod Agrippa as that “of a god and not of a man,” illustrates the lengths to which a corrupt and servile crowd was prepared to go in worshipping an unclean beast (Acts 12:20-24).

But the Herods were not alone in demonstrating that the intoxication of supreme power can cause even the vile and common to declare that they are God. Eventually, Sebastos, the Greek rendering of the imperial title Augustus, signified “the one to be worshipped.” Caesar or Christ became the martyr’s alternative after Augustus "consented to be worshipped with temples and statues as a deity." Augustus Caesar died in the midst of the Savior's mortal probation. He believed that his empire was "secure and at peace." His reported last words were twofold. To his subjects he said, “I found Rome of clay; I leave it to you of marble.” But to the friends who had stayed with him in his rise to power he added, “Have I played the part well? Then applaud me as I exit.” Soon after his acknowledgement of this human frailty that visits paupers and kings alike, the Roman Senate officially declared their departed emperor, like Julius Caesar before him, to be a god. These emperors, however, considered individually or together in one big black ball, do not fit the crowning act of profanation described by the apostle Paul. At best, these kings were but a type--a dark shadow--of a day to come.

The Man of Sin Revealed
In his book called Revelation, the apostle John described a day wherein the devil would come "down to earth, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (JST Revelation 12:12). The apostle John was undoubtedly identifying the day seen also by the apostle Paul wherein the man of sin, the son of perdition, would be revealed. During a conference held June 3-6, 1931 in Kirtland, Ohio, the apostle Paul's words were, in part, literally fulfilled. In the journal of John Whitmer, Jr., he recorded that "Joseph Smith, Jr., prophesied . . . that the man of sin should be revealed" during the conference. Continuing, Brother Whitmer recorded that, on the following day, "while the Lord poured out his spirit upon his servants, the devil took a notion, to make known his power, he bound Harvey Whitlock and John Murdock so that they could not speak, and others were affected, [B]ut the Lord showed to Joseph the Seer, the design of the thing, [and] he commanded the devil[,] in the name of Christ[,] and he departed to our joy and comfort." Concerning events of that day, Joseph Smith likewise noted:

On the 3rd of June, the Elders from the various parts of the country where they were laboring, came in; and the conference before appointed, convened in Kirtland; and the Lord displayed His power to the most perfect satisfaction of the Saints. The man of sin was revealed, and the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood was manifested and conferred for the first time upon several of the Elders" (see History of the Church, 1:175).

Sanctuaries of the Holy Spirit

Notwithstanding how precisely these accounts accord with Paul's prophecy, the manner in which the man of sin is revealed and reigns, as God, in the temple of God is more subtle and, certainly, more personal than portrayed by the foregoing events. In our day, the great Usurper, who claims for himself that he is God, appropriates the sanctuaries of the Holy Spirit (compare D&C 88:137) and prostitutes them to his own worship. He seeks to possess the dwelling places that are not his (Habakkuk 1:5-11, 6) and to reign “within the temple of God—not in Jerusalem alone,” says Chrysostom, “but in every person's body.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges). 

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?", wrote the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). The Lord requires the hearts of the children of men (D&C 64:22). Unfortunately, this is also the residence of evil spirits (Mosiah 3:6; also D&C 45:55). It is where "anger rages" against that which is good (2 Nephi 28:20). Thus, speaking more precisely of the manner in which the apostle Paul's words would be fulfilled, the prophet Joseph Smith wrote:

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants, concerning the parable of the wheat and of the tares:
Behold, verily I say, the field was the world, and the apostles were the sowers of the seed;
And after they have fallen asleep the great persecutor of the church, the apostate, the whore, even Babylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose hearts the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign—behold he soweth the tares; wherefore, the tares choke the wheat and drive the church into the wilderness (D&C 86:1-3).

Those who are Babylon--the nations of the world enveloped in spiritual wickedness (see D&C 133:14)--are the means whereby the man of sin, the son of perdition, reigns in the temple of God! Their hearts are his throne and gross darkness is the hue of their minds (D&C 112:23).