-great
and spacious building = mankind’s pride, wisdom that is foolishness, man’s
vanity, self-deception of grandeur, pride of the world
-why the
symbols of the specific adjectives “great” and “spacious”?
-the building seems to be
important, powerful (has all the outward appearances), but it is not.
“I also cast my
eyes round about”
-it is no
sin to recognize choices. We are to
question and consider, we are to be faced with opposition and see alternatives
but that is quite different from choosing or supporting the unworthy or evil alternatives. When we “buy into” or indulge –even in
thought- on the wrong/evil side of a choice then the problem has
commenced. Lehi looked and weighed out
the world around him but he was never “ashamed” and certainly did not make
mental plans to enter or go to the building.
“on the other
side of the river of water”
-between
good and evil there is always a line of demarcation that we are not to
pass. It separates the wicked from the
righteous. The devil sets up his kingdom
in contrast to –not in concert with or on the same side as- God and his
kingdom. In order to entice those on
God’s side he will make his terrain appear more attractive; he does this by
focusing on our temporal appetites rather than our spiritual or eternal
appetites.
-while it
may appear that choosing the right is more difficult than choosing evil, those
who end up in the great and spacious building will recognize that getting there
took effort. It may appear like more fun
and require less sacrifice or self-denial and discipline but it does take work
to get to hell. This work is often masked by sensual stimulation that is
pleasurable to the physical body. The
effort or work is going to be required of us whichever way we trod, so we might
as well pursue the right path. This is
clearly illustrated by comparing Nephi to Laman and Lemuel. Each engaged in the voyage from Jerusalem to
the promised land, the effort required was the same for both, but the
destination each arrived at (spiritually speaking) was diametrically contrasting. In fact, the journey was arguably easier for
Nephi than for Laman and Lemuel -they
spent much time, effort and energy suffering from the consequences of “kicking
against God.”
-in this
image we have two contrasting elements/symbols:
-how are
these two opposed to each other?
-Lucifer
always imitates characteristics of God’s principles with an evil corollary,
(i.e. love vs. lust, happiness vs. pleasure) how is the great and spacious
building an adultery of the good that is in the tree of life?
·
Both are a type of destination (goal or
objective)
·
Both are proclaimed to be sources of joy
However there are also clear contradictions between the
tree and the building:
-a
building is not natural , it is the workmanship of man. Man cannot create/make a tree. In this same light, a building “high above
the earth”, in the air must have been very impressive, alluring, even
intimidating compared to some lowly tree.
But that appearance is very shallow and deceptive. Man’s workmanship is sometimes considered
remarkable (pyramids, skyscrapers, beautiful architecture and inventions) but
his objects are a reworking of the materials God created. Even so, man cannot begin to match the
majesty of a sunset, of mountains or of the Grand Canyon.
“great and
spacious building”
-this is
the great temple of man. It is the
monument to man’s self-estemation.
“it stood in
the air, high above the earth.”
-there
was another building fitting this description almost exactly. The Tower of Babel extended high into the
air, above the earth. Is this
visualization conincidental or are the two comparable typologies? The people involved in both stand in
opposition to God. They are consumed
with their own greatness. They and their
artifacts (the building itself which is the object of their greatness) are
superior to the naïve and imbecilic believers of God. They are antagonistic in their view of those
who do not believe that we are the gods of our existence.
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