Sacred Symbols: Finding Meaning in Rites, Rituals and Ordinances

Jan 21, Amanda rated it it was amazing. I would recommend this book to all Mormons and symbol-curious non-Mormons, I suppose. I could not put it down and learned so much! I imagine this will be my fave LDS book of Sep 27, Karin rated it really liked it Shelves: This was a really eye-opening read. I saw it at the right time in my life. It provided some really great jumping off places for some really great insights. It is not for everybody. But it was right for me. Right now, where I am in my life.

Aug 01, Shyloh rated it it was amazing. Amazing research and context. If you wonder what things mean in the temple and want to enrich your experience, this book will do it!! Gaskill is a member of the Seventy and his delicate approach to the topic of temple worship is wonderful. This one is on my top ten! Aug 30, Sher rated it it was amazing. I was able to listen to this fabulous book on audible.

Sacred Symbols: Finding Meaning in Rites, Rituals and Ordinances

I have read other books by this author and loved them so I grabbed this one when it became available. He did his best to minimize the distraction, but there for a while my skin was crawling! However the content overcame the discomfort. It is a fascinating subject! Jul 23, Susan rated it really liked it. This book had so many fascinating insights into symbols.

Written from an LDS perspective, but using scholarly research from the rites of many religions, I found particular fascination in the similarities of rituals and appreciated the additional insight provided from other religious scholars on meaning. One of the best chapters is on people as symbols, and looking at Adam and Eve as symbols of the bride the church and the bridegroom Christ. It really opens up so much understanding.

Sep 05, Trent Mikesell rated it liked it. I know Alonzo, and he is a wonderful and captivating speaker. He is an even better person. I didn't personally love this book because it's just not an area of interest for me, but I think members of the Church of Jesus Christ would enjoy learning more about symbolism in their religion and the history of that symbolism both historically and religiously.

Jun 29, Skylar Hatfield rated it it was amazing. If I could give this book a six star rating, I would.

• Полосатый захватчик (Russian Edition);
• Sacred Symbols: Finding Meaning in Rites, Rituals and Ordinances.
• Filastrocche. Canti conte girotondi (Italian Edition);

I found it so enlightening that I am re-reading it. Though the book is written by an LDS author for an LDS readership, it would be instructional to all striving to understand religious symbolism as the sources are often ancient and sometimes not "Christian". The book is so well annotated, and the footnotes are as informative and interesting as the main body of text. My symbolic thinking has been flat and undeveloped. This author opened my eye If I could give this book a six star rating, I would. This author opened my eyes to the depth of meaning behind scripture, sacraments, architecture, and clothing.

I had often heard that for one to learn the true message behind the creation story of the Old Testament, one should consider oneself Adam or Eve, but I had not been able to apply that instruction. This author opened a way for me to begin to see the richer meaning behind the creation scriptures. I have read the entire Old Testament and found it dry and mostly dead, but this book revealed Old Testament connections that I had completely missed.

The author is very respectful of all religions. While reading this book, I could not stop recommending it to friends. Jul 15, Ron Tenney rated it really liked it. As an exhaustive primer on understanding the numerous symbols of temple worship, I can think of no book better suited for study. As I was reading this book, I frequently thought of all the powerful information packed on nearly every page that unpacks the language, mystery, ritual and clothing of the temple. Gaskill is a good writer with an inexhaustible library of references and footnotes at the end of every chapter.

If I had time and the interest, the study of the footnotes would surely have ma As an exhaustive primer on understanding the numerous symbols of temple worship, I can think of no book better suited for study. If I had time and the interest, the study of the footnotes would surely have made this book even more valuable. I did follow a few of the footnotes of interest. In many cases, the text in the footnotes were very detailed and informative.

Sacred Symbols: Finding Meaning in Rites, Rituals, and Ordinances | BYU Studies

It is obvious that this is both has both a scholarly as well as lay audience in mind. I imagine that I will return to this book time and again as a reference to deepen my understanding of the Temple. I highly recommend this book to members of the LDS church seeking to deepen their understanding of the temple. May 02, Dlora rated it it was amazing Shelves: A fantastic, scholarly book looking at the commonality of symbolic forms through many religions and across time that sheds great light on the temple ceremony.

And be sure to read the footnotes--they often had wonderful information that I was glad I hadn't missed. The more you know about the temple experience, the more this book will enrich your understanding and worship experience there. Perhaps this book has more of a draw to someone who loves symbols and layers of meaning, but as Elder John A A fantastic, scholarly book looking at the commonality of symbolic forms through many religions and across time that sheds great light on the temple ceremony.

Perhaps this book has more of a draw to someone who loves symbols and layers of meaning, but as Elder John A Widstoe said, "We live in a world of symbols. No man or woman can come out of the temple endowed as he should be unless he has seen, beyond the symbol, the mighty realities for which the symbols stand. Dec 24, Hilary Roberts rated it liked it Shelves: P Cedar Fort, Inc.

No Reviews are Available. Most Helpful Most Recent. For every member Before Endowments I am 66 years old and left the church due to my own lack of understanding of what I was doing and why. Sher from Provo I learned so much! Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention highly recommend rituals and ordinances rites rituals well written symbols understanding temple informative symbolism footnotes gaskill insightful helpful meaning religion ancient insight religious sacred.

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Great book, very insightful. I bought multiple copies of the CDs to also give to family members. My mom made the same comment when we discussed the book. One of the copies also came with a smashed case for the CDs. The book itself is five stars, but I am taking one off because of the ridiculous speaking speed and because one of the cases was broken. Highly recommend anything by this author.

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This book is for my daughter and her husband, who loved the things I shared with her when I was reading my copy of this book before she went to the temple for the first time. It's always good to be reminded of why these things are sacred, important, and need to be respected. One person found this helpful. This book is a fantastic read! It is very insightful and I've found it difficult to put down. If you're wanting to learn more about symbols and symbolism in religion, this is your book.

But it, you won't regret it. Great and informative book about the symbols used in various religions. Documentation for sources is detailed and very helpful in order to understand the source of the symbolic meaning. A must read for anyone who has looked for symbolic meaning in the various religious symbols of their own religion, but has struggled to find an answer.

This book unfolds the 'mysteries' of heaven that are symbols here - the careful annotations what fun to read the footnotes! I have not read this yet because I have so much reading ahead of this book. Gaskill is a very good author so I am looking forward to it. If your LDS, this is absolutely a favorite book for understanding temple symbols! Love it and have gifted it many times.

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