Cumorah Messenger Drome and Incorporates Christianity and Being Killed

Volume 6, Issue 4 Bennu and Shehkinah By David B. Brown © 2012 December 15, 2012 What is the meaning of Nephi. This is the city that touched the heart of one of and purpose of the Quetzal Nephi established when he the priests named Alma. feathers we find on the moved to escape the threat Alma tried to intervene and headdresses of the priests in of death from his brother stop this death, but King Mesoamerica? Why did the Laman. But, this took place Noah forced Alma to flee the religious priests choose this at approximately 575 BC region for fear of losing his symbol? And, what about and we have nothing re- life. Alma was so moved by the Celestial Bird images corded from this city again this event that he wrote we find at Palenque? Is until Mosiah is compelled to down all the words of Abi- there evidence that these leave it and travel to Zara- nadi and then began to teach, symbols are related? The hemla at about 200 BC. baptize, and organize a use of bird imagery is pro- Shortly after arriving in church based on the preach- lific throughout the Mayan Zarahemla and Mosiah is ing of Abinadi and the im- culture. Is it possible to appointed King, a group press of the Holy Spirit. The trace these to a common headed by Zeniff decided to death of Abinadi became the beginning? One of the old- return to the City of Nephi birth of the movement that est presentations of the and he then became their would eventually become a Quetzal plumage is at the king. It was during the reign church, and this church is highland Maya site of of Zeniff’s son Noah that the one of the gifts which the Chinkultic. Here we find prophet Abinadi began to Magi brought to the Christ stela illustrating priests with preach to the people warning child. the Quetzal headdress. that they were wandering One of the stela at What event occurred at away from the gospel—and Chinkultic displays a Quet- Chinkultic that could be- much of this was pointed at zal priest surrounded by fire come the genesis of this King Noah and his courtly with his open-hand stretched Quetzal feather imagery? priests. The words of Abi- toward the king. This is the From our research we nadi were so pointed that stela that we have identified have come to the sound King Noah had Abinadi as telling the Abinadi story. conclusion that Chinkultic burned to death, but not be- If Abinadi is wearing a is the Book of Mormon City fore the words of Abinadi Continued on Page 2 The Geometric Gospel at Tonina By Neil Steede © 2012 The term Geometric many types of crosses and Therefore, the Sator Square Gospel is a name we have other symbols within its allowed two or more Chris- given to a method of using design. So, why keep the tians to communicate in geometric shapes and indi- gospel hidden? front of other people who cators to relate a gospel Sator Squares are found did not understand the mean- story. The most interesting in conjunction with Roman ing of the Sator Square. aspect of this method is that military garrisons. During The Bountiful Histori- it can only be read by those the time that the Sator cal Society of the Golden who possess the esoteric Square was being used Age Book of Mormon peo- knowledge. But, why write Christianity was an illegal ple could communicate to a something to an audience practice. The Roman sol- distant future generation of that is already aware of the diers who were used to believers in the same fash- contents of the story being eradicate Christianity were ion. That distant future gen- related? Answering this at times Christians them- Continued on Page 7 question requires that we selves. The Sator Square HILL CUMORAH EXPEDITION TEAM, INC review historical examples allowed them an opportunity Inside This Issue of geometric gospel and to communicate to one an- truly understand the intent other without being exposed Bennu and Shehkinah Cont. 2 - 4 of the inscription. A classi- to other Roman soldiers cal Old World example because a Christian Roman The Geometric Gospel at Tonina 7 & 8 would be Sator’s Square. soldier gained nothing by Cont. The Sator Square is a palin- simply proclaiming his Adventures in Archaeology 5 & 6

Cumorah Messenger drome and incorporates Christianity and being killed. Bennu and Shehkinah continued

Quetzal headdress at one of the earliest within it and reseal the ball with fresh top of a palm tree after making a nest sites for this Quetzal Cult concept, per- myrrh. The Bennu Bird would then fly the from aromatic twigs. The Bennu and the haps he is the first one. So, what is it long distance to the Temple of the Sun in nest would then consume in fire and a about Abinadi’s story that identifies him Heliopolis carrying with him the bones of new bird would rise from the ashes that as one of the first who is worthy to wear his parents encased in myrrh. There, the would then fly away. This story gener- the headdress of Quetzal feathers? Why a Bennu would place his myrrh ball in the ated from the region of Heliopolis which Quetzal bird for the imagery? Abinadi is the capital city for the land of Goshen gave his life for a spiritual cause and by so where the children of Israel resided in doing gave birth to a new spiritual move- Egypt for hundreds of years prior to the ment. From his death came new life. This Exodus. The Bennu Bird is specifically sounds eerily similar to the Phoenix story. mentioned in the Book of the Dead, and Is it possible that the ancient people of other Pyramid Texts record the image of Mesoamerica had knowledge of the Phoe- the Bennu as an extinct heron that once nix legend? lived in a region on the Arabian Penin- sula. This heron has a distinguishing fea- ture of two very long feathers flowing back from the top of the head. Therefore, the story of the Bennu/Phoenix is histori- cally old enough that the people of the Middle East region with ties to Egypt would have known the legend. The Book of Mormon claims to be the story of Joseph Tribe Israelites who Above is a representation of the ancient come out of Jerusalem at about 600 BC. Bennu heron that lived in the United Arab The historical concept of the Bennu/ Emirates region of the Arabian Penin- Phoenix is old enough to have been in the sula. This bird is now extinct, but remains social awareness of the people from that of it have been dated to 2,000 BC. period, and could have been an integral part of the sacred belief system of the Book of Mormon families. If so, how does this relate to what we understand about the Quetzal? To make the connec-

The Pyramid Text plate to the left shows the Bennu touching the top of a flower that is touching the house/nest in the top of a palm tree. A clear indication that this Bennu is somehow connected to the concept of nesting in palms.

The red circle highlights the area where The Pyramid Text plate below illustrates the Quetzal priest is encircled in fire and Osiris with a green color who is also holding his hand out at the king on the associated as a god of renewal and re- left side of the stela. We believe this is generation. His blessings were impor- the story of Abinadi. tant for the continual fertility of the Nile River Valley. Herodotus is a Greek historian who lived about 460 BC and he provides us with the first early Western Civilization account of the Phoenix story which he came across in Egypt when he was visit- ing the Temples and learning from the priests who resided there. He records that the people of Heliopolis (Cairo) had a legend of an eagle-size Bennu Bird that lived many miles away. It would make a ball of myrrh equal to the size that he could carry then he would hollow the ball enough to place the bones of his parents

Page 2 CUMORAH MESSENGER Bennu and Shehkinah continued tion it will be necessary to develop the Shehkinah to refer to the nesting of birds. Bennu and Quetzal imagery. The Hebrews use this same word as a The concept our Book of Mormon verb to describe the manifestation of travelers carried may have been some- God’s spirit in the temporal world; God’s thing like this; there is a large heron with spirit (bird) nesting in the tree (physical two long feathers that carries the bones of frame). The Shehkinah is understood to its parents encased in an aromatic sap to a be the temporal expression of God such special place where it nests in the top of a as the pillar of fire above the Tabernacle tree and eventually it will be consumed in in the Wilderness, or the cloud that cov- fire to create a new/regenerated life. The ered King Solomon’s Temple when it concept of the bird nesting in the tree can was dedicated, or the brilliant presence of have a second layer of meaning in that the Spirit of God upon the mercy seat the Sethian Gnostic concept of life is that between the wings of the Cherubim in the the human experience is one that confines Holy of Holies. These are illustrations of the spirit in a temporary fixed “house” of manifestations of God in the physical the physical body until the spirit can be realm. Further development of that sym- refined and prepared for eternity. If the bolism is the description of Christ when bird represents our spirit and the tree is he was baptized and those who witnessed our body then the nesting of the Phoenix it reported that the Spirit of God rested in the tree symbolizes our spirit residing upon Him in the form of a dove; like a in the body until it is consumed and the bird nesting? The outpouring of God’s spirit is released to fly away to new life. Spirit (bird) as it rests upon the physical And, the bones of our parents encased in body (tree). So, is this the context for the myrrh are the belief systems our parents depiction of the Celestial Bird at Palen- provide us—they too are a part of the que? nesting that takes place because they Palenque has three prominent depic- aromatically “guide” the spirit in the tions of the Celestial Bird; Pakal’s Tomb proper preparations for the journey. Lid, the Tablet of the Cross, and the Tab- Egyptian language uses the same word let of the Foliated Cross. All of these for the Bennu Bird and the palm tree. Is illustrate the Celestial Bird on top of, or this their way of expressing that each nesting on, what epigraphers call “The person is one entity in a merged form of World Tree.” So, if the bird is the pres- body and spirit? Two parts forming one ence of a spiritual manifestation in a tem- thing and being called by one name? Ad- poral world as indicated by the Shehki- ditionally, the Bennu Bird is also associ- a good choice to be placed on the head of nah, and each of these representations is ated with Osiris who is often depicted in Abinadi whose tree (body) was literally placed on top of a tree, then is this combi- pyramid texts with a green color as the consumed by fire. The feathers of the god of regeneration and renewal. Resplendent Quetzal tell the story of Abi- The Book of Mormon people jour- nadi; he died by fire (red breast) and be- neyed to a land half a world away where cause of his purity (short white tail feath- nothing is as brown as it was in the Mid- ers) he became like the Bennu Bird (two dle East; everything in the New World is long green feathers) and found life anew green. They begin noticing the fauna and through a promise of resurrection and the because of their cultural baggage they rebirth of the church (vibrant green feath- begin attaching symbolic concepts of ers). Therefore, Abinadi and all those their beliefs to the elements of the envi- who follow him are displayed wearing ronment that carry some of the same the Quetzal feather headdress to illustrate characteristics. Quetzals make their nests their belief through their garb. By wear- in the trunks of trees about thirty-feet ing the Quetzal feathers they are stating above the ground. The color of the bird is that they have accepted the challenge to a vibrant green with a bright red breast hope for a successful transition into eter- and white shorter tail feather. One of the nity based on the belief that they must be more striking characteristics of Quetzal selfless and self-sacrificing. They must be bird is their long tail feathers, usually willing to forego the life of the body in grouped in twos. Perhaps these birds be- order for the spirit to fly free. came the New World version of the There is yet another layer to the Bennu Bird/Phoenix. If so, then the use story of the bird nesting in the tree. The of the Quetzal feathers certainly make for ancient Hebrew language used the noun Pakal’s Tomb Lid with the Celestial Bird.

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4 Page 3 Bennu and Shehkinah Continued

The Tablet of the Cross is carved with a Celestial Bird perched The Tablet of the Foliated Cross is carved with a Celestial Bird atop a “World Tree.” This bird stands on top of a nest that perched atop a “World Tree” but this time the tree is in full foli- holds two eggs, as do two other nests. This is an illustration of age as is everything around it. And, as Mayan texts read from left “expectation.” These are the Magi priests visiting the young to right, the Celestial Bird is not facing forward to the future, but Christ as implied by the Celestial Bird being nested in the tree. instead backward to the past. His physical life work is completed The Shehkinah nesting of the bird in the tree is symbolic of a and this is his new life as a regenerated being because everything spirit housing the physical frame. The Celestial Bird faces to around him has reversed. The positioning of the priests have the right indicating that he is looking forward to the future. reversed, the potentials in the nests have now changed to blos- His life work is being initiated. soms, and the larger priest is now fully adorned. nation of the Celestial Bird upon a tree a concept. The myrrh is the aromatic sap that central figure of that glyph is a bird sitting symbol for Christ in the flesh? Why not encased the belief systems of those who on eggs. Again, the nesting of the bird just carve an image of a man with these had gone before and prepared the way for indicating a physical manifestation of the trappings? Because the Mosaic Law the Christ to be sacrificed. The frankin- Divine. It is the presence of the Risen strictly forbids creating a graven image of cense was the aromatic twigs the Bennu Christ manifested to the people. their God; He is so much more than what would use to build his nest. And the gift of The connection of the Quetzal im- carving can capture. However, through gold alludes to the tip of Ben-Ben stone; agery with that of the Bennu/Phoenix, and symbolism and connotative association the golden top of the obelisk where the of the Celestial Bird with the Shehkinah the artist can demonstrate on the Tablet of risen Bennu is said to reside. With these makes for a uniquely woven system of the Cross that the Magi traveled to give gifts, the Magi identified Jesus as the images that borrow equally from both gifts to their God who took the form of Bennu, the Phoenix, the one who would Hebrew and Egyptian influences which is flesh and blood as a child. In the Tablet of build a nest from aromatic twigs and while something we can expect from the tribe of the Foliated Cross they can demonstrate holding the ball of myrrh He would allow Joseph. Joseph married the daughter of that Christ (Celestial Bird atop the World his body to be consumed in order that he Pharaoh and their offspring carried strong Tree) regenerated and brought about new might rise to life influences from both cultures. Jacob’s life, and visited these people as a risen anew. (Israel) adoption of Joseph’s two sons Lord. And, the artists can utilize this same We have yet Ephraim and Manasseh as equal heirs to imagery on Pakal’s Tomb Lid to testify another Meso- his blessings implies that they would have that Pakal was visited by the Risen Christ. american tie to the great influence in the events to come. This In each place it is implying that Christ is Shehkinah nesting is something we need to keep in mind as present as a flesh and blood entity, one concept. In the De- we move forward in our research—we pre-resurrection as indicated by the sym- cember 2011 issue should not be afraid to combine the Egyp- bolism of expectation of nests with two of the Cumorah tian and Hebrew cultural concepts because eggs and abundant seeds, and the other Messenger, Neil the people of Mesoamerica seemed to two post-resurrection as indicated by foli- Steede wrote on the view both as equally important heritages age, blossoms, and reversals. identification of the that influenced their perception of this life The gifts brought by the Magi fit this Zion Glyph. The and the life to come.

Page 4 CUMORAH MESSENGER Issue 12 Adventures In Scriptures 2012

ABINADI AND ALMA Two years later, Abinadi the prophet, was again brought before King Noah and his priests for preaching against sin. They asked Abinadi what the scripture meant that said “How beauti- ful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that publisheth salvation, that saith thy God reigneth.” Abinadi explained that a Messiah would come and teach them to walk a path of right living. Instead of stealing from the people, they should be giving. God wants people that are willing to spread the good news of the gos- pel. King Noah and his priests were angry with the truths that Abinadi spoke and cast him into prison. But one of the king’s priests, named Alma, believed Abinadi’s words. Alma pleaded with the King to let Abinadi go in peace. King Noah was angry with Alma and cast him out. Alma fled for his life and hid from the Kings servants. Alma wrote all the words that Abinadi had spoken. He later began to preach Abinadi’s words to some of the people. After three days, King Noah again brought Abinadi before him. Abinadi once again spoke out against the King’s sins. King Noah decided Abinadi should be put to death by fire for speaking against the King and prophesying of a coming Messiah. Abinadi did not take back the words that he had spoken, even when threatened with death by fire. Because of Abinadi’s sacrifice, Alma believed, and because Alma believe, many others did also.

Use the figures above to match the letters to the numbers below and find out what the hidden scripture says from John 15:13.

______21 4 18 10 14 18 4 15 8 19 18 11 10 14 11

______, 17 8 13 10 17 14 11 10 17 14 11 22 6

______14 11 10 14 10 13 10 17 15 10 5

______20 8 23 17 11 22 6 15 22 26 18 26 8 4

______11 22 6 26 4 22 18 17 20 6 John 15:13

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4 Page 5 Follow the path of Alma and write down each letter along the way in the boxes below.

   

    

   

,  

,  

. Mosiah 7:77

Page 6 CUMORAH MESSENGER The Geometric Gospel at Tonina Continued eration is us, but for those testimonies to events portrayed within the grid are woven-mat design. I believe this lower reach us they must be openly hidden. If church history, but there is much more band is making reference to the binding they were not openly hidden then they being depicted in this grid. together of the two kingdoms (Nephite would have been destroyed just as surely First, the square shapes are used to and Mulekite) into a single kingdom the Sator Square would have been de- depict that the message within the grid is which was the endeavor of Alma II on his stroyed if others had understood . So, by temporal as opposed to spiritual histori- journey. telling the gospel in the format of the cal events. However, it must be under- Along the length of this lower bar Geometric Gospel generations of believ- stood that the spirit world is involved in we find a series of triangles created by ers in Christianity can communicate to these historical events. Note that the the zigzag of the binding strip. Though one another without hindrances. main outlines of the squares are four these abstract triangles are only a product Another example of openly hidden feathers wide while the crossbars that of the design they are significant. I be- communication is the parable of the three form the “X”s are only three feathers lieve they are used to represent the three visitations of Christ where He expressed wide. This three-to-four ratio is another components of the kingdom that Alma is openly hidden prophecy. In a more open way of expressing the square/circle rela- attempting to merge; the Nephites, the format it could have been deleted from tionship between the spiritual and the Mulekites, and God. Also note that the scripture and would not be available to temporal, but there is still more. overall geometry of the frieze is divided Christians today. With all of this said, I Note that the bottom edge of the into triangles. This provides a consistent now begin some of my observations con- squares is not made from feathered theme throughout the frieze however the cerning the Geometric Gospel expressed strips. It is an elongated bar with another four triangles cre- in two locations at Tonina which we be- strip wrapped around it for the entire ated within each lieve to be the Book of Mormon city of length. This lower bar expresses Geo- square also create a Ammonihah. metric Gospel. To recognize it we must stylized Quetzal- The story portrayed in the frieze view both negative and positive aspects. coatl flower as de- found at this site is a Book of Mormon Along the upper edge of this lower picted in Teoti- story. On a lower plaza to the right of the strip we notice that a band runs the huacán. So, one may frieze is a curious façade whose story length of the strip and every so often it conclude that Quet- relates to the frieze and is also recogniz- has a set of concentric circlets located zalcoatl (Jesus) is able with the right information. The Geo- along it. I believe that each set of circlets involved in all parts metric Gospel found within these portray- were designed in this manner to repre- of this triangle. als will now be examined. sent perforated beads. In conjunction The prone “E” formed by the four- The famous frieze of Tonina is the with each set of beads we find a small wide feather bands has a double meaning story of Alma II and Amulek preaching hatched area in the form of a woven mat as well. Not only is the spirit of Jesus the gospel in that city, their subsequent which is the symbol used for Mayan descending to Earth in the form of the imprisonment, the burning of the converts kings. The two beads represent the two church (the upside-down “U”), but the with the sacred scriptures and the col- precious tribes that have merged to make Holy Spirit is descending. It should also lapse of the prison resulting in the death the kingdom. That is, the Nephites and be noted that while the feathered bands of the lawyers while Alma and Amulek the Mulekites. The third geometric as- do represent the church, which is genera- walk free. But, what is of particular inter- pect along this upper bar is upside-down tional, that the “X”s within the boxes est here is the use of Geometric Gospel “J”s; each “J” location indicates the gen- declare that the historical scenes within within the frieze to give additional infor- eral populous of Tonina (Ammonihah). the square have been sanctified by the mation concerning the story. This Geo- Note that the upside-down “J” is woven Creator. metric Gospel is portrayed in a grid that back and forth through the lower strip. So the very geometry of the grid in frames the overall frieze. The grid is This weaving also carries the bead/ the frieze expresses what I call the Geo- comprised of two large side-by-side squares with each having two diagonal lines crossing within the square. In the present condition of the frieze the upper left and the upper right corners have eroded away. Never-the-less, there is no mistake that the frieze originally had two side-by-side squares each with a huge “X” running from corner to corner. It should be noted that all of the lines of this geometric figure are made up of feathered strips. This was done to denote the Quet- zal serpent body. From images in the San Bartolo Murals we know that symbolism of the serpent is used to denote “church.” This symbolism is accurate because the

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The Geometric Gospel at Tonina Continued metric Gospel. In fact, there is more Geo- several purposes. First, it binds together metric Gospel that can be extracted from that from above and that from below; it this grid however I will save it for another binds both the temporal and the spiritual. article. At this time I want to examine and At the same time it has a narrow crossbar compare the terrace façade to the right of separating the two halves of the “X”. This the frieze. creates a cross or Christian theme. Also The façade of the building to the right note that the lower rectangle seems to of the frieze is a better case for study of have a spherical shape emerging from it. Geometric Gospel than the frieze grid Is this the spiritual developing or emerg- because it is exclusively made from geo- “sacred.” Therefore, it is apparent that the ing from the physical? metric figures. The figures are simple and large “X” shows that this is a sacred loca- The negative spacing creates two consist of three basic shapes; an “X,” a tion because of an event that occurred trapezoids placed one atop of the other; spiral and a rectangle. These three shapes here. The event referenced seems to be a Christianity is the foundation for both are easily seen as they are expressed in a verbal one, thus the quadruple speech worlds. The double trapezoid is flanked positive fashion as stones protruding from scrolls that flank the “X”. The flanking by two triangles indicating that this is the the surface of the façade. However, the speech scrolls are in pairs. Each pair is “word” between God and man. And, the negative areas also need to be observed as made up of a speech scroll emanating negative spacing of the speech scrolls will become evident. First, the positive art from above mirrored by one emanating form what I call “T” scrolls which are will be addressed. from below which suggests that on this highly reminiscent of Kirtland Temple The positive geometry consists of two spot words of both a temporal and a spiri- Glyphs. These imply that the words being sets of speech scrolls that bracket a large tual nature were spoken. The lateral posi- spoken by Alma and Amulek are words “X” split by a rectangle. The creation of tioning of the scrolls suggests that two of the Master. this symmetrical image was not done as speakers were involved. I suggest that All of the geometric items seem to ornamentation or just for art’s sake; it has this geometry implies that this was the be consistent and work well with the con- implicit meaning that is intended to be spot from which Alma and Amulek text where they are placed. But, all of this understood. However, as stated earlier, preached the gospel. If so, then we must is intended to be openly hidden and only Geometric Gospel is written by and for observe the other aspects present. For readable by those with esoteric knowl- believers. example, why the big rectangle? edge who believe that it can be read . The “X” symbolizes “sanctify” or I believe that the rectangle serves Footnotes: Available upon request