175 Temple Symbols and Their Meanings

by Donald W. Parry

President Russell M. Nelson taught us that "each temple is a house of learning. There we are taught in the Master's way. His way differs from modes of others. His way is ancient and rich with symbolism. We can learn much by pondering the reality for which each symbol stands." With 175 separate entries, this volume explores a variety of these rich symbols and truths regarding ancient and modern temples. Listed in alphabetical order for convenient references, the entries deal with a broad range of categories, including temple architecture, rituals and ordinances, sacred clothing, sacrificial offerings, geometric symbols, colors, heavenly bodies (sun, moon, stars), prayer and revelation, sacred names, religious festivals, and more. This thorough yet accessible collection allows each of us to gain a greater understanding of valuable symbols, enriching our temple experience and giving each of us a clearer vision of the many ways our temple worship points us toward Jesus Christ.

Genres: Lds, Religion, Nonfiction, Church, Spirituality, History

310 pages, Hardcover

Published July 27, 2020

About the author

Donald W. Parry, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Dead Sea Scrolls at Brigham Young University, is married to Camille Mills, from Las Vegas, Nevada; they have six children. He has served as a member of the International Team of Translators of the Dead Sea Scrolls since 1994. He has authored or edited thirty-three books, ten of which pertain to the scrolls and five deal with the writings of Isaiah. Parry has also published articles in journals, festschrifts, conference proceedings, and encyclopedias. He is also a member of several other professional organizations, including the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, Groningen, The Netherlands, Society for Biblical Literature, Atlanta, Georgia, and the National Association of Professors of Hebrew, Madison, Wisconsin. Parry presently serves as a member of the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation Board of Trustees.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting so much ancient history but was very intrigued by it all. Gives you just enough information to go looking for more if you’re interested in a certain topic. Some things I felt were repeated. Helped me see the connection to ancient and modern temples. Will definitely look back to it as a reference to aid my studies in the future.

[Jeff Birk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read much of Donald W. Parry and have found all he writes to be beneficial. This book was no different. It's a wonderful resource going from A to Z on temple symbols. He makes sure to state that the 175 symbols he discusses are not an exhaustive list and that his explanations are only his views, thus leaving open the door for other meanings and interpretations by the reader. There certainly are some gems in this book that I haven't come across in other readings and studies. My main interest in reading this book was to increase my own personal knowledge and understanding of the numerous symbols and meanings behind all things temple-related and, most importantly, how all these things point in one way or another to Christ. Excellent book with wonderful illustrations. Take your time with this read, ponder the symbols and descriptions and you will be blessed.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooo good! You can use this like a reference manual since things are in alphabetical order, but I read it cover to cover and I learned so much!! I think my favorite thing I learned was about the progressions of temples and ceremonies over time. Starting with the garden of Eden (garden temple) to the Tabernacle, to the temples of Solomon and Herod, to modern day temples, and finally to the temple in Heaven. By understanding the Tabernacle better (which is talked about and described the most in scriptures), it really deepened my u see standing of temples today. Fantastic resource on temples!!

[Gable Roth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was given to me as a gift. Typically, I would not buy a book like this. I expected more discussion about modern temples/ordinances. He could have gone into further detail while still maintaining the sacred nature of the ordinances. However, it seems like it is mostly just a bunch of scripture references about ancient temples discussed in the bible. Maybe if I had stopped and read all of the references it would have been a better experience for me? All in all it was OK but not great.

[Brittany K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the introduction of this book. The rest of it was touch and go. It dealt more with ancient temple worship than modern temple worship. There is some overlap between the two, of course, and I love to see the connections and similarities, but I also lose interest quickly. It took me a long time to get through the book. I chose to read it cover to cover, though it’s an alphabetical book by topic. I think it will be a nice reference for next time I study the Old Testament.

[Paul Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subtitle "and their meanings" would be more accurate as "and possible meanings of some of them". Parry considers many temple symbols and notes their variations and use in modern temples, in ancient temples and the tabernacle, or in scripture. Some entries have two or three pages. Others only have a paragraph, which is reasonable. I mean, how much would anyone read about "Blemishes, Sacrificial Animals with"? The title is not "Possible Meanings of 175 Temple Symbols".

One of the real treasures is the color photographs of modern reconstructions of the tabernacle, including altars, veil, priests' clothing, breastplate with gemstones, ephod, gold chain, hyssop, laying hands on a goat (to take away sins), mitre, and more. It also has dozens of pictures of temple details, like doorknob of the Salt Lake Temple (which says Holiness To The Lord), geometric designs on the San Salvador Temple, fortress appearance of San Diego and Logan Utah Temples, cloud stones on Salt Lake Temple, circle motifs of stained glass windows of Albuquerque New Mexico Temple, and art glass of Paris France Temple. The book also reproduces many fine paintings, in addition to diagrams.

Everything has bountifully citations of the scriptures, old as well as modern.

[Darin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the information in the book. Like another reader said, the introduction was terrific, and the rest was a little hard to read, just because it was by each of the 175 topics. Perhaps it would have been better to organize it by major topics, rather than individual topics.

Still, like I said, the introduction was fantastic, and made me miss attending the temple. The information about the symbols was interesting, and I learned a lot about ancient temples, and a little about modern temples.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not LDS but I researched the Church in grad school and I know temples have a lot of symbols and interesting architectural elements so I thought this book would be a fun read. I have enough knowledge about the Church that I was able to follow along, but I think it's oriented towards active members of the Church and not people who are new to learning about it. The book places a lot of emphasis on aspects related to ancient Israelite temples as well as modern LDS temples. I felt it was a bit quote-heavy and dry at times but I still learned some interesting facts.

[Melissa’s Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who would like a better understanding of the temple! I loved the pictures and the easy to read descriptions of temples and their symbols both in biblical times and the present. I gained an even greater understanding of the meaning of the symbolism and will definitely use this as a continual reference for study and more in-depth understanding.

[Tosca Wijns-Van Eeden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really impressed with some of the insights that were discribed, though I expected way more about modern temple rituals, which was often only slightly and vaguely touched upon. I did miss that.
Further it gave more insight how to interpret the old Israelite temple rituals in modern day LDS view.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars is not fair, but we received this book as a gift and my husband read part of a page aloud each evening after dinner for the past seven months. I didn't focus on it as much as I should and found it easy for my mind to wander. I should read it on my own, perhaps seeking specific temple symbols in the book that I'm interested in learning more about.

[Julie Awerkamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't read this as a cover to cover, but have instead used it as a reference for specific questions. I have found it so helpful and have learned so much. Also, my daughter read it before she went through the temple and was able to get so much more out of her experience.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this while preparing for and participating in the Tokyo Temple open house events and the rededication and reopening of the same. It was very interesting to me. I marked it up a lot for future reference and can't wait to seek out some of the symbolism mentioned in the book.

[Swhe641200 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libby. This was very insightful. There was so much and so manny reference but many many things not aware of. I hope I-can remember but I will certainly take more time to different parts of the Temple

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an alphabetical encyclopedia-of-sorts for temple symbolism. I found many of the entries to be very interesting and meaningful. Would recommend for anyone wanting to understand gospel and temple symbolism more fully!

[Bruce Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sacred symbols

For Members of the LDS Church this book will help you understand the sacredness of temples, both ancient and modern. From the clothing we went to spires on some temples everything has a meaning. I enjoyed the book.

[Elana · Rating 4 out of 5]

good reference book that points to the many scriptures in the bible about the antiquity of temple work which leads one's mind to what we experience in our contemporary temple experiences.

[Hannah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book to better understand temple symbols of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I enjoyed every bit of it. Some things I knew but I learned a lot too!

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book and so carefully written. It will strengthen your temple experiences.

[Jamille Parks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyable. I appreciated the ancient history because the other books I’ve read on this subject didn’t go as in-depth as this one.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much reading this book!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good reference. I do wish some of the topics were elaborated more, but I enjoyed the insights and references for further study.

[Brent Winslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great "dictionary" to temple concepts, ancient and modern. I found the description of simple physical symbols (circle, square) to be highly informative.

[Sarah Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so full of helpful insights!!

[Kathryn Bjorling · Rating 5 out of 5]

To put it simply, this was very insightful and little by little has elevated my temple experience❤️

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Study resource.

[Marjean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reference book for temple symbols

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the format of this book where you can look up certain things and get meanings. It will be a nice reference for the years to come.