….We Seek After These Things!

This is a guest post by Mary A. She has graciously written a review of the book “The Lost Language of Sybolism. Thank you so much. Tanya

Understanding Symbolism
The Lost Language of Symbolism
By Alonzo L. Gaskill

I have been interested in symbolism for a couple of years, beginning when I realized that I was probably not getting the full meaning of scripture because I had no idea about symbols—what they mean and how they are used. I purchased Dr. Gaskill’s book in the hope that I could learn at least a little about symbols in the scriptures. I read it through and found it fascinating. I noted that its format would make it easy to use as a reference book to look up a specific word or phrase as it was encountered. Then, sadly, I set it aside, meaning to get back to it, but never doing so. However, when I read Tanya’s mention of it on her blog, “…We Seek After These Things!”, my interest was reawakened and I got my book out. When she asked me if I wanted to write something about the book to post, I was delighted to do so.

First, a little about the book itself. It has a brief forward by Joseph Fielding McConkie. The first two chapters are titled “Why Symbols?” and “The Art of Interpreting Symbols” so that it starts right out with explanations that help you in studying symbols. The rest of the chapters are each about a specific type of symbol, such as colors, numbers, or types and symbols of Christ. The last chapter is a summary—a chart on which you can look up a brief meaning of each symbol. This is followed by endnotes, a satisfying long bibliography, a scripture index, and a subject index. The reason I wanted to describe the book just a little was so that you would get an idea of its usefulness.

Dr. Gaskill says that he intends his book to not be overly academic, nor does he intend it to be an exhaustive explanation. It is meant for the average person who wants to begin to understand symbolism and get more meaning from scripture. Also, it would be good to remember that you can study a little at a time—you don’t have to overwhelm yourself by trying to learn it all in one fell swoop.

Symbols can have more than one meaning so the context is important in deciding what items are probably used symbolically and which of their possible meanings would be appropriate. I won’t go into more detail, but Dr. Gaskill does and his explanations can open up a whole new world to a person.

Understanding symbolism in scripture can also lead to understanding of symbolism in the temple, as well as various ordinances like baptism. If we learn the symbolism behind a term or an action, then we can be reminded of spiritual ideas often and that can help our thoughts turn to God. It can help us to understand teachings and doctrines more deeply so that we see the purpose in living the gospel and obeying the commandments. I find that understanding symbolism can touch my mind, my heart, and my spirit in new ways and that it gives me new thoughts to ponder as I seek the treasure in the scriptures and write them in my heart.

By Mary A

I heard a story about a young man that tried to be obedientin everything he was told to do. Not just from leaders of the church but also the guidance of the Holy Ghost. I reflected on how I try to be obedient but how often do I not follow the promptings I may have. What limits do I personally put on my obedience? Elder Maxwell talked about casual discipleship and how do we let it permeate our lives. Are we sufficiently humble in our worship and our actions? In what ways do we allow our discipleship falter because we are not valiant in how we should live?
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