An ancient symbol was suddenly used in the design of an entire temple. Renown scholar Hugh Nibley later identified it as the "Seal of Melchizedek." Other scholars and bloggers started exploring the history and meanings of the symbol, which was later added to the Salt Lake City Temple. For the first time in one book, the modern story is uncovered. Learn why the Seal of Melchizedek is finding its way back into contemporary Christian culture, and why Latter-day Saints in particular find it so interesting.

The current world confusion and condition of human affairs is a natural phase within an evolutionary process that will ultimately lead to the unification of the human race into a single social order. This processhas passed throughstageswe should consider as being analogous tothose of infancy and childhood, and is now in the culminating period of adolescence approaching its long-awaited coming of agean age of universal peace and justice. This has been the promise given throughout all the major faiths of the world. The social fabric of the world is out of balance and through Divine interventionnations willform together in a collective consciousness recognizing the need for a revolutionary shift of spirit to undertake those measures creating lasting harmony and peace. Dr. M. Scott Peck speaks of world-views as being religious. To move away from war, we must distinguish between "true religions and false religions, true prophets and false prophets," and that "truth in religion is characterized by inclusivity," while "falsity in religion can be detected by its one-sidedness and failure to integrate the whole." History clearly shows that some form of a universal legislative body is not only essential, but also inevitable.Such a system is not conceived from the mind of mortal man; rather, it is a Divine System that was set in motion over 6000 years ago. The purpose in writing Melchizedek & the Temple is to show the story of this evolutionary processa journey through time, culminating with the promise of an earthly kingdoman all-inclusive world government, free from tyranny, hate, prejudice and war.Melchizedek & the Temple offers a practical, and compelling alternative to antiquated ideas that in reality prevent humankind from achieving what it longs foruniversal peace and justice. It is a message of warning and of promise.

Understanding the Temple in a New Light To help you on your journey of understanding the temple, bestselling author Alonzo L. Gaskill has compiled this collection of temple insights. With inspired thoughts on • The holy garment, ancient and modern • The veil and finding hope in images of the Judgment Day • The meaning of becoming God’s covenant people • The role of women in temple ceremonies THIS ENLIGHTENING BOOK will help you see the temple in a new light and open your heart and mind to its divine messages.

The first systematic study of the practice of royal self-coronations from late antiquity to the present.

An examination of Gnostic religion in Late Antiquity within its historical and religious context, using Greek, Latin and Coptic sources.

"As the psalms are a microcosm of the Old Testament, so the Expositions of the Psalms can be seen as a microcosm of Augustinian thought. In the Book of Psalms are to be found the history of the people of Israel, the theology and spirituality of the Old Covenant, and a treasury of human experience expressed in prayer and poetry. So too does the work of expounding the psalms recapitulate and focus the experiences of Augustine's personal life, his theological reflections and his pastoral concerns as Bishop of Hippo."--Publisher's website.

A guide to worldwide shamanism and shamanistic practices, emphasizing historical and current cultural adaptations. This two-volume reference is the first international survey of shamanistic beliefs from prehistory to the present day. In nearly 200 detailed, readable entries, leading ethnographers, psychologists, archaeologists, historians, and scholars of religion and folk literature explain the general principles of shamanism as well as the details of widely varied practices. What is it like to be a shaman? Entries describe, region by region, the traits, such as sicknesses and dreams, that mark a person as a shaman, as well as the training undertaken by initiates. They detail the costumes, music, rituals, artifacts, and drugs that shamans use to achieve altered states of consciousness, communicate with spirits, travel in the spirit world, and retrieve souls. Unlike most Western books on shamanism, which focus narrowly on the individual's experience of healing and trance, Shamanism also examines the function of shamanism in society from social, political, and historical perspectives and identifies the ancient, continuous thread that connects shamanistic beliefs and rituals across cultures and millennia.