The Psalmist asks, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?” This year’s Sperry Symposium discusses ascending into the Lord’s mountain within the context of theophany, ancient temple worship, sacred space, sacrifice, offerings, and hymns and songs in the text of the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. The scriptures contain a rich treasury of information of how ancient Israelites and the people in the Book of Mormon worshipped God and expressed themselves through ritual and devotions as found in the Psalms. These explorations of ancient temple worship help us to better understand and appreciate latter-day temple and worship traditions.
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2013 Schedule
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2013
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Time |
JSB Auditorium |
445 MARB |
446 MARB |
455 MARB |
456 MARB |
W111 BNSN |
W112 BNSN |
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9:00 a.m.
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Seeing God in His Temple: A Significant Theme in Israel’s Psalms
Andrew C. Skinner BYU
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Theophany on Sinai
Amy B. Hardison S&I, Arizona
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Gestures of Praise: Lifting and Spreading the Hands in Biblical Prayer
David Calabro Ph.D. Student
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Angels Among Us: The Use of Old Testament Passages as Inspiration for Temple Themes in the Dead Sea Scrolls
David J. Larsen Ph.D. Student |
Old Testament Psalms in the Book of Mormon
John Hilton III BYU |
Darkness, Light, and the Lord: Elements of Israelite Theophanies
Kerry Muhlestein BYU |
Worship Through Sacrifice in Leviticus 1-7: Animals, the Atonement, and Us
Matthew Porter Wilcox S&I, Utah |
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10:00 a.m.
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“I Will Bless the lord at All Times”: Blessing God in the Old Testament
Dana M. Pike BYU
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The Tree of Knowledge as the Veil of the Sanctuary
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw Independent Scholar, Florida
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“In the Mount of the Lord It Shall be Seen” and “Provided”: Theophany and Sacrifice as the Etiological Foundation of the Temple in Israelite and Latter-day Saint Tradition
Matthew Bowen BYU-Hawaii
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Rejection and Rehabilitation of Worship in the Old Testament
Jared M. Halverson S&I, Tennessee |
Parallels between Psalms 25-31 and the Psalm of Nephi
Kenneth L. Alford, BYU D. Bryce Baker, Senior Advisor in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management |
The Great Jerusalem Temple Prophecy–Latter-day Context and Likening Unto Us
Jeffrey R. Chadwick BYU |
Holy of Holies: Entering into the Presence of the Lord
Lynne Hilton Wilson S&I, California
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11:00 a.m.
Keynote Address
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The Old Testament and Easter
Kent P. Jackson BYU |
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Lunch Break |
12:00 noon–2:00 p.m.
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2:00 p.m. |
Solomon’s Temple: A Virtual View and Assessment of Its Physical Appearance and Purpose
Ann Madsen BYU |
Clothed in Holy Garments: Apparel of the Temple Officiants of Ancient Israel
Alonzo L. Gaskill BYU |
Worship: Bowing Down and Serving the Lord
Jennifer C. Lane BYU-Hawaii |
Standing in Holy Places
Todd A. Knowles S&I, Washington |
“Give Me Right Word, O Lord:” The JST Changes in the Psalms
David A. LeFevre S&I, Washington |
Up, Up, and Away!: Understanding Sacred Space in Ezekiel’s Temple Vision
Jacob Rennaker Ph.D. Candidate |
“Come Near Unto Me”: Guarded Space and its Mediators in the Jerusalem Temple
Avram R. Shannon Ph.D. Student |
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3:00 p.m.
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What Old Testament Temples can Teach Us About Our Own Temple Activity
Richard O. Cowan BYU
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The Garden of Eden, the Ancient Temple, and Receiving a New Name
Alex Douglas Ph.D. Student |
“The Lord . . . Bringeth Low, and Lifteth Up”: Hannah, Eli, and the Temple
Julie M. Smith Independent Scholar, Texas |
The Psalms Sung: The Power of Music in Sacred Worship
Shon D. Hopkin, BYU; Arden Hopkin, BYU |
The Context of Temple Worship: Early Ancient Egyptian Rites
John S. Thompson S&I, Utah |
Isaiah 56, Abraham, and the Stranger
Taylor Halverson BYU |