Tag Archives: Melchizedek

Christmas: The Original Story, Part 2

By David Larsen | Published: December 30, 2008
In my last post, I commented on how Margaret Barker, in her new book, Christmas: The Original Story, successfully portrays the temple and its traditions as the background for understanding the Christmas story.  Jews/Early Christians who held on to the ancient traditions of the Temple of Solomon saw in the birth of Christ the fulfillment [...]
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The Psalms: Hymn Book of the Temple

By David Larsen | Published: July 24, 2008
In the closing lines of my last post, I cited an intriguing statement by Margaret Barker: “The Psalms were the hymn book of the temple, and in them we glimpse something of the ancient liturgy” (M. Barker, Temple Themes in Christian Worship, p. 137). If this is truly the case, then a careful study of the [...]
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Baptism or Temple Initiation? Part III

By David Larsen | Published: July 3, 2008
 Another Word on Resurrection A great insight that Barker gives us that I did not include in my last post has to do with both the resurrection and the priesthood. In my last post, I cited a portion of the Gospel of Phillip: The Tree of Life is in the midst of Paradise, and from [...]
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Joseph Smith and the Genealogy of Melchizedek

By David Larsen | Published: June 27, 2008
Joseph Smith was a very bold individual. He made all kinds of daring religious claims and published many of them in writing for all to judge their legitimacy. In 1830, he published a book (The Book of Mormon) of nearly 600 pages of what he claimed to be additional Holy Scripture written by ancient prophets of God. Today, [...]
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