[MUSIC PLAYING] We live in a world of symbols. They help us communicate with each other; they bring order to our lives and warn us of danger. The scriptures are filled with symbols and imagery. Why does the Lord use symbols? If something is important for us to know, why doesn't He just tell it to us straight out? We may not know every reason, but some are clear. When we see a simple line drawing of an animal, such as a lion, we know immediately what it is, but add detail and the same drawing now takes on new richness and meaning. So it is with symbols. They add richness and depth to our understanding. In some ways it is as though a symbol breathes life into a concept, filling it with power and vibrancy.

By drawing parallels between known things and spiritual truths to be taught, the Lord adds great power to the learning process. Abstract concepts--things we cannot see or touch or measure, like a doctrine or a principle--are taught more easily by the use of symbols. To say that Satan is evil conveys an important truth that all men need to know, but to liken Satan to a serpent links it to things we can more readily understand. And Satan is like a serpent. He is subtle and strikes without warning. He is a source of great spiritual danger. He can bring about our spiritual death. He is to be avoided in every way. How does the Lord illustrate something as intangible as sins? One way is to simply talk about it. Another way is to put it in symbolic terms: "Though your sins be as scarlet." From the vivid imagery of something clean and white being deeply stained we gain the idea that sin stains our souls. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." And so the effects of an abstract concept like repentance are more easily understood through the use of symbols. Likening repentance to the changing of color from a bright scarlet to a brilliant white communicates, whether we speak English, Spanish, or Japanese. There is yet another reason which may explain why the Lord uses symbols to teach His children. Symbols convey different meanings to people depending on their spiritual readiness. In other words, the Spirit can help reveal the meaning to them, or otherwise it remains concealed or hidden. Take the account of Abraham's sacrifice of his son, Isaac. On the surface it seems only to be a story from history, but for those with eyes to see, the story not only has historical significance, it also has symbolic significance. Whether or not we see the deeper meaning depends on whether or not we look with spiritual eyes.

It is a wise and loving Heavenly Father who has chosen symbolism as a way to teach His children.

Let us now turn our attention to one of the most important questions we can ask about scriptural symbols. How does one find the correct interpretation for the symbols which are used? There are three simple guidelines which, if followed, can greatly help us. The first is to look beyond the symbol itself at what it stands for. The second is to explore the nature or characteristics of the symbol used. The third is to see if the Lord has given the interpretation for us. Let's examine each of those to see how they work. Many people today have not been involved in the slaughter of animals for food. We get our meat all cut and prepared. We rarely think of the animals themselves or the process through which they are killed, skinned, and cleaned.

"And Moses took the blood and put it upon the horns of the altar with his finger." Some symbols in the scriptures may jar our senses and seem bizarre or disgusting to us. First, we must remember that in those days almost everyone killed their own animals for meat. They did not find the thought of blood or slaughtering animals as strange in any way. It is the modern reader who is bothered by the imagery.

So we must remember that our focus is not on the symbol itself but on what the symbol stands for. This is what is meant when we say, "Learn to look beyond the symbol." Closely related to our first guideline is the second. We can learn a great deal about the meaning of a symbol by looking at its nature or characteristics. Let's apply this to the example we have already used. What is it about blood that would cause the Lord to use it as a symbol? It is blood that gives us life in mortality, so it is not simply blood being smeared on the altar, but a symbol of life. Jesus shed His blood or, in other words, gave His life so that we could live. The sacrificial animal was a symbol of the Savior's sacrifice for us. So the smearing of blood was a symbol of the Atonement.

Let's take another example that illustrates how looking at the nature of the symbol can help us with its interpretation. In the book of Leviticus, the Lord forbids the use of leaven in any offering. Leaven is what we today call yeast. What is it about the nature of yeast that would give it symbolic significance? The answer to that question gives us an important clue to the interpretation of the symbol. Here we have two items which are both made with flour. The difference is the bread was made with yeast, the Passover bread was not. Leaven spawns decay or spoilage. Therefore, it became a symbol of spiritual corruption. By forbidding the use of leaven in the offerings, the Lord was saying symbolically that our offerings to Him, our lives and our service, should be without taint or spiritual corruption. The last guideline is simple but of great importance. The Prophet Joseph Smith said that whenever the Lord uses a symbol, He either gives us the interpretation or we are not held accountable for it. In other words, God has not left us on our own. He helps us interpret the symbols He uses so that we can learn from them if we are willing to pay the price to search them out. How do we know for sure that the story of Abraham and Isaac has symbolic as well as historical significance? In the Book of Mormon, the Lord tells us specifically that Abraham's sacrifice was a similitude or symbol of the Father's sacrifice of His own Son. In other words, the interpretation has been given by the Lord if we are willing to search for it. Let's now take an example and see if we can use all three guidelines for interpreting scriptural symbols. This is frankincense, or incense as it was more commonly called. The Lord instructed Moses that incense was to be burned night and morning in the Tabernacle. First, we know that it is not the incense itself that interests us. We must look beyond the outward symbol to what it was meant to teach us. Using our second guideline, we know that incense gives off smoke and a pleasant odor when burned. But we still need help, and the Lord gives it in another scripture passage. When we learn that incense is a symbol of prayer, everything else comes together. Just as the incense smoke rises heavenward, so should our thoughts turn to God. Sincere prayer is pleasing to God, or, in scriptural language, it is a sweet savor, or sweet smell, to Him. Let us conclude this part of our study of scriptural symbolism with one last thought. After Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden, they learned many things about God and how to worship Him. To Adam, the Lord said, "All things have their likeness and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both above and beneath." All things bear record of me. The purpose of any study of structural symbols is to learn more about the Savior and the gospel plan. Let us never lose sight of that grand purpose in all scriptural symbols. They are meant to show us the plan of salvation, the Savior's role in that plan, and what we must do to return to the presence of the Father and the Son.