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Uplifted Hand As A Token To Heaven


LifeOnaPlate

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The solemn assembly was an interesting and unusual spiritual experience for me, partly because I didn't expect the feeling that accompanied it. I recalled, after contemplating the raising of hands to sustain, the following quote from the Journal of Discourses, Brigham Young:

While saying a few words here last Sabbath about the canal, I told you when you lifted your hands to heaven, in token of your willingness to do a certain things that you ought to do it. A great many of you have had your endowments, and you know what a vote with uplifted hands means.

It is a sign which you make in token of your covenant with God and with one another, and it is for you to perform your vows. When you raise your hands to heaven and let them fall and then pass on with your covenants unfulfilled, you will be cursed.

I feel sometimes like lecturing men and women severely, who enter into covenants without realizing the nature of the covenants they make, and who use little or no effort to fulfill them.

Some Elders go to the nations and preach the Gospel of life and salvation, and return without thoroughly understanding the nature of a covenant. It is written in the Bible that every man should perform his own vows, even if to his own hurt; in this way you will show to all creation and to God that you are full of integrity. (BY 3:331-332)

Have there been any interesting papers, etc. written regarding this covenant experience with uplifted hands?

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I guess I never really thought about it that way. When a second grader raises their hand to go to the bathroom, are they making a covenant?

Probably not.

So there is more to the story than just raising a hand. If anyone has thoughts, quotes, sources, on what makes it more than just raising a hand let's hear it.

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For those of us behing the wooden fence and watching through the knothole - what are you talking about it? Simply.

Hoops22,

The Sat. AM session of conference was a 'solemn assembly' where we sustained by the raising of the right hand, the calling of Pres. Monson as THE prophet, seer & revelator holding all the keys of the kingdom.

It is different than a regular assembly in that we stood seperately by rank - 1st the First Pres, then the 12, then the 70, then the Melchezedek Priesthood, then the Aaronic Priesthood, then the Adult ladies, then the Young Women, then the full baptized membership, each in turn sustaining by the raise of the right hand, the proposed leaders of the Church.

I might've missed a step there, but that's the general gist of it.

HiJolly

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I don't view the raising of hands as some sort of magic spell move or something. Clearly the mental assent aspect is more important and encompasses the physical movement. I find it interesting, however, that there is a physical component to the process.

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I don't view the raising of hands as some sort of magic spell move or something. Clearly the mental assent aspect is more important and encompasses the physical movement. I find it interesting, however, that there is a physical component to the process.

Broadening the subject matter, I scanned this page from Dever's book "Did God have a Wife?".

I don't know how applicable it is, but it shows a figurine of El from from the 14th-13th century B.C. with one hand raised and the other held out in front.

http://lehislibrary.wordpress.com/2008/04/...-canaanite-god/

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I don't have a copy of it with me to provide the quote, but in Doctrines of Salvation Vol 3 pp 107-108, Joseph Fielding Smith discusses the principle of the right hand being the covenant hand.

We covered this in Seminary last week :P .

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Ah, interesting point of departure on one particular road.

I thought so. I while back I sent it to a couple of our pundits here, but they didn't bother/manage to reply.

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I don't view the raising of hands as some sort of magic spell move or something. Clearly the mental assent aspect is more important and encompasses the physical movement. I find it interesting, however, that there is a physical component to the process.

There is a physical component to all covenants: Baptism, marriage, contracts, etc.

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I thought so. I while back I sent it to a couple of our pundits here, but they didn't bother/manage to reply.

Probably stumped them. You'll see an article or something about it in the next month or so, and your name will be suspiciously left off of the acknowledgements... :P

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If you recall, we raise our hands to the square in a court of law when swearing to tell the truth. It has been suggested that this practice was adopted from the Masons.

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Broadening the subject matter, I scanned this page from Dever's book "Did God have a Wife?".

I don't know how applicable it is, but it shows a figurine of El from from the 14th-13th century B.C. with one hand raised and the other held out in front.

http://lehislibrary.wordpress.com/2008/04/...-canaanite-god/

Kabbalah also teaches this form, see Psycology Today, Sep-Oct issue 1999 (look at the cover about half-way down the web page).

:P

HiJolly

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I don't view the raising of hands as some sort of magic spell move or something. Clearly the mental assent aspect is more important and encompasses the physical movement. I find it interesting, however, that there is a physical component to the process.

I've wondered about that before too. Why isn't it enough just say Yes verbally, or mentally?

Have you also noticed that the same sign is also used outside of our Church, though.

A person appearing as a witness in a U.S. court room raises his/her hand while taking an oath to tell the truth... the whole truth, and nothing but the whole truth... usually while placing his/her hand upon a Bible. Who started that? Where did the fathers of our country get that idea? I have some ideas, but I'd also like to know more about it.

A person taking an official position in the government of this country often raises his/her hand while taking that position, also following a similar pattern to that in a court room and what we (LDS) do when we sustain someone in a solemn assembly. Whether a person is joining the military, or becoming a judge, or a President of the United States, they all raise their hands and make an oath like we do when we take certain positions in God's kingdom.

It's not like we (LDS) are the only ones who do something like that.

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What's with the Psychology obsession with Love/Sex/Lust?

Yeah, there's a lot of that.

But honestly, you're kidding, right? Look around you. Western culture in general is obsessed with sex, don't blame the magazine - it's merely a reflection of the society in general. IMO.

HiJolly

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Yeah, there's a lot of that.

But honestly, you're kidding, right? Look around you. Western culture in general is obsessed with sex, don't blame the magazine - it's merely a reflection of the society in general. IMO.

HiJolly

Or is the tail wagging the dog?

Seriously, I see it all around me. The question is, is Psychology perpetuating it or trying to figure it out so it can be fixed?

Nevermind, Blair will get on me for derailing his thread. Sorry!

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