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I was in that half awake, half sleep mode. I find that that's usually where I receive uh what I would call inspiration or thoughts that are uh not um what I would normally be be thinking when I'm totally conscious. Okay.
Uh I and it the the idea was that that kept coming into my head uh at some crazy hour in the morning probably 2 or 3 in the morning was as covenant and coverings similar covenant a a covenant or covering similar. So, I started uh I I don't do this every time, but I I did it this time. I I got up, I wrote it down, that thought, and then I went back to sleep.
Um so, here's here's what I found. This is really interesting. So we're approaching the uh the celebration or the the it's a holy day, a high holy day. It's the highest holy day in in uh in in Jewish tradition of the day of atonement. It's I think it's the first part of October this year. So the day of atonement, well, what I did is I Googled covenant and covering. Is there a similarity? I think that's what I did. And I got this thing. It's called the light of Yahweh uh or Yeshua. And it's called the day of coverings. Old covenant versus new covenant. And this popped up. This is so interesting. So I just want to read it here. And yeah, it's better this way. Okay.
Most know the seventh Hebrew month, the 10th day, as atonement. Now when we think of atonement we think at onement and we talk a lot about the atonement. Um in fact it's right in uh preach my gospel where one of the uh qualifications or the doctrine of Christ is faith in Christ and his atonement. Okay. So we talk a lot about that. So so let's let me read this. This is so good.
Most know that the seventh Hebrew month, the 10th day, as atonement. The first usage of the word atonement, is found in Exodus 29:33. And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made to consecrate and to sanctify them, but a stranger shall not eat thereof because they are holy. Now listen to this. The Hebrew word used here but trans but translated atonement is kafar and it's spelled k a p ph h a r k a p h a r k c k c k c k c k c k c k c k c k c k c k c k c k c k c k c kafar that's how I'm pronouncing it it's its essential meaning is to cover so the atonement covers right so far we're we're all good right um the English atonement has no connection whatsoever with the Hebrew word kafar. The first usage of the Hebrew word in the scriptures in Genesis 6:14 is the usage the word kafar translated pitch. It's referring to resin or material to seal the space between the gopher wood used to construct the ark.
Dang. This this just brings up so many cool things because we think of the ark uh quite often as a as a as a sanctuary or a temple. It's it's covenant. Um it has very a lot of similarities with with the parable of the 10 virgins when the the five wise virgins are there with their oil in their lamps as well as an extra vial of oil. they they can meet the groom. They go into the wedding feast and then the door is shut or sealed or locked. This is the same verbiage that's used with the ark. Once the ark is built, finished, the eight souls, all the animals go in and the door is shut. Right? And so this this becomes uh a place of covenant. A place of covenant which is which is really you know what a temple would be. Okay.
So, let's keep reading here from this article. Um in Leviticus 23:27 we are introduced to the day of atonement. The Hebrew word here um let's see let me scroll this. Sorry about that. The the the Hebrew word used here is uh capirum or capum. Uh this is a plural Hebrew word meaning coverings with an s. So multiple or yeah plural. Again this word is incorrectly translated as atonement. The proper name should be day of coverings. I love this and we'll get into this in just a second here. What what my thoughts are. What is being covered here in Exodus 3:15, we are told, "And when they give an offering unto Yahweh to make an atonement cover, so make a a cover for your lives or your souls." Just as the ark was sealed for its protection, the Israelites were being sealed as a protective measure.
This is so cool because it reminds me of Jacob 5 so much. Um, if we go to Jacob 5, the the allegory of the olive tree, and we go to Jacob 5, I have listed here, um, pres the word preserve or laid up is used 25 times and maybe more. Um, because or the phrase laid up, but the word preserve. Now, preserve is similar to seal. Now, I've talked about this before, but remember when this is the season that we bottle fruit or salsa or whatever we're doing and we put them in that bath of hot water and the rubber, you know, you put the ring on with the the first the seal and then you put the ring on and when that lid goes, you know, down like that, you know that it is sealed properly or preserved, right? So this is really what the what this is talking about now. And and the Lord of the vineyard Jesus Christ says that he is preserving the fruit unto himself uh in in Jacob chapter uh Jacob chapter 5. So we have um we have this just this interesting idea of atonement actually being a covering or a uh a pitch or a resin to seal because remember remember the scripture I think it's in Peter um for Christ once suffered for sin the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh flesh, but quickened by the spirit. By which also um uh by which also Oh, dang it. Uh he preached unto the spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient and once a longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water. And what were the why were they saved by water? First the because the wicked were destroyed and second they were saved by the ark because of it being sealed. So this is this is just so they weren't killed by water. They were saved by water which ties into baptism and everything else. Okay.
Now let's get back to reading this. Um uh so just as the ark was sealed for protection, the Israelites were being sealed as a protective measure. In Numbers 8:21, the word kafar is used when Aaron offers the the Levites to Yahweh as an offering. He actually offers the Levites. They were being separated from all the Israelites for special work. This verse says, "Aaron made an atonement or a cover for them to cleanse them. Therefore, one day a year, Aaron offers atonement or covering for all Israelites with the purpose of cleansing them as an offering to Yahweh. Without this cover, they would not be acceptable and therefore could suffer punishment." Like the ark, they were sealed to prevent their destruction.
Now, we talk a lot about sealing, don't we? We we really need to look at the word sealing as preserving and and covering versus like joining um in my opinion. Okay. I mean, that can be used obviously, but but there it's it's a bigger it's a bigger thing. Um Okay. Without the cover, they would not be acceptable. Therefore, could suffer punishment. Like the ark, they were sealed to prevent their destruction. Okay.
In Leviticus 16:34, we are told, I'm continuing to quote here, "And this shall be an everlasting abiding statute unto you." Hm. Everlasting and abiding statue unto you to make an atonement or to make a cover for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. Now we know that they were being covered or protected due to their sins. This had to be renewed each year. The old covenant day of coverings had to be repeated every year. This is confirmed in Hebrews 9:7. And okay, this confirmed again in Hebrews 10:12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of Yahweh. The old covenant coverings are from animal blood. Something was very different under the new covenant. This blood came not from animals but was the precious precious blood of Messiah as a lamb without blemish and without spot.
This is beautiful folks when we're in the temple. Um there's the and we're receiving our endowment or after that we are going through for someone who has passed on and giving them that opportunity we come to the veil and and we we know also through Hebrews that that veil represents the savior. It's also a covering. Now think about it because what do we wear that's symbolic of the veil? The garment of the holy priesthood. This is it's our covering. This is the I I'm doing this because I have mine on underneath. We should be so grateful for that covering.
Now, I don't want to be critical here, but I I often think that maybe maybe the uh change with women not veiling their faces uh a certain time in the temple. Um might have been because want to kind of modernize things a little bit, not make it so like chauvinistic or you know men don't have to veil their faces but women do and that kind of thing. Um, I don't know the reason. I I I just I just don't know why that was changed. But think of the blessing of that being a covering almost like a complete, you know, other than your hands, you're totally covered as a woman. You used to be when you would veil your face. Now it's like stuck on the back of your head, which what are you veiling, you know? you're veiling the back of your head. I don't know if that's really considered a veil if you're just veiling the back of your head. But um anyway, if we thought le let's say this, say that this was taught the atonement was taught as a covering more than just um you know, Christ um dying so that we can live number one. And then and then also that we can be forgiven of repented sins, right? Um that is awesome that and that that is a covering in a in a sense, but but it's not like a ceiling kind of thing and it's not um the pitch that we that we read in the in the Hebrew of that word.
Um no, okay, I'm back to quoting again. Now note the observant of the day of coverings is listed in Leviticus 23 which is under the old covenant. However, it is not listed under the doctrine of Messiah which is under the new covenant. Hebrews 6 1-3. The only two fall or spring in the southern hemisphere. The only two fall feasts uh enumerated in Hebrews 6 are the day of shouting or the day of trumpets and the last great day. Um coverings and tabernacles are not included. So this is interesting. Now, this isn't from an LDS standpoint, but I think it I I think it shows some really interesting um uh perspective to to atonement mean meaning more of a ceiling uh sealing sealing one to the family of God, right? Or to Yahweh, to Christ.
Um under the old I'm reading again. Under the old covenant, the covering of the blood of animals had to be repeated each year. Each observant had a shelf life of only one year. The new covenant mediated by Messiah required a single offering that could not be repeated. Only Messiah made the offering. He sat down on the right hand of Yahweh. The high priest under the old covenant must repeat each year the process of covering with animal blood. This high priest was not able to sit down but had to prepare for the next year. I love that. That's one of the uh five elements of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that he ascended to heaven and sat on the right hand of God. That was the last portion. So we read in Messiah 18:e 2 that the the gospel in a sense that what Christ did for us that we could not do for ourselves included his his um uh his power that he he he is the literal son of God. his power, his suffering, his death, his resurrection, and then his ascension into heaven to sit on the right hand of God. And because he did that, he covers those that want to be covered. Okay? and and and the opportunity to wear the garment of the holy priesthood as a covering is part of that atonement.
Um I hope you feel that. And if you've if you've had any kind of inclination to go, why am I wearing these? or um you know, was this just all made up or blah blah blah, you know, what whatever whatever you're going through on it. I I would hope that this video would have you pause for a little bit and take um take um issue with with those negative feelings and look at look at at this as a blessing. actually wearing uh symbolically the veil which is symbolically Christ and covering yourself with him. He's he's our cover and to and to have that every day all the time on you is is u it's powerful. It's and it's such a blessing. And so when we think of of the you know when we just rattle off the word you know have faith in Christ and his atonement blah blah blah or that phrase um maybe we pause a little bit and go believe in Christ and his covering. You know that um oh I can't think of her name right now. She's a a gospel singer. Um, she sings a song. I'll think of it here in a minute. Um, her her name, but she she says, uh, you're my covering. I am safe. I'm safe. You cover me. You cover me. You cover You cover me. I I love, you know, when I first heard that song, I was like, that's kind of interesting. Well, she I think she she I don't know if she wrote that. Gosh, what's her name? Um, look it up. Look it up. Um she represents in those words of that psalm is is is the covering the day of covering or uh we believe in uh at Christ and his covering. Okay. Or his ceiling.
So anyway, I think that's all I want to talk about on this. There's this article is really good. uh if I can somehow um share that, I'll put it in the comment section so that you can read through it and uh look at all the scriptures and and all the uh uh sources that it has and uh anyway, wear your wear your garments, enjoy it, think of it as a covering. Um, I I really wish that we in our worship that we um symbolically did did more things. Um, the temple isn't nearly as symbolic as it used to be. So, you have to use more of your imagination, I think. Um, and for those women that had the opportunity to veil your face and to be totally covered in in the in the blessing of Messiah, that's pretty amazing. That's pretty amazing. So, I'm thankful for the garment of the Holy Priesthood. I love it. It feels good next to my skin and I I think differently about it. Uh I've I've always felt good. Uh that's not true. When I first put them on, I was like, "What the heck?" But then after that, cuz cuz we started with the the one piecers, I had a hard time figuring out how to even put them on. I never stepped into anything except for pants, you know? And so if it had to do with the the top part of my body, I was like, "What? How do I get into this thing?" But and I don't I I'm not trying to Well, I guess I am being lighthearted and I apologize, but it's just a reality, right? But the the opportunity to wear the veil symbolically that is the Savior himself introducing us to his kingdom and to the father is pretty amazing. And to to wear that uh the the symbolism of that next to your skin is a huge blessing. I always used to say as a bishop and as a state president doing firsttime interviews for people, I would say always look for opportunities to wear your garment versus chances not to. Um, and that's my advice to all of us uh today. God bless. We will talk to you soon. Bye bye.