May, 2019 Mount of Olives

Earlier in May when we were at the Augusta Victorian church, Prof. Ross Barron talked about the Mount of Olives as a Temple setting.  In March, 1873, a group of people including Eliza R Snow, Lorenzo Snow, and George Albert Smith came to Jerusalem to dedicate the land for the gathering of Israel (30 years after Orson Hyde dedicated the land). It is written she Eliza R. Snow particularly felt the significance of joining “the brethren” in a ceremonial prayer circle to dedicate “the land of Palestine for the gathering of the Jews and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. (The First 50 Years of Relief Society 3.23)

In another discussion, Prof. Barron talked about Helen, mother of Constantine, who came to the Holy Land in 326 AD and met with the Bishop of Jerusalem.  She identified several places where Jesus had been, including where he died on the cross and was resurrected.  Of the many caves in the area she said, "There are 3 caves of the mysteries of the faith" She didn't mean mysterious, but was referring to the saving principles of the gospel.  She identified the caves as the cave of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, the cave of His burial, and the cave where Christ taught the mysteries, in this case, possibly Temple covenants, to the Apostles.  We visited that cave at Pater Noster.