Posted by:
lurking in
(
)
Date: February 12, 2016 03:48PM
I scanned the article from the BYU Religious Studies Center, which may be worth reading to you if you have an intense interest in the subject, but the conclusion to the article says it all:
"Weighing all of the evidence presented above, it seems clear to this author that the Ravenna murals made so popular by Nibley’s Temple and Cosmos have utilized the design in question either as an aesthetic pattern, a means of multiplying right angles, or a symbol for the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, we will never be able to identify the true intention for sure, as the unknown artist of the murals left no known explanation of his objective.
"What we can say for sure is that the design is not an ancient symbol of Melchizedek or priesthood authority (at Ravenna or in any ancient source). We know that it is primarily an aesthetic rather than religious design and that when it was used anciently, it never had a defined meaning.
"By popularizing this image, a handful of Latter-day Saints have created a new symbol—a modern Star of David or cross. The pattern of interlocked squares or eight-pointed star has been endowed with religious meaning, and an entire folklore has developed around it to show that divine origins have been behind the symbol and its employment on certain temples.[87] Through a simple misunderstanding of a caption under a picture in a book, Mormons have unintentionally created a symbol that has erroneously been connected with Melchizedek and his priesthood.[88]"
https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/volume-11-number-3-2010/seal-melchizedek-0Basically, it's a Mormon FPR ("Faith Promoting Rumor")/urban legend that has run amok. My guess (pure speculation) is that a lot of Mormons are embarrassed by the pentagrams (upside-down, five-pointed stars) that occur on some Mormon temples and are perceived as associating with satanism. Many were hungry for a new, "cool" symbol that they could identify with, and the overlapping squares (eight-pointed star) was a natural fit.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/2016 03:58PM by lurking in.