And at the end of days, the wars shall see their endings, and the temples will again be consecrated to YHVH Elohim. And the true arts will be taught again, and truth will be written upon pillars that will rise into the skies; and YHVH will come down from the clouds and the earth, she will receive Him.” –Neum 22:7*9
Have you ever felt like life is a journey where you are trying to find your way back home? In Mormon Kabbalah, that feeling isn’t just a metaphor, it is the very essence of the faith. The word Israel (Yashar-El) is defined as the “path Straight to God.” For those new to these concepts, Mormon Kabbalah isn’t just about studying old books. It is a practical roadmap for returning to the presence of God. This roadmap is called the Tree of Life, and walking it is known as the Temple Path.
The Tree of Life as a Map
Imagine a diagram of ten glowing spheres connected by lines. This is the Tree of Life. It represents the attributes of God and the structure of the universe. In Mormon Kabbalah, this Tree is divided into three “Pillars” that help us find balance in our lives. In Mormon Kabbalah we see the Right Pillar as Feminine. It represents Wisdom, Mercy (Chesed), and Endurance. Why feminine? Because it represents the nurturing love of the Divine Mother and the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. The right pillar emphasizes that divine giving is like a mother giving life. The Left Pillar represents Severity or Justice (Gevurah). In Mormon Kabbalah, this is the Masculine side, representing Priesthood authority, divine law, and the refining discipline of the Father. The Middle Pillar is the Pillar of Balance. Our goal as Mormon Kabbalists is to walk the center line, integrating love and justice into Oneness.
The Destination: To Zion and the Crown
The Temple Path is a climb from the top of the Tree to the bottom to connect the Heavens and the earth. We begin at the top of the tree, Keter, being made whole in Christ, Jesus. Being finite beings, we cannot understand the infinite nature of God. The colsest we can come to God’s omnipotence is the concept of Ubuntu, “I am because we are.” We start our journey by gathering with others and realizing that we are all children of the same Creator. As we move down the middle pillar, we reach Tif’eret, representing Jesus Christ as the Mediator. Here, the nurturing love of the Right Pillar and the justice of the Left Pillar meet in perfect harmony. Yesod (Foundation). This represents the Covenant Path and the foundation of Priesthood power. It is where we make promises to God to live a higher law. Eventually we reach the bottom sphere, Malkhut. In Mormon Kabbalah, this represents Zion.
The Great Switch
One of the most unique and beautiful aspects of Mormon Kabbalah is found near the top of the Tree. In traditional Jewish mysticism, the third sphere is Binah (Understanding), representing deep, intellectual contemplation. Mormon Kabbalah replaces this with Da’at (Knowledge). Why? Because Mormon theology emphasizes that we don’t just want to intellectually know about God, we want to know God personally through direct revelation. Da’at represents personal communion with the Divine. It teaches that the veil between us and God is thin, and through Jesus Christ, we can receive direct knowledge and light. In Mormon Kabbalah, Binah (Understanding) rests between the infiniteness of God (Keter) and the atonement of God (Tif’eret). It is the hidden Seferah because it represents the birth of the soul.
The Temple as a Physical Map
When you read about the physical layout of a temple or tabernacle in the scriptures, you are actually looking at a physical map of this spiritual journey. The structure is a map of creation. The North (The Mother) represents the Earth and Wisdom. The East (The Father) represents Knowledge and the Air. The South (The Holy Ghost) represents Fire and purification. The West (The Son) represents Water and Mercy. As we move through the temple, from East to West, we are symbolically moving through the Sefirot in the Middle Pillar, balancing the masculine to the South and feminine to the North, until we reach the Holy of Holies, which represents Binah, the birth of the soul. Then we leave the temple and step into the garden, symbolizing our return to the Garden of Eden. In the whole journey, we are in the presence of God.
How to Walk the Path Today
You don’t need a building to start walking the Temple Path. The temple of the body is the house of the Holy Spirit. You can begin this spiritual work right now through simple practices:
- Visualization
- Sacred Breathwork
- Scripture Immersion
- Acts of Mercy
Picture the attributes of God (the Sefirot) as glowing spheres of light within your own soul. Use controlled breathing while reciting the divine names of God (such as YHVH) to invite the Holy Spirit. Read scripture aloud, pausing not just to analyze it, but to listen for direct revelation (Da’at and Chokhmah). Walk the path of Chesed (Mercy) by engaging in random acts of kindness daily.
The goal of this path is simple, to unite heaven and earth within yourself. We deepen our personal relationship with God, allowing the light of Jesus Christ to transform us. That light then shines from us to transform the world.
Welcome to the journey!
