Lesson 15 The Brazen Serpent Numbers 21:1-9 Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Moses and the Brazen Serpent

John 3:14-15 Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: serpent Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

1 Ne. 17:41 And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity.hardened

1 Ne. 17:41, cont. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look.serpentshealed And because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.

2 Ne 25:20 As the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them.

Alma 33: 18-20Alma 33: BC These are not the only ones who have spoken concerning the Son of God. Behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness.that whosoever would look upon it might live….

Alma 33: 18-20, contAlma 33: 18-20, cont. 74 BC A. Many did look and live B. Few understood the meaning C. Because of the hardness of their hearts C. Many were so hardened B. They would not look therefore they perished A. They did not look because they did not believe

Alma 33:21 O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?unbelief slothful

Helaman 8:14 23 BC Yea, did he [Moses] not bear record that the Son of God should come? And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come.lifted

Helaman 8:15 23 BC And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal.live

Alma 37:46 O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; A. For so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that B. if they would look they might live; A. Even so it is with us. The way is prepared, B. if we will look we may live forever.

The Serpent God Quetzalcoatl Just as our era began with Christ, so that of the Aztecs and their predecessors began— approximately at the same time—with Quetzalcoatl. His image, the plumed serpent, had for pre-Columbian people the same evocative force as has the Crucifix for Christianity. Laurette Sejourne

Quetzalcoatl In all of America’s past no figure is more exciting, more tantalizing, or more frustrating than that of the fair God, Quetzalcoatl. Constance Irwin

QUETZAL = Beautiful Bird or feathers (Heaven) COATL = Serpent or earth monster (Hell)

Ixtlilxochitl - AD 1600 The White God Quetzalcoatl Quetzalcoatl was a man of comely appearance and serious disposition. His countenance was white, and he wore a beard. His manner of dress consisted of a long, flowing robe. See chapter 11, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, by Joseph and Blake Allen

Joseph Allen, Ph.D. Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl - born ca. AD 935 We should exercise caution as we correlate Jesus Christ with Quetzalcoatl because a tenth-century culture hero called Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl took upon himself the title of the deity Quetzalcoatl. He left a trail from the Mexico City area to the Yucatan. The great Temple of Kukulcan was dedicated to this Toltec Quetzalcoatl…. The priest Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl set about to establish a new golden age, a reincarnation of a utopia that existed centuries earlier under the reign of the deity Quetzalcoatl. See Joseph L. Allen, Dissertation, Brigham Young University, “A Comparative Study of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered- Serpent God of Meso-America, with Jesus Christ, the God of the Nephites” 86–94.

TEMPLE OF KUKULCAN See, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, by Joseph and Blake Allen BOOKOFMORMONTOURS.COM

TEMPLE OF QUETZALCOATL See, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, by Joseph and Blake Allen BOOKOFMORMONTOURS.COM

KISH - SAN LORENZO See, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, by Joseph and Blake Allen BOOKOFMORMONTOURS.COM

PALENQUE – Temple of the Cross

THE WHITE GOD QUETZACOATL See, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, by Joseph and Blake Allen BOOKOFMORMONTOURS.COM

3 Nephi 11:8 Jesus Christ And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe

3 Nephi 19:25 And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them

3 Nephi 19:25 And behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof.

Joseph Smith - The Living Christ The Testimony of the Apostles His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shown above the brightness of the sun…

The End