Mormon Kabbalah 102: Concepts

The Plates of Brass offer profound insights into Kabbalah, introducing readers to something both ancient and new. What in the authors’ day would be the Gospel, today is known as Mormon Kabbalah, the ideas, doctrines, and theologies the authors of the Book of Mormon knew from their studies of those plates. Together, the Plates of Brass and the Plates of Gold emphasize the restoration at every level—personal, communal, and cosmic. Students can see these themes resonate deeply with the Book of Mormon, where Nephite prophets expand and adapt the teachings of the brass plates to their unique historical and spiritual context.

This connection illustrates the continuity of ancient Israelite theology while highlighting the creative ways Nephite prophets interpreted and applied these principles. Here we will explore these ideas. Nephite prophets studying the Plates of Brass would have encountered a rich tapestry of ideas about restoration, healing, and covenant responsibility. These teachings likely influenced their own doctrines in several ways:

1. The theological depth of Zenos’ vision of cosmic and individual repair deepened Nephite understanding of Christ’s role as a redeemer (Zenos 9:35-37).
2. Neum’s emphasis on Israel’s role as a light to the nations inspired Nephite prophets to see their mission as universal (Neum 8:30).
3. Melchizedek’s portrayal of the renewal of the creations provided a foundation for the Nephite hope in a millennial era (Melchizedek 12:32-35, 17:38, 18:13, 19:8, 20:25).

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