As recounted in Tolkien's writings, at the end of the First Age there existed 3 distinct worlds, lands, or 'kingdoms'. The lands were inhabited by different types of people, depending both on the nature of their Being, as well as their own actions and choices prior to the ordering of these lands.
Aman is the first kingdom, and in it I call out 3 general sub-groupings: First, Valinor where the Powers or Gods themselves (the Ainur) lived. Second, the lands of the Eldar (Elves) who were not originally exiled, including the Vanyar, Teleri, and a portion of the Noldor. Third, the island of Tol Eressea, which had been place back in proximity to Valinor at the end of the age and where the Noldor who had been exiled were invited back to live.
Numenor is the second kingdom, an 'island' specifically created for a few Houses of Men (who became known as the Dunedain) who had aided the Gods in defeating Melkor (Satan). While still subject to death, they were given very long lives and were blessed with physical and mental gifts far superior to any other race of Men.
Middle-earth is the last and final kingdom, and the messiest of the lot. Lower in glory than the other two kingdoms, it is also inhabited by a fairly wide variety of people. One finds Eldar who have refused the summons back to Aman in various regions. There are also the large remainder clans and nations of Men who did not aid Aman in their struggle against Melkor (with many having actively supported Melkor). And other races and types of Beings.
I briefly introduce the Kingdoms because it is this whole construct that I have found to be one of the more fascinating connections with the teachings and visions Joseph Smith described.
A unique teaching to Mormonism is the concept of 3 Kingdoms of Glory that will exist after the resurrection and the judgment of Men. While Joseph described these Kingdoms as a future state of affairs, I believe it will be an encore or a re-establishment of things that also once were. Meaning these 3 Kingdoms will both be a new way but also an old way, and perhaps many of the details used to describe the future Kingdoms were taken from how things had been set up and governed before. The historical rough mapping is: Aman-Celestial, Numenor-Terrestrial, and Middle-earth-Telestial.
Mormon theology describes a state where Beings from these respective Kingdoms can visit those of a lower Kingdom, but those of a lower Kingdom are unable to visit above. This was also how it worked in Tolkien's description. The Eldar (it seems under the direction of Eonwe), were assigned to visit the Men of Numenor and teach/ minister to them. Similarly, the Men of Numenor visited Middle-earth and ultimately ended up ruling over it and the other Men who inhabited it. Just as in Joseph's version, Tolkien highlights a Ban that prevented the Numenoreans from traveling to Aman (the breaking of this Ban by Pharazon ultimately led to the entire destruction of the 3 Kingdom model of this world).
Also as in Joseph's descriptions, the inhabitants of these various lands in Tolkien's version differed in the power, glory, and attributes of their bodies relative to the inhabitants of the other Kingdoms. This in fact seems to be the major reason why a Ban existed in visiting higher kingdoms in the first place... the bodies of those living in Numenor would be unable to live in a state of well-being in Aman without some significant changes taking place.
Touching on the person of Eonwe I find another interesting connection. Eonwe was also known by the name of Fionwe, literally meaning "Son", and was the messenger of Manwe, the King of the Gods. So, just as Joseph Smith envisioned the inhabitants of the middle Kingdom (Numenor-Terrestrial) receiving the presence of the Son, but not of the Father, so too did Tolkien, who stated that it was Eonwe-Fionwe - the Son - who taught them and blessed them with the gifts that they were given.
I bring that last point up because I will try and expand on it, if I can, on how this relates to Mormon doctrine of Melchizedek, the order or priesthood that eventually took on his name, and just what may have been going on during the beginning of Numenor involving that order.
I think I will close the topic here and touch on these other types of tangents or details in other posts. The key concept I wanted to at least introduce is that in the writings of Tolkien we may have an accurate description of several kingdoms that once existed (and that were set up in that manner for a purpose!), and that Joseph Smith teachings represent a restoration or reestablishment of these kingdoms.
I like this take a lot. I pegged the 3 main kingdoms as the 3 that you identified as the three levels of celestial. I wrote an overly long analysis here: https://reimaginingthebom.com/what-is-the-telestial-terrestrial-celestial-kingdoms/
ReplyDeleteThe only potential hole in your view is how DC 76 describes the telestial as glorious beyond description, which is hard to fit w my understanding of Middle Earth.
But it could just be that my interpretation of ME is wrong. Maybe it wasn’t like medieval Europe like I think. Regardless I think how you have pegged it is closer to the truth.
Yeah, I am not sure - its a good point.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the simplest explanation is that when they described its glorious state, this was the future version of ME. I mean, their vision could have been solely about the future, whatever they saw, but one of my main points is that the future is based on the past - some kind of restoration.
If they did end up seeing the past also, and still described ME as glorious, perhaps they had a view of Rivendell, Lorien, Gondor and the White City, etc. And as you say, maybe ME was much less medieval than both portrayed and written. Who knows.