The East Wind

There is a middle-eastern term called "the east wind," which has symbolic connotations. Its symbolic content appears vividly in the Book of Mormon, as well as the Bible.

Pharaoh has a dream in which he sees seven ears of corn "full and good." Then he sees "seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind" (Genesis 41:22-23). The seven ears "blasted with the east wind" represent seven years of famine and destruction.

In another Old Testament example, Jonah runs from his calling and then displays some "attitude." The next verse is telling:

"And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live" (Jonah 4:8).

In the Book of Job Eliphaz asks, "Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?" (Job 15:2). We see from this example that the east wind is not merely a meteorological condition.

In middle-eastern language, belly or bowel would equate to the heart in the western world. This would be the center of feeling. The Savior expresses, "Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy (3 Nephi 17:7). And wind is something else besides. Both in the Old Testament and New Testament wind is associated with life and spirit (see Strong's H7307 and G4151).

The east wind is a spirit that destroys. You can take your pick of the LDS Bible Maps 5, 6, or 7. Find Jerusalem and then go due east. What do you run into? Yes, it's Babylon. The east wind is the spirit that blows out of Babylon. The east wind blows from Babylon, across the Arabian Desert, and withers, wilts, and destroys everything in its path. A belly full of the east wind is a poisonous spirit. It is the spirit of Babylon.

So let's proceed to the Book of Mormon.

Abinadi prophesies that, because of the wickedness of the people, a host of calamities will fall upon them:

"Thus saith the Lord, it shall come to pass that this generation, because of their iniquities, shall be brought into bondage, and shall be smitten on the cheek; yea, and shall be driven by men, and shall be slain; and the vultures of the air, and the dogs, yea, and the wild beasts, shall devour their flesh."

That's pretty graphic! But Abinadi goes on to explain:

"And it shall come to pass that I will send forth hail among them, and it shall smite them; and they shall also be smitten with the east wind; and insects shall pester their land also, and devour their grain" (Mosiah 12:2,6).

King Limhi declares, "And again, he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the chaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison. And again he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the east wind, which bringeth immediate destruction" (Mosiah 7:30-31).

Can you see the middle-eastern influence of these ancient American westerners? You can plainly see that these westerners descended from the Middle-East.

Filthiness brings an evil spirit and the "effect thereof is poison."

This is a further testimonial to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Would such terminology proceed out of the mouth of an American farm boy with the equivalent of a third-grade education?

I think not.

I am grateful to be able to listen to living prophets and apostles this very weekend.