Hamblin, William J.  “The Sod of YHWH and the Endowment.”  Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Studies 4 (2013): 147-154. [Israel/Mormon/Ascent/Theology]

This is a short but provocative article.  Hamblin defines the Hebrew word sod and its use in the Bible as having to do with the council of the Gods, their secrets and plans for the salvation of man. The bulk of the article shows how Biblical prophets in their ascent or throne theophanies, entered into this council and learned these secrets.  This concept is found in: 1 Kings +22:19-23; Isaiah 6; Jeremiah23:16-18. 21-22; Psalm 82; Amos 3:7; Psalm 25:14; and in Job 1:6, 2:1.  Hamblin discusses each of these texts briefly and observes that this story of a council of Gods is familiar to Latter-day Saints because references to it are found in 1 Ne. 1:8-19 and Abraham +3:22-23.  As the bibliography demonstrates, these points have been made by others in various publications and venues.  The value here is collecting the data in one place.  In conclusion, Hamblin states: “I would like, however, to move one step further and suggest that we should understand the LDS Endowment as a ritual and dramatic participation in the sod/divine council of God, through which God reveals to the covenanter his sod/secret plan of salvation–the hidden meaning and purpose of creation and the cosmos.”  In doing so, he asserts, “the Endowment fits broadly into the biblical tradition of ritually observing or participating in “the council/sod of YHWH” described in these biblical texts.   The article is accompanied by two helpful bibliographies; a general one from non-Mormon scholars listed chronologically, the second, an LDS bibliography listed alphabetically.