The Iron Rod Or A Flaming Sword 
After Adam fell, God placed a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life(Genesis 3:24).
Following map from the dream of Lehi, we take a part of map each time, then it will become a Chinese oracle drawing.
This oracle is identified as "a kind of weapon of ancient days". With a flaming sword in the drawing, actually, "the weapon from God" is more accurate.
Most drawings filed under this character, in the oracle database, were shown toward left side.
The footprint upward to the tree of life was stopped by this weapon. This oracle drawing means "defence, weapon, arm".
"A flaming sword which turned every way" is clearly shown in this oracle drawing. It is also filed under the same character as above.
This is the drawing of man.
When people were condemned, "the God's weapon" was used to destroy them. This oracle drawing means "punitive expedition".
Of course, this kind of destruction must be commanded by God, and there were several examples written in ancient Chinese books. This character was used to decribed to destroy the people who committed serious sins.
Choosing to Follow(1)
The strait and narrow path is drawn below. There are forbidden paths that lead to the right and left. This also means, “walk, travel, behavior".
The drawing, “straight” combined with the path means, “follow”.
When we follow, we start to step on the strait and narrow path. “Footprint” combined with the path means, “extends, along”.
This is the way our Heavenly Father wants us to follow.
Pressing straight to the tree of life, could people really reach the tree? In Book of Mormon, a ruler questioned Alma the Younger on the possibilities of partaking the fruit of the tree,
"But there was one Antionah, who was a chief ruler among them, came forth and said unto him: What is this that thou hast said, that man should rise from the dead and be changed from this mortal to an immortal state, that the soul can never die? What does the scripture mean, which saith that God placed cherubim and a flaming sword on the east of the garden of Eden, lest our first parents should enter and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and live forever? And thus we see that there was no possible chance that they should live forever"(Alma 12:20-21).
This was also a very important topic shown within the ancient Chinese oracle drawings.
The Iron Rod(5)Another example of breaking the chains of hell from the Book of Mormon is Alma and his people. His son Alma the Younger explained this to us,
" 6 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?
7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them.
8 And now I ask of you, my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, they were not.
9 And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved.
10 And now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved? Yea, what grounds had they to hope for salvation? What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death, yea, and also the chains of hell?
11 Behold, I can tell you—did not my father Alma believe in the words which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them?
12 And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.
13 And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the dend; therefore they were saved"(Alma 5:6-13)
The oracle above shown "beating a serpent with a iron rod"(also filed no.0029 in the oracle database).
The power of the rod of iron is from the Lamb of God. The Satan was cast by the power of Only Begotten of God(Moses 4:3). (Following drawing is on the painting no.000303 and no.000014 of the oracle database)
"Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—"(Helaman 3:29)
PriesthoodIn Lehi's dream, people searched for the iron rod in the mist of darkness, the right oracle drawing "both hands touching the iron rod", shown as "reach for, look for".
In ancient Chinese oracle drawing, as the hand holding the iron rod was the time that people receiving their first office of the Holy Priesthood of God. This picture of "a hand holding the iron rod" was used as an office about 3000 years ago.
There are several names on the right list. The last character is the first office of the Holy Priesthood in ancient China, and the characters before the office are the Priesthood holders' name. The first man lived in the earliest days without any time records, and the others lived between 1100-800 BC.
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we call this office Elder.
Partaking the fruit of the tree of life was also one of offices of the Holy Priesthood in ancient Chinese oracle drawings, like High Priest office of Church today, these are shown on the map of Lehi's dream below.
Prophet Joseph Smith taught us, "Why the first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest. Before his day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood"(D&C 107:2-4).
People going eastward after the tower of Babel didn't know the change, and they still called "the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God". Also for the reasons of "out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being", and "to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name", the ancient oriental people of God used other ways to resolve this problem.
One of ways to resolve this problem is that they never called Him by name.These two oracle drawings symbolized "the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God". They kept this holy title for the only Priesthood holder who had all keys, and other holders were only called "the Order of the Son(of God)" without repeating His Name. "The Order of the Son" was also called as "Son" briefly in the ancient days.
Until now, in oriental tradition, It is still rude to call the men of authority by his name, such as father, mother, governor, ruler, and king.
The first office of Holy Priesthood was called as "Father", and "Father" was also one of parents, then it would confuse people with these same titles. Substituting one of the titles for a new calling was neccessary.
"Before a man can be ordained to an office in the Melchizedek Priesthood, he must first have the Melchizedek Priesthood conferred upon him"(Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders’ Guidebook P4). It was the same in the ancient days. For this reason, receiving their first office of the Holy Priesthood, ancient Chinese people must have "the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son",in brief "Son", conferred upon them. Afterward, "Son" also became the first office of the Holy Priesthood in ancient China.
"Son" took place of "Father" as the name of the first office of the Holy Priesthood. Before that, "Father"(A hand holding the iron rod) was used as the first office for a very long time in ancient China. Since then, "Father", this holy calling from Heaven was kept in the family as a honorable, never released title.
Using other characters, like "the man holding the iron rod speaks", to replace the name of the Supreme Being.Following is the example,this was very common in ancient Chinese Book.
The Iron Rod(4)Once bitten by serpent, they didn't return to the middle part to the rod of iron, then the poison of serpent would be going to work.
When the poison start to work, like Nephi told us, "For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the hildren of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good. And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell"(2Nephi 28:20-21)
"And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance"(2Nephi 28:22)
When the subtle serpent hides himself behind human weakness, people hardly tell that they were influenced by the serpent. The following oracle drawing is shown that the serpent hid himself behind human weakness and disguised his head with being invisible.
Next oracle symbolized, "until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance" (2Nephi 28:22). This Chinese character have several meanings: 1) light turning into darkness gradually; 2) Incivilized people; 3)death execution.
There are verses in the Book of Mormon corresponded to these meanings.
1. light turning into darkness gradually(the meaning from ancient Chinese Book of Yi Jing)“And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell”(Alma 12:11).
2. Incivilized people“And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things”(Alma 24:30).
“O my beloved son, how can a people like this, that are without civilization—
(And only a few years have passed away, and they were a civil and a delightsome people). But O my son, how can a people like this, whose delight is in so much abomination—”(Moroni 9:11-13).
3. death execution“Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment” (2Nephi 28:23).
Avoiding being bitten by serpent, we shouldn't go away from the strait and narrow path, "continually holding fast to the rod of iron"(1Nephi 8:30), and foot steps following, until we could reach the tree of life.
There was an ancient Chinese drawing shown this meaning, "holding fast to the rod of iron", and footsteps following until to the tree of life.
It symbolized "victory, overcome, and shortcut".
The iron rod(3)The PriesthoodThe iron rod is the word of God. The book of Revelation also says there was“ a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron”(Revelation 11:5). The rod of iron then represents the word of God and the authority of God to “rule all nations”.
The authority of God, symbolized by the iron rod, is embodied in the priesthood. “…the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven” (D&C 121:36). In this oracle drawing below, the iron rod (God’s authority, embodied in the priesthood) connects heaven, which is above, and earth, which is below. Scholars identify the oracle to mean, “work”.
In this oracle drawing below, a hand is drawn with only three fingers. This picture has been separated into two different meanings in our current day: one is “father” and the other is “a man with authority”.
Father
This oracle drawing was also represented an office of the priethood (like an elder today) in 3000 years ago, it was shown in the ceremonies of Temple when bloodshedding the sacrifices.
A man with authority
This officer ruled people in the ancient time, like a governor, or a ruler. The oracle drawing is "a hand holding the rod of iron".
Leader, ruler, and kingThis oracle drawing is similar to the above one "a hand holding the rod of iron", but more with "a mouth under the rod of iron". It was shown that this ruler spoke the word of God. This drawing symbolized "leader, ruler, and king".
The word of God and the cunning of devilTwo different oracle drawings represent two different meanings, one is the word came from God (the rod of iron), and the other is the false, vain, and foolish doctrines of devil.
"And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth"(1Nephi 14:10).
Serpent(1)
"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him(Revelation 12:9)...And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood"(Revelation 12:15). This water as a flood in Lehi's dream is the river of filthy water(1Nephi 15:27).
(This oracle drawing no.0029 in the oracle database is shown no modern Chinese meaning)
The way we follow decide our future, one helping us to the tree of life, and the other pulling us back from the tree of life.
(This oracle drawing also filed no.0029 in the oracle database is shown no modern Chinese meaning)
Those people who didn't follow the strait and narrow path would put themselves in danger.
Satan "maketh war with the saints of God, and encompasseth them round about"(D&C 76:29). This is shown that the serpent and his angels encompass the rod of iron round about, and lie in wait to catch the people who don't follow the rod of iron.
They can't wait to bite the foot of men who are away from the rod of iron, and poison the mind of men to death.
(This oracle drawing no.0078 in the oracle database is shown no modern Chinese meaning)
This oracle drawing shown as "small" now, but its meaning was contrary to "holding the rod of iron" at ancient Chinese book of Confucius.
When they were bitten by serpent, they should return to the middle part to the rod of iron, which lead them to the tree of life, and the rod of iron and the fruit of the tree of life can cure, in spiritual, the poison of serpent. This is also like the story of the people of Israel in the wilderness. Nephi explained this story, “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. 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; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.”(1 Nephi 17:41)
SerpentThere were several drawings in the oracle shown as “serpent”.
The last two pictures were used many times in the Ancient Chinese Oracle drawings.
The following oracle painted the settlements outside the Temple is smiliar to the tabernacle of Moses,“Set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation” (Exodus 40:6) and “set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar” (Exodus 40:7). This oracle is shown as “peace, quiet”.
Sacrifice was burned on the altar of the burnt offering for the people’s sin.
This oracle is shown where the offering burned.
The Chinese oracle characters were also shown that there was a serpent climbed on the rod of iron and tried to reach the place where the sacrifice was burned.
Before he could reach the place, his plan to offer himself as a burn offering was turned down. The oracle showed that the altar of burnt offering fell.
This oracle shown as "mourn", of course, in most of oriental countries, the time for mourning is the time for weeping.
Then the serpent was fallen, this oracle shown as "danger".
"1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.
2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.
3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;"(Moses 4:1-3)
" 25 And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,
26 And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning.
27 And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning!"(D&C 76:25-26)
"12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."(Revelation 12:12)
