Finding the First Turtle Shaped Island: A True Story

 I have loved turtles since I was a teenager. Maybe even before that. I’ve loved them since before I understood they have significance to any American culture. And my very favorite of all the turtles are the green sea turtles. Catching a glimpse of these gentle giants unexpectedly in their element has always been a moment of excitement and awe for me. At the beginning of this year, I snorkeled at the beach of an island. It was our first time trying out full face snorkel masks. My hair was braided to keep it manageable in the water, but in the undulating waves it would snake in expected directions, and a time or two it’s frayed end had startled me, mistaken for a curious fish or eel that had ventured too close to my face. At the beckoning of family members on shore, I began to return to the sand with my children, fresh from an octopus sighting. Before I reached it, I discovered one of these beautiful creatures swimming between me and the shore, to the East. I pointed it out with childish joy to my eldest so she could see also. Her fingertips pressed soft craters into the skin of my arm as we exchanged giddy grins. It was her first time seeing an adult in the wild, and only my second.

It began to swim ahead of us, and we followed, me wary of keeping the required distance—without remembering what exactly that precise distance is... Just a few days earlier we had learned the difference between the male and females of this species. This one, I would later realize, was a male. He poked his head above the water and took a breath, before turning westward. He looked at my daughter and I as we hovered back, observing, as other swimmers did likewise on the other side of him. And then he took off into the west, following the path of the sun through the sky.

This is not an uncommon experience. There are many just like this that happen by the day, and many people with stories like mine.

But the difference to me is now I know a little more about the symbolism of this animal. It means something more to me than simply being a cute animal, something more sacred. I had drawn a distinct symbolism between the turtle and God’s covenant with a people for this American land, this turtle island. So as we pulled ourselves out of the water, this meaning was likely in my mind already, and continues to be since then as I recall it. This symbolism comes, of course, from the native traditions of the Creation of this land and the native peoples. The turtle was the animal that bore the weight of the earth, in order to provide a place where man could live. That the shell of the turtle is also a calendar of native tribes, tracing the days and months in a single year, adds to its importance and symbolism. And... though less important a point, it reinforces my confidence in my selection of a favorite animal.

I remembered later the name of the island we were on is another culture’s name for the Son of God. Furthermore, the name of the beach translates to “arms embracing the sea.” So unknowingly, I was swimming in a place symbolizing the embrace of the Son of God, and seeing a symbol of what I understood as His covenant with this land appearing before me in the direction of birth, knowledge, and beginnings. I then saw it follow the path of the sun, towards its highest peak in the sky, the fullness of the day, the fullness of light, and onward to descent.

I’ll be honest, it bothered me that the turtle was male. When pondering on it later, inquiring of the Creator (probably more like complaining) whether there was anything I was meant to learn from the event, I asked about why it had to be a male turtle? Didn’t a female make more sense? I connect anything signifying land with a mother, of course, so it seemed more fitting to me that this turtle, if it was meant to be significant to me in this way, should be a female. It seemed I was invited to explore it further, and this was how I came to understand why the turtle would be male.

Because I have made the connection of the muskrat in the Anishinabe tradition to Christ, I had overlooked the obvious symbolism of the turtle to Christ as well, He who bears our burdens, He who lifts us above spiritual sin and death (symbolized by the floods). And when I finally realized this, I could see why my turtle was male. I was being taught something new and necessary. Because the turtle isn’t just His covenant for land. The turtle is the Son of God, Himself, who came to dwell among His own creations, in order to lift them. This is more obvious in other tribal versions of the creation that do not feature the muskrat.

So now when I read in the Seven Fires that the journey will begin and end with a turtle shaped island, beginning as it did in the story of creation, I now see this journey beginning with recognizing Christ as our turtle island, the knowledge that He is what we must find at the beginning of the journey, following Him into the waters of baptism and being reborn into His spiritual embrace, and guided along the good path to a fullness of light, where the turtle island is at the end of our journey too, as we come at last into His presence and actual embrace. (I am the Alpha and the Omega; I am he who was slain, I am he who lives; I am your advocate with the Father. T&C 157:27) But the turtle still has a definite tie to the land as demonstrated by the soil in the story of creation multiplying on his back. He provides a place for His people who follow His path:

And now we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God or they shall be swept off when the fullness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fullness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity. For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands. Wherefore, he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off, for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fullness of iniquity among the children of the land that they are swept off. And this cometh unto you, O ye gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God, that ye may repent and not continue in your iniquities until the fullness be come, that ye may not bring down the fullness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land hath hitherto done. Behold, this is a choice land; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under Heaven if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who has been manifested by the things which we have written. Ether 1:7

The land that He bears on His back is indeed a special land. It’s a land given specifically for those who serve Him.

And how do we begin this? How do we know how to be reborn/recreated as His people and begin our journey on the good path and into His presence? In His own words:

Behold, verily, verily I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine. And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me — and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the holy ghost beareth record of the Father and me — and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men everywhere to repent and believe in me. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved, and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned. Verily, verily I say unto you that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father. And whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also, and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the holy ghost. And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the holy ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me, for the Father and I and the holy ghost are one. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptizied in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Verily, verily I say unto you that this is my doctrine. And whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establisheth it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil and is not built upon my rock, but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell standeth open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them. Therefore, go forth unto this people and declare the words which I have spoken unto the ends of the earth. 3 Nephi 5:9

“Rock” is a form of land, like the land on the turtle’s back. So, this could be looked at as saying that building our foundation on this “doctrine of Christ” is the same as building our foundation on the turtle’s back, building it on Christ, Himself. Like the story of creation where only the turtle’s back provides a way for mankind to live on despite the flood, so is it with building our foundation on the Doctrine of Christ. Only those who do this will prevail when the “floods come and the winds beat upon them.”

This doctrine of baptism is what a prophet called “the gate by which [you] should enter” the strait and narrow path (or the good path).

Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shewn unto me: that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the holy ghost. And then are ye in this straight and narrow path which leads to eternal life. Yea, ye have entered in by the gate, ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son, and ye have received the holy ghost, which witness of the Father and the Son unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way, ye should receive. 2 Nephi 13:3

And, of course the journey does not end with entering the gate, the entire good path lies before us once that is done. Just as my turtle swam off into the west, and just a Nanabush sought his father by journeying west before coming into his presence and being acknowledged as his equal, so must we follow the light to its fullest. In the words of that same prophet:

And now behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts? Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the holy ghost, ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the holy ghost? Angels speak by the power of the holy ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them, it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock. Wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way and receive the holy ghost, it will shew unto you all things what ye should do. Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do. 2 Nephi. 14: 1

Thus the good path begins and “ends” with the turtle island, “when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh...” From the testimony of St. John, we learn some more about this in the words of Christ:

I go to prepare an abode for your upward journey. And when I arise, I will prepare places for you, but I will be your companion again and visit each of you, so that where I travel, you may journey to also. And the path I follow upward you know, and the way of ascent you also know. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don’t know where you are going; how can we know the way? You have not told us. Jesus said to him, I am the way, the record of the truth, and the means for Eternal lives, worlds without end: no man comes to the Throne of the Father without me. If you follow me, you will come to the Father’s Throne through me and will thereafter be like him forever. T&C: Testimony of St. John 10:9

But as the medicine wheel teaches us and the cycles of life and time, that is not where the path of ascension ends either. It is also circular and continues with a return, after such an ascent, to a place of darkness, where those who have been in the presence of that light and glory, then reside in a place of wisdom and share that light with those who have not yet found the first turtle island, until they too understand and seek and follow the same path, starting in the East with their own rebirth, and so on and so on. But this is a topic I will have to visit in a new series regarding ascension.

There is so much I’ve left unsaid here because it would be too long and have too many tangents. I’ll just include one last thing that applies. Because if we intend to follow the God of this land, we should know how this baptism is to be performed. I will include Christ’s directions on it that were given just before He declared His doctrine:

And it came to pass that he spake unto Nephi (for Nephi was among the multitude) and commanded him that he should come forth. And Nephi arose and went forth, and bowed himself before the Lord, and he did kiss his feet. And the Lord commanded him that he should arise. And he arose and stood before him. And the Lord said unto him, I give unto you power that ye shall baptize this people when I am again ascended into Heaven.

And again, the Lord called others and said unto them likewise, and he gave unto them power to baptize. And he said unto them, On this wise shall ye baptize, and there shall be no disputations among you. Verily I say unto you that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them: behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them. And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying, Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy ghost. Amen. And then shall ye immerse them in the water and come forth again out of the water. And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name, for behold, verily I say unto you that the Father and the Son and the holy ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one. And according as I have commanded you, thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no disputations among you, as there hath hitherto been, neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there hath hitherto been. For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the Devil, who is the father of contention; and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another, but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away. 3 Nephi 5:7-8

I recognize the first turtle island reappearing in this age, returning to the original people. It is the Son of God, calling out to all who will listen, inviting all to climb upon His back and follow His way. I believe it is time for the birth of a New People, who are willing to fulfill the measure of their creation, and to embody the image they were created in, the Creator’s own image.

All this is what I have come to understand from the turtle I saw. It does seem of great importance to me, and, though perhaps a common occurrence in some parts of this world, it will continue to be sacred in my heart.