Temple Works ...Sacred or Secret
In the kingdom of Mormonism a temple is the most sacred and secret place of worship a "worthy" Mormon can enter. The temples are grandiose in their architecture and mysterious to the outsider. But what goes on inside is one of Mormonism’s most bizarre attributes yet.
Mormons will claim that their temples follow the biblical model of temples in the Old Testament. But do they?
The Biblical Temple
In the Hebrew Temple of ancient Israel, the temple was a model of the universe. Its three courts represented the divisions in the cosmos, in the center court, the holy place was represented where God resides. This holiest place was Israel’s great "axis mundi". "Axis mundi" is a representation of the center of the powers of the universe, God’s dwelling place, or the great focal point where heaven and earth meet. This holy place of the Hebrews represented, where God resided, and the portal between earth and heaven. The portal to heaven is represented in Israel’s story of Jacob’s Ladder in Genesis. Others have specualted that the ladder represents Christ as a connection from man to God. All of this imagery is universal to the axis mundi idea.
Under the Old Testament system of the Hebrew Temple, an Aaronic priest system of atonement rites were performed. This involved ritual blood offerings in the Holiest Place. This system of atonement had one Aaronic High Priest that entered the Holiest Place to offer the sacrifice for sins. This idea of sins that must be dealt with by atoning blood, was considered to be the reason that God and Human kind remained separated. A veil separated this Holiest Place from the outside world representing the separation of the portal between heaven and this fallen world, and God from Human kind. The whole reason that the Temple and Aaronic Priesthood existed was because of humankind’s separation from God due to Sin.
When Jesus Died, the New Testament says that the Veil was torn open, and that Christians can enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus. This means that the portal of Heaven is open for direct access without a priesthood. This also has implications for the receiving of the Holy Ghost. Because of this direct access to heaven due to the ultimate blood sacrifice, there is no need for the Temple nor its system of priests.
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The Mormon Temple
LDS Apostle Mark E. Petersen wrote, "In Biblical times sacred ordinances were administered in holy edifices for the spiritual salvation of ancient Israel. While the people traveled in the wilderness, they used a portable tabernacle. This tabernacle is called 'the temple of the Lord'...When they ceased their wanderings and obtained a stable government, they built a glorious temple in Jerusalem to take its place. Following the pattern of Biblical days, the Lord again in our day has provided these ordinances for the salvation of all who will believe, and directs that temples be built in which to perform those sacred rites."[1]
LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie stated, "Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe the Bible. Indeed, so literally and completely do their beliefs and practices conform to the teachings of the Bible that it is not uncommon to hear informed persons say: 'if all men believed the Bible, all would be Mormons.' Bible doctrine is Mormon doctrine and Mormon doctrine is Bible doctrine. They are one and the same."[2]
BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD
Baptism for the dead is usually performed by Mormon youths between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Dressed in white clothes, the youth enters the baptismal font and stands upright. Using his (her) left hand, he (she) grasps his (her) own right wrist, and uses the fingers of the right hand to hold the nose shut while being immersed. The person performing the baptism stands at the left side of the youth and grasps the youth’s right hand with his left hand. He then raises his right arm to an angle of ninety degrees ands repeats the baptismal prayer. Following the prayer, he places his right hand on the youth’s back and supports him (her) during immersion, raising the youth quickly out of the water to an upright position again, when the ceremony is repeated several more times on behalf of other deceased persons.
Brother _______, having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you, for and in behalf of _______, who is dead, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
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CONFIRMATION OF THE DEAD
Following baptism, the deceased must be confirmed a member of the Mormon Church. This ceremony does not have to be performed by the same proxy by the baptism, and usually isn’t. The proxy sits in a chair, and two Mormon Elders place their hands on the proxy’s head, and repeat the following, for each deceased person.
Brother _______, in the name of Jesus Christ, we lay our hands upon your head, for and in behalf of _______, who is dead, and confirm you a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and say unto you, Receive the Holy Ghost. Amen.
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RECONFIRMATION
This ceremony restores temple blessings lost through excommunication or by one’s name having been removed from the records of the Church.
Brother _______, in the name of Jesus Christ, we lay our hands upon your head [for and in behalf of _______, who is dead], and confirm you a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and say unto you, Receive the Holy Ghost, and confirm upon you all your former Church and Temple blessings. Amen.
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ORDINATION OF THE DEAD
This ceremony gives the Priesthood to the deceased.
Brother _______, having authority, we lay our hands upon your head, and confer upon you the Melchizedek Priesthood and ordain you an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for and in behalf of _______, who is dead, and seal upon you every grace, gift and authority appertaining to this office in the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, for and in his behalf, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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INITIATORY ORDINANCES (PRELIMINARY TO THE ENDOWMENT)
After showing his Temple Recommend to a worker stationed near the entrance inside the building, the patron repairs to the men’s dressing area, where he is assigned a private locker (dividers and a door ensure privacy). After disrobing he covers himself with a "Shield"—a white poncho-like linen covering with a hole in the top for his head and open sides (held shut while walking). Covered in the Shield, he carries one pair of Temple Garments (one-piece style) to the Washing and Anointing area, and waits on a bench until directed by a temple worker to enter one of the Washing and Anointing booths through a veiled partition. The booths are simply small cubicles made up of suspended lined veils.
When called for, the initiate enters the booth and hands his Garments to a worker who places them on a towel rod. As the initiate stands upright in his Shield the temple worker wets his fingers under s small faucet of running water in the booth, and lightly touches each area of the initiate’s body through the open sides of the Shield.
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WASHING
Brother _______, having authority, I wash you preparatory to you receiving your anointings [for and in behalf of _______ (patron and then temple worker read name of deceased), who is dead], that you may become clean from the blood and sins of this generation. I wash your head, that your brain and your intellect may be clear and active; your ears, that you may hear the word of the Lord; your eyes, that you may see clearly and discern between truth and error; your nose, that you may smell; your lips, that you may never speak guile; your neck, that it may bear up your head properly; your shoulders, that they may bear the burdens that shall be placed thereon; your back, that there may be marrow in the bones and in the spine; your breast, that it may be the receptacle of pure and virtuous principles; your vitals and bowels, that they may be healthy and strong and perform their proper functions; your arms and hands, that they may be strong and wield the sword of justice in defense of truth and virtue; your loins, that you may be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, that you might have joy and rejoicing in your posterity; your legs and feet, that you might run and not be weary, and walk and not faint.
(Females undergo a similar ritual, attended to by females, which includes the following, "Sister _______, having authority, I wash you preparatory to your receiving your anointings [for and in behalf of _______, who is dead], and whereas you have obeyed the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a true and honest heart, and have been faithful in keeping your covenants, your sins are forgiven and you are clean every whit. I wash your head that your brain and your intellect may be clear and active in discerning between truth and error, and that you may be filled with the spirit of the Lord..." etc.)
Two temple workers then place their hands upon the patron’s head and one of them recites the Confirmation of the Washing.
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CONFIRMATION OF THE WASHING
Brother _______, having authority, we lay our hands upon your head [for and in behalf of _______(patron and then temple worker read name of deceased), who is dead], and seal upon you this washing, that you may become clean from the blood and sins of this generation through your faithfulness, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The patron then steps through a veiled partition into another part of the booth where he sits upon a chair. He is anointed with scented olive oil from a glass anointing horn. During the anointing, the body parts are lightly touched as they are mentioned, as was done in the washing.
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ANOINTING
Brother _______, having authority, I pour this holy anointing oil upon your head [for and in behalf of _______ (patron and then temple worker read name of deceased), who is dead], and anoint you preparatory to your becoming a King and a Priest unto the Most High God, hereafter to rule and reign in the House of Israel forever. I anoint your head, that your brain and your intellect may be clear and active; your ears, that you may hear the word of the Lord; your eyes, that you may see clearly and discern between truth and error; your nose, that you may smell; your lips, that you may never speak guile; your neck, that it may bear up your head properly; your shoulders, that they may bear the burdens that shall be placed thereon; your back, that there may be marrow in the bones and in the spine; your breast, that it may be the receptacle of pure and virtuous principles; your vitals and bowels, that they may be healthy and strong and perform their proper functions; your arms and hands, that they may be strong and wield the sword of justice in defense of truth and virtue; your loins, that you may be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, that you might have joy and rejoicing in your posterity; your legs and feet, that you might run and not be weary, and walk and not faint.
The Anointing is then confirmed, as was the Washing, by the two temple workers.
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CONFIRMATION OF THE ANOINTING
Brother _______, having authority, we lay our hands upon your head [for and in behalf of _______ (patron and then temple worker read name of deceased), who is dead], and confirm upon you this anointing, wherewith you have been anointed in the temple of our God, preparatory to becoming a King and a Priest unto the Most High God, hereafter to rule and reign in the House of Israel forever, and seal upon you all the blessings hereunto appertaining, through your faithfulness, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The patron now steps through a third veiled partition into another section of the booth. A temple worker takes the Garments off the towel rod and holds them open wide at the neck, for the patron to step into (right leg, left leg). It is then pulled up the sides of his body and he slips his right arm and left arms through the sleeves.
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THE GARMENT OF THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD AND THE NEW NAME
Brother _______, having authority, I place this Garment upon you [for and in behalf of _______ (patron and then temple worker read name of deceased), who is dead], which you must wear throughout your life. It represents the Garment given to Adam when he was found naked in the Garden of Eden, and is called the Garment of the Holy Priesthood. Inasmuch as you do not defile it, but are true and faithful to your covenants, it will be a shield and a protection to you against the power of the destroyer until you have finished your work here on earth. With this Garment I give you a New Name, which you should always remember, and which you must keep sacred, and never reveal except at a certain place which will be shown your hereafter. The name is "_______."
The New Name is repeated by the patron, who has now completed the Initiatory Ordinances, and is ready to clothe for the Endowment. Upon giving the New Name, the worker writes (or stamps) either a "1" or "2" on the name slip. This indicates which of the New Names in use that day the patron received. The New Name ("1") is changed daily, and may be almost any personal name found in the Bible or the Book of Mormon. The alternate New Name ("2") is "Adam," and is only given when the patron’s given name (or that of the deceased) is similar to the daily New Name.
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VICARIOUS PRESENTATION OF THE NEW NAME
If the patron elects not to receive Washings and Anointings as a proxy for the deceased prior to participating in an "Endowment for the dead," he must first obtain the New Name. Dressed in his white shirt, tie, pants, socks and slippers, he obtains the New Name by the following rite:
Brother _______, having authority, I give you a New Name, for and in behalf of _______ (patron and then temple worker read name of deceased), who is dead, which you should always remember, and which you must keep sacred, and never reveal except at a certain place which will be shown your hereafter. The name is "_______."
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The patron now enters a chapel and waits on a bench with other patrons until they are called by a temple worker to enter an endowment room.
The Endowment Ceremony: An Overview of the Ritual.
Modern "Endowment rooms" are small movie theaters inside the temple with an aisle running down the center of the room. Women sit on the left, men on the right, separated by the aisle. In the front of the room is an altar, on which rest the Bible and the Mormon Scriptures known as the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. The endowment is presented as a film which is halted occasionally to allow the viewers brief participation at key points.
When all is quiet a tape recording begins which welcomes the patrons to the temple and explains that they should all have already received the Initiatory Ordinances of Washing, Anointing, clothing in the Garment of the Holy Priesthood and receiving the New Name. The lights are then dimmed and a movie begins which depicts the creation of the earth in "creative periods" of unspecified duration which are afterward called "days." The creation is performed by two Gods under the direction of a third. The head God, named Elohim, orders Jehovah and Michael to perform the creative labors. (Mormons believe that Elohim is God the Father, while Jehovah is Jesus Christ in his pre-mortal form, and Michael is the Archangel whose spirit will be put into the first human, which makes him Adam.) In order to make the ritual impressionable and vital to them in their daily lives, the temple participants are counseled to consider themselves respectively Adam and Eve.
Following the creation, the spirit of Michael is put into a body. The Gods awaken him, but put him to sleep again in order to form a woman from his ribs. When he awakens from the sleep which the Gods caused to come upon him, he is known as Adam, and is become "as a little child." He has also forgotten everything about this pre-mortal existence. After awakening, Adam names his wife Eve, "because she is the mother of all living" and Gods forbid the couple to partake of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The happy couple then go about their way and tend to the garden. The temptation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is then enacted.
Satan (played by Mormon opera singer Michael Balam in one version) is shown lurking about the garden, when he introduces himself to Adam as his "brother." Unable to seduce Adam into taking the fruit, Satan succeeds in pursuading Eve to partake of the fruit. She, in turn tells Adam what she has done, and he partakes "that man may be." Suddenly Eve's eyes are opened, and she recognizes her tempter as "He who was cast out of father's presence for rebellion." Lucifer acknowledges this, and then tells the couple to clothe themselves in fig-leaf aprons lest God discover their nakedness. The couple makes the aprons and hides. (At this point the participants put on their aprons). The Gods appear and chastise Adam and Eve for their disobedience, and Elohim curses, and then thrusts Lucifer out of the garden. Cherubim and a flaming sword are placed between Adam and Eve and the Tree of Life, lest they put forth their hands and partake of the fruit and live forever in their sins.
Although Elohim has provided a Savior for mankind (meaning Jesus), Adam and Eve must still take upon themselves certain covenants and learn the secrets of the Priesthood if they are to return to his presence. The Priesthood secrets consist of Signs, Tokens and Words. The Signs are physical gestures, the Tokens are secret handclasps, and the Words are the names of the Tokens. In the pre-1990 ritual there were also "penal signs" or "penalties" which indicated how the patron could expect to die if s/he betrayed the temple secrets. The film is paused to enable the participants the opportunity to learn these valuable secrets. The covenants (given at appropriate times throughout the ceremony) include such things as living chastely, obeying the Mormon leaders and donating all one's wealth to the Church, if called upon to do so. The temple participants are required to stand and take all the obligations given to Adam and Eve. Patrons are also required to put on their temple clothing. The robe, cap and girdle are switched to the other side of the body during a later part of the ceremony. After receiving these first secrets, they are thrust from the garden.
After being thrust out of the garden into the "lone and dreary world" Adam and Eve are followed around by Lucifer who attempts to lead them astray. Elohim sends down the pre-mortal spirits of Peter, James and John, to learn whether Adam has been true to the Token and Sign he was given. The Apostles report that Adam and Eve "and their posterity" (the Temple patrons) are true and faithful, and they later return to provide the "further light and knowledge" Adam desires. They also cast out Satan. They then give Adam more secret signs, tokens and covenants.
This ends the film, and the remainder of the endowment is pantomimed by an "officiator" who stands at the head of the altar and who teaches the secret signs, etc., when the recording mandates. The patrons are also taught "the True Order of Prayer." This consists of standing around the altar and making all the Priesthood Signs and Tokens, including a chant of the words "O God, hear the words of my mouth" (repeated three times). In the pre-1990 endowment the words were given in the Adamic Language as "Pay Lay Ale."
Following this, Patrons learn the meaning of the symbols on their garments, by watching the officiator point to similar marks on the temple veil. They are informed that they must all pass through an opening in the veil into the Celestial Room to complete the ceremony (this represents entering the Celestial Kingdom, the Mormon heaven). The veil has several slits in it, in the shape of the marks on the garment (the square and compass, etc.) and a person, representing "the Lord" stands unseen on its other side. He puts his hand through a slit at mid-waist to test the officiator's knowledge of the tokens of the Priesthood. There is a rehearsal of all the Priesthood tokens at this time, given in a catechism. The patrons are informed that they must do likewise, and they are called up to the veil to do so. After doing so, they enter the "Celestial Room." This completes the endowment.
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Notes/References
