Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
A temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a building reserved to perform certain Church ordinances and conduct certain ceremonies and meetings. Temples and their associated ordinances are a vital part of Mormon theology. Their importance is emphasized in weekly meetings, and regular participation in temple work is expected of all Latter-day Saintss.
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2 Ordinances 3 Baptism for the Dead 4 Temple Endowments 5 Sealing 6 External Links |
A Latter-day Saint must be in good standing with the Church in order to enter a temple. Members are interviewed by Church leaders who issue a temple recommend card which allows a worthy Latter-day Saint to enter a temple. Because Latter-day Saints believe that temple ordinances are sacred, they are usually hesitant to discuss details of the ordinances outside of the temple, especially with outsiders. They also believe they are under covenant with God not to reveal certain symbols and names associated with the ceremonies. The consequent secrecy surrounding ordinances has generated speculation, controversy and misunderstanding of temple ceremonies in part due to use of language unfamiliar to non-Mormons.
Only 'worthy' Latter-day Saints with valid temple recommends are permitted to enter past the foyer of a temple. Devout Latter-day Saints who have participated in the temple adhere to covenants not to reveal details of the temple ceremonies. Therefore, critics allege that those who publicize purported details of temple ceremonies are either disaffected, former or excommunicated Church members or non-Mormons who have trespassed on private property and made unauthorized recordings or transcripts which, some many believe, violate copyright law.
There are several ordinances performed only in temples. Once a Latter-day Saint receives these ordinances for himself, he may perform these ordinances vicariously or by proxy in behalf of deceased people. These ordinances include the following:
Baptism for the dead, or vicarious baptism, is a practice of posthumously baptizing deceased persons into the Church via proxy. This ritual is a common rite of passage for young Latter-day Saints, who are expected to begin performing baptisms for the dead as early as 12 years old often returning to perform such proxy baptisms regularly.
Baptisms for the dead are performed in a large pool placed on statues of twelve oxen, representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel the design of which is based on a temple fixture in the Old Testament.
Baptism for the dead is mentioned in the Bible in 1st Corinthians 15:29, a brief passage some critics contend was misunderstood or rather freely adapted by Joseph Smith. Baptisms for the dead were later mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants (124: 29, 127: 5, 128: 1, 138: 33). Latter-day Saints complete Genealogical work for deceased persons and if it is determined an individual was not baptized by a Church Priesthood authority, their name is prepared for baptism. Optimally, the proxy who stands in will be a descendant of the deceased person, but often it is an unrelated volunteer. Baptism is a prerequisite for most other ordinances.
Latter-day Saints believe deceased non-Mormons are in a condition or state colloquially called Spirit Prison, similar in some respects to Roman Catholic Purgatory although the difference between the two concepts is considerable. In Spirit Prison, non-Mormons are believed to be exposed to Church doctrines and have the opportunity to accept or decline these teachings as well as any vicarious ordinances done on their behalf.
The vicarious baptism of (in)famous persons has generated controversy from time to time. For example, certain Jewish groups have contended with the Church when it was discovered proxy baptisms were being performed for deceased Jews, particularly Holocaust victims, without consent of living, non-Mormon relatives. Many regarded this practice as insulting, and leaders of the Church stated they would discourage and avoid such efforts.
The LDS church does not publish information about Endowments, and members do not discuss it openly. This section was compiled after careful readings of several dozen personal accounts, which were compared to authors' personal experiences. Search any search engine for "Temple Endowment" or related terms to find many of these firsthand accounts and make your own judgement as to the reliability of the sources. Some accounts are from disaffected former church members, but others seem quite objective.
The accounts vary in a few minor details, possibly because the ceremony was changed several times. However, they all agree on the major points that are included in this article. Therefore, the details of the actual ceremony are considered accurate based on the best evidence easily available.
The most important ceremony performed by members of the church is the Temple Endowment. The term Endowment comes from the Greek language word enduein, meaning "dress", "clothe", or "put on a garment". The name is fitting, because it is in the course of the Endowment ceremony that a patron receives the "Garment of the Holy Priesthood". More information about the Garment itself is discussed below.
The Endowment ritual was apparently first introduced in the Nauvoo, Illinois temple in 1842 by Joseph Smith, very shortly after Smith was intiated as a Freemason. It consists of four parts:
Each patron is given a "new name" which they are to use for the duration of the ceremony as a "key word", in order to pass. This name can be almost any name from the Bible or the Book of Mormon. All patrons on any given day are given the same name according to a monthly schedule, so that each female patron on the 11th of each month, for instance, might be given the name "Ruth", or a man "David" or "Abraham". If the patron's given name is the same as the "new name", the alternate "Adam" or "Eve" is given.
These penalties have generated some controversy. For most Mormons, the "penalties" have one of two meanings: (1) An early view was that God would punish those who revealed the tokens, names, and signs to outsiders by striking them dead. (2) A more contemporary view is that the "penalties" are symbolic of a "spiritual death" or separation from God. Some critics, however, contend the "penalties" were frequently understood literally by Mormons and actually carried out. See Blood Atonement. In 1990, after decades of controversy, all "penalties" were deleted from the temple ceremony; however, there is still a vow of secrecy with respect to the tokens, signs, and names.
A sealing is an ordinance held only in a temple whereby families are bound together in a family relationship which Latter-day Saints believe will endure beyond physical death. This is the doctrine which lies behind the Church slogan, "Families are Forever." A sealing is performed either as a covenant marriage between a man and a woman or as a sealing of children to their parents. A sealing of only a man and a woman is also called a temple marriage or eternal marriage. Unlike traditional, civil marriages "until death do you part", Latter-day Saints believe that only a couple who has been sealed "for time and all eternity" will be married beyond physical death. The Church recognizes other monogamous, heterosexual marriages, both civil and religious, although they believe that such marriages will not continue after death because eternal marriages must be performed by a Priesthood authority. However, this ordinance is also done vicariously for the deceased so that once all the prior temple ordinances are completed for a deceased individual, couples who were not sealed during their life may be sealed to each other and their children by proxy.
Couples, who already have children born to them before the couple is sealed, may have their children sealed to them after the couple is sealed. Couples who have children after being sealed do not have to have their children sealed to them in a separate ordinance. Latter-day Saints refer to children born to sealed parents as being born in the covenant and are automatically sealed to their parents.
Divorce rates for sealed couples were far below national divorce rates for decades but have risen significantly over the last several years. Although a divorce legally dissolves a civilly-recognized marriage, the Church still recognizes a sealed couple as being sealed. A couple who has been sealed may have their sealing cancelled, but this is uncommon, occurs only under special circumstances and is only granted by the highest authority in the Church. Some refer to a cancellation as a “temple divorce”, but the terminology designated by Church leaders is cancellation of a sealing. A cancellation typically follows after a civil divorce and when the woman then seeks to be sealed to another man. In other cases cancellation is implied if one of the partners to the marriage is excommunicated, for example, because of adultery or serious spousal abuse.
The Church’s policy on sealings and cancellations reflect its doctrine of Plural Marriage although that doctrine is currently prohibited from being practiced in the Church: a man can be sealed to multiple women, but women can only be sealed to one man. A man sealed to one or more women, but civilly divorced or a widower, may be sealed to another woman assuming the couple is worthy and the union is permitted by Church authorities. Although a woman can only be sealed to one man, she can be married civilly to another man and have that marriage recognized by the Church.
The union of a sealed couple will only remain in force after death and the resurrection if both individuals have kept their religious covenants. A sealed couple who have successfully kept their religious covenants and whose sealing remains in force after death is said to have their sealing “sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise”. The sealing of a sealed couple whose union has been disrupted by a civil divorce (amicable or acrimonious) is not likely to remain in force; it is more likely that either or both individuals have not successfully kept their religious covenants. Just as deceased individuals may refuse any temple ordinance (such as a sealing) done by proxy on their behalf, couples, parents and children who were sealed to each other during their own life may exercise their agency to refuse to accept a sealing of which they were a part. No one will be sealed to any one with whom they do not want to be sealed.
Since the Church rejects same-sex marriages, these unions are not performed in temples nor recognized by the Church.
See also: Eternal Marriage
Overview
Ordinances
Although vicarious baptisms are also referred to as “baptisms for the dead”, all of the vicarious ordinances may just as well be called similarly: annointings for the dead; endowments for the dead; sealings for the dead; etc. A deceased person whose genealogical information has been submitted to the temple for his temple work to be done has all of the vicarious ordinances done on his behalf.Baptism for the Dead
Temple Endowments
These are essentially white cotton underwear manufactured by the LDS church. Garments are worn under street clothing as a reminder of vows taken in a temple. Devout Mormons typically wear such garments at all times, except perhaps while bathing or exercising. Modern garments are lightweight: knee length shorts and a shoulder length shirt. Earlier garments one piece, heavy wool, and extended to the ankle and wrist.
Prior to changes made in 1990, certain "penalties" were also associated with each token given in the ceremony, together with its accompanying name and sign. This "penalty" was associated with a vow never to reveal the token, name, and sign to outsiders. While making the secrecy vow, participants simulated their own throats and abdomens being cut open as penalty of revealing the tokens, signs, and names given as part of the ceremonies. However, there was no explicit indication that these penalties were ever to be enforced by Mormons or by the Church.
There are obvious similiarities between portions of LDS temple ceremones and initiation into Freemasonry. The LDS church does not deny these similarities, but claims Masons use corrupted forms of the rituals that were originally given by God at the Temple of Solomon, and the LDS ritual is a reintroduction of those original forms. Joseph Smith was an initiated Mason. For more information on this subject, see the external links below.Sealing
External Links
