Wikipedia: Endowment (Mormonism)

Endowment (Mormonism)
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In Mormonism, the Endowment, also known historically as the Holy Order, is a sacred ritual usually performed in templess. Instituted by Joseph Smith, Jr in 1842, the ritual consists of highly symbolic acts and covenants relating to what Mormons view as humanity's relation to God and the earth. Today, the Endowment is practiced mainly by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its offshoots; for many other sects of Mormonism, such as the Community of Christ, the ceremony is of historical interest only.

The Endowment consists of two phases: (1) an initiatory phase, and (2) an instructional phase. The initiatory phase consists of washing and anointing by a male or female officiator (depending on the sex of the patron), culminating in the clothing of the patron in a "Garment of the Holy Priesthood." In addition, as part of the initiatory phase, the patron is given a "New Name" which signifies their new life as a disciple of Christ.

The instructional phase of the Endowment consists of an instructional script (usually recorded but sometimes performed by live actors), punctuated with covenants between the patron and God, and highly symbolic acts. The instruction and the acts relate to what Mormons view as humanity's relation to God and God's creation, and the role of Jesus Christ.

Secret, Sacred and Symbolic

In the Endowment ceremony, there are certain "tokens" and "signs" that Latter-day Saints promise never to reveal to outsiders. Although technically the remainder of the Endowment ceremony is not under any such stricture, Latter-day Saints are rarely willing to discuss the details of the ceremony. Saints commonly state that the rituals are "sacred" but not "secret"; however, Latter-day Saint Apostle Boyd K. Packer has encouraged members not to "discuss the temple ordinances outside the temples". See Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple.

In practice, Latter-day Saints keep silent about the ceremony for numerous reasons. Some argue that the ceremony should be kept from those who are nor properly prepared or worthy, because once they are exposed to the ceremony, they will suffer a greater damnation if they do not accept it. Many Saints believe that Jesus Christ taught in often obscure parables for the same reason.

Second, many Saints keep silent about the ceremony because they believe that it its meaning cannot be properly conveyed without the actual experience in the temple. Brigham Young once stated that "there are but few, very few of the Elders of Israel, [and members of the church] now on earth, who know the meaning of the word endowment [the primary temple ordinance]. To know, they must experience...." —Discourses of Brigham Young, page 416. Moreover, some Saints believe that the ceremony may not be understood without revelation from God, and that this revelation can only come in the temple. LDS President Ezra Taft Benson taught that "When I have been weighed down by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the House of the Lord with a prayer in my heart for answers. These answers have come in clear and unmistakable ways" (Ensign 8, August 1985).

However, other Mormons have suggested that the Latter-day Saint reticence to discuss the Endowment encourages attacks and unauthorized exposés by Evangelical Christians, and therefore advocate a more open and transparent attitude toward the ceremony. See, e.g., Michael W. Homer, "'Similarity of Priesthood in Masonry': The Relationship between Freemasonry and Mormonism," 27(3) Dialogue (Fall 1994) 42.

The Initiatory

The "Initiatory" is a prelude to the Endowment proper, and consists of (1) Washing and anointing, (2) Clothing in the temple garment, and (3) receiving a "new name".

Washing and anointing are are perhaps the earliest practiced temple ordinances for the living since the organization of the LDS Church. There is evidence that these ordinances were performed in part since 1832. They were first practiced in the Whitney Store as part of the School of the Prophets.

As part of the Endowment ceremony, the ordinance of washing and anointing symbolizes the ritual cleansing of priests that took place at Israel's Tabernacle, the temple of Solomon, and later temples in Jerusalem (See Exodus 28:40-42, Exodus 29:4-9, 20-21 29-30, 30:18-21). The washing symbolizes being "cleansed from the blood of this generation", and being anointed to become "clean from the blood and sins of this generation". The anointing represents the ritual anointing of a king or queen, and is thought to be "preparatory" to the recipient "becoming a king and a priest unto the most high God, hereafter to rule and reign in the house of Israel forever".

See Washing and anointing.

After the washing and anointing, the patron is given the temple garment (Garment of the Holy Priesthood). This garment represents the "coats of skins" given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. See Temple garment.

Similar ordinances are performed for the living and the dead in LDS temples where priesthood holders are:

Washed with water
Clothed in holy garments
Annointed with oil
Ordained or consecrated

As the final part of the Initiatory, the patron is given a New Name, as part of their new life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. In general, this name is only known to the person to whom it is given; however, an endowed LDS woman may reveal her name to her endowed husband (but not vice-versa). The "new name" is based in part on Rev 2:17 and 3:12, referring to a "white stone" with a "new name written" thereon. See also LDS Doctrine and Covenants 130:11 ("And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word.")

The instructional portion of the Endowment

The LDS church does not publish information about the Endowment, and members do not usually discuss it openly. Many feel that the most important ceremony performed by members of the church is the Temple Endowment.

Brigham Young taught that “Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation" (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 416).

Another LDS Church President, Harold B. Lee, stated that the teachings of the temple are "designed by a wise Heavenly Father who has revealed them to us in these last days as a guide and a protection throughout our lives, that you and I might not fail to merit exaltation in the celestial kingdom where God and Christ dwell" (Improvement Era, June 1967, page 144).

Most Latter-day Saints that attend the temple believe that the Endowment focuses heavily on the plan of salvation and the atonement of Jesus Christ. Parts of the Plan of salvation explained include:

The Eternal Nature of God, Jesus Christ and their divinity;
The preexistence and eternal nature of man (mankind lived with God before mortal life);
The reality of Satan;
The fall of Adam and the reasons for mortality, trials and blessings;
The Atonement of Jesus Christ and the need for the Atonement;
The relationship of grace, faith and works;
Death, the literal Resurrection and assignment to the various kingdoms of glory;
The need for personal righteousness, covenant keeping, and love of God and fellow man;
The sanctity and eternal nature of the family.

The following description is given in a Church publication of what to expect when one enters the temple:

"[During the endowment] you will receive instructions and learn the important events of our eternal journey. You'll learn about the creation of this world and about our first parents being placed in the Garden of Eden. You'll learn how Satan tempted Adam and Eve and how they were cast out of the garden and out of the presence of God into our world, with its opposition in all things. Here they learned about the joys as well as the discomforts of life.

"After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden and placed in the world where we now live, they were taught the gospel, and they entered into covenants of obedience with God, just as you will in the temple. How we keep these covenants determines the nature of the life we will enjoy after this mortal experience.

"In the eternal world there are kingdoms of glory. You will inherit one of these, depending on your performance in this life. The aim of the gospel and the purpose of temple marriage are not only to keep us together, but also to make us eligible for Heavenly Father's highest reward for us-exaltation in the celestial kingdom. This kingdom is symbolized by the celestial room." -- New Era, June 1975 page 20.

The Endowment is often thought of as a series of lectures where Latter-day Saints are taught about the creation of the world, the events in the garden of eden, what happened after Adam and Even were cast out of the Garden into the Telestrial World, and the progression of righteous individuals through Terrestrial laws to the Celestial Kingdom and exaltation.

During the ceremony, Latter-day Saints are dressed in temple clothes or robes, are taught about various gospel laws (including obedience, chastity, sacrifice and consecration) and covenant to keep them. They are given various "key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood," to remind them of these covenants. At the end of the ceremony, the participant is "tested" on his knowledge of what he was taught and covenated to do and then admitted into the Celestial room, where he may meditate and pray.

One important part of the Endowment ceremony is instruction teaching the "True order of Prayer", which involves several couples encircling an altar while repeating an antiphonic prayer. See Prayer circle.

History of the Endowment

Beginning as far back as 1831, Smith taught that tempes needed to be built so the saints could receive the fullness of the priesthood. When the Saints left the temple in Kirtland, he mentioned that the "fullness of the priesthood" had not yet been given. The "fullness of the priesthood" later became another name for the Second Anointing, which is today a rarely-performed extention of the Endowment ceremony. See Second Anointing.

The full Endowment ritual was apparently first introduced in the Nauvoo, Illinois temple in 1842 by Joseph Smith, very shortly after Smith was initiated as a Freemason. Some claim that there are similiarities between portions of LDS temple ceremones and initiation into Freemasonry. The LDS church does not deny these similarities, and many within the Church claim 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. Apostle John A. Widstoe said of the similarities, "these similarities, however, do not deal with the basic matters but rather with the mechanism of the ritual."

Concerning the first endowment in 1842 at the Red Brick store in Nauvoo, Joseph Smith recorded:

...the communications I made to this council [the twelve] were of things spititual, and to be receive only by the spiritual minded: and there was nothing made known to these men but what will be made known to all the Saints of the last days, so soon as they are prepared to recieve, and a proper place is prepared to communicate them, even to the weakest of Saints: therefor let the Saints be diligent in building the Temple. - History of the Church 5: 1-2

After the event above, Smith said to Brigham Young, "Brother Brigham, this is not arranged perfectly; however we have done the best we could under the circumstances in which we are placed. I wish you to take this matter in hand: organize and systematize all these ceremonies."

By the time of Smith's death more than 50 persons had receieve the Endowment. A 1996 estimate by Richard Cowan states that only around 150 million Endowments have been performed.

After the Nauvoo Temple was dedicated in 1846, and under the direction of Brigham Young, The Endowment ceremony was introduced to the Church at large. Potted plants were used in areas representing the Garden of Eden, and other "rooms" were furnished appropriately, including a room representing the Celestial Kingdom.

Reference

Michael W. Homer, "'Similarity of Priesthood in Masonry': The Relationship between Freemasonry and Mormonism," 27(3) Dialogue (Fall 1994) 42.

External links