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Revelation and the Ordinances


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So I think I might know the answer to this, but since you all have more experience and possible connections I thought I’d ask.

We hear a lot of Joseph receiving Keys from various angels and of course learning more about those keys in connection with ordinances. As time progresses Joseph introduces the various forms of the ordinances, starting with the baptismal prayer and onward till the Endowment was “formally” given. However while I can easily locate the revelation for how baptisms are to be performed, I can’t locate the revelations for the others. 

Obviously some of thes e ordinances are sacred and the contents are meant to be only revealed to worthy individuals, so that proves an issue. However just as baptism had alternate forms during the New Testament and the BoM and the Original Endowment and the current one, is there evidence that the Sealing ordinance wording has changed at all? Or different actions have been associated with it over time?

Or how about the revelations for the ordinances for the dead? I’ve never seen the record on the wording for the ordinances for the dead.

Of course I believe that the ordinances are in full effect today and I happily participate in them and feel their spirit. I’m a big church history nut though, and I’m curious.

 

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On 12/6/2018 at 8:41 PM, SettingDogStar said:

So I think I might know the answer to this, but since you all have more experience and possible connections I thought I’d ask.

We hear a lot of Joseph receiving Keys from various angels and of course learning more about those keys in connection with ordinances. As time progresses Joseph introduces the various forms of the ordinances, starting with the baptismal prayer and onward till the Endowment was “formally” given. However while I can easily locate the revelation for how baptisms are to be performed, I can’t locate the revelations for the others. 

Obviously some of thes e ordinances are sacred and the contents are meant to be only revealed to worthy individuals, so that proves an issue. However just as baptism had alternate forms during the New Testament and the BoM and the Original Endowment and the current one, is there evidence that the Sealing ordinance wording has changed at all? Or different actions have been associated with it over time?

Or how about the revelations for the ordinances for the dead? I’ve never seen the record on the wording for the ordinances for the dead.

Of course I believe that the ordinances are in full effect today and I happily participate in them and feel their spirit. I’m a big church history nut though, and I’m curious.

 

Because of the sacred nature of these ordinances of course there is no public knowledge about that. However the wording does change. Remember that there is the endowment, which is the various covenants and blessings that one receives from the father, and then there is the presentation of the endowment.

Two different things.

Ifyou listen at the beginning of the endowment session you will note that it is mentioned that they will begin the presentation of the endowment.

Over the years yes the presentation of the endowment has been changed considerably.

That has nothing to do with the endowment itself. The covenants we make and the blessings God promises us in return are the Crux of the endowment. 

Edited by mfbukowski
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On 12/6/2018 at 9:41 PM, SettingDogStar said:

We hear a lot of Joseph receiving Keys from various angels and of course learning more about those keys in connection with ordinances. As time progresses Joseph introduces the various forms of the ordinances, starting with the baptismal prayer and onward till the Endowment was “formally” given. However while I can easily locate the revelation for how baptisms are to be performed, I can’t locate the revelations for the others. 

Obviously some of thes e ordinances are sacred and the contents are meant to be only revealed to worthy individuals, so that proves an issue. However just as baptism had alternate forms during the New Testament and the BoM and the Original Endowment and the current one, is there evidence that the Sealing ordinance wording has changed at all? Or different actions have been associated with it over time?

Or how about the revelations for the ordinances for the dead? I’ve never seen the record on the wording for the ordinances for the dead.

The endowment wasn't revealed all at once but over time.  As MFB already said there is a huge difference between the ordinances and the presentation of the ordinances.  (Although I strongly disagree with how that truth is generally applied in the Church today).

If you have studied Church history then you should be able to trace easily when each element of the endowment was revealed.  The trickier part is determining the pinnacle event in the prophet's life when it coalesced into a complete act.  And given how Moses, Abraham and probably even the Savior received their endowments I've often wondered if Joseph had a similar experience some time between Liberty Jail and the Red Brick Store.

The wording for the ordinances is basically the same as for the living except for the "for and in behalf...who is dead".  I  doubt there was a specific revelation to announce that.

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18 minutes ago, mfbukowski said:

That has nothing to do with the endowment itself. The covenants we make and the blessings God promises us in return are the Crux of the endowment. 

Except those have changed too over the years.  Very little remains intact from the days of restoration to Joseph or Brigham.

Edited by JLHPROF
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As the others have said, the ordinances and the "presentation" of the ordinances in the temple have changed dramatically over time. IIRC it was the SLC Temple Pres. Richards ( who was also an apostle) who, with 1st Presidency approval created a more uniform temple experience in the 1920's & 30's. I believe he was responsible for much of the precise language we still use today. Of course the 1st presidency would have had to approve anything he suggested/wrote.

I hope I'm remembering this correctly but Richards really seemed to be a huge influence on the presentation of temple ordinances. Presentation shouldn't be discounted or underestimated. Language matters and gives shape and meaning to the ordinances. If anyone can add or correct any misstatements I'd appreciate it. I'd recommend reading Devery Anderson's The Development of LDS Temple Worship https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10434402-the-development-of-lds-temple-worship-1846-2000

 

ETA- a little info about Apostle/Temple Pres. George Richards https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_F._Richards

 

Edited by HappyJackWagon
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9 hours ago, JLHPROF said:

Except those have changed too over the years.  Very little remains intact from the days of restoration to Joseph or Brigham.

Well don't tell anyone else, but what I really think is that the entire purpose of the endowment is for us to use it as a catalyst to seek personal revelation. 

Think about this: Regarding the BOA, as Joseph used the papyri we are to use the endowment.  But shhhhh.... ;)

 

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On 12/6/2018 at 11:41 PM, SettingDogStar said:

So I think I might know the answer to this, but since you all have more experience and possible connections I thought I’d ask.

We hear a lot of Joseph receiving Keys from various angels and of course learning more about those keys in connection with ordinances. As time progresses Joseph introduces the various forms of the ordinances, starting with the baptismal prayer and onward till the Endowment was “formally” given. However while I can easily locate the revelation for how baptisms are to be performed, I can’t locate the revelations for the others. 

Obviously some of thes e ordinances are sacred and the contents are meant to be only revealed to worthy individuals, so that proves an issue. However just as baptism had alternate forms during the New Testament and the BoM and the Original Endowment and the current one, is there evidence that the Sealing ordinance wording has changed at all? Or different actions have been associated with it over time?

Or how about the revelations for the ordinances for the dead? I’ve never seen the record on the wording for the ordinances for the dead.

Of course I believe that the ordinances are in full effect today and I happily participate in them and feel their spirit. I’m a big church history nut though, and I’m curious.

I think it is safe to assume the wording was originally inspired and subsequently changed under the purview of the presiding keys. In all the ordinances we have the elements of water, blood and Spirit (Moses 6:59-68; 1 john 5:6-8). The temple has been established as the confirming link between this world and the next (D&C 124:33) so that both the living and the dead can be endowed and sealed up (referring back to 1 john 5:6-8 again).

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I believe the temple endowment is tailored to the time and season of the order of mankind being born. I have suspected that the masons drew from ordinances tailored to a lesser order of mankind. 

A brief illustration of this: The masons speak about receiving a white stone, and our endowment now suggests we already received this stone. 

If this is true, then the temple ceremonies could be tailored to the time and season. 

 

Edited by Alaris
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I believe the following items are eternal, unchanging and have been part of every valid endowment ordinance:

  • Washing & anointing and other initiatory blessings
  • Clothing in a garment featuring the same eternal pattern
  • The teachings on the creation and plan of salvation used on all worlds.
  • The covenants
  • The signs, tokens and penalties
  • The original pre 1990s veil ceremony
  • Temple prayer

These I don't call presentation but rather the power of the endowment.  I do believe the presentation of these elements is changeable as Joseph told Brigham to arrange them, and as some elements of the restored presentation would not have existed in earlier dispensations.  Some had visions on mountains, some saw live actors, others films.  Joseph managed to give the first seven men their endowments all by himself. 

In short, I agree with Brigham:

"Let me give you the definition in brief. 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 in spite of earth and hell."

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On 12/8/2018 at 2:37 PM, JLHPROF said:

I believe the following items are eternal, unchanging and have been part of every valid endowment ordinance:

  • Washing & anointing and other initiatory blessings
  • Clothing in a garment featuring the same eternal pattern
  • The teachings on the creation and plan of salvation used on all worlds.
  • The covenants
  • The signs, tokens and penalties
  • The original pre 1990s veil ceremony
  • Temple prayer

 

I'm not sure I agree even with that. In particular I suspect the fact the penalties were removed shows they are non-essential. My own personal opinion is that the current endowment is a preparatory endowment where we are endowed to become a priest but the culmination of those promises is a second actual endowment. Much like we're washed and anointed to become something but are not actually yet set apart as that. It's also weird to say that the pre-90's veil ceremony is unchanging and part of every valid endowment since it's not been done since the 90's. (It's also easy to find the evolution of this in masonry - it's a late addition to masonry which is in large part why it was removed)

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