After a "personal leave of absence", I return to the theme of the LDS temple ceremonies to cover how the endowment process changed from its original masonic origin, to what it is today. At some point after my mission I had heard that back in the day of Joseph Smith the endowment lasted all day long. Besides being greatful I could usually complete my session in under 2 hours, I was puzzled how this perfect ordinance could possibly have been longer. I rationalized that it must have just been redundancies that were removed to better fit our fast-paced life.
In Mormonism ordinances such as the endowment are eternal. They are revealed by God, This was a consistent theme in seminary and priesthood growing up, as we studied the importance of exact recitation of the words of ordinances, such as the sacrament. Any slip up of the words, and the ordinance is invalid. This is a foundation of Mormonism, that the ordinances that Jesus instituted when he was alive where perverted and corrupted by other churches, so only the LDS church had the valid ordinances.
In October 1979 General Conference, David Haight recalled teaching three newspaper reporters in Peru about the "eternal truths of the gospel":
...we explained briefly the Apostasy and the Restoration: that there is vast evidence and history of an apostasy from the doctrine taught by Jesus and his Apostles, that the organization of the original Church became corrupted, and sacred ordinances were changed to suit the convenience of men, and that today good people all over the world are confused with contending religions with differing doctrine and methods of worship.
David B. Haight, "Joseph Smith the Prophet", Ensign Nov 1979
It wasn't until doing objective research years later that I discovered that the temple endowment was apparently not included on the list of unchangeable ordinances. Given that the church considers these things "sacred, not secret" it is difficult to find documentation on these changes. The ritual underwent an evolution with each church presidency, until a standard script was created in the 1920's (ldsendowment.org). Other changes followed, including those to incorporate technological advances into the presentation.
The most drastic changes made recently to the endowment occured in 1992. Some of the elements that were eliminated that were most shocking to me include:
- Graphic Masonic gestures of the death penalty for revealing the secrets of the temple
- Intimate 5-Points of Fellowship full body embrace required of participants
- Indirect relationship of women with God, beig subservient to their husbands
- Representation of preachers of other sects being servants of the Devil
- Use of "Adamic" language in chants
The reason why the endowment was changed, whether inspired or not, to me seems fairly obvious...it was strange, sexist, and offensive. It did not fit the changing demographic of church membership nor the progressive American culture. My first time through the endowment was after the most drastic changes had been made, so it was relatively tame. Yet still, in my talking with others about their first experience in the temple (both before and after my leaving the church), many express having had feelings of apprehension and confusion with the ritual. To which the solution given by others is that you just need to go more often, "it's symbolic" so you won't understand it at first, and the popular "I still learn something new every time I attend." I felt well prepared for my first time after having taken the temple prep courses, reading the pamphlets and books, including "The Holy Temple." And yet this was much more bizarre than anything I ever experienced in Sunday School. I can only imagine what was going through the mind of those who went to the temple for the first time before 1990. Were they thinking about God and his plan of happiness as they simulated slitting their own throats?
Whatever the case, I do not believe a claim of "inspiration" can supersede a previous "inspired" statement that these ordinances are unchangeable.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: 'Ordinances instituted in the heavens before the foundation of the world, in the priesthood, for the salvation of men, are not to be altered or changed. All must be saved on the same principles.'
Dennis Neuenschwander, "Ordinances and Covenants", Ensign, Aug 2001, p22
...the endowments have never changed and can never change; as I understand it; it has been so testified, and that Joseph Smith Jr., himself was the founder of the endowments.
Senator Reed Smoot, Reed Smoot Case, vol. 3, p. 185
There never was but one gospel, and never will be but one delivered to the children of men, and that never changed and never will change in time or eternity. It is the same in every age of the world; its ordinances are the same.
Wilford Woodruff, Deseret News: Semi-Weekly, January 12, 1875, 1
Don't get me wrong, I applaud progression. We can see the benefit social progress has had as our culture adapts to changes in social needs and the discovery of new social evidences. I would expect a religious institution, or any institution for that matter, to change as the needs of its members change. What I have difficulty accepting is the selective issuing and retiring of "eternal decrees" to control members and eliminate subordinant inquiry.
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