Not all doctrines are equally important. They are equally true, but not all truth is equally important. It isn’t a matter of some doctrines being “more true” than others, as if some doctrines are partially false. It is rather that some doctrines bear less impact than others on our capacity to know, love, and obey God.
Sam Storms

An Overview Of The Mormon Templ

An Overview Of The Mormon Templ

AN OVERVIEW OF THE MORMON TEMPLE CEREMONIES

This information is new to most of the readers of this text and may be difficult to grasp at times, therefore, we have prepared the following overview of these Temple Ceremonies to let you preview the activities and to concisely present the important elements to you.

Mormons attending the Temple are called “patrons” by the Temple staff, and will therefore be similarly designated hereafter in this publication. Quotation marks enclose direct quotes from the ceremony.

THE PRE-INITIATORY ORDINANCES OR RITUAL

The “Pre-Initiatory Ordinances” or rituals are those that are performed only for the dead in the Temple. Living Mormons receive these Ordinances in their local Ward or Stake organizations.

BAPTISM

Baptism is the first ceremony performed in behalf of the dead in the Temple. This is performed in the beautiful baptismal font mounted on the statues of 12 full sized oxen, located in the Temple basement. (3) The Officiator and the patron are in the font dressed in heavy white jump-suits. There are two or more Witnesses observing the procedure. Often a closed circuit T.V. is used to project the names of the deceased persons on a large T.V. screen. Typically 200-300 baptisms are performed per hour, with LDS teen-agers serving as proxies to introduce them into the Temple rituals and vicarious Ordinance work at an impressionable age. The baptismal pronouncement is recited in full for each baptism, and the patron is completely immersed by the Officiator as observed and approved by the two Witnesses.

CONFIRMATION AS MORMONS AND THE HOLY GHOST

The next ritual is Confirmation for the Dead. This makes the deceased person a member of the Mormon church and gives him the Holy Ghost. This is usually performed at or near the baptismal font, by the same persons who performed the baptism ritual. Two or more Temple Workers place their hands on the patron’s head while one pronounces the confirmation.

ORDINATION TO THE MORMON HOLY MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD

The ordination of dead males to the Mormon “Holy Melchizedek Priesthood” is usually (but not always) performed in the same area of the Temple by the same proxy. A patron may not receive a proxy Ordinance which he has not received for himself. Therefore LDS teenagers who have not yet received this Ordination may not perform this Temple Ordinance, and adult male patrons must receive this by proxy. This is often performed in conjunction with the Initiatory Ordinances described next. Other Temple Workers perform this Ordinance following the Baptism and Confirmation. Two Temple Workers lay their hands upon the patron’s head and one of them pronounces the Ordination.

(3) All Mormon Temples from Nauvoo, Illinois in 1842 to the twenty presently operating Temples have or had baptismal fonts as described, always located below ground level, as Joseph Smith instructed (Doctrine & Covenants 128:13). It appears that the new generation of Temples presently under construction or planned, will abandon this “prophetic directive”. Plans for these Temples show baptismal fonts above ground level with only six oxen in a semi-circle supporting them. See Church News, January 16, 1982, page 14. INITIATORY ORDINANCES OR RITUAL WASHING IN WATER Each patron is ceremonially washed so that he “may become clean

from the blood and sins of this generation.” A Temple Worker wets his fingers in running water and touches each member of the patrons body as he pronounces a blessing upon it. Women Temple Workers wash female patrons, and men wash men. The worker starts at the top of the patron’s head and works down to the feet, reaching under the shield to touch shoulders, back, breast, vitals and bowels, and loins. The washing is sealed by two workers laying their hands on the patron’s head and pronouncing the sealing.

ANOINTING WITH HOLY OIL

Each patron is then anointed with consecrated oil preparatory to “becoming a King and a Priest (or a Queen and Priestess) unto the Most High God, hereafter to rule and reign in the House of Israel forever.” A Temple Worker pours some drops of oil on the top of the patron’s head and moistens his fingers in oil and then touches each member of the patron’s body as he pronounces a blessing upon it, reaching under the shield to anoint shoulders, back, breast, vitals and bowels, and loins. Two workers then place their hands in the patron’s head and one of them pronounces a sealing of the anointing.

CLOTHING IN THE MYSTICAL TEMPLE GARMENT

The patron is then dressed in the “Garment of the Holy Priesthood” as a Temple Worker gives him special instructions regarding the constant wearing of it 24 hours per day throughout his life: “It will be a shield and a protection to you from the power of the destroyer until you have finished your work on the earth, providing you do not defile it, but are true and faithful to your covenants.” The worker also gives instructions regarding the secret “New Name” and then whispers the “New Name” to the patron.

THE “NEW NAME”

A Mormon’s most secret and cherished possession should be his “new name” which he receives during the Temple Rituals. This is the name by which he “will be called forth on the morning of the First Resurrection” by his God, and by which he will be known throughout Eternity. He receives this from a Temple Worker, in a whisper, as he is being helped into his new “magic underwear” for the first time, during his Temple initiation. Each time he returns to do Temple work he will go through these same rituals for a dead person, whose name he will carry through the entire ceremony on a little slip of paper, which he surrenders to the Introducer at the Temple Veil, before he enters the Celestial Room. On these return visits he will normally bypass the “Washing, Anointing, and Clothing in the Garment of the Holy Priesthood” rituals, and just receive the “New Name” in a little booth as he leaves the locker room on his way to the theatre type Endowment Rooms. The “New Name” is usually Biblical, such as Abraham, Moses, Seth, or Mary, Martha, Naomi, or they come from the Book of Mormon. Many Mormons are not aware that every person attending the Endowment on a particular day receives the same male or female “new name”, or its alternate. The alternate is given when the first given name of the person receiving the Endowment, deceased or alive, (not the proxy) is the same, or sounds very similar to the “new name”. My son and I share the same “new name” of Enoch with the prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and probably millions of other living and dead Mormons. I often wondered how we would know which “Enoch” was being called forth, or if we would all be judged together en-masse.

THE ULTIMATE HERESY – ETERNAL SEXISM

A Mormon husband must know his wife’s (or wives’) “new name(s)”. He normally learns this by representing the Lord behind the Veil, and taking his wife through the Veil Ceremony when she is receiving her own Endowments. She is not allowed to know his “new name” under any circumstances. This is because the Lord calls forth only the Priesthood holder, and it is up to him to call forth his wives, if he wants them, or leave them behind if he doesn’t want some of them.

PREPARATION FOR THE ENDOWMENT

The patron returns to the locker room, removes the shield and dresses of the Temple Garment, in the white Temple attire; pants, shirt, belt, tie, socks and slippers, or slip, dress, hose and slippers. He then takes his name slip and the package containing his robe, girdle (sash), hat (veil for women), and bright green fig-leaf apron with him through the beautiful foyer, up the magnificent circular staircase, and into the theatre type Endowment Room. He is seated by the Officiator who presides over the presentation, women on the left, men on the right, and waits in profound silence for the ceremony to begin. Absolute silence is maintained for up to 20 minutes while the company is assembling.

THE ENDOWMENT CEREMONY

The Endowment is a two hour drama-ritual-ceremony presented to groups of patrons, rather than individually, as most of the other rituals are done. It is performed in beautiful theatre type rooms, where walls are covered with floor to ceiling murals depicting appropriate scenes. The performance is a basic 19th century melodrama, with Lucifer as the villain, Elohim as the hero, and Adam and Eve as the victims. Supporting roles are played by the Apostles Peter, James and John, a Christian Minister, Jehovah, and the archangel Michael (who becomes Adam). All of the secret names, signs, tokens, penalties, the “True Order of Prayer”, and the Veil Ceremony are incorporated into the dramatic performance, with some audience participation, and a “Witness Couple” participating as representatives of the entire audience. The patrons are tested by the Lord, and must individually demonstrate their knowledge of the secrets in order to complete the ritual.

For over a century, live actors played the various roles with interesting props and costumes. Now all Temples have changed to a motion picture and tape recording presentation in which the Officiator, who presides over the presentation, rarely speaks. Several Temple Workers are present during the performance to administer the secret elements named above, and to help patrons don and change the special robes and other attire, where needed. Before the movie version, the patrons move enmasse to four differently muralled rooms to receive the various portions of the rituals. Now they stay in one room for approximately one and one-half hours, watching the film or the Officiator as he pantomimes the tape recording. The Endowment can be divided into four “acts” according to the four rooms previously used: the Creation drama, the Garden of Eden drama, the Lone and Dreary World drama, and the Terrestrial World presentation.

THE CREATION DRAMA

This can best be described as a consciousness lowering, mood altering experience. The movie shows hypnotic type scenes of volcanoes and lava flows, ocean, animal and flower scenes, as the dialog drones through a very monotonous and repetitious description of the first five creative periods. Elohim, the head God, sends his agents, Jehovah and Michael (the arch-angel) down to do all the creative work, but one day at a time. He requires that they return each day and give him a report of their activities, and receive further instructions, because he is a man with a body, and cannot tell what they are doing, nor see or hear beyond normal distances. Many patrons are asleep, and most are drowsy at the completion of this act.

THE GARDEN OF EDEN DRAMA

Elohim actually comes down to earth with Jehovah to create bodies for Michael, who becomes Adam, and Eve. Adam and Eve are placed in the garden by Elohim, are tempted by Lucifer, and Eve succumbs and eats the forbidden fruit. Eve convinces Adam to partake also, then recognizes who Lucifer really is. Lucifer instructs Adam and Eve to make fig-leaf aprons to cover their nakedness when they hear Elohim and Jehovah coming. All the patrons don bright green fig-leaf aprons with Adam and Eve, which they continue to wear over all of Elohim’s Priesthood attire throughout the remainder of the rituals. Elohim is outraged, and curses Lucifer, who according to LDS doctrine will never have a body, to crawl on his belly and eat dust forever. Lucifer defies him to his face, and ignores his curse throughout the following scenes. He is cast out, then Adam and Eve are cast out with him, to join him, but only after they make a secret covenant with Elohim, and receive a secret token (handgrip), with its name, sign and penalty (blood/death oath).

THE LONE AND DREARY WORLD MELODRAMA

Upon arrival in the lone and dreary world, which is the world in which we now live, Adam “builds an altar and offers up prayer.” Lucifer answers, instead of Elohim, affirming that he is “the God of this world,” and the drama develops its conflicts, around this altar scene. Lucifer’s claim to be “the God of this world” is never challenged or denied by Adam, Eve, or Elohim’s agents.

THE CHRISTIAN MINISTER IS SATAN’S HIRELING LACKEY

Lucifer employs a Christian Minister as his hireling lackey to confuse, deceive, and destroy all mankind along with Adam and Eve. He preaches to them a comical perversion of the 3rd century Nicean Creed, which Adam rejects, employing sarcasm and ridicule to develop audience contempt, but without hissing or booing, as was done in prior decades. The Apostles Peter, James and John are sent by Elohim to rescue Adam and Eve, and the hireling Minister deserts Lucifer and joins them after Peter discloses Lucifer’s true identity. He embraces Mormonism with Adam and Eve and is saved, along with the patrons in the audience, while Lucifer is cast out. Jehovah, whom Mormons have told outside of the Temple is really Jesus, has been relegated to the role of messenger boy between Elohim and his new agent team of Peter, James and John.

THE TERRESTRIAL WORLD PRESENTATION

Adam, Eve, and the patrons advance to the Terrestrial World, where they are put under covenant by Peter, James and John to obey several more laws, and taught their accompanying Priesthood tokens, names,signs and penalties, along with being clothed in the Robes of the Holy Priesthood, and being taught “The True Order of Prayer.”

THE ONE AND ONLY “TRUE ORDER OF PRAYER”

The only “live entertainment” in the Endowment is the True Order of Prayer After all of the secrets have been received (except the one learned only at the veil), all the temple clothing has been put on, then taken off and put on again differently, and the ritual activities are completed, the patrons enjoy sitting and watching something different. (The patrons have stood up and sat down approaching 20 times since the Endowment started).

The Officiator calls the Witness Couple and seven or eight other couples to come forward and form a circle around the altar. Those in the circle then proceed to follow the Officiator in performing all of the names, signs, and penalties of the tokens of the Priesthoods which they have previously received. Then they form the “True Order of Prayer”. The sisters all veil their faces (in the audience also). Then each couple in the circle joins right hands in the Patriarchal Grip and everyone raises their left arms to the square and rests their left elbow on the person next to them. The Officiator carefully checks everyone’s position … then kneels at the altar and offers a prayer, which all those in the circle repeat, one phrase at a time. (this is the first time the patrons hear the Officiator’s voice. He has been pantomiming the tape recording during all of the prior twenty minutes of the ceremony since the movie ended).

The prayer is usually long and quite involved, covering many subjects from the prophet’s health to the patron’s safe return home. It opens, as all Mormon prayers do, addressed to “Heavenly Father”, and closes “in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.” The patrons in the circle repeat the “Amen” and are instructed to return to their seats.

THE “TRUE ORDER OF PRAYER” RESEMBLES ANCIENT RITUAL

Prayer circles around Altars, doing very much the same sort of ritualistic activities, are described in the Egyptian Coptic Gnostic writings recently first published in English. These were a continuation of the ancient Egyptian pagan rituals performed for centuries before the birth of Jesus. This most certainly was another Gospel, a very strange occultic one, from that which the Apostles preached in the New Testament (see Galatians 1:8,9). Dr. Hugh Nibley and other mormon scholars speak of these pagan ceremonies as if they validated the Endowment, when they actually demonstrate the pagan nature and foundation of the Temple rituals.

THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE

The climactic conclusion to the Endowment is the Veil Ceremony in which each patron is tested by a Veil Worker, who represents the Lord behind the Veil, for his knowledge of the four tokens and their names, which were given to him during the Endowment. The Veil is a seven foot high by three foot wide ivory colored fabric panel hung on a beautifully finished hardwood framework. It has seven “Marks of the Holy Priesthood” in it which correspond to the four marks in the patron’s Priesthood Temple undergarment. Three of these Veil marks are sewn in the form of openings which are large enough for hands or arms to pass through. Between each pair of Veil segments is a curtained opening through which the patron is conducted after he successfully completes the testing. The Veil is located at the front of the Terrestrial Room, representing the Terrestrial (where almost all Christians and nearly all Mormons will supposedly spend eternity), and separates it from the Celestial Room, representing the Celestial Kingdom, where those who successfully keep all of the Mormon commandments will go to become Gods over their own planets. Thus the patron gains entrance to the Celestial Room by passing the testing conducted by the Lord at the Veil. Unfortunately for them, no Mormon is successfully keeping all of the commandments required for entrance into their Celestial Kingdom.

There are approximately 60 Veil segments in the Los Angeles Temple, equally divided between men and women. The Veil is perhaps the most important object in the Temples, and was used over four million times last year alone. The veil of the Hebrew Temple was rent in twain from top to bottom at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, thus destroying its function (Matthew 27:51). Jesus’ atonement ended the need and purpose of the Temple forever (Hebrews 9:11-17). The Veil of the Hebrew Temple had only one opening and was only opened once each year by the one and only High Priest to enter for a specific ritual performed on behalf of all Israel and then to return through it (Hebrews 9:6-7). Over four million Mormon Temple patrons, mostly women but including hundreds of thousands of High Priests, WORKED their way through their Temple Veil to provide vicarious exaltation for dead people. They did nothing on the other side, and did not return through it as the Hebrew High Priesthood, yet Mormons speak of their Temple as a restoration of the one in Solomon’s Hebrew Temple. They rarely mention any claims of specific similarities, or the very many obvious differences.

THE VEIL CEREMONY

The Veil Ceremony is the Patron’s principle opportunity to participate in this two hour ritual. A Veil Worker represents the Lord behind the Veil, and an Introducer presents the patron to the Lord and coaches him through his lines and actions if necessary. The Lord reaches through and opening in the Veil to take his hand in the various grips or tokens and asks him specific questions through the Veil. His answers must be word perfect. The culmination of this examination is the name of the Second Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the Patriarchal Grip, or Sure Sign of the Nail, which is given to the patron only through the Veil, while embracing the Lord in the Five Points of Fellowship.

THE FIVE POINTS OF FELLOWSHIP

“The Five Points of Fellowship are inside of right foot by the side of right foot, knee to knee, breast to breast, hand to back, and mouth to ear.” The patron and the Veil Worker both reach their left arm through the appropriate mark in the Veil, while holding right hands in the Patriarchal Grip, and embracing each other, maintaining strong contact at all the points indicated with the Veil separating them, while the Veil Worker gives the name of the token to the patron and the patron repeats it back verbatim. The name of the token is, “Health in the navel, marrow in the bones, strength in the loins and sinews. Power in the Priesthood be upon me, and upon my posterity through all generations of time, and throughout all eternity.” This is a form of incantation similar to various Witchcraft, Voodoo, or Black Magic incantations in use for centuries before Joseph Smith developed his Endowment. Many women patrons are seriously agitated and disturbed by this procedure through the Veil. Since the Veil Workers are all men, they tend to put the blame on the men for being overly familiar or enthusiastic in this embrace. Since the women tend to be more sensitive and perceptive, I believe they are often spiritually disturbed by the overtly occultic mystical demonic power that is being invoked in this incantation. This probably significantly contributes to why less than ten percent of those Mormons who are eligible actually attend the Temple regularly, while nearly triple that number have been through this experience once. After the patron repeats this incantation verbatim, calling these spiritist powers down upon himself and his posterity for eternity, he is ushered into the beautiful, ethereal Celestial Room, as the climax and reward for his perserverance and performance.

THE CELESTIAL ROOM

The Celestial Room is a very large, elegantly decorated and furnished sitting room. It has no function or purpose except that patrons may stand or sit for a few minutes to wait for spouse, friends, or associates to come through the Veil. Conversation is permitted only in quiet whispers. This is the only opportunity a Mormon ever has to ask a question about the Temple ceremonies. It is supposed to be a place to meditate, or seek answers to problems or inspiration. In actual practice, however, patrons are not permitted to remain in the Celestial room for more than a few minutes. Rarely is anyone available to answer any questions or discuss a problem. It is very business-like and efficiently operated, like a production line.

Patrons move from the Celestial room out a side door and back downstairs to the locker room, still wearing all the Temple clothing. There the patron removes his Temple attire, puts on his normal clothing, and is free to leave at his leisure. There is a comfortable waiting room near the entrance where he may await spouse and friends.

TEMPLE MARRIAGE FOR TIME AND ETERNITY

A typical Temple contains from six to twenty Sealing Rooms where marriages and Sealings are performed for the living and the dead. Sealings are performed for couples already married, living or dead, to extend their marriage to eternity. On a typical spring Saturday in Los Angeles from 60 to 100 marriages and Sealings may be performed, mostly for young couples. The Sealing Rooms are elegantly furnished and decorated. The walls are lined with formal dining room type chairs and a beautiful altar is in the center. Two opposing walls are covered with solid mirrors so that one can seem to see “for Eternity” in both directions. The Officiator for this ceremony is a Temple Sealer, who is called to this position because he is considered an especially “Spiritual” person.

The room is often filled with many friends and family of the wedding couple, who must also have valid Temple Recommends, who have come to be with them, all dressed in white Temple clothing. It is an impressive ceremony. There were approximately 40 dearly beloved friends at the Sealing of my wife and three teen-age children to myself one year and six days after our Baptism. (It is the order of the Priesthood that wife (or wives) and children are sealed to the Priesthood holder). Though we were dazed and perplexed by the rush of confusing activities that had taken place during a period of several hours preceding it, at the completion of that brief climaxing ceremony we truly felt blessed. With this capacity crowd of joyful well wishers encouraging us, we truly felt a wonderful bond of family togetherness envelop us. It is an event I will never forget. We thought we had achieved a wonderful goal through sustained sacrifice, dedication and hard work. The promises bestowed were glorious beyond understanding, and it felt worthwhile and rewarding. The support and fellowship of all those beloved friends who were there just for us was a very significant factor in the good feelings we had, for without them it would all have been a mass of confusion and senseless rituals.

5 LAWS

All Temple patrons covenant and promise to keep and live by these five laws of the Endowment.

1 – Law of Obedience – Wives agree to obey their husbands in righteousness, and husbands, in turn agree to obey the law of Elohim and keep his commandments.

2 – Law of Sacrifice – All agree to give everything they have, including their lives, if necessary, to the building up of the Kingdom of God.

3 – Law of the Gospel – All agree to obey the Law of the Gospel, and to avoid lightmindedness, loud laughter, evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed, the taking of the name of God in vain, and every other unholy and impure practice.

4 – Law of Chastity – All agree that they shall have no sexual intercourse except with their legal and lawful husband or wife (or wives).

5 – Law of Consecration – All agree to consecrate their time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed them or will bless them to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for the building up of the Kingdom of God and the establishment of Zion (the Mormon Church).

4 TOKENS (HANDCLASPS) – WITH ACCOMPANYING NAMES

Temple participants each receive these four secret tokens or handclasps with accompanying secret names, signs, and penalties.

1 – The First Token of the Aaronic Priesthood: Is given by clasping the right hands together and by placing the joint of the thumb over the first knuckle of the hand. Its name is the NEW NAME you received in the temple this day (The ‘New Name’ is usually Biblical, and is the same for everyone on a given day, i.e., every male who goes to the temple on the third of the month will receive the name “Abraham”. The name of the First Token of the A.P., then, would be “Abraham”).

2 – The Second Token of the Aaronic Priesthood: Is given by clasping right hands together and by placing the joint of the thumb between the first and second knuckles of the hand. The name of this token is your given name (If you are Elmer Jones the name of the token would be “Elmer”, and if you were Sadie Jones it would be “Sadie”).

3 – The First Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood or Sign of the Nail: Is executed by bringing your right hand forward in a vertical position, fingers close together, thumb extended, and the person giving the token placing the tip of the forefinger in the center of the palm with the thumb on the back of the hand. The name of this token in “The Son”.

4 – The Second Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the Patriarchal Grip, or Sure Sign of the Nail: Is given by clasping right hands and interlocking little fingers, and placing the index finger of the right hand on the center of the wrist. The name is “Health in the navel, marrow in the bone, strength in the loins and in the sinews, power in the priesthood be upon me and upon my posterity through all generation of time and throughout all eternity”.

4 SIGNS AND 3 PENALTIES

1 – The Sign and Penalty of the First Token of the Aaronic Priesthood Is made by bringing the right arm to the square, the palm of the hand forward, the fingers close together, and the thumb extended. The penalty is executed by placing the right thumb under the left ear, palm down, fingers close together. The thumb is drawn quickly across the throat to the right ear and the hand dropped to the side. This signifies having your throat slit from ear to ear and your tongue torn out by its roots. (4)

2 – The Sign and Penalty of the Second Token of the Aaronic Priesthood Is made by bringing the right hand in front of you, the hand in cupping shape, the right arm forming a square, and the left arm is raised to the square. The penalty is executed by placing the right hand on the left breast, and drawing the hand quickly across the chest, then dropping both hands to the sides. This signifies having your chest ripped open and your heart and vitals torn out and fed to the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air. (5)

3 – The Sign and Penalty of the First Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood is made by bringing the left hand forward, the hand in cupping shape, the left arm forming a square. The right hand is brought forward, the palm down, fingers close together, and the thumb extended. The thumb is placed over the left hip. The penalty is executed by drawing the thumb quickly across the body and dropping both hands to the sides. This signifies having your body cut asunder and your bowels gush out upon the ground. (5)

4 – The Sign of the Second Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood (no penalty is mentioned) Is made by raising both hands high above the head, palms forward, fingers close together, and lowering the hands to the side three times while repeating aloud the words, ‘PAY LAY ALE, PAY LAY ALE, PAY LAY ALE.’ They are told this means, “Oh God, hear the words of my mouth” in the Adamic language.

(4) Up until the 1930’s the penalties were plainly stated as indicated. The patron was agreeing or covenanting that if he or she revealed these secrets, the Mormon elders would very literally take them and execute the penalties upon them. This is known as “blood atonement”, and is still a doctrine of the Church today.

(5) The significance of the penalties is no longer explained to the patrons as plainly as it was in former days. Today it is described as “various ways in which life may be taken.” As the patron is executing the morbid gesture of the penalty, he is affirming that rather than reveal the secret token, name, sign and penalty, he would “suffer his life to be taken.”

IMMORALITY AND SEXUAL ACTIVITY IN THE TEMPLE RITUAL

Numerous stories have been circulated of all manner of sexual activities, indecent exposure, polygamous marriages, marital intercourse, etc., taking place as part of the Temple rituals. We want to unequivocally and emphatically state that none of these are true. There is no overt sexual activity, immoral or otherwise, contained within the rituals or otherwise conducted within the Mormon Temples, although there are numerous similarities between ancient pagan fertility rites and Mormon Temple rituals. We do not believe that polygamous marriages are knowingly being performed within the Temples today. Since polygamy is still an essential element of Mormon doctrine, and still very much alive in Utah, we realize that some Mormons dishonestly obtain polygamous marriage through Mormon Temples by concealing the truth of their intentions. THE GARMENT OF THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD 4 MARKS Every Mormon who “receives his Endowments” (including all Mormon

Missionaries) is dressed by a temple worker in the “garment of the holy priesthood” which he is required to wear 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, until he is buried in it. It is removed only to bathe and change them, and for certain “public appearance” exceptions. Most of these have the appearance of old-fashioned “long johns”.

Closer examination reveals a pair of button-holes over the right breast sewn in the form of a square, reminding the Mormon of exactness and honor in living up to his temple vows. Over the left breast a pair of button-holes in the form of a compass, remind the Mormon that all truth may be circumscribed into one great whole, and that all appetites must be kept within certain bounds. One button-type hole over the navel, recalls the need of nourishment for body and soul, and an identical hole over the right knee, signifies that every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ. In the early Mormon Temple ceremonies some of the marks were cut into the garment with a small knife while on the patron’s body, thus nicking his flesh and shedding his blood into the garment. See Leviticus 19:28, 21:5, Deuteronomy14:1, and Jeremiah 16:6.

The same four marks are on the veil of the temple in much larger dimensions. The Temple Worker tells the patron, as he or she is being dressed in this garment, that “it will be a shield and a protection to you from the power of the destroyer until you have finished your work on the earth, so long as you are true and faithful to the covenants you make in the temple this day.”

The garment has thus become a magic talisman to the Temple patron, and is to be his source of protection from the power of Satan throughout his lifetime. The patron is instructed that, when the garment is worn out, he must cut the priesthood markings off of it and burn them. The garment then can be used for rags or any other purpose. Thus we see that the magical “power” is in the Priesthood markings.

The Christian is taught that his protection from Satan comes in a much different form from this Priestcraft occultic talisman magic. Christians, in overcoming Satan’s attacks, are to put on something more substantial than magic underwear with Masonic markings. It is fully explained in Ephesians 6:12-18, and we highly recommend this form of protection to all readers.

MASONIC SYMBOLS AND RITES USED IN THE MORMON TEMPLE

In spite of vehement denials to the contrary, there is a direct link between the rites, symbols, signs, handclasps and penalties of the Masonic Lodge (Free and Accepted Masons or Free Masons) and those of the temple Endowments of Mormonism. Joseph Smith received his first degree in Masonry on March 15, 1842 and the very next day was elevated to 32nd degree sublime Master of the Royal Secret. (See History of the Church (H.C.), Volume 4, page 550, 552). Six weeks later, on May 2, 1842, Smith was teaching these Masonic secrets as his own “revelations” to Mormon leaders as the Temple Endowment (see H.C., Volume 15, Page 2). It was from his association with the Masons that Joseph Smith derived the basic ceremonies and symbols now known as the “Endowment”. Into the fabric of Free Masonry he wove his own peculiar brand of occultism, claiming it to be “Revelation” from on high.

We do not intend to do an exhaustive comparison between Masonry and the Mormon Temple Endowment, but we would like to draw your attention to a few of the more obvious similarities. Please keep in mind as you look over the following list, that the Masonic rituals and symbols pre-date the Mormon Church by several hundred years: All Seeing Eye Anointing with oil Apron Beehive Square and Compass Earth Symbol Emblem of the clasped hands Solemn Assembly in the Temple Five points of Fellowship Special Garments applied to initiates Garment Markings Grips (Special handshakes) The phrase: “Holiness to the Lord” Moon symbol New Name given Special Prayer circle Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods Location (possession of) Throne of the “Holy of Holies” Star symbols Sun symbols Tabernacles Temples Blood/death oaths of secrecy with morbid gestures and words

describing penalties agreed to if secrets are revealed.