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"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..."
- Apostle David B. Haight, “Joseph Smith the Prophet,”
Ensign, Nov. 1979, 22
Based on information from faithful LDS temple workers, on
January 18th, 2005 the initiatory ordinance in the temple
underwent a makeover.
In summary, here's what changed in the temple initiatory
ordinance:
1. Before, temple patrons had to get naked and then put
on a poncho (called a "shield") that was completely open
on the sides, then walk to the initiatory area to begin
the ordinance
Now, temple patrons must put on garments (one-piece style)
in the locker area before even starting the initiatory ordinance.
2. The poncho "shield" has been changed into a dress-like
piece of clothing that is sewn shut on both sides all the
way down to the ankles. Patrons must put this new dress-like
shield over the garments before beginning the initiatory
ordinance.
3. A new part has been added to the initiatory ordinance,
which quotes Exodus 40:12-13 "And thou shalt bring Aaron
and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
and wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron
the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him..."
Then, temple patrons are told that "in our day" you are
washed and anointed "only symbolically."
4. Before, the ordinance required temple patrons to be touched
with water on each part of their body mentioned in the washing
ordinance, including the forehead, an ear, an eye, the nose,
the lips, the neck, the shoulders, the back, a breast, the
stomach, an arm, a hand, the hip, a leg and a foot.
Now, the priesthood ordinance giver only touches the forehead,
then places his/her hands on the head to pronounce the ordinance
words.
5. Before, the anointing ordinance also required anointing
with oil the parts mentioned in the ordinance, including
the forehead, an ear, an eye, the nose, the lips, the neck,
the shoulders, the back, a breast, the stomach, an arm,
a hand, the hip, a leg and a foot.
Now, the priesthood ordinance giver only places a little
oil on the head as he/she speaks the words of the ordinance.
6. Before, temple patrons were not allowed to wear garments
until the very end of the initiatory ordinance. As part
of the ordinance, the patron stepped into their garments,
assisted by the ordinance giver, while only being covered
(barely) by the open shield.
Now, since temple patrons are already wearing their garments
before the ordinance begins, the priesthood ordinance giver
ends the ordinance by telling the patron that their garments
are now "authorized" and must be worn for the rest of his/her
life.
Keep in mind that this is not the first time the initiatory
ordinance has changed. Descriptions of the early initiatory
ordinance in the Nauvoo Temple include references to a bathtub
where the temple patron was literally washed, as described
in Exodus 40:12-13. In the excellent book "The
Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship
author David John Buerger writes:
"The earliest accounts of the Nauvoo temple endowment indicate
that initiatory washings followed a literal Old Testament
model of actual bathing. Large tubs of water are specified
in the separate men's and women's rooms. The anointing was
performed by liberally pouring consecrated oil from a horn
over the head and allowing it to run over the whole body."
- The
Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship,
page 81
The
Salt Lake Temple also used to have large tubs for the washing
part of the ordinance. A 1893 article in Engineering
Magazine titled "Architecture," on page 100 referred
to the "largest bath-tub ever made," exhibited at the World's
Columbian Exposition of 1893 by the Standard Manufacturing
Company, which had manufactured twelve of them on special
order for the LDS church, for use in the Mormon temple in
Salt Lake City.
- The
Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship,
Appendix 2
Those who would say these are not changes to the ordinance,
should consider how the church defines changes to other
gospel ordinances. As just one example, here's what a church
prophet taught in regards to priests not kneeling while
blessing the sacrament:
"...those who administer the sacrament will kneel when asking
the blessing. It is not that this form is absolutely essential
to the acceptance of this ordinance by the Lord; but it
is in accordance with the word of the Lord which was given
for our guidance; and where it is possible to follow the
written word, in the spirit in which it is given, it is
always better to do so. Indeed, by doing so we will avoid
a serious wrong, that might eventually grow out of a disregard
for the rules that the Lord has established, for it might
lead to a changing, to some extent, of the ordinances of
the house of God. It is necessary that we should pay proper
attention and care to carrying out the purposes of the Lord
in the manner which He has already revealed. And this
may be extended to other matters of our religion. One of
the charges brought against the children of Israel, and
mentioned by the prophets in the latter times, was that
'they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance,
broken the everlasting covenant.' That is really the complaint
against the world today, and it is not meet that we should
indulge in any such things."
- The Prophet Joseph F.Smith, Collected Discourses Vol.3,
p. 308-309
The changes made to the initiatory ordinance are akin
to changing baptism from total immersion to a light sprinkle
- a change that the Mormon Church uses to accuse other churches
of apostasy:
"[Apostate Churches] have changed many of the ordinances.
For instance, they no longer baptize as Jesus was baptized
when he went to John to be baptized of him."
- Apostle LeGrand Richards, “The Things of God and Man,”
Ensign, Nov. 1977, 21
"[Jesus Christ] instituted baptism to set forth this glorious
thing unto men. But by degrees, yielding, as was supposed,
to necessity, men depart from this manner of administering
the ordinance of baptism for the remission of sins, until
water sprinkled or poured upon the candidate was held to
be sufficient for baptism. Whenever they did that, wherever
they did it, they departed from the order established by
the Son of God, they changed an ordinance of the Gospel."
- Apostle B. H. Roberts, Collected Discourses Vol. 5,
p.385
"The Prophet Isaiah saw the period of time when the earth
should reel to and fro like a drunken man; and he saw that
glorious day when the Lord of Hosts shall be about to reign
in Zion and Jerusalem. And among other things he saw in
vision was that the earth became defiled under the inhabitants
thereof; "because," says the Prophet, "they have transgressed
the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting
covenant." Plainly showing that they were to be a corrupt,
people; a people who, for instance, would change the ordinance
of baptism, from immersion to sprinkling or pouring,
or doing it away altogether, and in the same manner changing
the various ordinances of the Gospel from the original form
in which the Lord revealed them. He says, through the
mouth of His Prophet, that the people who should be guilty
of this great wickedness should be visited with fire."
- The Apostle Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 20,
p.11-12
"For a century we have tried to show to the world from the
scriptures that baptism is necessary to man's salvation;
that baptism signifies immersion and that immersion was
the only form of baptism known and practiced in the primitive
Church until several centuries A. D., and that the changing
of the mode of baptism from immersion to pouring or sprinkling
is apostasy and fulfils the prediction of Isaiah with
respect to the last times, "The earth, also, is defiled
under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed
the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting
covenant."
- Apostle George F. Richards, Conference Report, April
1930, p.76
"The law of baptism was instituted as the means by which
men were to gain admission into the Church of God our Father
in the earth. The mode is indicated by the word from which
"baptism" is derived, and when this ordinance is administered
in any other way we know it is incorrect. There is no
other way than by immersion for the remission of sins. We
may be challenged on this point, but the language itself
concerning the mode of baptism clearly defines the way by
which men are to be brought into the Church, and no other
way could be considered. So we stand, as a church, absolutely
sure of our ground. Men have changed the ordinance, but
our Eternal Father's plan never changes. His language pointed
out the mode in the beginning. It will be so in the end."
- Apostle Samuel O. Bennion, Conference Report, October
1934, p.18
"Now, what have the Christians got that the Latter-day Saints
have not got? Has the holy Catholic Church got faith in
Jesus that we have not got? Not a particle that is true
and pure. But as for the ordinances of the House of God,
we say, and we say it boldly, and here is the standard of
our faith—the Old and New Testament—that the mother church
and all her daughters have transgressed the laws, every
one of them; they have changed almost every ordinance
of the House of God; and not only so, but like the children
of Israel in olden days, they have broken the covenants
made with the fathers. We are bold to say this and we will
take this book—the Bible in which Jews and Gentiles believe
for our standard and proof."
"Has the holy Catholic Church the ordinance of baptism?
So they say. What do you say Latter-day Saints? We say they
have not. There is but one mode of baptism and that
is by being immersed in the water that the subject may come
forth out of the water, in comparison like a child at its
birth—struggling for breath—emerging into another element.
This is the figure that Jesus gave us. Jesus and others
were baptized of John, and the disciples of Jesus baptized
more; but none of them were baptized by pouring, sprinkling,
kneeling, or face foremost, but they were immersed in the
water and came forth out of the water."
"Have they the Sacrament? Yes, so they say. "Jesus took
bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the disciples,
and said, 'Take, eat, this is my body.' And he took the
cup, and gave thanks and gave it to them saying, 'Drink
ye all of it.'" Now, I leave it to all whether they carry
out this ordinance or not."
- Brigham Young, The Essential Brigham Young, p.196
Let us not forget, the Restoration of the church includes
the promise that ordinances will not change:
From the church's official publication, August 2001 Ensign
(page 22), in big bold print above a large colorful portrait
of Joseph Smith:
"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.'"
The
church goes on to declare:
"It
is this principle of consistent and unalterable requirements
that gives true meaning to the performance of vicarious
ordinances in the temple. The Prophet wrote that baptism
for the dead and the recording of such baptisms conform
to the ordinance and preparation that the Lord ordained
and prepared before the foundation of the world, for
the salvation of the dead who should die without a knowledge
of the gospel."
"Through
time and apostasy following Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension,
however, the divine authority of the priesthood and the
sacred ordinances were changed or lost, and the associated
covenants were broken. The Lord revealed His displeasure
over this situation in these words: 'For they have strayed
from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting
covenant; They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness,
but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image
of his own god.' This situation required a restoration of
knowledge pertaining to the importance, significance, and
appointed administration of sacred gospel ordinances,
both live and vicarious, as well as the divine authority
of the priesthood and priesthood keys to administer them."
-
"Ordinances and Covenants", Church Ensign, August
2001, page 23
To
confirm what the church declared in their official publication:
"Now the purpose in Himself in the winding up scene of the
last dispensation is that all things pertaining to that
dispensation should be conducted precisely in accordance
with the preceding dispensations.... He set the temple ordinances
to be the same forever and ever and set Adam to watch
over them, to reveal them from heaven to man, or to send
angels to reveal them."
- The Prophet Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol.4,
p. 208
"...build a house to my name, for the Most High to dwell
therein. For there is not a place found on earth that he
may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you,
or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood....
And verily I say unto you, let this house be built unto
my name, that I may reveal mine ordinances therein...
For I deign to reveal unto my church things which have been
kept hid from before the foundation of the world, things
that pertain to the dispensation of the fulness of times.
And I will show unto my servant Joseph all things pertaining
to this house, and the priesthood thereof, and the place
whereon it shall be built."
- Jesus Christ Himself, Doctrine and Covenants 124:27-28,
40-42
"...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
"...God is unchangeable, the same yesterday, today
and forever... The great mistake made down through
the ages by teachers of Christianity, is that they have
supposed they could place their own private interpretation
upon scriptures, allow their own personal convenience to
become a controlling factor, and change the basis of Christian
law and practice to suit themselves. This is apostacy."
- The Prophet's Message, Church News, June 5, 1965
"As temple work progresses, some members wonder if the ordinances
can be changed or adjusted. These ordinances have been provided
by revelation, and are in the hands of the First Presidency.
Thus, the temple is protected from tampering."
- W. Grant Bangerter, executive director of the Temple
Department and a member of the First Quorum of Seventy,
Deseret News, Church Section, January 16, 1982
"No jot, iota, or tittle of the temple rites is otherwise
than uplifting and sanctifying. In every detail
the endowment ceremony contributes to covenants of morality
of life, consecration of person to high ideals, devotion
to truth, patriotism to nation, and allegiance to God."
- Apostle James E. Talmage, The House of the Lord, 1968,
p. 84
"The Gospel can not possibly be changed.... the saving principles
must ever be the same. They can never change.... the Gospel
must always be the same in all of its parts....
no one can change the Gospel... if they attempt to do so,
they only set up a man-made system which is not the Gospel,
but is merely a reflection of their own views.... if we
substitute 'any other Gospel,' there is no salvation in
it.... the Lord and His Gospel remain the same--always."
- The Prophet's Message, Church News, June 5, 1965
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