Vows
Ensign, “Heed the Prophet’s Voice”, November 1994; “Today we have had the opportunity of raising our right arms to the square and sustaining Howard W. Hunter as our President. This is a historic occasion, as well as an opportunity to contemplate the blessing it is to have a prophet of God to lead us. I believe we should pause at the conclusion of this memorable session to remember what it means to sustain a President of the Church as a seer and a prophet…The Lord Almighty leads this Church, and he will never suffer you to be led astray if you are found doing your duty. You may go home and sleep as sweetly as a babe in its mother’s arms, as to any danger of your leaders leading you astray, for if they should try to do so the Lord would quickly sweep them from the earth. Your leaders are trying to live their religion as far as [they are] capable of doing so” (in Journal of Discourses, 9:289).” – Tom L. Perry
Matthew 5:33, 36; “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths…36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”
Raising your hand in promising to tell the truth in a court room or showing your affirmation in voting someone into office is not the same as what the Mormon Church is doing.
Holding your arm to the square whether you’re voting someone into office or taking a vow/oath to the Mormon god while in a temple is not, let me repeat, not from God. This action is performed in Masonic temples while taking oaths to bow down and promise loyalty to Jahbulon.
While taking oaths in the Mormon temple ceremony, Mormons hold their arm to the square and promise to keep the Laws of Sacrifice just before they take the First Token of the Aaronic Priesthood. This will be one of many times they do this during the ceremonies
The following is part of the script from the “Garden Endowment Ceremony”;
“Each of you bring your right arm to the square.
You and each of you solemnly covenant and promise before God, angels, and these witnesses at this altar that you will observe and keep the law of sacrifice, as contained in the Old and New Testaments, as it has been explained to you.
Each of you bow your head and say, “Yes””.
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Ensign, “The Symbol of Our Membership”, October 1994; “Let us be a temple-attending and a temple-loving people. Let us hasten to the temple as frequently as time and means and personal circumstances allow. Let us go not only for our kindred dead, but let us also go for the personal blessing of temple worship, for the sanctity and safety which is provided within those hallowed and consecrated walls. The temple is a place of beauty, it is a place of revelation, it is a place of peace. It is the house of the Lord. It is holy unto the Lord. It should be holy unto us…But to have the temple indeed be a symbol unto us, we must desire it to be so. We must live worthy to enter the temple. We must keep the commandments of our Lord.” – Howard Hunter
