Below is a video the “Prayer Circle” Mormons participate in during the later part of the endowment ceremony. It begins by the officiator holding up a box that represents the “prayers” people have called in to be put on the temple prayer roll, and then he places the box on the altar. Then the participants are invited to come up and to form a male then female, male then female circle around the altar. Women veil their faces, and both male and female raise their hand “to the square”, placing their elbows on the shoulder of the one standing beside them and then clasp their other hand around their neighbors.
I forgot to mention that before the prayer beings all members of the circle are to hold their hands up, then bring them down slowly, as they do this they are to say the words “O God, hear the words of my mouth” and they do this done three times. I’m not quite sure why this is done, but I do know this is how they believe Adam and Eve prayed to God after they were cast out of the garden.
In Christ,
Melissa Grimes (melissa@lifeafter.org)
Special Note: thanks to Melissa for doing all this work! My concern? Why aren’t these people reading the prayer requests aloud and sitting down to pray over these requests? Why are they chanting and doing little dance-like maneuvers?
Please, please, pray for the people in this video and all the Mormons that do this on a daily/weekly basis believing this is from God.
With Love in Christ;
Michelle Grim
Wierd. Reminds me of what i’ve read on pagan rituals…”to the square”? Isn’t that from Masonry? This is so far removed from Christianity. If only the Mormons knew. Yes, we do read the names and pray for the people in our Christian churches.
I know doesn’t it seem so strange and far removed from what Christians do? I was shocked when I became a Christian as you might imagine!
Now looking back on all this it seems so foreign and downright scary and I mean that seriously!
Yes it is the Masonic handshakes and liturgy that you’re witnessing in the videos.
The chanting over the prayer box is something I’ve not been able to find a way to articulate of what it really looks like from the outside. Cultish is the only word/phrase that comes to mind.
Michelle
Why did Michelle (or whoever) delete this video?
@spawnorion – It played for me when I clicked on it… ?
We were having problems with the videos obviously. In fact I was unaware they weren’t working until I was notified here. 😉
Melissa ended up having to re-post all the videos because none of them worked! Yikes!
Be assured that Christians are not exempt from falling into superstitious garbldy-gook. Here is a link to popular teachings today: http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/the-circle-maker
Hi there Mark –
Thanks for your insight on this awful book ‘The Circle Maker’ that you provided in the link above. Appreciate the heads up on this!
You’re right – we’re all susceptible to being tricked, thus our unending need to be in His word ALL the time.
The first thing I thought of upon reading your review about circles was of course Joe Smith and his witchcraft practices.
Wouldn’t God have directed this Jewish fellow to go to the synagogue or to temple to do his praying? If he was living in the first century BC certainly the temple or a nearby synagogue would’ve been readily available.
Again, thanks for the heads up on this and God bless!
Michelle
Sorry, just so you know, that isn’t my review, just someone I read.