Temple Endowments: Can They Change?
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg 91; “The order of the house of God as [sic] been, and ever will be, the same, even after Christ comes; and after the termination of the thousand years it will be the same; and we shall finally enter into the celestial kingdom of God, and enjoy it forever.”
Temple Endowment Ceremonies began going through major changes in the early twentieth century.
One of the best websites detailing the evolutionary history of LDS temple endowments is here: http://www.ldsendowment.org/timeline.html
In summary the ceremony changed within a year of its inception in 1842.
1843 sealings and 2nd anointings were instituted.
1845 the endowment ceremony is performed as ritual dramas
1877 endowments for the dead begins
1919-1927 major revisions to endowments include elimination of vengeance oaths, omission of descriptions of penalties, reducing # of times robes are changed, discountenance of temple choirs.
1936 explanation of marks on veil is added
1950’s filmed version of endowments introduced
1970’s reference to Satan having black skin is omitted as well as Lucifer mentioning how much a preacher is paid
1978 ban on blacks lifted
1990 following surveys taken of members’ feelings many revisions are implemented:
Penalties, 5 points of fellowship
Preacher segment
Women covenant to obey law of husband is gone
Blaming Eve for the Fall is gone
Lecture at veil is gone
Many references to Adam replaced w/ Adam & Eve
Orders from Elohim shortened
2005 members clothe themselves, water and oil applied to head only instead of body parts
So much for what Joseph thought eh? To read more about these changes as well as gaining further insight into the temple ceremonies of the LDS Church visit the website mentioned above.
[…] When I read about the fourteen changes I couldn’t help but remember Smith’s promise that temple ceremonies would never change. Despite his claim changes began within a year. For more info with a list of changes see Temple Endowments: Can They Change?. […]