Sacred or Secret?
Devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated, reverently dedicated to some person, purpose or object.
Sacred – Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
Holy, pertaining to God or to his worship; separated from common secular uses and consecrated to God and his service as a sacred place, a sacred day, a sacred feast, sacred service, sacred orders.
Done, made or conducted without the knowledge of others, kept from the knowledge of any but the initiated or privileged, secluded, sheltered or withdrawn.
Secret – Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
A thing not discovered and therefore unknown.
Mark 4:21-22; “And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? 22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was anything kept secret, but that it should come abroad.”
Below are excerpts from temple ceremonies members of the Mormon Church participate in while performing their ordinances. They’re taken from the ceremonies before 1990. At that time the Church dramatically changed the oaths and removed the word secret from the scripts.
You’ll notice they are swearing oaths to keep these things secret. Members will tell you these are sacred, not secret but in their own words they’ve proven they are indeed secret.
The reason we’ve highlighted this is to show there is a difference between sacred and secret. Many times Jesus told people to keep the amount of your tithes secret – Matthew 6:4;
“That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”
The reason He said this is to teach humility. Don’t be fixated on how much you give; it belongs to the Lord anyway!
Every other example we see in the Bible about secrecy tells us that nothing is hidden. We don’t put a lit candle under the bed or a bushel, we don’t take secret oaths to anyone, there’s nothing God has taught us that should be kept from others.
While Jesus sometimes took the disciples aside and taught them while away from the crowds, His teachings were to be shared with everyone; thus teaching them about the Lord!
If secret or sacred oaths have always been needed for entrance into the temple and ultimately for salvation, why weren’t the Israelites doing this in biblical times? Where is any historical footprint for this type of ceremonial montage in the Bible?
Did Jesus have to take out these oaths and if so what did He mean when He said let your yes be yes and your no be no? Matthew 5:37
If you’re LDS please know that we’re praying for you! We don’t do this to be rude or to bash the Mormon people, rather, we publish these things because we care deeply for you and your salvation!
With Love in Christ;
Michelle Grim
1 Cor 1:18
With this garment, I give you a new name, which you should always remember and which you must keep sacred and never reveal, except at a certain place that will be shown you hereafter.
PETER: I will now explain the covenant and obligation of secrecy which are associated with this token, its name, sign, and penalty, which you will be required to take upon yourselves.
I, _________, covenant that I will never reveal the second token of the Aaronic priesthood, with its accompanying name, sign, and penalty. Rather than do so, I would suffer my life to be taken.
I, _________, think of the first given name, solemnly covenant, before God, angels, and these witnesses that I will never reveal the second Token of the Aaronic Priesthood, with its accompanying name, and sign, and penalty. Rather than do so, I would suffer my life to be taken.
Endowment Ceremony Terrestrial
I will now explain the covenant and obligation of secrecy which are associated with this token, its name, sign, and penalty, which you will be required to take upon yourselves.
I covenant in the name _________ that I will never reveal the first token of the Melchizedek priesthood, or Sign of the Nail, with its accompanying name, sign, and penalty. Rather than do so, I would suffer my life to be taken.
I covenant in the name of the Son that I will never reveal the First Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood or Sign of the Nail, with its accompanying name, sign and penalty. Rather than do so, I would suffer my life to be taken.
This token has a name and a sign, but no penalty is mentioned.
However, you will be under just as sacred an obligation of secrecy in connection with this token and sign as you are with the other tokens and signs of the holy priesthood which you have received in the temple this day.
You must keep in mind that you are under a solemn obligation never to speak outside of the temple of the Lord of the things you see and hear in this sacred place.
This name you should always remember; but you must never reveal it to any person, except at the Veil.
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