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Mormon Temple Ceremonies
...The TRUE sign of the Nail ! -- Current VERSION

1990 Version ~ 1931 Version

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Baptism is the first ceremony performed in behalf of the dead in the Temple. This is performed in the beautiful baptismal font mounted on the full sized statues of 12 oxen, located in the Temple basement. The Officiator and the patron are in the font dressed in heavy white jump-suits. There are two or more Witnesses observing the procedure. Often a closed circuit TV. is used to project the names of the deceased persons on a large TV. screen. Typically 200-300 baptisms are performed per hour, with LDS teenagers serving as proxies to introduce them into the Temple rituals and vicarious Ordinance work at an impressionable age. The baptismal pronouncement is recited in full for each baptism, and the patron is completely immersed by the Officiator as observed and approved by the two Witnesses.

Each patron is then anointed with consecrated oil preparatory to "becoming a King and a Priest (or a Queen and Priestess) unto the Most High God, hereafter to rule and reign in the House of Israel forever." A Temple Worker pours some drops of oil on the top of the patron's head and moistens his fingers in oil and then touches each member of the patron's body as he pronounces a blessing upon it, reaching under the shield to anoint shoulders, back, breast, vitals and bowels, and loins. Two workers then place their hands in the patron's head and one of them pronounces a sealing of the anointing.

The patron is then dressed in the "Garment of the Holy Priesthood" as a Temple Worker gives him special instructions regarding the constant wearing of it 24 hours per day throughout his life: "It will be a shield and a protection to you from the power of the destroyer until you have finished your work on the earth, providing you do not defile it, but are true and faithful to your covenants." The worker also gives instructions regarding the secret "New Name" and then whispers the "New Name" to the patron.

A Mormon's most secret and cherished possession should be his "New Name" which he receives during the Temple Rituals. This is the name by which he "will be called forth on the morning of the First Resurrection" by his God, and by which he will be known throughout Eternity. He receives this from a Temple Worker, in a whisper, as he is being helped into his new "magic underwear" for the first time, during his Temple initiation. Each time he returns to do Temple work he will go through these same rituals for a dead person, whose name he will carry through the entire ceremony on a little slip of paper, which he surrenders to the Introducer at the Temple Veil, before he enters the Celestial Room. On these return visits he will normally by-pass the "Washing, Anointing, and Clothing in the Garment of the Holy Priesthood" rituals, and just receive the "New Name" in a little booth as he leaves the locker room on his way to the theatre type Endowment Rooms. The "New Name" is usually Biblical, such as Abraham, Moses, Seth, or Mary, Martha, Naomi, or they come from the Book of Mormon. Many Mormons are not aware that every person attending the Endowment on a particular day receives the same male or female "new name", or its alternate. The alternate is given when the first given name of the person receiving the Endowment, deceased or alive, (not the proxy) is the same, or sounds very similar to the "new name". My son and I share the same "new name" of Enoch with the prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and probably millions of other living and dead Mormons. I often wondered how we would know which "Enoch" was being called forth, or if we would all be judged together en masse.

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A Mormon husband must know his wife's (or wives') new name(s).
He normally learns this by representing the Lord behind the Veil,
and taking his wife through the Veil Ceremony when she is
receiving her own Endowments. She is not allowed to know his
"new name" under any circumstances. This is because the Lord
calls forth only the Priesthood holder, and it is up to him to
call forth his wives, if he wants them, or leave them behind if
he doesn't want some of them.

PREPARATION FOR THE ENDOWMENT

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The patron returns to the locker room, removes the shield and
dresses of the Temple Garment, in the white Temple attire; pants,
shirt, belt, tie, socks and slippers, or slip, dress, hose and
slippers. He then takes his name slip and the package containing
his robe, girdle (sash), hat (veil for women), and bright green
fig-leaf apron with him through the foyer, up the circular
staircase, and into the theatre type Endowment Room.
He is seated by the Officiator who presides over
the presentation, women on the left, men on the right, and waits
in profound silence for the ceremony to begin. Absolute silence
is maintained for up to 20 minutes while the company is
assembling.

THE ENDOWMENT CEREMONY

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The Endowment is a two hour drama-ritual-ceremony presented to
groups of patrons, rather than individually, as most of the other
rituals are done. It is performed in beautiful theatre type
rooms, where walls are covered with floor to ceiling murals
depicting appropriate scenes. The performance is a basic 19th
century melodrama, with Lucifer as the villain, Elohim as the
hero, and Adam and Eve as the victims. Supporting roles are
played by the Apostles Peter, James and John, a Christian
Minister, Jehovah, and the arch-angel Michael (who becomes Adam).
All of the secret names, signs, tokens, penalties, the "True
Order of Prayer", and the Veil Ceremony are incorporated into the
dramatic performance, with some audience participation, and a
"Witness Couple" participating as representatives of the entire
audience.

The patrons are tested by the Lord, and must
individually demonstrate their knowledge of the secrets in order
to complete the ritual. For over a century, live actors played
the various roles with interesting props and costumes. Now all
Temples have changed to a motion picture and tape recording
presentation in which the Officiator, who presides over the
presentation, rarely speaks. Several Temple Workers are present
during the performance to administer the secret elements named
above, and to help patrons don and change the special robes and
other attire, where needed.

Before the movie version, the
patrons move en masse to four differently muralled rooms to
receive the various portions of the rituals. Now they stay in
one room for approximately one and one-half hours, watching the
film or the Officiator as he pantomimes the tape recording. The
Endowment can be divided into four "acts" according to the four
rooms previously used: the Creation drama, the Garden of Eden
drama, the Lone and Dreary World drama, and the Terrestrial World
presentation.

THE CREATION DRAMA

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This can best be described as a consciousness lowering, mood
altering experience. The movie shows hypnotic type scenes of
volcanoes and lava flows, ocean, animal and flower scenes, as the
dialog drones through a very monotonous and repetitious
description of the first five creative periods. Elohim, the head God,
sends his agents, Jehovah and Michael (the arch-angel) down to do
all the creative work, but one day at a time. He requires that
they return each day and give him a report of their activities,
and receive further instructions, because he is a man with a
body, and cannot tell what they are doing, nor see or hear beyond
normal distances. Many patrons are asleep, and most are drowsy
at the completion of this act.

THE GARDEN OF EDEN DRAMA

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Elohim actually comes down to earth with Jehovah to create bodies
for Michael, who becomes Adam, and Eve. Adam and Eve are placed
in the garden by Elohim, are tempted by Lucifer, and Eve succumbs
and eats the forbidden fruit. Eve convinces Adam to partake
also, then recognizes who Lucifer really is. Lucifer instructs
Adam and Eve to make fig-leaf aprons to cover their nakedness
when they hear Elohim and Jehovah coming. All the patrons don
bright green fig-leaf aprons with Adam and Eve, which they
continue to wear over all of Elohim's Priesthood attire
throughout the remainder of the rituals. Elohim is outraged, and
curses Lucifer, who according to LDS doctrine will never have a
body, to crawl on his belly and eat dust forever. Lucifer deifies
him to his face, and ignores his curse throughout the following
scenes. He is cast out, then Adam and Eve are cast out with him,
to join him, but only after they make a secret covenant with
Elohim, and receive a secret token (handgrip), with its name,
sign and penalty (blood/death oath).

THE CHRISTIAN MINISTER IS SATAN'S HIRELING

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Lucifer employs a Christian Minister as his hireling lackey to
confuse, deceive, and destroy all mankind along with Adam and
Eve. He preaches to them a comical perversion of the 3rd century
Nicean Creed, which Adam rejects, employing sarcasm and ridicule
to develop audience contempt, but without hissing or booing, as
was done in prior decades.

The Officiator calls the Witness Couple and seven or eight other
couples to come forward and form a circle around the altar.
Those in the circle then proceed to follow the Officiator in
performing all of the names, signs, and penalties of the tokens
of the Priesthoods which they have previously received. Then
they form the "True Order of Prayer". The sisters all veil their
faces (in the audience also). Then each couple in the circle
joins right hands in the Patriarchal Grip and everyone raises
their left arms to the square and rests their left elbow on the
person next to them. The Officiator carefully checks everyone's
position ... then kneels at the altar and offers a prayer, which
all those in the circle repeat, one phrase at a time. (this is
the first time the patrons hear the Officiator's voice. He has
been pantomiming the tape recording during all of the prior
twenty minutes of the ceremony since the movie ended).

THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE

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The climactic conclusion to the Endowment if the Veil Ceremony in
which each patron is tested by a Veil Worker, who represents the
Lord behind the Veil, for his knowledge of the four tokens and
their names, which were given to him during the Endowment. The
Veil is a seven foot high by three foot wide ivory colored fabric
panel hung on a beautifully finished hardwood framework .
It has seven "Marks of the Holy Priesthood" in it
which correspond to the four marks in the patron's Priesthood
Temple undergarment. Three of these Veil marks are sewn in the
form of openings which are large enough for hands or arms to pass
through. Between each pair of Veil segments is a curtained
opening through which the patron is conducted after he
successfully completes the testing.

THE VEIL CEREMONY

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The Veil Ceremony is the Patron's principle opportunity to
participate in this two hour ritual. A Veil Worker represents
the Lord behind the Veil, and an Introducer presents the patron
to the Lord and coaches him through his lines and actions if
necessary. The Lord reaches through and opening in the Veil to
take his hand in the various grips or tokens and asks him
specific questions through the Veil. His answers must be word
perfect. The culmination of this examination is the name of the
Second Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the Patriarchal Grip,
or Sure Sign of the Nail, which is given to the patron only
through the Veil, while embracing the Lord in the Five Points of
Fellowship.

HE FIVE POINTS OF FELLOWSHIP

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"The Five Points of Fellowship are inside of right foot by the
side of right foot, knee to knee, breast to breast, hand to back,
and mouth to ear." The patron and the Veil Worker both reach
their left arm through the appropriate mark in the Veil, while
holding right hands in the Patriarchal Grip, and embracing each
other, maintaining strong contact at all the points indicated
with the Veil separating them, while the Veil Worker gives the
name of the token to the patron and the patron repeats it back
vebatim.

The name of the token is, "Health in the navel, marrow
in the bones, strength in the loins and sinews. Power in the
Priesthood be upon me, and upon my posterity through all
generations of time, and throughout all eternity."

The name of the token is, "Health in the navel, marrow
in the bones, strength in the loins and sinews. Power in the
Priesthood be upon me, and upon my posterity through all
generations of time, and throughout all eternity." Many
women patrons are seriously agitated and disturbed by this
procedure, because the Veil Workers are all men.

THE CELESTIAL ROOM

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The Celestial Room is a very large, elegantly decorated and
furnished sitting room. It has no function or purpose except
that patrons may stand or sit for a few minutes to wait for
spouse, friends, or associates to come through the Veil.
Conversation is permitted only in quiet whispers. This is the
only opportunity a Mormon ever has to ask a question about the
Temple ceremonies. It is supposed to be a place to meditate, or
seek answers to problems or inspiration. In actual practice,
however, patrons are not permitted to remain in the Celestial
room for more than a few minutes. Rarely is anyone available to
answer any questions or discuss a problem. It is very business
like an efficiently operated, like a production line.

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Page by Translated-Correctly.com. Redistribution permitted, must quote source.

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