The Mormon Temple Part 9

In their own words, a collection of Mormon quotations compiled by Mormonism Research Ministries Bill McKeever is a valuable resource when wanting to know what Mormon leaders have said on a given topic.

Pick up your copy at the Utah Lighthouse Bookstore or MRM.org. In 1979, Mormonism Research Ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's Viewpoint on Mormonism. Welcome to the temple ceremony in particular this week. Last week we began giving an overall view of the temple, because temples are very important to Latter-day Saints. They feel that it's important for them to participate in the temple ceremony if they hope to receive exaltation in the next life. Exaltation, of course, is synonymous with godhood in the LDS vernacular.

But yesterday, we were reading from the LDS Church's website, ChurchofJesusChrist.org, and it was talking about various laws, various covenants that Latter-day Saints must make. In fact, in the actual ceremony, there is a lecturer, as he is referred to, that is speaking to the people that are participating. And at one point, the lecturer says, In reading that, Eric, I have to ask myself once again, where would I ever see such a pattern in Israel during the first century? Are we really to believe that there was some person saying something like that to those who are participating in the Jerusalem temple? No, of course not. But in yesterday's show, you proceeded to read some of these obligations that the patrons, or those who are participating, are supposed to agree to, and we're going to go into a little bit more detail as to what those are.

What was the first one that you read on the site? The first covenant is called the Law of Obedience. Now, the Law of Obedience, you have to understand that there are a number of various characters that are on the screen that Latter-day Saints are watching. As we mentioned, there were live actors at the beginning, all of the LDS temples had live actors, but then they started incorporating film and then eventually video. So there are various characters, one playing Elohim, or God the Father, one who's playing Adam, one who's playing Eve, another character, Lucifer. We also have Jehovah, the pre-incarnate Christ.

So there are a number of actors that are on the screen, and this is what the patrons are watching. When it comes to the Law of Obedience, the character Elohim, or God the Father, has this to say, and I'm reading from a book, Evolution of the Temple Ceremony, 1842-1990. It's available through the Utah Lighthouse Ministry Bookstore, utlm.org, and this was put together by Gerald and Sandra Tanner. I realize since this book was written, there have been some other minor variations in the dialogue.

Most of it is pretty insignificant, but even if some of what I'm about to read has been revised in recent years, you get the gist of what's going on. This is what Elohim says under the Law of Obedience. Remember, Elohim is speaking to Adam and Eve, no doubt pointing to Adam at this particular point. He says, Now, in light of this statement that has been made by the character playing Elohim, now Eve says, Adam then says, You have to understand that this is supposed to represent what everyone in the room is supposed to covenant as well. So they are all covenanting to obey Elohim's law and to keep Elohim's commandments. This is what they're doing. It's all about commandment keeping.

We cannot stress that enough. Later on, Elohim says, So that would be having their arm parallel to the ground with their hand upright. You and each of you solemnly covenant and promise before God angels and these witnesses at this altar that you will each observe and keep the law of the Lord and hearken to the counsel of your husband as he hearkens to the counsel of the Father. Each of you bow your head and say yes. The women in the group then repeat, yes. And then Elohim says, that will do.

Then the female patrons sit down and the males have to stand. And this is what Elohim says to the men. Each of you bring your right arm to the square. Each of you solemnly covenant and promise before God angels and those witnesses at this altar that you will obey the law of God and keep his commandments. Each of you bow your head and say yes. And the men repeat, yes.

Elohim says, that will do. What did they just promise? They've promised to keep his commandments. How long do you think it will be before every single person in that room violates that promise? Before Sunday when they're going to go ahead and repent again when they take the sacrament and then they're going to promise again that they're going to keep all the commandments. And they know they're going to break them. So are these really words coming from a sincere heart or are they just saying it because they're being told to say it and now let's move on.

Well, let's move on. Next you said was the law of sacrifice, correct? Yes. Elohim then says, brethren and sisters, we will now put you under covenant to obey and keep the law of sacrifice as contained in the Holy Scriptures. This law of sacrifice was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden, who when he was driven out of the garden, built an altar on which he offered sacrifices. And after many days, an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying, Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? Adam said, I know not, save the Lord commanded me. And then the angel spake, saying, This is a similitude of the sacrifice of the only begotten of the Father, who is full of grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forever.

And I'm thinking as I read this, can you imagine in the Old Testament, they're talking about the Son of God? And remember, this is supposed to be something that has gone back to Adam, goes clear back to Adam. Bill, you could say that this doesn't just go back to Adam and Eve, it actually goes back to heaven from the very beginning.

And that's exactly what Royden Derek said in the quotation that I gave at the beginning of this show. These ordinances were instituted in the heavens and naturally were given to Adam as they believe. Now going on, though, Elohim says, The posterity of Adam down to Moses, and from Moses to Jesus Christ, offered up the firstfruits of the field and the firstlings of the flock, which continued until the death of Jesus Christ, which ended sacrifice by the shedding of blood. And as Jesus Christ has laid down his life for the redemption of mankind, so we should covenant to sacrifice all that we possess, even our own lives if necessary, in sustaining and defending the kingdom of God. Now you have to understand, folks, in the context of Mormonism, the kingdom of God is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Many leaders have made that very clear. After Elohim says this, he says, All arise. 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 Holy Scriptures as it has been explained to you.

Each of you bow your head and say yes, and those in the room then say yes, to which Elohim says that will do. Bill, the third covenant that's made is called the law of the gospel. Now here you have the character that portrays Peter, the Apostle Peter, and he says, A couple will now come to the altar, and, brethren and sisters, this couple at the altar represent all of you as if at the altar, and you will be under the same obligations as they will be. We are required to give unto you the law of the gospel as contained in the Holy Scriptures, to give unto you also a charge to avoid all light-mindedness, loud laughter, evil speaking of the Lord's anointed, the taking of the name of God in vain, and every other unholy and impure practice. That sounds like sin, doesn't it, Eric? So really what they're promising to do is they're going to avoid sin.

Now I can understand trying to avoid it. Now success at that is a whole other matter, and the fact that every Latter-day Saint I've ever talked to says that they regularly repent of their sin tells me that they're not very consistent at this. But they're supposed to avoid every unholy and impure practice, and to cause you to receive these by covenant. All arise. Everyone in the room stands. Each of you bring your right arm to the square. Each of you covenant and promise before God angels and these witnesses that you will observe and keep the law of the gospel, and this charge as it has been explained to you, each of you bow your head and say yes, to which everyone in the room then says yes.

Peter then says that will do, and everyone in the room then sits down. The point we're trying to make here, and I don't think it's necessary that we go through every one of these laws, but as you said, Eric, there's also the law of chastity as well as the law of consecration. Very similar in making promises that they will do what they are told in the temple. Yeah, I mean, the law of chastity is basically promising that you'll have no sexual relationships except with your legal spouse. And the law of consecration is about consecrating time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed you, it says, or with which he may bless you, to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Which is, I mentioned earlier, the kingdom of God in the context of Mormonism. Again, I want to emphasize this, folks. Do we see any such pattern in what took place in the temple in Jerusalem?

No! There was nothing like this in the first century church. This is not something that's patterned after Biblical days.

That is important. So whenever you hear them using the word, restoration, I think we have every right to challenge our LDS friends to defend that, either from Scripture or from history. Visit our website at www.mrm.org where you can request our free newsletter, Mormonism Researched. We hope you will join us again as we look at another viewpoint on Mormonism.