Goal of this Writing
I can quote verbatim the temple preparation I received in the early 1970s as a recently called missionary, ready to serve:
“Listen carefully and do exactly what they tell you to do.”
I entered the temple oblivious, and with some missed cues and mistakes at the temple, my first temple experience would be appropriate for Comedy Central if it weren’t for the fact that such a venue would be completely inappropriate.
Here, I want to explain for you what I wish I had received as part of my temple preparation, and in doing so, will try to faithfully follow the request of church leaders to not divulge that which we consider sacred. First, let’s look at why you need to attend the temple in the first place.
Purpose of the Temple
The Lord has required that binding covenants and specific ordinances such as marriage, sealing, and all proxy ordinance work be performed in a dedicated temple. The focus of the temple are covenants we make with God.
“A covenant is often defined as a sacred promise between God and His children. While this definition is accurate, it is not complete. A covenant is more than a contract; it is a personal commitment that defines and deepens our relationship with God. Covenants form a sacred bond between God and His children. They renew our spirits, change our hearts, and help us become united with Him.” (Prepare for the Temple, ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
When you enter the temple, you will make covenants and perform ordinances for yourself, and in later visits, for those who are deceased. Those ordinances and covenants you make in the temple are part of the new and everlasting covenant.
“The new and everlasting covenant […] is everything—the fulness of the gospel. So marriage properly performed, baptism, ordination to the priesthood, everything else—every contract, every obligation, every performance that pertains to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise according to his law here given, is a part of the new and everlasting covenant.” (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol 1 pg. 158.)
Temples set us apart from the rest of the world, including all of Christendom. It is in the temple that you will formalize your commitment to God and seal your family eternally.
Modern Perceptions of the Temple
To many of those not of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and to many who are, the rituals of the temple are shrouded in mystery and resemble more the secret workings of a cult. Yes, there is ritual and symbology abundant in the temple, and we believe that much of this symbology dates back to the beginning of time. The problem as I see it, is not that temple rituals appear to be the workings of a cult, but that cults and secret societies, many inspired by the Great Deceiver himself, borrow from, and echo, temple ritual.
As a Newcomer to the temple you should be prepared for ritual and symbology in the temple. Yes, such things are eschewed by our modern “enlightened” society, but only because we have been taught to reject the counterfeit. I could go on for pages here discussing the history and meaning of ritual and symbols, but this is not really necessary for your temple preparation. I think John Widsoe says it most beautifully:
“We live in a world of symbols. We know nothing, except by symbols. We make a few marks on a sheet of paper, and we say that they form a word, which stands for love, or hate, or charity, or God or eternity. The marks may not be very beautiful to the eye. No one finds fault with the symbols on the pages of a book because they are not as mighty in their own beauty as the things which they represent. We do not quarrel with the symbol G-o-d because it is not very beautiful, yet represents the majesty of God. We are glad to have symbols, if only the meaning of the symbols is brought home to us. […] No man or woman can come out of the temple endowed as he should be, unless he has seen, beyond the symbol, the mighty realities for which the symbols stand.” (Elder John Widtsoe “Temple Worship,” page 62.)
So, the temple service, rich in symbology, will bind you to your family and to God. Go to the temple with an open mind. Much will be unfamiliar and even foreign, but reserve judgement. Embrace what resonates with you, and push to the back burner that which you find strange and perhaps even repulsive. Over time, more and more will be made clear. Let’s take a look at the temple service.
The Temple Service
At this point I want to walk you through the temple experience from beginning to end. All information and quotes are taken from churchofjesuschrist.org, the official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will maintain the sacred nature of the temple while dispelling some of the unnecessary mystery that clouded my first temple experience.
Washing and Anointing
References to washing and anointing are found in the Old Testament (see Exodus 28:2–3, 41; 29:4–7; 40:12–13; Leviticus 8:6).
First, a quote from the church’s family history manual.
“The ordinances of washing and anointing are referred to often in the temple as initiatory ordinances [because they begin the endowment]. It will be sufficient for our purposes to say only the following: Associated with the endowment are washings and anointing—mostly symbolic in nature, but promising definite, immediate blessings as well as future blessings” Covenants, Ordinances and Temples in the Plan of Salvation, Chapter 10 of the Introduction to Family History Student manual.
“In connection with these ordinances, in the temple you will be officially clothed in the garment and promised marvelous blessings in connection with it” (Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple [2002], 32; see also D&C 124:39).
If you are a women, the Priesthood ordinance of Washing and Anointing is appropriately performed by the sister ordinance workers. The washing and anointing itself is symbolic. No hot tubs here. The Church has put much thought into how to make this ordinance compelling, yet modest and acceptable to all cultures.
The New Name
After the Washing and Anointing, the next step in receiving your temple endowment is being given a New Name. New Names have been given since the Abrahamic Covenant. Abram’s name was changed to Abraham, (Genesis 17:5) and Sarai’s name was changed to Sarah (Genesis 17:15). Simon, son of Jona, was given the name of Cephas, or Peter, by the Savior Himself (John 1:42).
We are each given a new name as a requirement to enter back into the presence of God. “And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word” (D&C 130:11). Your new name is sacred, and therefore secret. It is something to cherish.
The Endowment
As a Latter-Day Saint, you have access to four descriptions of the creation of the world in scripture: Genesis 1-2, Moses 2-3 and Abraham 4-5, plus references to The Fall in second Nephi. The Temple Endowment ceremony gives you a fifth. The ceremony begins with a creation narrative, which in most temples is given as a video presentation.
You will receive the rest of your endowment in a group setting. This takes place in an instruction with others who are attending the temple. Events that are part the plan of salvation are presented. They include the Creation of the world, the Fall of Adam and Eve, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Apostasy, and the Restoration. You will also learn more about the way all people can return to the presence of the Lord. Some of the endowment is presented through video and some by temple officiators. (About the Temple Endowment churchofjesuschrist.org)
During this ceremony you will make covenants with God which include the Laws of Obedience, Sacrifice, The Gospel, Chastity, and Consecration. In conjunction with these covenants, you will be given signs and tokens as described by Brigham Young, and quoted in Come to the Temple by Boyd K Packer
“Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe (1941), 416.)
Once taught these signs and tokens, you are given the opportunity to practice them as you complete the Endowment Ceremony and pass through the veil to the Celestial Room of the temple. President Benson describes the actual experience as we pass through the veil after this mortal life, as quoted by Elder Henry B. Eyring in To Draw Closer to God “Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar his face is to us” (Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations).
For me, the Endowment Ceremony was the most difficult to assimilate. It is a verbatim ceremony; there is no discussion, no questions or answers. How each of us learns to appreciate the Endowment is unique, and for me, I have learned to focus on one part of the ceremony each time I attend. I contemplate the concepts and descriptions of my selected part of the creation or covenant narrative during the Endowment, then listen intently as that part of the ceremony unfolds, searching for meaning and understanding. During the rest of the ceremony, I ponder any new concepts or insights I gained from that portion of the narrative. From this, I have learned a tremendous amount concerning the creation of our world, and the role of our Savior, as well our adversary on this earth, and in all of God’s creation. Once the Endowment Ceremony is finished, you will move into the Celestial Room. There is no instruction here, just time to contemplate. How you learn to appreciate the endowment ceremony is entirely up to you.
Sealings
Up to now, the ordinances discussed have been personal, for individuals only. The culminating ordinances are sealing—husband to wife and parents to children. I have touched on these sealing ordinances earlier, but what I want you to do is listen to the ordinances themselves, particularly the sealing of husband to wife. As powerful as are the words of the sealing ordinance, they attempt to describe the infinite and simply cannot do so. Listen to these words, not for what they are, but what they attempt to do. The strength and power of a man and woman, sealed together for time and eternity, simply cannot be described in mortal words and for me, culminates the temple experience.
Conclusion
Enjoy the temple. Make the temple experience your own. The temple workers are trained, ready, and willing to help and guide you through your first visit to the temple, and they are there to answer questions and to help in any way on every subsequent visit. Churchofjesuschrist.org has an abundance of materials on the temple experience, and I have included just a few links below. Spend some time browsing and prepare yourself spiritually, mentally, and even physically to enter His home.
Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings, Russel M. Nelson
Latter-Day Saints 