The Mormon Temple Part 9

Give your own words a collection of Mormon quotations compiled by women as research ministries Bill McKeever is a valuable resource when wanting to know what Mormon leaders are set on a given topic and pick up your copy you Utah lighthouse bookstore or MRM.org viewpoint on his commandment examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a respected viewpoint. One more minute sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 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. So glad you could be with us for this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism. I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry and with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM we been looking at the temple ceremony. The Mormon Temple endowment 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 exultation in the next life exultation. Of course, is synonymous with godhood in the LDS vernacular, but yesterday we were reading from the LDS church's website.

Church of Jesus Christ.org and it was talking about various laws of 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 in. At one point the lecturer says if you proceed and receive your full endowment you will be required to take upon yourselves sacred obligations, the violation of which will bring upon you the judgment of God, for God will not be mocked. If any of you desire to withdraw rather than accept these obligations of your own free will and choice. You may now make it known by raising your hand 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 show you proceeded to read some of these obligations that the patrons are those who are participating are supposed to agree to and were 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 covenant is called the law of obedience not 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 and you have various characters.

One plain Elohim or God the father, one who is playing Adam one who's playing Eve.

Another character Lucifer. We also have Jehovah, the pre-incarnate Christ so there are a number of 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 to 1990. It's available through the Utah lighthouse ministry bookstore you TL M.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.

Inasmuch as Eve was the first to eat of the forbidden fruit if she will covenant that from this time forth, she will obey the law of the Lord and will hearken unto your counsel as you hearken unto mine. Remember Elohim is speaking to Adam and Eve no doubt pointing to Adam at this particular point. He says we will give unto you the law of obedience and sacrifice and we will provide a savior for you whereby you may come back into our presence and with us, partake of eternal life, and exultation. Now, in light of this statement that is been made by the character plain Elohim, now Eve says Adam I now covenant to obey the law of the Lord and to hearken to your counsel as you hearken unto father Adam then says Elohim. I now covenant with the that from this time forth, I will obey thy law and keep thy commandments that 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 covenant team 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 each of you bring your right arm to the square. 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 harkens 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 in 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 man repeat.

Yes, Elohim says that will do what they just promise they 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 they just say in 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 on to 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 do list 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 is gone back to ghost 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 Lloyd and Derek said in the quotation that I gave at the beginning of the show. These ordinances were instituted in the heavens and naturally were given to Adam as they believe that 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 in his Jesus Christ is 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 is 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 well.

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 like-minded this 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 there they're going to avoid sin. I can understand trying to avoid it now success that that is a whole other matter in the fact that every latter-day thing 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 in these witnesses that you will observe and keep the law of the gospel in this charge as it is 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 were 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 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'm a lot chastity is basically promising that you'll have no sexual relationships except with your legal spouse in the law.

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 what ever 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.

Thank you for listening you would like more information regarding his research ministry.

We encourage you to visit our website www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you join us again as we look at another viewpoint is