Question
Gramps,
Is there a difference between saying “receive one’s endowment” and “take out one’s endowment”?
Samuel
Answer
Samuel,
Have you ever heard someone say they are going to the temple to “take out their endowment”? Perhaps you have also heard someone say they are going to “receive their endowment.” Both expressions are commonly used among Latter-day Saints, but is there actually a difference between the two? Does one expression better reflect what happens in the temple according to the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
The short answer is that there is no doctrinal difference between the two expressions when referring to a person’s first temple endowment. Both are generally understood to mean the same thing. However, when we look more closely at the wording, there is an interesting distinction worth considering. The expression “receive your endowment” more accurately reflects the spiritual meaning of the ordinance because it emphasizes that the endowment is a gift from God rather than simply something we obtain or complete.
The word endowment itself means a gift or bestowal. The Church’s official website, in its explanation of the temple endowment, describes the word endow as having two related meanings: “to bestow a gift” and “to clothe upon.” It goes on to explain that the temple endowment is a sacred gift through which we are clothed with blessings from God, both now and forever. This helps explain why the Church generally uses the expression receive your endowment. We are not simply attending a religious ceremony or participating in another Church activity. We are receiving a sacred ordinance in which we are taught about God’s plan, make covenants with Him, and are promised blessings as we remain faithful.
Doctrine and Covenants 95:8 provides an important scriptural connection. The Lord instructed the Saints to build a house in which He intended to “endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high.” Notice that the Lord uses the word endow in describing what He intends to give His people. The emphasis is on God as the giver of something sacred. The endowment is not something we create for ourselves or something we earn simply by attending the temple. It is a gift that comes from Him through His authorized ordinances.
So where did the expression “take out your endowment” come from? It has been used conversationally among Latter-day Saints for many years, particularly when referring to someone receiving their endowment for the first time. For example, someone might say, “I’m taking out my endowment next month before I leave on my mission,” while another person might say, “I’m going to the temple to receive my endowment before I get married.” Both individuals are talking about the same experience. The expression “take out” is simply a familiar way of referring to obtaining or completing something, much like we use it when talking about taking out an insurance policy or a loan.
There is nothing in LDS doctrine that makes the expression “take out your endowment” incorrect. It is simply a traditional expression that has become part of everyday Church vocabulary. Nevertheless, when we consider the sacred nature of the ordinance, “receive your endowment” seems to be a more meaningful and precise way of describing what actually takes place. After all, we aren’t taking something out of the temple as though we were collecting a possession. We are receiving something the Lord has prepared for us.
This distinction also becomes clearer when we consider other ordinances in the Church. We commonly say that someone receives baptism, receives confirmation, or receives a patriarchal blessing. We generally don’t describe these experiences as taking something out. The same principle applies to the temple endowment. We receive instruction, make sacred covenants, and are promised blessings from Heavenly Father. According to section 27.2 of the General Handbook, the endowment is a gift from God that brings blessings such as greater knowledge of the Lord’s purposes, power to do what Heavenly Father wants us to do, divine direction, and increased hope, comfort, and peace. These blessings are intended to help us throughout our lives as we strive to follow Jesus Christ.
There is also an important distinction between receiving our own endowment and participating in the endowment ordinance for someone who has passed away. Latter-day Saints receive their own endowment once during their lifetime, but they can return to the temple and participate in the ordinance as a proxy for deceased individuals. Through this service, they help provide their ancestors and others who have died with the opportunity to accept the ordinances of the gospel. In both situations, the ordinance points back to the same principle: God’s desire to bless His children and provide them with the opportunity to make sacred covenants with Him.
So, is one expression better than the other? I would say that “receive your endowment” is preferable because it more accurately communicates the spiritual meaning of the ordinance. It reminds us that the endowment is a gift from Heavenly Father and that we are the recipients of His blessings. However, I wouldn’t suggest that someone who uses the expression “take out their endowment” is teaching incorrect doctrine or showing disrespect toward the temple. Most Latter-day Saints understand exactly what the person means.
Ultimately, the important thing isn’t whether we use one expression or the other. It is whether we understand what the endowment represents. It is a sacred gift from Heavenly Father, an opportunity to make additional covenants with Him, and a means of receiving greater spiritual knowledge and blessings through Jesus Christ. Rather than thinking of the endowment as simply another religious milestone to complete, perhaps we should think of it as an opportunity to receive something the Lord lovingly offers His children. That understanding gives the expression “receive your endowment” a particularly meaningful significance.
Gramps
