Gramps,

My girlfriend, who is a recent convert, watched a video of the temple handshake near the veil. She is now confused and scared about being a member because she says it looks like Freemasonry. I don’t know how to explain the handshake without explaining the things taught in the temple which I know is sacred. I know Joseph Smith had some dealing with the Free Masons and that the ritual was created before them, but how can I put her mind at ease to understand that the handshake isn’t cultish or bad?

Andy

Answer

Andy,

The Latter-day Saint Temples and Masonic Temples have been compared since ancient times because they were from the same source.  And that was a proper and good source – the Lord.

Consider this: Is Judaism a cult?  Christianity (especially the LDS faith) shares a lot beliefs with Judaism as far as identifying the God we worship.  Are traditional Christians a cult?  We also share a lot of beliefs with Protestants.  Did we copy them?  No, we all found a similar source: The Bible.  And even from that original source, we have very different histories and differ quite a bit in our beliefs.

The temple ordinances were initiated shortly after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve were given coats of skins (which we commemorate with the wearing of the garment of the Holy Priesthood) indicating that they received their temple ordinances.  These ordinances were handed down generation after generation.

What about the Masons?  They are NOT a cult.  That rumor really began when Jews began to join the organization. This stirred up a lot of anti-Semitism.  And it culminated with Hitler claiming that Masons were all Jews and wanted to dismantle the Masonic Temples in Germany.

They are a fraternal organization that is essentially a group of businessmen who wanted to create some charities.  The Shriners’ Hospitals are run/funded by the Masonic Order.

The idea of having “secret handshakes” were used by all sorts of organizations (both good and bad) throughout history.  This is just another organization that chose to do so.

Originally, the masonic order was a group of stone masons who were very proud of their craft.  So, they established an order (a guild) to ensure quality work.  When a mason from one city went to another city, they would have to prove their worth.  A quick way to do that was that if you were “raised” to various levels (apprentice, journeyman, master) you would learn a “secret handshake” for that level.  That handshake could be given to the master mason at the new city.  That let the master at that city know how good you were at the craft.  Eventually these guilds became so renowned that they had a level of political power.

In modern day, the Order is not just composed of stone masons, but a variety of successful businessmen who want to do some good with the blessing they’ve received from God.  They are like the Rotary or the Kiwanis.  The one religious requirement of all Masons is that they believe in some form of a Supreme Being and they are active in their religion whatever it may be.  The goal of Masonry is to make bad men good, good men better, and better men best.  A vast majority of them are Christian throughout the United States.

Where did they get their handshakes and “costumes” from?  If you go to their national website, they’ll tell you that they don’t know.  They “believe” their traditions are at least 1000 years old.  But they don’t have any written records really stating where they began.

A common theory among Masons is that they got it from Egyptian Pharaohs.  And either Abraham or Joseph (of Egypt) stole it from them.  We believe the reverse was true.  From the Book of Abraham, we read:

Now, Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood, notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain claim it from Noah, through Ham, therefore my father was led away by their idolatry; (Abraham 1:27)

In other words, the early Pharaohs were righteous men of the earth who wanted to imitate the true faith.  This included copying temple ordinances.  But because it could not be run with revelation through a true prophet, it was a corrupt religion.

Here, we learn that even in ancient times it was impossible to truly keep sacred things secret.  Just as they did in ancient times, there were certain individuals who put together a presentation (like the video that your GF saw) to spill secrets.  And no doubt, the video she saw was done to make it seem as “spooky” as possible.

We believe Pharaoh stole the ceremony from the True Faith of the Lord.  But Masons say that Abraham stole it from the Pharaohs and it ultimately became a basis for the Jewish religion.  Which story is true?  We have scriptures that say we’re correct.  They have an origin story lost to history.

So, it wasn’t that we stole the ordinances from the Masons in modern times (nor they, us).  It was that the source material was copied in ancient times and continued through parallel paths.

Here is some evidence from Church History that Joseph didn’t copy the Masons.

• At the time that the 8 witnesses saw the golden plates, Joseph Sr. was a mason.  He went home and described the plates to his wife, Lucy Mack.  He remarked that the front plate (a cover sheet) had the masonic symbols of the compass and the square.  This was about 10+ years before Joseph Jr. even thought about becoming a mason.
• Joseph described the Urim and Thummim as having the compass and square symbols on the stones.  Oliver (the only other person allowed to view them) confirmed this.
• There was much more to the Temple Ceremony.  Joseph said that they didn’t have the proper facilities to do it correctly.  And it is those aspects that are very important to our understanding of our covenants.  Yet the Masons didn’t have any problems with their ceremonies.  That’s because (even with some similarities) the Masons do a completely different ceremony.

The symbols of the compass and the square are very ancient.  Ancient Jews had them.  Egyptians had them.  Now we (and the Masons) have them.  And both the Masons and Latter-day Saints have been maligned because of it.  But neither of us stole the symbols from the other.  We inherited them through independent lines.

Also see a previous article: Freemason’s handshake

 Gramps

Gramps,

It’s easy to understand what it means to obey commandments and statutes, as well as to keep covenants. But since an ordinance is a sacred act, how does one obey it? How can an action be kept or obeyed?

Loretta

Answer

Loretta,

In the beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, obedience to sacred ordinances is paramount. These ordinances, viewed as sacred acts, serve as essential milestones in a member’s spiritual journey. The question arises: How does one fully obey these ordinances? What does it mean to keep or obey an action that is deemed sacred?

Ordinances are defined as sacred acts that hold significant importance in the spiritual growth and progression of members within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These include baptism, confirmation, the sacrament, the priesthood, the temple endowment, and marriage sealing. Each ordinance is accompanied by specific covenants that members commit to uphold, creating a structure of accountability and responsibility in their relationship with God.

The purpose of these ordinances extends beyond mere rituals; they are essential for accessing divine power. Doctrine and Covenants 84:20-22 states, “In the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.” This scripture emphasizes that participation in ordinances allows members to draw closer to God and access His divine attributes, aiding them on their journey toward becoming more Christlike.

Gramps

Gramps,

When I was very young, my entire family went to the LDS Laie Hawaiian Temple to be sealed. I remember the event quite vividly. A few years back, I went to my bishop to obtain my membership number, and there is absolutely NO record of me being sealed to my family. All of my 5 brothers were listed, and of course my parents, but not my name. Does this mean that I am not sealed to my family?

Tricia

Answer

Tricia,

I’m sorry to hear this. This can be very troublesome and disappointing to our tender hearts. I know of a couple individuals who had something similar happen to them where an ordinance and a blessing wasn’t recorded.

I was on my mission when I first heard about an individual who was baptized and his baptism wasn’t recorded. He had a similar question, “Did my baptism not count”? The answer provided to him is that his baptism did count, and although his first baptism did count he would need to be baptized again. This baptism though was more for records of the Church. All things need to be done in wisdom and order, and part of that order is having a record of it happening. He understood, and he was baptized again.

The other individual was an individual who had received his patriarchal blessing. This individual received his patriarch blessing when he was younger. He read it multiple times, and one day he went to read his patriarchal blessing and he couldn’t find it. It was lost. He, like you, visited his bishop and stake president to receive another copy; unfortunately, he discovered that his original patriarchal blessing wasn’t recorded on the records of the Church and the Church didn’t have a copy to print off and send him. He was disappointed, but eventually he met with his bishop and stake president and a new appointment with the current stake patriarch was made and a new patriarchal blessing was given. This time, they made sure it was recorded.

This is one of those things, no matter how hard we try as imperfect individuals there seems to be a time when something should have been recorded and it wasn’t. Maybe you are wondering or telling yourself that a baptism and a PB are not the same as a sealing, and you are correct a baptism and a PB are not a sealing; however, the same principle applies to a sealing also. As to my current knowledge there are two potential avenues to take here:

The first, talk with your brothers and have them share their witness with you in writing. Have them send a letter. Also, if anyone can remember who the sealer was and who the witnesses were that would be great also. Reach out to them and see if they can provide their witness also. If so, I know at times, this is sufficient for them to add your name to the record. If for some reason this isn’t possible then the next step is the right one.

The second, just like the individual from my mission who was baptized again, you will have the opportunity to do the work for yourself (at least I believe you can). Set up an appointment with your bishop or stake president and they can instruct you further. It may be as simple as you going to the temple and being sealed again, only for record. Just like the individuals baptism, if you were sealed, then the sealing has already taken place. Now you just need to do it one more time for Church records. I’m sorry this has happened. But nothing to worry about, get sealed again. And this time you are old enough to comprehend and understand the importance of this work/ordinance. You may have a wonderful opportunity and spiritual experience that will bless your soul. Either way, you are good, no worries as to your first sealing.

Gramps

Gramps,

What does it mean to an individual to be sealed? We always refer to the blessing of sealings to be the opportunity to be a family forever and it is often related to being “linked” together. That’s not what I’m questioning.  To clarify, I was born in the covenant and my parents’ sealing was canceled years ago. The previous edition of the General Handbook of Instruction explained that children in my situation are still sealed. What does that mean to be “sealed”. It isn’t a glue.

David

Answer

Thank you for your question, David.

A lot of people tend to wonder what sealing is really about.  We have the general definition that it means we’re an eternal family.  But when we see situations like yours where your earthly family has been broken, what does an eternal family mean for you?  That’s a very good question.  And while I don’t have a complete answer (it hasn’t been fully revealed to us) I hope to give you some comfort in your situation.

Let me start with the etymology of the word “seal”. 

Originally, it did not mean the “welding” that we think of when we repair a crack or tightly close the lid of a container.  It originally referred to a stamp or insignia.  That seal meant that it was official.  It was the sign that it had the full backing of the owner of the seal.

Later, it was used as the wax seal on envelopes and letters.  It was so used to ensure that the addressee would be the first person to read it.  This was the beginning of how sealing came to mean stuck, or as you put it “glued.”

Later still, merchants found another use for it.  Bags of goods had the company logo (or seal) on the products.  This guaranteed quality.  But many wondered how a logo could guarantee quality when the bag was opened, and anyone could have tampered with it.  So, they began closing the bags with the seal.  Those sealed metal cans and sealed plastic bags were completely sealed shut.  And thus they were protected from tampering.

When we speak of sealing in the priesthood sense, it means that we are marked as the Savior’s children.  It means that we are officially His.  We are also sent through quality control measures (in the form of teachings, promptings, calls to service, and trials throughout our lives).  We are also protected in a manner that we may not fully recognize.

So in this manner, we are sealed to the Savior and spiritually become his children as is required by reason of the Atonement of Christ.

The Welding Link Back to Adam

We know that the nature of relationships with family members is different than with close friends.  We may say that a friend is so close that we consider them family.  But there is still something missing when we consider all the ramifications of how societies are set up — especially legal ramifications.

Apart from severe methods (like divorce) families are just always there.  Even with divorce and severe estrangement, there are so many real-life stories of the long lost prodigal who comes to claim his portion of an inheritance.  And very often, he can be successful in doing so.  There is something that is hard-wired into our human psyche that recognizes a connection there whether we like it or not.

And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy. (D&C 130:2)

This “sociality” refers to this “connection” we feel for family members.  But in eternity, it will be coupled with eternal glory.  Without sealing by the Holy Spirit of Promise, those connections will no longer matter after this life.

For those in similar situations like yours, here’s a fact you need to know: children can be sealed to only two parents. So if you were born to your parents after they were sealed in the temple (born in the covenant) or were sealed to them in the temple yourself, you are still sealed to them—both of them—even after a divorce. This is true even if your parents’ temple sealing to each other is canceled. (Church website)

And we know that there is something special about eternal families that it is required for exaltation.

In God’s eternal plan, salvation is an individual matter; exaltation is a family matter. (Salvation and Exaltation; Russel M. Nelson; April 2008 General Conference)

While we can be saved from physical and spiritual death by our own relationship with the Savior, exaltation is a different matter.  Exaltation requires us to be whole and complete. And to be whole and complete, we need our extended families to be eternal.

Joseph Smith commented on Malachi’s prophecy:

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.  — Mal 4:5-6

 

I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times.  D&C 128:18 (emphasis mine)

The bolded portion is often quoted. And we know that the underlined portion is a necessary corollary.  What we don’t know is why (notice the italicized phrase).  Since it has not been revealed, we can only try to understand the nature of sealing better.  Strong family bonds are important in this life.  These same bonds (in the form of sealing) are important in eternity.

What the handbook may not cover is the question of “What happens to these welds if there is a weak/missing link?”  The power of sealing is such that it provides the link whether the individual is true to the covenants or not.  So, the person may be missing in eternity due to failure to keep one’s covenants or other reasons.  But the link provided by the ordinances for people within that network still remains.

We can visualize by saying that each individual is a car that is connected to another car by a cable.  If someone fails their covenants, their car turns into another length of cable, connecting the neighboring lengths of cable.

** I need to insert here that this is not a doctrinal description.  It is merely the best way to visualize it based on what we know.**

We may think that we are all individual.  And we “work out our salvation” by our individual relationship with the Lord.  But the Proclamation to the World tells us that what we think is a mortal construct (the family) is really an eternal principle.  And while we tend to place less and less value on the family unit with each passing generation, the eternal principle will not change.  The Lord does not change.

While we don’t have the whole picture just yet, we are told that such mysteries “shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times.”

And when it is revealed, we will finally understand the why and how behind the promise of how important the power of sealing truly is.

Gramps

Gramps,

I have a big fear of going underwater. I found my baptism really difficult. I have been a member for nearly 4 years and I still have not done a baptism in the temple because of my fear. My patriarchal blessing talks about me doing family history. I do family history and confirmations in the temple as a way to make up for not doing baptisms. If I never manage to do a baptism for a dead person, what will the consequences be? Will I be less likely to get into the celestial kingdom because of this?

Renata

Answer

Dear Renata,

Be at peace.  Perhaps you will be able to master your fear of going underwater, perhaps not.  Either way, you can do your family history work, and perform other ordinances in the temple.  The youth in your area can serve you by doing the baptisms – something which will bless both you and them.

I have no doubt the Lord understands your heart and that you desire to do this work.  Trust that he will both accept the best you have to offer, and, if you have faith and it’s his will, he will help you to overcome your fear.

Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.  Ether 12:27

Sometimes, the way in which the Lord makes weak things strong is not the way we imagine.  Paul, for example, had some weakness which he referred to as a “thorn in the flesh”, which was not taken away.  Rather, the Lord helped him to endure this trial:

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

 

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

 

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.  2 Corinthians 12:7-10

I cannot predict whether the Lord will help you to overcome your fear, or whether he will help you to endure its continued existence.  Either way, I’m confident that if you turn to the Lord, seek his guidance, and do your best to follow him, all will be well in the end.

As for the consequence of not doing the baptisms yourself, I believe it will be as simple as missing whatever you might have experienced by doing them.  That is, you won’t fail to attain the celestial kingdom when the only thing stopping you was a fear over which you had no control.  You won’t be punished for not doing the baptisms yourself.  But you also won’t experience whatever blessings might have come from doing them yourself.  Therefore, keep working at your family history.  Keep doing the ordinances you can.  Serve the Lord and obey his commandments.  If you can, work to overcome your fear – seek help, if needed, both from professionals and through priesthood blessings.  It’s OK if it takes years, just keep doing as much as you can.  Imagine how grateful an ancestor will be knowing that you overcame your fear just to bring her this blessing!  And if you can’t master this fear, you will be stronger for trying, and the Lord will know you did everything you could.  And your ancestors will still thank you for doing the family history work and enlisting the help of others to perform their baptisms.  I’m confident this will be sufficient.

Gramps

Gramps,

How come men can be sealed to multiple women but women cant be sealed to multiple men?

Kendra

Answer

Dear Kendra,

It’s not that simple actually.  If a man is living and his wife dies, then yes he can be sealed to another living woman.   If a woman’s husband dies, she cannot be sealed to another man.  This harkens back to polygamy.  God has not seen fit to explain to us why this is so, or why it is allowed during some generations and not others.  So I can’t give you anything more than man’s best guess on that, all of which I think are insufficient.

Women can be sealed to more than one man after they are dead.  For example, I know a woman who had been married twice, but never sealed.  Her first marriage ended with her husbands death.  In her later years, after her second husband had also passed, she was reactivated in the church.  She went to the temple and chose to be sealed to her second husband.  One of her children chose not to be sealed to her at that time, because he wanted to be sealed to both of his biological parents.  He waited until she had passed.  Then he had her sealed to her first husband, and himself sealed to them.

How will this all work out in the eternities we don’t know for sure right now.  One temple president said that it doesn’t matter specifically who you are sealed to, what matters most is that you are sealed.

I hope that is helpful.

Gramps

Dear Gramps,

My patriarchal blessing says that I’ll be a savior upon Mt. Zion. What does it mean? Where do I get started?

Someone

Answer

Dear Someone,

Being a savior on Mt. Zion refers to those who act an a saving capacity for their ancestors who have lived on the earth without the opportunity of knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ or being able to participate in its saving ordinances. These saving ordinances, as announced by the Savior to Nicodemus, include the ordinance of baptism—

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

 

The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

 

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

 

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:1-5)

Being born of the water and of the Spirit of course refers to the ordinance of baptism. Elsewhere in the scriptures it is explained that for any baptism to be valid in the sight of God it must be a baptism by immersion for the remission of personal sins, motivated by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ following full and complete repentance of sins committed, and the baptism must be performed by one having the authority of the holy priesthood to act in the name of the Savior (see Acts 19:1-5).

The question arises, what becomes of those who did not have the opportunity to participate in these saving ordinances during their mortal probation? There are authoritarian religions that say that such souls are lost forever because they were not baptized under the auspices of the authority of that religion. Such a doctrine of course denies the justice and mercy of God, as in that philosophy God would be partial to the few of all humanity who lived when those particular churches were on the earth and who were participating members in those religions.

Other religions recognize that baptism is essential to salvation, and in an attempt to demonstrate the justice of God, they accept the baptisms performed by any persons and by all churches. This attempt to demonstrate that God is just falls pitifully short by denying salvation to the vast part of humanity who do not come under that larger umbrella of the baptism requirement.

Such philosophy being anathema those who do not claim to have that particular authority from God are required to confess that baptism is not an essential ordinance.

There are a number of faith-based religions that believe that it is only sufficient to confess Jesus to be saved. They hold that baptism in not an essential ordinance, but an act of the faithful who have already been saved by confessing Christ as their Savior. This group denies the validity of the words of the Savior and the experience of Paul as cited above.
There is only one religious organization in the all the world that proclaims a doctrine that logically demonstrates the true and fully complete justice of God, coupled with his infinite mercy, in providing the opportunity for all of humanity to know and understand the doctrine of salvation as preached by Jesus Christ, and for all who will to avail themselves of all of the essential saving ordinances of the gospel, and that organization is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called the Mormon Church. And although this doctrine is fully explained by modern-day prophets, it was actually announced by the early apostles, and practiced by the primitive church. This doctrine preaches that the principals of the gospel are taught in the post-mortal spirit world to all who have lived on the earth during all the ages of time, and the saving ordinances of the gospel are performed vicariously by legal proxies for those who died without knowing the gospel.

Paul even uses the accepted principal of baptism for the dead to demonstrate that there is a resurrection from the dead—

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead…..29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? (1 Cor 15:21,29)

The doctrine of baptism for the dead remained a practice of the early church until the third century. It appears to have been abolished at the Counsel of Nicea.

But it may be claimed that even the Mormon Church falls short of demonstrating that God is just because how can that church perform this essential vicarious work for all of humanity?  The major part of which have died without leaving any evidence of their having lived? That, however, is one of the great purposes of the Millennium. During that period, those unknown spirits will present themselves, and the saving ordinances will be vicariously performed in their behalf by mortals living during the millennium in holy temples that will dot the earth.

So the saviors on Mt. Zion are those who provide for the salvation of that part of humanity that cannot do the work for themselves because they have passed from mortality without knowing the gospel, by researching genealogical records to identify the dead, and then going to the temple to act as proxies to perform the essential vicarious work for all of our Father’s children who would avail themselves of the blessings of the gospel. In the words of Hartman Rector, Jr.,

“At that moment I had no idea what my mission was, but I now believe it is to begin the work on the genealogy of my family. In my patriarchal blessing, which I received later, Patriarch Eldred Smith told me that I am to be “a savior on Mt. Zion,” and that all obstacles have been removed from my path in doing this work” (Hartman Rector, Jr., and Connie Rector, No More Strangers, 4 vols., 4:, p.55).

Gramps

Gramps,

Answer

Dear Josh,

I have written before on the theatric nature of baptism – that is, as we ponder on it we find an educational drama unfolding. When it comes to ordinances (such as sacrament, baptism, washing and anointing, endowment, and sealing), we are dealing with a world of symbols. Symbols are especially useful because they can convey layers of meaning. For instance, Joseph Smith thought the parable of the three measures of leaven (Matthew 13:33) spoke to the law of witnesses and found specific fulfillment in the 3 Witnesses of The Book of Mormon (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Chapter 25: Truths from the Savior’s Parables in Matthew 13) and in the presence of 3 volumes of scripture (Ibid.).

We’ll often build a short program around the presentation of an ordinance. This will include instruction on the purpose of the ordinance (as in baptism) or ways to live up to the covenant of the ordinance (as with sacrament). The endowment is a powerful blend of instruction, theatricality, and symbols. In describing it (and really, the following can apply to any of these ordinances), Elder John A. Widtsoe shared:

“The wonderful pedagogy of the temple service, especially appealing to me as a professional teacher, carries with it evidence of the truth of temple work. … How is all this accomplished? First by the spoken word, through the lectures and conversations, just as we do in the class room, except with more elaborate care, then [second] by the appeal to the eye by representations by living, moving beings; and by pictorial representations in the wonderfully decorated rooms. . . . Meanwhile [third] the recipients themselves, the candidates for blessings, engage actively in temple service. . . . Altogether our temple worship follows a most excellent pedagogical system. I wish instruction were given so well in every school room throught the land, for we would then teach with more effect than we now do” (“Temple Worship”, The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine 12, April 1921, page 59).

You’ll note that these blend very nicely with the learning modalities of auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. So ordinances provide an excellent system for us to internalize the covenants that accompany them.

Another, even simpler approach to ordinances comes by way of a programming analogy. The programmer says, “untested code is broken code”. The programmer may have written several lines of code to create some whiz-bang application, but until it has been thoroughly exercised no one – not even the programmer – can really say it really performs as claimed. Similarly, how much faith would you say a leper has? Is it enough to be healed? Naaman was given a simple test to discover his faith – bathe in the Jordan 7 times (2 Kings 5:9-14).

Disciples are given a similar test of faith. Is their faith sufficient to for the penitent to receive forgiveness? A simple test can go a long way to weed out those who are just talk from those who are committed to follow Christ. Are they willing to follow Christ, getting immersed in water by someone with priesthood authority? Such indeed is faith shown and exercised by works.

Gramps

Gramps,

According to Wilford Woodruff’s journal, President George Washington, John Wesley, Benjamin Franklin, and Christopher Columbus were ordained high priests when they appeared within the sacred walls of the St. George Temple. Why did these ordinations take place in our sphere by a mortal man?

John

Answer

John,

In the spring of 1877, within the sunlit sandstone walls of the St. George Temple in southern Utah, a singular event unfolded in the annals of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Wilford Woodruff, then president of the temple, reported receiving visits from the “spirits of the dead”—notably, the founding fathers of the United States and other historic figures—who requested that their redemptive ordinances be performed. President Woodruff remarked, “They waited on me for two days and two nights…These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence…[who] wanted the blessings of the gospel in their lives.”

Central to Latter-day Saint doctrine is the conviction that saving ordinances—baptism, confirmation, ordination to the priesthood, endowment, sealing—must be performed by living persons acting under priesthood authority, even for those who have passed beyond the veil of mortality. This practice, called “vicarious” or “proxy” work, is rooted in biblical principles and clarified by modern revelation.

Wilford Woodruff’s experience is emblematic of this doctrine. According to his testimony, the spirits of the signers of the Declaration of Independence expressed their desire for temple blessings: “We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God.” Understanding their yearning, President Woodruff explained, “I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon brother McCallister to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and fifty other eminent men, making one hundred in all, including John Wesley, Columbus, and others; I then baptized him for every President of the United States, except three…”

The theological basis comes from teachings like those found in 1 Peter 4:6, “the dead [will] be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” This principle was fleshed out by modern leaders and scholars. As explained in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “Mortals on earth will perform saving ordinances such as baptism on their behalf…Conversion takes place in the spirit world, but the ordinances are performed vicariously on earth among mortals.” The reason? Simply put, the ordinances belong to and must be recorded in this life. The late Joseph Fielding Smith, former president of the Church, taught, “Baptism, confirmation, ordination, endowment, and sealings all pertain to this mortal life and are ordinances required of those who are in mortality. Provision has been made for these ordinances to be performed vicariously for those who are worthy but who died without the opportunity in this life…If it were permissible for resurrected persons to come and do work in the temples, then there would be no reason for us in this mortal life to act vicariously for them, for they would do it for themselves.”

The idea is clear: Earth is the sphere of mortality and probation, where covenants are made, sealed, and recorded. Death does not nullify a person’s opportunity to receive the gospel, but the performance of those ordinances is reserved for living bodies acting on earth.

What makes the events at the St. George Temple especially significant is their intersection of historical narrative and sacred vision. According to multiple accounts, President Woodruff received visits—not merely dreams, but protracted pleadings—by the spirits of America’s Founding Fathers, who entreated him to ensure their redemptive work be done. Lorenzo Snow corroborated the doctrine that great historical figures were inspired of God to further the Restoration, observing “the providences of God in raising up a Luther, a John Wesley; we see the providences of God in all the Christian organizations and communities; we trace the hand of the Almighty in framing the constitution of our land…”

President Ezra Taft Benson, decades after the original experience, visited the vault of the St. George Temple to see the records with his own eyes, later sharing: “Think of it, the Founding Fathers of this nation, those great men, appeared within those sacred walls and had their vicarious work done for them…President George Washington was ordained a High Priest at that time. You will also be interested to know that according to Wilford Woodruff’s journal, John Wesley, Benjamin Franklin, and Christopher Columbus were also ordained High Priests at the time.”

A particularly striking episode is Benjamin Franklin’s return. Wilford Woodruff recorded that after the work had been performed for Franklin, Franklin appeared in a dream, requesting yet more ordinances, further reflecting both the urgency and reality of this vicarious work.

This living connection—these “choice spirits…the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth”—emphasized that the project of the Restoration, and the liberation of humanity from spiritual bondage, is not limited by death but transcends generations and nations.

Several doctrinal and practical reasons have been highlighted by leaders and historians regarding why mortals are to perform ordinances for the dead:

Agency and Opportunity: The spirit world is a place of continued learning and accepting the gospel, as referenced in Doctrine & Covenants 138. Spirits who never heard the gospel can choose to accept or reject the ordinances performed in their behalf, preserving agency.

Linking Generations: The ordinances not only offer redemption to individuals but serve as a means of “turning the hearts of the children to the fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children,” as prophesied by Malachi and confirmed in the restoration of Elijah’s sealing powers.

Priesthood Authority on Earth: The physical body, granted in mortality, is essential for enacting covenants and priesthood ordinances. John the Baptist’s instruction to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery—wherein he did not perform baptisms himself but commanded the men to baptize and ordain each other—is cited as scriptural precedent. As Church scholar Kent P. Jackson summarizes, “Conversion takes place in the spirit world, but the ordinances are performed vicariously on earth among mortals. The sealing power of Elijah’s keys makes those ordinances binding both on earth and in heaven.”

Record and Law: The scriptural principle that ordinances are to be “recorded on earth” as well as “in heaven” underscores the symbolic and literal necessity of mortal performance (see Doctrine & Covenants 128:6-9). Records made in mortality represent binding, legal acts within God’s kingdom.

Preparation for Judgment: Mortality is viewed as a probationary period; after the resurrection, the judgment is set, and the window for performing such gospel work closes. Thus, performing ordinances in mortality is foundational for their ultimate acceptance and effect.

In this framework, the work of redeeming the dead—whether 18th-century statesmen or ancient ancestors—requires reliance on living faith, physical participation, and recorded order on earth.

These temple ordinances performed for the Founding Fathers invite reflection on why America occupies such a significant position in the Latter-day Saint worldview. The Church teaches that the development of the United States’ constitutional government and religious freedoms was no mere political coincidence, but a deliberate preparation for the Restoration of the gospel.

Latter-day Saint thinker Tad R. Callister, echoing generations of prophetic counsel, wrote: “God was not passionately interested in the development of America as a political entity alone—that was the means, not the end. The ultimate goal was to provide a forum where his Church could be restored in its fulness, never again to be taken from the earth. That was the crowning aim in God’s blessing of America.”

The appearance of the Founding Fathers and historical figures in the St. George Temple is preached as both evidence and symbol: that the heavens are open, that the work of God spans temporal and spiritual realms, and that liberty—famously invoked in the words of Franklin, Washington, and others—was established on earth to facilitate the redemption of all humanity.

Gramps