The Latter-Day Saint endowment ceremony is a temple ritual that symbolically takes participants on an upward journey that concludes in a celestial room. Participation in the ceremony brings individuals into a closer covenant relationship with God, and includes temple garments and covenants or laws such as the Law of the Gospel and Law of Consecration. In this interview, Anthony Sweat explains more about the history and purpose of the temple endowment.
What is the temple endowment?
For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the temple endowment is one of its highest and holiest sacred rites (or religious ceremonies) in which we participate. The Latter-day Saint endowment ceremony consists of two essential parts:
- An individual preparatory ceremony known as “initiatory” (described more below) to spiritually sanctify and bless the person receiving the ordinance, and
- Group instruction to learn more about God’s plan for his children to return to His presence and be empowered to receive a fullness of God’s highest blessings in heaven.
During this second part of the instruction, through symbolic and sacred ceremony, participants learn truths and make covenants with God to live righteous lives of obedience to Jesus Christ’s teachings. As they keep those covenants and live those holy teachings presented in the endowment ceremony, they are “endowed” with spiritual power to overcome the fallen world, live in God’s presence, and become an “heir of God, and joint-heir with Jesus Christ” (Romans 8:17).
Thus, it is called the “endowment”—or a divine gift that more fully enables our spiritual and eternal potential.
Are Latter-day Saint temple rituals secret?
Because they are so sacred and personal, limited aspects of the temple endowment ceremony are not to be publicly discussed outside of designated times and places in the temple. The Church officially specifies those sacred aspects that should be kept private as “the symbols associated with temple covenants” and “the holy information we promise in the temple not to reveal” (General Handbook, section 27.0).
However, “we may discuss the basic purposes and doctrine of temple covenants and ordinances and the spiritual feelings we have in the temple” (ibid.). Keeping certain experiences confidential is not abnormal when we understand the purposes of the House of the Lord.
In the scriptures there is also some precedence from the Lord for keeping things private. At times, Jesus gave certain blessings or information and then told his followers not to tell anyone publicly about it (see Matthew 8:4, Mark 9:9. Luke 9:21). Such experiences were private and personal.
Similarly, in our private lives with members of our family or close friends we communicate about things that we don’t (or shouldn’t) share in public to maintain close and trusting relationships. In the Latter-day Saint temple, we more fully and completely come to know God the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the divine plan of Redemption.
The temple endowment ceremonially draws us into closer covenant relationship with God. As such, keeping certain symbolic and spiritual concepts sacred and not revealing them publicly replicates this close, personal, covenant connection with the Lord in his holy house.
What are some misunderstandings about the temple endowment?
Other religions
Some who are not part of our faith simply don’t know what we do inside our temples, particularly in the endowment presentation. For those who have heard of it, misconceptions sometimes center around the ritual nature of the endowment.
Many organized religions, however, employ the power of comparable ritual clothing, recitation, gestures, actions, and promises to God through some sort of formal religious ceremony to teach or communicate spiritual concepts. The function is similar although the form may vary.
Latter-day Saints
For Latter-day Saints, ironically some of the misunderstandings also often come because many modern members aren’t very accustomed to ritual and ceremony. We are very literal people, in general. Although Latter-day Saints have mystical and miraculous roots, our daily faith is mostly practical—meaningful yet utilitarian programs and classes and activities.
When we participate in the temple endowment presentation, however, it is highly symbolic and ceremonial, even mysterious (or not obvious). The parable-like and symbolically layered nature of the ceremony can be powerful as a teaching tool, but also misunderstood because some things are not spelled out directly.
Like some of Jesus’s teachings and parables, it takes spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear, bringing understanding line upon line through devoted living, study, and time.
What are the five covenants made in the endowment?
There are more than five total covenants made in the temple (for example, a covenant to not disclose certain sacred information, as touched on previously). There are five common “laws” in the endowment ceremony that we covenant to live. Those laws help us follow and are centered on Jesus Christ.
Citing directly from the Church’s published sources on this question, those laws are the:
- “Law of Obedience, which includes striving to keep God’s commandments.
- “Law of Sacrifice, which means doing all we can to support the Lord’s work and repenting with a broken heart and contrite spirit.
- “Law of the Gospel, which is the higher law that He taught while He was on the earth.
- “Law of Chastity, which means that we have sexual relations only with the person to whom we are legally and lawfully wedded according to God’s law.
- “Law of Consecration, which means dedicating our time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed us to building up Jesus Christ’s Church on the earth.”
What happens in a Latter-day Saint endowment ceremony?
In the endowment ordinances a Church member is spiritually cleansed, anointed, clothed, blessed, and instructed. When we participate in the temple endowment ceremony, we reenact a symbolic upward journey that takes us as a fallen person, to being taught about the great Plan of Redemption centered on the Savior, empowered by knowledge and covenants, and ultimately brought into the presence of God to become an heir of eternal life.
This instruction takes place:
in a group setting along with others who are attending the temple. During this part, the plan of salvation is presented, including the Creation of the world, the Fall of Adam and Eve, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Apostasy, and the Restoration, as well as instruction on 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, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Are “initiatories” considered part of the temple endowment?
The “initiatory” is the beginning of the endowment blessings, or the initiation into a covenant priesthood order. Before being instructed in the temple endowment, Latter-day saints are symbolically washed, anointed, blessed, and clothed in the temple garment. Former Church President Gordon B. Hinckley wrote that we receive “our washings and anointings that we may be clean before the Lord” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Liahona, 1982 October First Presidency Message, “Temples and Temple Work”).
The Church publicly teaches that “the initiatory ordinances include special blessings regarding your divine heritage and potential. As part of these ordinances, you will also be authorized to wear the sacred temple garment.”
How long are temple endowment sessions?
It has varied over time, but the current Latter-day Saint temple endowment lasts around 90 minutes.
Is the Kirtland Endowment the same thing as today’s temple endowment?
Aspects of it, yes, but in other ways, no. The endowment given in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio included a fellowship (or worthiness) covenant, ritual washing and anointing, blessing, instructing, covenanting to live righteously, praying, and holding a sacred meaning in a sacred space, all to help the inductee be spiritually clean before and pentecostally empowered by God.
Those same elements persist in the modern temple endowment. The difference, however, is the Kirtland endowment was not packaged into a dramatized religious presentation as it later was in Nauvoo and in the Church today.
Why do Latter-day Saints wear special temple clothes?
Symbolic clothing is part of many civic, educational, and religious communities. Ceremonial clothing suggests status, conveys concepts, alters attitude, and can echo eternity.
How often are changes made to the temple endowment?
Changes to the Latter-day Saint endowment ceremony have been notable in recent years, although the essential elements remain consistent over time. Some changes seem to be practical for convenience, others are to more clearly express concepts and covenant understanding.
Changes can bring concern because Latter-day Saints believe that the endowment is an “ancient” order. Some assume that means it has always been done the same way for all time, back to Adam and Eve.
While there clearly are ancient elements to the ceremony, and creating a covenant consecrated community of empowered believers is consistent, changes in presentation have varied over time. That’s why it can be important to differentiate between endowment, and the presentation of the endowment.
Is the endowment considered a coming-of-age ritual?
It’s considered a coming unto Christ ritual. A Latter-day Saint cannot be endowed until they are eighteen years old and no longer attend high school (or its equivalent), and full-time missionaries should be endowed (where possible) before beginning their missionary service.
Why do we need an endowment?
An endowment is a gift of spiritual power and capacity. It is “power from on high” to cite Latter-day Saint scripture (Doctrine and Covenants 38:32). We need it to overcome the fallen aspects of this life. We need it to be strengthened to meet mortal challenges and trials. We need it to detect the deceptions of the devil. We need it to become clean before the Lord. We need it to know how to call upon heaven and have heaven respond.
The endowment gives us greater peace, greater understanding, greater promises, and greater covenant connection with God (see Abraham 1:2). Joseph Smith taught that the endowment is
calculated to unite our hearts…that our faith may be strong, so that Satan cannot overthrow us, nor have any power over us…You need an endowment…in order that you may be prepared and able to overcome all things.
“Discourse, 12 November 1835,” p. 31, 33-34, The Joseph Smith Papers.
Ultimately, we need an endowment to receive a fulness of all God has promised in heaven.
What is the role of the priesthood in making the endowment available?
The endowment ceremony and its covenants are considered an “ordinance” for Latter-day Saints. All ordinances are done by and through the authority of what we call the “priesthood,” which is God’s eternal authority. We believe the authority to perform these rituals was given by God, through holy angels, to Joseph Smith.
The current Prophet/President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints governs the use of that priesthood authority to perform all the ordinances in the Church and in its temples, including the endowment ceremony.
About the interview participant
Anthony R. Sweat is an Associate Professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University. He holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Utah State University. Sweat is the author of several books about Latter-day Saint history and temples, including Repicturing the Restoration: New Art to Expand Our Understanding, The Holy Invitation: Understanding Your Sacred Temple Endowment, and The Holy Covenants: Living Our Sacred Temple Promises.
Further Reading
- How Has Temple Worship Evolved Since Joseph Smith’s Time?
- What Have Prophets Taught About the Law of the Gospel?
- What Is the Law of Consecration?
- What Is the Relationship Between Freemasonry and the Temple Endowment?
- How Did Wilford Woodruff Influence the Development of Temple Doctrine?
Latter-day Saint Endowment Resources
- About the Temple Endowment (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
- What Are Latter-day Saint Temple Garments? (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
- We Need an Endowment (BYU Speeches)
- The Development of the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony (Dialogue)
- The Kirtland Temple and an Endowment of Power (BYU Religious Studies Center)
One reply on “What Is the Latter-day Saint Temple Endowment?”
[ . . many modern members [LDS] aren’t very accustomed to ritual and ceremony.” So true. After finishing my first endowment session, I thought “I have just witnessed something that I thought we condemned the Catholic Church for doing.”