Tag Archives: endowment

Under Falsehood Have We Hid Ourselves

26 Sunday Jun 2016

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The title to this post comes from Isaiah 28:15

Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.

Ancient and modern scripture contain references to the fact that God’s people would believe lies and be under strong delusion in the last days.  Here is one example:

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11)

While it is difficult for faithful mormons to contemplate the possibility that we are deluded or believe lies, an honest assessment of scripture and the historical record should be enough to convince us otherwise.  This is especially true of one of the beliefs that latter-day saints hold most sacred — the temple endowment ceremony.  Because of the high regard that many hold for this ritual, I want to be careful to treat it with respect and not divulge anything which might be offensive to a modern temple-going member.  However, I believe it is important to analyze the ceremony — to determine whether or not it represents an eternal principal and ordinance necessary to return to the celestial kingdom, or if it represents what the Lord promised he would do to his people who had rejected his gospel law (D&C 42) and broken the covenant of consecration in the latter days.

And thus, if the people of this generation harden not their hearts, I will work a reformation among  them, and I will put down all lyings, and deceivings, and priestcrafts, and envyings, and strifes, and  idolatries, and sorceries, and all manner of iniquities, and I will establish my church, like unto the  church which was taught by my disciples in the days of old.

And now if this generation do harden their hearts against my word, behold I will deliver them  up unto satan, (Book of Commandments 4:5-6)

The foregoing conditional promise and warning was given in 1829, before the church was officially established and before the fulness of the priesthood was restored at the Morley Farm in June 1831. By the end of 1834, the saints had rejected the covenant and the fulness was lost as I have blogged about previously.  It was not until 1842 in Nauvoo that Joseph became a Master Mason and shortly thereafter introduced the beginnings of the temple endowment ritual.

MORE OR LESS

In 3 Nephi 11: 32-40, the Lord declares his doctrine.  It is the baptism of water, and of fire, and of the Holy Ghost.  He then goes on to say:

And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.

In other words, at it’s core, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is very simple.  This simple gospel of Jesus Christ was sufficient for Joseph Smith and others to receive the promise of eternal life in 1832 as recorded in D&C Section 88.  This was over 9 years previous to the masonic-based temple endowment ceremony.  So one  has to ask the question: Is the temple endowment ritual not adding more to what is required to enter the celestial kingdom?  Has it not been established as doctrine by the LDS church and even a central part of our theology with every effort being made to get people to the temple to engage in this ordinance and the ordinance of sealing?

If the Lord means what he says, and I believe that he does, then does not the masonic endowment represent the equivalent of “another gospel” as warned about by Paul in his letter to the Galatians 1:6-8?

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Interesting that Paul warns against an angel from heaven preaching another gospel.  Only those who realize that God sometimes uses prophets to test his people to see if they will be true to his gospel can comprehend how Joseph Smith could act as God’s right arm in turning the latter-day saints over to Satan for a period of chastisement as the Lord had warned about in the Book of Commandments.

So let’s examine all the various reasons why the masonic-based temple endowment ceremony is inconsistent with the purity of the gospel and the scriptures:

1 – The True Endowment is a Spiritual Endowment

In Kirtland, the elders were awaiting a great spiritual outpouring which Joseph consistently referred to as “an endowment” in order to go forth and preach the gospel with power for the last time.  It consisted of washings, anointings and ordinations, followed by solemn prayer and waiting upon the Lord in the temple for the promised spiritual blessings.  It never had anything to do with signs, tokens or passwords.  In fact, one can find NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING, in the scriptures to even remotely suggest that you need a secret handshake, a secret name, word or phrase to gain entry into the celestial kingdom.  Again, Joseph and others received the promise of eternal life long before the masonic-based temple endowment was introduced.

2- Section 76

The vision of the three degrees of glory received by Joseph and Sidney as recorded in D&C 76 outlines the requirements for entry into the celestial kingdom:

50 And again we bear record—for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just—

51 They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given—

52 That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;

53 And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.

54 They are they who are the church of the Firstborn.

Nothing there about needing to experience a temple endowment-like ceremony, only the simplicity of the 3-part baptismal covenant and overcoming by faith.  Again, another witness of the simplicity of the gospel.

3- The Fulness of the gospel is in the Book of Mormon

We are told by the Lord in several places that the fulness of His gospel is contained in the the Book of Mormon.

And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel. (D&C 42:12)

While there are references to temples being built in the Book of Mormon, there is nothing to suggest an endowment-like ceremony or needing to know secret information in order to return to God.  In fact, when it was first published the Book of Mormon was seen as very anti-masonic because of the its warnings against secret societies with their secret signs and secret words.  So if the Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the gospel and yet does not even hint at an endowment ceremony what does that tell us about this so-called ordinance?

4- The Lord gives us the purpose of temples in the Doctrine and Covenants 124:39:

Therefore, verily I say unto you, that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments, for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house, which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name.

So here is a list of all the ordinances associated with the Lord’s house.  It includes cleansing rituals prior to receiving spiritual blessings and endowments of power. Interesting that there is no reference to marriages or sealings.

Yes, there is a reference to “endowment of all her municipals”.  What does this mean? The 1828 Webster’s Dictionary defines “municipal” as one who enjoys the rights of a free citizen.  In other words, one who enjoys the rights of belonging to the Lord’s church. Clearly, however, the above scripture refers to an endowment of spiritual gifts and does not remotely suggest a ritualistic ceremony with names, signs or tokens that one must learn to gain entry to God’s kingdom.  Also note that this scripture was given in 1841, prior to the introduction of the masonic-based endowment.

5- Covenant with Death

Those who have gone through the modern endowment prior to 1990 will understand that there were penalties ritualistically enacted that represented ways of taking life should one reveal the secrets of the temple.  One needs to realize that it is only Satan who requires people to swear oaths of death and blood.

And Satan said unto Cain: Swear unto me by thy throat, and if thou tell it thou shalt die; and swear thy brethren by their heads, and by the living God, that they tell it not; for if they tell it, they shall surely die; and this that thy father may not know it; and this day I will deliver thy brother Abel into thine hands. (Moses 5:29)

Contrast this with the Lord’s teachings to “Swear not at all” (Matt. 5:34-37)

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:

35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Again, we have the Lord warning us that “more” than this cometh of evil.

Isaiah has much to say about us in the latter-days if we will only open our eyes and consider the fact that we are in a state of blindness and apostasy.  With regards to the temple endowment he references a “covenant with death” which will not save the people from the scourge to come.

Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

16 ¶Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

18 ¶And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. (Isaiah 28:15-19)

In other words, the people think that this covenant that they have entered into will save them, when in fact it won’t.  The only thing that will save them will be reliance upon the sure foundation of Christ, not some temple endowment ceremony.

6- The Implied Threat of the Endowment

Anyone who has gone through the endowment will understand that there is an implied threat made by Satan during the ceremony.  Obey all your covenants or you will be in his power.  One would think that the endowment would be focused on the mercy and grace of the Lord in redeeming us from sin unto salvation and endowing us with spiritual gifts, not some threat to become subject to Satan if we did not perform everything to the letter.  The New Testament describes Satan as being in the temple of God:

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

 Joseph said that the “man of sin” was revealed at the Morley Farm in June 1831 in fulfillment of the above prophecy.  Since Mormons are the only people on the earth currently who teach a robust temple theology and build numerous temples, one can see how this prophecy relates to the current endowment and Satan representing himself as God.

7- The Keeper of the Gate

In 2 Nephi 9:41, Nephi informs us that “the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there.”

OK.  About now you should be going over in your head the endowment teaching that you need the signs, key words and tokens to pass the angels who stand as sentinels as you walk back to the presence of God.  Problem is, this is wholly inconsistent with Nephi’s teaching about the keeper of the gate being Christ himself, not some other servant or series of servants to whom the secret information must be given in order to pass.

8- The True Order of Prayer

The endowment teaches a method of prayer that requires a prayer circle of multiple patrons, the re-enacting of certain signs and tokens, followed by prayer as the way to get answers from God.  Trouble is that the Lord in scripture never says anything about some secret way to receive revelation from Him.  Rather he teaches us to “ask, and ye shall receive” prolifically throughout the New Testament, Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants.  I won’t even bother to include scriptures on this point as they are everywhere.  Recall that he “upbraideth not” meaning he doesn’t find fault or scold those who venture forth to inquire of him.  All the early revelations given to Joseph were based upon him simply asking in sincere, humble prayer.  There was no need for anything other than that and those prayers were answered–sometimes in amazing fashion.  So who are we really conjuring when we petition using the the secret signs and tokens?

9- Touch Not the Evil Gift

In the final chapter of the Book of Mormon, Moroni exhorts us to:

“Come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.” (Moroni 10:30)

While I don’t know exactly what was going through Moroni’s mind when he inscribed that passage, could he not be referring to the masonic-based temple endowment?  A definition of “endowment” is “gift” so with everything we have discussed thus far, it would not be a stretch to read this as saying that we should not participate in that “ordinance” as it comes of evil, not of light and good.

10- God’s True Ordinances Don’t Change

The endowment has changed many times over the years.  LDS apologists argue that it is only the “presentation” of the endowment that has changed, not the endowment itself.  Assuming the endowment is a true ordinance, which parts are everlasting and which parts are just teachings?  Brigham Young taught in the first endowments that Adam was the same man as God the Father, a teaching the church now rejects.  In 1990 the penalties were removed along with the five points fellowship, both of which had become uncomfortable to many attendees.  There have been many other changes over the years.  If the core of the endowment is really only the signs, tokens and key words then nearly anyone with an internet connection can access that information and presumably walk back into the presence of God.

11- True Masonry?

One of the claims made about the endowment is that it represents the restoration of a true ordinance that originated at the time of the Temple of Solomon.  Over the years it had become corrupted, yet still maintained by the Masons.  When Joseph came to know of it, he recognized what needed to be changed to restore the true ordinance.  Unfortunately, masonry cannot be traced any further back than medieval times, much less all the way back to Solomon.  At the risk of repeating my self, where is the scriptural evidence that remotely supports the need for the secret information?

12- Mysteries

Another argument is that the endowment represents the mysteries spoken of in the scriptures.  There are many mysteries associated with God and His kingdom, that by definition we don’t know anything about.  Joseph referred many times to things he wanted to share, but couldn’t because of wickedness and unbelief.  There is nothing to say that the mysteries of God encompass the teachings of the endowment.  The mysteries are vast, and certainly not limited to signs, key words and tokens (assuming these are at all necessary to return to God).

13- A Simple Question

Would the Lord introduce an even higher law (the endowment and sealings) when the saints had already rejected the Law of the Celestial Kingdom brought forth in D&C 42?  I believe it is that simple.  Of course, He wouldn’t.  Line upon line is how He has worked in the past, and how He works now.

Joseph once said that the secret of masonry was to keep a secret.  When you understand that the other abomination that was being perpetuated at the time (spiritual polygamy) required secrecy on the part of the participants, it is easy to see how the endowment was introduced as part of the Lord’s plan to turn His people over to “strong delusion” for a period of time due to their disobedience as a people to his simple gospel.  Emma said that it was “secret things” which resulted in Joseph’s death.

Given everything enumerated above, it should not now be too hard to discern what the Lord meant when he said the following through his  prophet, Isaiah:

5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. (Isaiah 52:5)

Are we not blaspheming the name of the Lord when in His holy name we participate in lies and falsehoods daily in houses dedicated to Him.  The book of Ether testifies that we won’t receive the sealed part of the Book of Mormon until we repent of our wickedness and abominations.  I believe one of the greatest abominations that we are completely blind to, yet are in dire need of repenting of is the masonic-based temple endowment that blasphemes the name of the Lord on a daily basis in temples that dot the world.

So much of the efforts of us Mormons centers around the temple, diverting our attention from being Christians in the truest sense of the word.  Truly it can be said that:

Israel hath forgotten his maker, and buildeth temples. (Hosea 8:14)

Keep Searching.

What It Means to Be Sealed

25 Tuesday Aug 2015

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One of the most cherished doctrines of the latter-day saints is the sealing ordinance whereby families can be sealed forever in the eternities.  As a missionary we would sometimes approach people asking them if they would want to be together with their family forever. I distinctly remember the one guy who said “No f***ing way!” Clearly he didn’t have a very happy family life.

As I have searched the scriptures and words of Joseph, however, I get a very different picture of this doctrine and what it truly means to be sealed. Let’s start with the scriptures that talk about sealing.

From the Bible:

John 6:27

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Ephesians 1:13

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 4:30

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Revelation 7:3,4

Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

From the Book of Mormon:

Mosiah 5:15

Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.

Helaman 10:7

Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.

I did this scripture dump to make a point. Where do any of these scriptures talk about a man and wife being sealed together for eternity?  Nowhere. And I did not just cherry pick these particular scriptures. Do your own word search on “seal, sealed, or sealing” and you will find the same thing. There is nothing in those two books that say anything about the sealing of a man and a wife together for eternity. They all reference the sealing of one up to eternal life through the holy spirit of promise. Think of this as joining God’s family for eternity. He has brought you permanently into his family and sealed you His through the instrumentality of the Holy Ghost.

Greater clarity as to how this happens can be found in the Doctrine and Covenants.

D&C 1:8

And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious;

D&C 68:12

And of as many as the Father shall bear record, to you shall be given power to seal them up unto eternal life.

Both of these scriptures were given in late 1831 after the special conference at the Morley Farm. As I have blogged about in my last post “I am not a High Priest,” at this conference high priests were called of God by His voice out of heaven and were granted power to go forth in the cause of Zion. Because of doubting and disputations, and the breaking of the covenant (consecration) they ultimately failed in their first commission.

These scriptures make it clear that when the fulness is on the earth those who are sent forth in priesthood power have the ability and responsibility to seal up unto eternal life worthy individuals identified by the Father. I believe when the “first servants in the last kingdom” return to fulfill their second commission that once again these sealing powers will be manifest.

Again notice that their is no mention of marriage.

D&C 76: 51-54 is very instructive on many levels. It tells us what is required to enter the celestial kingdom.

They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given—

That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;

And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.

They are they who are the church of the Firstborn.

So, according to this scripture, to enter the celestial realm several things have to happen.

  1. Receive the testimony of Jesus
  2. Believe on his name
  3. Be baptized by immersion after the manner of his burial
  4. Receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power.
  5. Overcome by faith and you will be sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise.

When I read and contemplate these verses I am struck by a couple of things. The first is that at my confirmation I never received the Holy Spirit by one who was sealed unto this power. Were you? I had hands laid upon me by one who was ordained to the priesthood through a patriarchal line, but he was not ever “sealed unto this power.” In the church when we are confirmed we are given the injunction to “receive the Holy Ghost.” This scripture suggests that someone with power will actually GIVE the Holy Ghost. Perhaps this is why we don’t experience the Pentecostal outpourings of spiritual experiences, including the gift of prophecy and tongues, at our baptisms.  Remember the story of Simon in Acts 8 when he sought to buy the gift to give the Holy Ghost?:

And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

It would appear to me that there is a power to give the gift of the Holy Ghost which is missing today. Of course, we have the influence of the Holy Ghost and the light of Christ, but does anyone truly have the GIFT, meaning the constant, unwavering companionship, with the attendant signs? When the fulness was on the earth people would prophesy, speak in tongues and demonstrate all the fruits of having the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and of the fulness.

And these signs shall follow them that believe—in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover; Mormon 9:24

The other thing that is missing from the verses in Section 76 is any reference to many of the ordinances that we think are necessary for salvation. No marital sealing ordinance or temple ritual with secret handshakes and passwords. As another witness to the simplicity of the everlasting covenant of baptism of water, and of fire, and of the holy ghost, let’s turn to D&C 88: 3-4 where certain high priests are promised eternal life.

Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.

This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom;

Note that this was given in December 1832 long before Joseph introduced the masonic temple endowment or started teaching the sealing doctrine within the context of polygamy and spiritual wives. Can we reasonably conclude that those ordinances are not necessary for entering the celestial kingdom?

In D&C 124:39, the Lord tells us what His House is for:

Therefore, verily I say unto you, that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments, for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house, which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name.

I don’t see anything in that scripture pointing towards a sealing ordinance as currently practiced by modern mormons.  Further, the endowment referenced above is an endowment of power, a spiritual endowment in the way Joseph used the term prior to his introduction of the masonic-based ritual in Nauvoo.

Now, up to this point, I have not even addressed Section 132. Why? Because it stands alone in redefining the everlasting covenant, teaching that a man must have multiple wives to be exalted and other doctrines unsubstantiated anywhere else in scripture. Brigham Young placed it in the 1876 edition of the D&C at a time when it was politically expedient to justify polygamy. There are so many things wrong with that “revelation” that I will refer you to this link here for a thorough analysis.

Turning our attention now to the prophecies surrounding Elijah and the sealing powers, Joseph Smith gave a discourse on March 10, 1844 about Elias, Elijah and the Messiah (see History of the Church 6:251-255).

Regarding Elias, he said:

The spirit of Elias is to prepare the way for a greater revelation of God, which is the Priesthood of Elias, or the Priesthood that Aaron was ordained unto. And when God sends a man into the world to prepare for a greater work, holding the keys of the power of Elias, it was called the doctrine of Elias, even from the early ages of the world.

John’s mission was limited to preaching and baptizing: but what he did was legal; and when Jesus Christ came to any of John’s disciples, He baptized them with fire and the Holy Ghost.

Note that Elias was the messenger who restored the keys of the Dispensation of the Gospel of Abraham, or preparatory gospel in Section 110.

Regarding Elijah he said

Now for Elijah. The spirit, power, and calling of Elijah is, that ye have power to hold the key of the revelation, ordinances, oracles, powers and endowments of the fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood and of the kingdom of God on the earth; and to receive, obtain, and perform all the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of God, even unto the turning of the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the hearts of the children unto the fathers, even those who are in heaven.

Malachi says, “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.”

Can anyone truly claim that we have this authority today? As documented earlier in this blog here we are bereft of the fulness, and operating under the preparatory gospel, all the while thinking and believing that we have the fulness. Today I was reading in the LDS priesthood lesson manual on Teachings of Joseph Smith, chapter 26: Elijah and the Restoration of the Sealing Keys. The first quote is as follows:

“How shall God come to the rescue of this generation? He will send Elijah the prophet.” What the lesson manual fails to point out is that this was said by Joseph on August 18, 1843 in an address about priesthood, over 7 years after Elijah visited the Kirtland Temple! Joseph is speaking in the future tense and talking about a future event, not something that has already happened. He always refers to the coming of Elijah as a future event. After Joseph’s death someone changed it in our doctrine to an event that had already happened. Guess who.

When Elijah comes again to save this generation, it will be with the power to seal up unto eternal life and organize the family of God through the sealing keys at the commencement of the marvelous work yet to come.

From the Nauvoo period forward there was much confusion regarding sealing. Men were running around having women sealed to them in great numbers, chief among them was Wilford Woodruff who had hundreds of dead single women sealed to him, in addition to his 10 plural wives.

Brigham Young records a dream he had in 1847 in which Brother Joseph appeared to him. Brigham asks Joseph the question:

“The Brethren have a great anxiety to understand the law of adoption, or sealing principles; and if you have a word of council for me, I should be glad to receive it.”

Clearly, the fact that Brigham felt compelled to ask this particular question above all other questions he could ask speaks volumes to the confusion in his mind and the minds of his contemporary brethren on the subject of sealing. One would think that if Brigham were actually a prophet he could unlock the key to this mystery himself by asking the Lord and receiving an answer.

Joseph stepped towards me, and looking very earnestly, yet pleasantly said:

“Tell the people to be humble & faithful, and be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord & it will lead them right. Be careful & not turn away the still small voice, it will teach you how to do & where to go, & it will yield the fruits of the Kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction, so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it.

They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other Spirits; it will whisper peace and joy to their Souls; it will take malice, hatred, strife, and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness and build up the Kingdom of God.

Tell the Brethren if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord they will go right. Be sure to tell the people to keep the Spirit of the Lord; and if they will, they will find themselves just as they were organized by our Father in Heaven before they came into the world. Our Father in Heaven organized the human family, but they are all disorganized in great confusion.”

Joseph then showed me the pattern, how they were in the beginning. This I cannot describe but I saw it, and saw when the Priesthood had been taken from the earth, and how it must be joined together, so that perfect chain from Father Adam to his latest posterity.

Joseph again said “Tell the people to be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord and follow it and will lead them just right.”

This is a very interesting exchange on many levels, not the least of which is the fact that Joseph didn’t directly answer the question! He talked repeatedly about the Holy Spirit. Over and over again he reiterates this point. He doesn’t say go and seal yourself to everyone who has a pulse and build your own personal kingdom.

I had heard these quotes over the years about the spirit, but never was aware of the broader context of Brigham’s question. Now knowing from the scriptures that the sealing has to do with having one’s calling and election made sure through the Holy Spirit, this answer makes a lot of sense. It is through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit that one is sealed up unto eternal life. That is what it means to be sealed. We are promised the privilege of being able to re-enter the family of God in his presence with all that implies.

We will all be together as families in the Father’s presence by following the simple precepts of the everlasting covenant–the baptism of water, of fire and of the holy ghost. Nothing “new” needs to be added.

The Lord himself proclaims that this is his doctrine in 3 Nephi 11:35-40:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.

And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.

And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them. 

Paul gives us another witness that we should not be looking beyond the mark:

As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Galations 1:9

As you search, may you learn and recognize the true doctrine of sealing and be watching and waiting for the imminent return of the prophet Elijah who shall come with the sealing powers to save this generation.

Searcher