Baptism
The only mention of baptism we have in the Bible that might have been connected to the temple was Paul's brief mention of baptism for the dead. Whether or not this work was performed in the temple at the time, the Bible leaves unclear. This seems unlikely, however, since the temple at the time was still managed by Jews who still performed the ordinances of the law of Moses.
Initiatory
The earliest record we have of the ordinance of washing and anointing being performed was at the time of Moses. Most of these references appear to be instructions to Aaron or his sons to prepare for a specific event. However, I find no reason to believe that the same ordinance was not available to the rest of the Jews generally.
"And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people." (Leviticus 16:24)
Here we see Aaron and his sons being commanded again to be washed and anointed. We can also see a description of the extensive temple clothing - also including the garments, as well as clothing that was specific to their office as priests:
"And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them. And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them..." (Exodus 29:4-9)
Here we see yet another incidence of the washing and anointing; this time the fact that the garments are holy and bear certain religious significance is evident:
"And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him..." (Exodus 40:12-13)
It also seems evident that, under the law of Moses, the washing and anointing - or initiatory, as Latter-Day Saints call it - was integrated with the cleansing rituals and burnt offerings inherent to Judaism.
Endowment
Following His resurrection, and prior to sending the apostles and seventy out to preach the gospel again, the Lord gave his apostles an intriguing instruction:
"...behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)
Latter-Day Saints believe the "promise of the Father" in this case is the covenant of the endowment. The apostles were commanded to remain in Jerusalem until they could be "endued", because that's where the temple was.
We see this pattern of the Lord "enduing" his emissaries, giving them promises and covenants before sending them out to preach the gospel in the Old Testament also. Abraham and Jacob both built altars to the Lord, performed sacrifices, and made covenants that involved promises of posterity and covenants of strict obedience. Additionally, Abraham, Jacob and Isaiah all talk about receiving from the Lord "a name that shall be better than of sons and of daughters." (Isaiah 56:3-7)
John the Revelator also spoke of disciples receiving a new name from the Lord in the temple in the latter days:
"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." (Revelation 3:12)
Even king Josiah over Israel "...went up into the house of the Lord... [and] stood in his place... and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in [the book of the covenant]." (2 Chronicles 34:30-31)
In other words, in both the Old and New Testaments, Latter-Day Saints find reason to believe that the likes of Isaac and Jacob, Abraham and Sarah, Isaiah and Aaron, Elijah and Elisha, and even king Josiah were all "endued with power" before beginning their ministries.
John, in warning the saints not to give heed to apostate doctrines and ideas, made reference to an "unction" or "anointment" that he obviously believed was connected to extensive spiritual education:
"...but ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.... But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him...." (1 John 2:20-27)
Latter-Day saints recognize this anointing as the combination of anointing, washing, and endowment ordinances that teaches of the plan of salvation and the mission of the Savior.
People of other faiths have criticized the Latter-Day Saints for believing that those who make and keep covenants with God are destined to become gods themselves. But the endowment is the first step toward doing exactly that. It is the promise we make to God by which Jesus Christ, the "prince of the kings of the earth" who "loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood... hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." (Revelation 1:5-6)
The endowment is a stepping stone whereby we who are the children of God become "joint-heirs with Christ", the "sufferings of the present time [not being worthy to be compared] with the glory that shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:17-18) It is the "everlasting covenant" by which we receive the "sure mercies of David". (see Isaiah 55:3, Acts 13:32-34)
We believe all people are sons and daughters of God with a divine heritage as kings and queens, priests and priestesses to the most high. But to claim it, we have to enter into and strive to keep the covenants of baptism and endowment. This is one of the biggest reasons why we do missionary work: everyone deserves to know who they are and what our loving Heavenly Father has offered all of us! (see Revelation 5:9-10)
Sealing
Finally, sealing is the culmination of all the Lord's promises given to His faithful saints in the temple, from washing and anointing to "enduement" to sealing:
During His mortal
ministry, the Sadducees asked the Savior a question about the
resurrection. The nature of their question shows us something about what
the people of that time believed concerning marriage:
"Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife." (Luke 20:28-33, compare Mark 12:19-23, Matthew 22:24-28)
Unlike what most people believe now, it was obviously commonly understood in New Testament times that, in most cases, marriage was intended to last beyond the grave - into the resurrection. Such is the belief of the Latter-Day Saints.
We believe the sealing power given to Peter to bind in heaven and on earth is the authority to perform eternal marriages. (see Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18) This power was active in the Church of Jesus Christ at the meridian of time. (see Ephesians 1:13, Revelation 3:7)
We also believe the sealing power is used to bind parents to children throughout eternity. As an example of this in action, note how the promises inherent to the Abrahamic Covenant were extended to Isaac and his posterity:
"And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him... my covenant will I establish with Isaac..." (Genesis 17:19-21)
Although the Abrahamic Covenant was given in addition to those of the temple, we believe Isaac was "born in the covenant". We also believe that when the sealing ordinances are performed on behalf of the dead, they too become sealed, husband and wife, parent and child, as though they too had been born in the covenant.
In the Old Testament, at the passing of Jacob, Aaron, Abraham and Ishmael, it was said of them that they were "gathered unto [their] people" - gathered unto people whom they still considered to be "theirs", even after death. King Josiah of Israel was given the same promise. (see Genesis 49:33, Deuteronomy 32:50, Genesis 25:8,17, 2 Chronicles 34:28) I take this to be subtle evidence that the people of the Old Testament believed in eternal families, "gathered in one" and held in everlasting continuation beyond the vale of death by the power to bind both on earth and in heaven.
Also of Interest
Mormon Newsroom: New Temple Reflects Biblical Parallels
FairMormon.org: The Temple as a Place of Ascent to God
FairMormon.org: The Israelite Temple and the Early Christians
An LDS review of Margaret Barker's "Temple Themes in Christian Worship" - profound implications for both mainstream Christians and Latter-Day Saints!
The only mention of baptism we have in the Bible that might have been connected to the temple was Paul's brief mention of baptism for the dead. Whether or not this work was performed in the temple at the time, the Bible leaves unclear. This seems unlikely, however, since the temple at the time was still managed by Jews who still performed the ordinances of the law of Moses.
Initiatory
The earliest record we have of the ordinance of washing and anointing being performed was at the time of Moses. Most of these references appear to be instructions to Aaron or his sons to prepare for a specific event. However, I find no reason to believe that the same ordinance was not available to the rest of the Jews generally.
"And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people." (Leviticus 16:24)
Here we see Aaron and his sons being commanded again to be washed and anointed. We can also see a description of the extensive temple clothing - also including the garments, as well as clothing that was specific to their office as priests:
"And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them. And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them..." (Exodus 29:4-9)
Here we see yet another incidence of the washing and anointing; this time the fact that the garments are holy and bear certain religious significance is evident:
"And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him..." (Exodus 40:12-13)
It also seems evident that, under the law of Moses, the washing and anointing - or initiatory, as Latter-Day Saints call it - was integrated with the cleansing rituals and burnt offerings inherent to Judaism.
Endowment
Following His resurrection, and prior to sending the apostles and seventy out to preach the gospel again, the Lord gave his apostles an intriguing instruction:
"...behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)
Latter-Day Saints believe the "promise of the Father" in this case is the covenant of the endowment. The apostles were commanded to remain in Jerusalem until they could be "endued", because that's where the temple was.
We see this pattern of the Lord "enduing" his emissaries, giving them promises and covenants before sending them out to preach the gospel in the Old Testament also. Abraham and Jacob both built altars to the Lord, performed sacrifices, and made covenants that involved promises of posterity and covenants of strict obedience. Additionally, Abraham, Jacob and Isaiah all talk about receiving from the Lord "a name that shall be better than of sons and of daughters." (Isaiah 56:3-7)
John the Revelator also spoke of disciples receiving a new name from the Lord in the temple in the latter days:
"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." (Revelation 3:12)
Even king Josiah over Israel "...went up into the house of the Lord... [and] stood in his place... and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in [the book of the covenant]." (2 Chronicles 34:30-31)
In other words, in both the Old and New Testaments, Latter-Day Saints find reason to believe that the likes of Isaac and Jacob, Abraham and Sarah, Isaiah and Aaron, Elijah and Elisha, and even king Josiah were all "endued with power" before beginning their ministries.
John, in warning the saints not to give heed to apostate doctrines and ideas, made reference to an "unction" or "anointment" that he obviously believed was connected to extensive spiritual education:
"...but ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.... But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him...." (1 John 2:20-27)
Latter-Day saints recognize this anointing as the combination of anointing, washing, and endowment ordinances that teaches of the plan of salvation and the mission of the Savior.
People of other faiths have criticized the Latter-Day Saints for believing that those who make and keep covenants with God are destined to become gods themselves. But the endowment is the first step toward doing exactly that. It is the promise we make to God by which Jesus Christ, the "prince of the kings of the earth" who "loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood... hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." (Revelation 1:5-6)
The endowment is a stepping stone whereby we who are the children of God become "joint-heirs with Christ", the "sufferings of the present time [not being worthy to be compared] with the glory that shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:17-18) It is the "everlasting covenant" by which we receive the "sure mercies of David". (see Isaiah 55:3, Acts 13:32-34)
We believe all people are sons and daughters of God with a divine heritage as kings and queens, priests and priestesses to the most high. But to claim it, we have to enter into and strive to keep the covenants of baptism and endowment. This is one of the biggest reasons why we do missionary work: everyone deserves to know who they are and what our loving Heavenly Father has offered all of us! (see Revelation 5:9-10)
Sealing
Finally, sealing is the culmination of all the Lord's promises given to His faithful saints in the temple, from washing and anointing to "enduement" to sealing:
"For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 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." (2 Corinthians 1:20-22)
"Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife." (Luke 20:28-33, compare Mark 12:19-23, Matthew 22:24-28)
Unlike what most people believe now, it was obviously commonly understood in New Testament times that, in most cases, marriage was intended to last beyond the grave - into the resurrection. Such is the belief of the Latter-Day Saints.
We believe the sealing power given to Peter to bind in heaven and on earth is the authority to perform eternal marriages. (see Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18) This power was active in the Church of Jesus Christ at the meridian of time. (see Ephesians 1:13, Revelation 3:7)
We also believe the sealing power is used to bind parents to children throughout eternity. As an example of this in action, note how the promises inherent to the Abrahamic Covenant were extended to Isaac and his posterity:
"And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him... my covenant will I establish with Isaac..." (Genesis 17:19-21)
Although the Abrahamic Covenant was given in addition to those of the temple, we believe Isaac was "born in the covenant". We also believe that when the sealing ordinances are performed on behalf of the dead, they too become sealed, husband and wife, parent and child, as though they too had been born in the covenant.
In the Old Testament, at the passing of Jacob, Aaron, Abraham and Ishmael, it was said of them that they were "gathered unto [their] people" - gathered unto people whom they still considered to be "theirs", even after death. King Josiah of Israel was given the same promise. (see Genesis 49:33, Deuteronomy 32:50, Genesis 25:8,17, 2 Chronicles 34:28) I take this to be subtle evidence that the people of the Old Testament believed in eternal families, "gathered in one" and held in everlasting continuation beyond the vale of death by the power to bind both on earth and in heaven.
Also of Interest
Mormon Newsroom: New Temple Reflects Biblical Parallels
FairMormon.org: The Temple as a Place of Ascent to God
FairMormon.org: The Israelite Temple and the Early Christians
An LDS review of Margaret Barker's "Temple Themes in Christian Worship" - profound implications for both mainstream Christians and Latter-Day Saints!
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