MORMONISM AND THE TEMPLE: EXTENDING CONTROL OVER MEMBERSHIP

MORMONISM AND THE TEMPLE: EXTENDING CONTROL OVER MEMBERSHIP

By Max D. Crapo

Just exactly to whom DID you covenant to obey in the LDS Temple?

The Temple is the pinnacle of doctrinal control in Mormonism.  From birth, (or conversion) every Mormon is taught to view the Temple as the ultimate goal and the ultimate reward for being Mormon.  It is the reward for having surrendered your humanity, for molding yourself into the homogeneity required of "a Mormon"... for becoming a person with almost no distinguishing characteristics from any other Mormon. Such homogeneity is an inescapable consequence of the "law of obedience."

As a youth, I imagined that the temple was going to be the place where deep doctrinal principles were going to be taught.  I thought it was going to be an experience of wonderful and beautiful "sacredness."  What I experienced was something vastly different.  The temple is where the final elements of total control are introduced and compelled through a series of "covenants."  These covenants, Mormons are told are not "secret" but are "sacred" and are to never be talked about outside the temple, thus preserving the secrets and rendering the distinction between "secret" and "sacred" entirely moot.

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These covenants are a series of promises which are not revealed to a Mormon until they are in the temple, and the only warning provided to those going through for the first time is this:

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"If you proceed and receive your full endowment, you will be required to take upon yourselves sacred obligations, the violation of which will bring upon you the judgment of God; for God will not be mocked. If any of you desire to withdraw rather than accept these obligations of your own free will and choice, you may now make it known by raising your hand." 

Note the threat of divine punishment.

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Going through the temple is an important rite of passage in a Mormon's life.  The person, going through this experience for the first time is usually surrounded by family and friends, many who have often traveled great distances to be with them. There is intense peer pressure to accept this condition and move forward.  For me, I chose to go forward because those in the room had all been through it, and were there supporting me. I trusted that these covenants wouldn't be too extreme or they wouldn't be there with me. Little did I know... 

As a practicing Mormon, I also knew full well that the repercussions from withdrawing would make my life a living hell.  There would be constant judgment and condemnation, I would be consistently viewed as “lesser”, pitied for my “lack of faith.”  No matter what the consequences of taking on these covenants, it would be better than withdrawing from the ceremony.

The Temple ceremony starts out innocuously enough and uses the “Six Creative Periods” as written by Joseph Smith in the “Pearl of Great Price” a compilation of Joseph Smith’s alleged revelations, translations, and scriptural re-writes as an introduction into the Temple narrative. At key points, there are interruptions to the ceremony where each of the five required covenants are made. 

These covenants are as follows:

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·         The Law of Obedience
·         The Law of Sacrifice
·         The Law of the Gospel
·         The Law of Chasity
·         The Law of Consecration

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The Law of Obedience

From the text the temple ceremony:

“ELOHIM: Inasmuch as Eve was the first to eat of the forbidden fruit, if she will covenant that from this time forth she will obey the Law of the Lord, and will hearken unto your counsel as you hearken unto mine, and if you will covenant that from this time forth you will obey the Law of Elohim (the name of the Mormon God), we will give unto you the Law of Obedience and Sacrifice, and we will provide a Savior for you, whereby you may come back into our presence, and with us partake of Eternal Life and exaltation.“

Mormons attending the ceremony are then told that they must consider themselves as if they were Adam and Eve, and are required to agree to the same conditions listed above.  (Prior to 1990, the requirement also included “Eve” covenanting to “obey her husband.”  This was softened in 1990 to “Hearken to her husband’s council.”

The first step of extending control by Mormon leadership is a requirement for obedience administered by "sacred covenant."

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Each of you bow your head and say "Yes."

The Law of Sacrifice

From the text of the temple ceremony:

“ELOHIM: Brethren and sisters, we will now put you under covenant to obey and keep the Law of Sacrifice, as contained in the Holy Scriptures. This Law of Sacrifice was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden, who, when he was driven out of the garden, built an altar on which he offered sacrifices; and after many days, an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: "Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?" Adam said: "I know not, save the Lord commanded me." And then the angel spake saying: "This is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, who is full of grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou dost in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent, and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.""

"The posterity of Adam down to Moses, and from Moses to Jesus Christ offered up the first fruits of the field, and the firstlings of the flock, which continued until the death of Jesus Christ, which ended sacrifice by the shedding of blood. And as Jesus Christ has laid down his life for the redemption of mankind, so we should covenant to sacrifice all that we possess, even our own lives if necessary, in sustaining and defending the Kingdom of God."

Note: In Mormon theology, Mormonism is “The kingdom of God.”

"All arise. Each of you bring your right arm to the square. You and each of you solemnly covenant and promise before God, angels, and these witnesses at this altar that you will observe and keep the Law of Sacrifice, as contained in the Holy Scriptures, as it has been explained to you. Each of you bow your head and say ‘yes.’”

The second step of extending control by Mormon Leadership is a "call for sacrifice" extending to "all that we possess, even our own lives if necessary..."

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Each of you bow your head and say "Yes."

The Law of the Gospel

From the text of the temple ceremony:

“PETER: A couple will now come to the altar. (Witness couple comes to the altar as before.) Brethren and sisters, this couple at the altar represents all of you as if at the altar, and you will be under the same obligations as they will be. We are required to give unto you the Law of the Gospel as contained in the Holy Scriptures; to give unto you also a charge to avoid all light mindedness, loud laughter, evil speaking of the Lord's anointed, the taking of the name of God in vain, and every other unholy and impure practice, and to cause you to receive these by covenant.

"All arise." (All patrons stand.) "Each of you bring your right arm to the square."

"Each of you covenant and promise before God, angels, and these witnesses, that you will observe and keep the Law of the Gospel and this charge as it has been explained to you. Each of you bow your head and say "Yes."

The third step of extending control by Mormon Leadership is the introduction of prohibitions with no clear definition, evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed (a vague definition used to squash any dissent or disagreement with any of the church leaders) and a broad creation of a category called “unholy and impure practice.”

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  This category is a “catch-all” and can be used for whatever church leaders decide. 

 “Evil Speaking” is a prohibition used to silence dissent.

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The Law of Chasity

From the text of the temple ceremony:

“PETER: A couple will now come to the altar. (Witness Couple comes as before.) We are instructed to give unto you the law of Chastity; which is, that each of you shall have no sexual relations except with your husband or wife to whom you are legally and lawfully wedded.

All please arise. (All patrons stand up.) Each of you bring your right arm to the square. You and each of you covenant and promise before God, angels, and these witnesses that you will observe and keep the Law of Chastity, as it has been explained to you.

The fourth step of extending control by Mormon Leadership is in hijacking ownership of your sexual organs, in defining what is proper “usage” and in doing so turning sexual experience into “sin.”

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Each of you bow your head and say "Yes."

Of all the covenants this one seems, on the surface to be the most straight-forward.  A little deeper analysis of this covenant though shows that it is probably the one providing church leadership with the greatest control.  First of all, human sexuality lies at the core of who you are. If that can be controlled, then in a very real way, the person with ownership of your sexuality quite literally owns you. It is why rape is not considered a crime of sex, but rather a crime of power.  Secondly the definition of “sexual relations” is quite nebulous.  Prior to 1990, this covenant used the words “sexual intercourse” rather than “sexual relations.”  This seemingly innocuous change provides enormous control levers leaders can use for exerting control.  What is “sexual relations?”  Is it kissing?  Is it petting?  Is it sexual intercourse?”  The very ambiguity creates tremendous opportunity for leaders to enact sanctions against Mormons for any and all behavior which a leader can choose to call “sexual.”

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The Law of Consecration

From the text of the temple ceremony:

“PETER: A couple will now come to the altar (The Witness couple comes forward, and kneels at the altar as before.) We are instructed to give unto you the Law of Consecration as contained in the book of Doctrine and Covenants (The Officiator picks up a copy of the Doctrine and Covenants from the altar, and holds it up in view of all patrons.), in connection with the Law of the Gospel and the Law of Sacrifice which you have already received. It is that you do consecrate yourselves, your time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed you, or with which he may bless you, to the CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, for the building up of the Kingdom of God on the earth and for the establishment of Zion.”

“All arise.” (All patrons stand.) Each of you bring your right arm to the square.

“You and each of you covenant and promise before God, angels, and these witnesses at this altar, that you do accept the Law of Consecration as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, in that you do consecrate yourselves, your time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed you, or with which he may bless you, to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for the building up of the Kingdom of God on the earth and for the establishment of Zion.“

The fifth step of extending learship control is to require by sacred covenant your willing collusion to give "everything you have, everything you are, everything you may get, and everything you may become "to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

NOT GOD!

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This is the where you finally discover to whom you are making all of your covenants. 

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Each of you bow your head and say "yes."

In every single covenant you promise and covenant “Before God, Angels, and these Witnesses.”  The very wording relegates God as a WITNESS, and NOT the party to who you are covenanting. 

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In a nutshell, the entire Mormon temple ceremony is designed to get you to voluntarily surrender yourself into mental and physical slavery to Mormon leadership for a conditional promise...that God will grant you exaltation in Heaven and then only if you live to the rules and requirements of the leadership.