What are Endowments? And Were They Mentioned in Ancient Scripture?

The time has finally come for me to write about endowments; what they are, where they come from, and why we have them. More appropriate now than before, considering I’ve taken mine out. However, considering the sacred nature of temple ordinances, I will focus solely on ancient and modern scripture as I did in my post on The New and Everlasting Covenant – where I mentioned discussing today’s topic.

First off, let us look at temples. It is clear that temples, including tabernacles, were extremely important to the children of God in The Old Testament. Moses was instructed to build the tabernacle according to God’s pattern in Exodus 25:9, the Lord fills His house in 1 Kings 8, and Jonah sets his sights on the temple in Jonah 2:4. We needn’t look further to find the countless references to the constructs set apart for God where His servants served Him in.

Why then does modern Christianity not have a temple?

There are many that believe 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”, instituted a shift from the temple being a building to it being a body; a place where the Spirit dwelled.

This is an interesting debacle, since Christ, himself, and the apostles worshipped, taught and prayed in the temple. Was this yet another transition after Christ’s resurrection? Why then was Paul in the temple? Because we see that Corinthians is the first so-called mention of this transition. What, then, would’ve caused it? Ascension Day, when Christ left the Holy Ghost to be with us? Paul was still in the temple after that. And the Holy Ghost was manifest even in Genesis 1:1. Joseph, Moses, Saul, Azariah, Zechariah, and others from The Old Testament had the Spirit of God come over them. Even John had the Holy Ghost with him from birth (Luke 1:15).

The question then, is, was 1 Corinthians 3:16 a shift, or a statement of what had always been true? In order for the Spirit to have dwelled in all those ancient prophets, in John, and many other witnesses, they needed to have been temples of God. Paul was telling us that we ARE temples and that it is the Spirit that dwells in us, or within and around us. He never said temples were to stop being built. In fact, we can see throughout history that certain followers of Christ continued to build temples in His name. Mainstream Christianity chose not to.

Some, incorrectly, use Mark13:1-2 to validate their point, but Christ actually speaks of when all things shall crumble in the last days. They are still at the temple when discussing this.

Even Revelation speaks of a temple which is to be built in the last days, in which many shall pour in and out of (from all nations, kindred and tongues).

The temple has always been a sacred place for God’s covenant people and always will be. And in it is where we take out sacred covenants, which we call endowments; a gift from God.

D&C 43:16 teaches “And ye are to be taught from on high. Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power, that ye may give even as I have spoken.”

I like the cross-reference for ‘taught’; inspired.

Now this is the answer. The endowment is a gift, a gift to tarry and a gift to give. It is no wonder all missionaries are endowed before departing to any mission field.

And in Luke 24:49 we read “And, 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.”

In verse 53 we read “And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.”

Beautiful, isn’t it?

D&C 95:8-9 teaches “Yea, verily I say unto you, I gave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high; For this is the promise of the Father unto you; therefore I command you to tarry, even as mine apostles at Jerusalem.”

We, therefore, see that temples go hand-in-hand with endowments. We see that the first recorded endowments were given by Christ Himself in the Gospel according to St. Luke. And the endowments are there to permit us to tarry, a promise given of the Father to those whom He has chosen.

The Old Testament isn’t there for nothing. The commandments were not given for us to ignore. We have them to prove our obedience, to assist us in our mortal journey and to bless us as Heavenly Father so desires.

References are rare and that is because the experience itself is a sacred one. I would encourage anyone to seek out the temple and work towards that goal. The temple is the House of the Lord, and it blesses us in our everyday life.

I, Finally, Did It: I Went to the Temple

Early 2013, it was an interesting Sunday--a curious one indeed. I had just come to the realisation that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints existed and stumbled upon inklings of the Temple I’d soon come to haunt over… I had just met missionaries (of any sort) for the first time. I emphasise met, because it recently occurred to me that I had, in fact, seen missionaries once before - but that’s another story; one for another time.

Today’s story is more about the Temple, otherwise known as the House of the Lord, and my long waited journey to - finally - enter in. Yes, on the 10th of January 2015, this longwinded, overly analytical, secretly critical (okay, maybe not so much secretly, says my sister’s laughs; “Tell me another one,” she’d banter), research obsessed Latter-day Saint took his first steps into rooms otherwise restricted and felt the touch of the delicate holy garments for the first time. It was a morn to be remembered.

Let’s see, the day started out quite early - well, not really. I woke up at 05:00, jumped into the shower, suited up and waited for the missionaries to arrive at 06:00. I had scheduled for the nine o’clock session and needed to be in the Temple by 07:30 (and the Distribution Centre opened at 07:00). The plan was that I’d drive the three of us to the Temple to save on petrol (or gas, as the Americans call it), but for one reason or another they decided to follow in their car (something about the APs). Oh, and they weren’t allowed to give me a lift. Shrug. So I put the address for the Johannesburg South Africa Temple into the GPS and they (Elders Broadhead and Wegrowski) followed.

It took us down a route neither of us had been before and we arrived twenty three minutes later - as opposed to forty five minutes later, as expected. “Sometimes GPSs do come in handy,” I remarked, not realising the fatality to come (stay tuned).

And we were there. Myself… and the Elders, who were kind enough to escort me through the Temple my first time ‘round. See the minio-- I mean, men on the right.

We made our venture through the Temple grounds - with Elder Wegrowski’s continued comments on how small ‘twas - and took pictures along the way. I decided, since so many pictures of me existed (of which, I had practically none), to have the Elders take a couple of shots using my phone… I still don’t have any photos from that morning. The reason? Spoilers. Suffice to say, the Elders have pictures from that morning and I do not.

We went to the Distribution Centre as it opened and entered into the Temple earlier than arranged. I was greeted by a few Priesthood Holders and the Sister with whom I had made arrangements with. Don’t ask me about names-- that’s foreign territory. I remember their faces and our conversations, but names, now that’s something I’ve never been good at.

I gave Elder Broadhead his Escort tag, which I’m not entirely certain he wanted, but I wanted him there and he didn’t exactly say no; and, from there, we headed into my initiatories (a little early). My mind was blown. I sat there, as I waited, with the image before me of Moses giving blessings at an ancient Temple. Everything made sense.

“The Old Testament means something,” I said.

Elder Broadhead smiled. He and his companion were conversing over Utahan names with another American whose name eludes me now. They were well in their comfort zone, which was good, because my mind was racing. Everything I had read, everything I had studied, came pouring through. I saw, in my mind’s eye, the Tabernacle of Moses construct itself around us with the ancient prophets themselves walking through.

The awkward candid shot.

I think of the specifics, and how detailed they are, as the words echo through my mind once again. I felt the Spirit testify and truth resound. I felt the room fill as I moved along. One after the other, I was blown away.

Isaiah 62:2 was now mine - the meaning was clear and I felt new. As Meghan (a fellow YSA from my home ward) said, “It felt like Eragon. I finally have it.”

We went on to discuss other things which I cannot discuss, but I do remember - as it ended - Elder Broadhead taking the Doctrine & Covenants, showing me his favourite verse therein.

D&C 38:32 “Wherefore, for this cause I gave unto you the commandment that ye should go to the Ohio; and there I will give unto you my law; and there you shall be endowed with power from on high;”

Good verse. I also pointed out, “This isn’t Ohio.” and showed him my favourite.

D&C 95:8 “Yea, verily I say unto you, I gave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high;”

We moved to the Chapel where we went through hymns from a white hymn book and then read
scriptures as we waited. That was when Brother Farquharson came in. After some time I rose to greet Sister Farquharson. I was filled with glee. The only one missing was Dylan.

And then came the Endowment session. Never have I ever cried for a movie before, but this wasn’t just a movie. I felt touched by every word and questions I’d debated with missionaries, ones from other churches as well, were finally answered. EVERYTHING MADE SENSE. Everything fit in. My mind was whirling and my soul was soaring. I was blessed. I am blessed. I had the Farquharsons on my left and the missionaries on my right.

As I walked into the Celestial Room, I was greeted by Brother Farquharson (Kev) and Sister Farquharson (Shan). My soul was filled with so much joy. My spiritual family was there.

I won’t say much more, because it was a sacred, beautiful experience, but know that it has been on my mind every day (and night) since.

We went out onto Temple Grounds and began taking photos (as is tradition with Kev).

I’d just like to say, the Temple is a blessing. It has opened my eyes to so much more - and I know that there is still so much more to learn. Granted, I now know all the doctrines of the Church and it’s phenomenal. I could never have expected this, through all the Anti-Mormon research, from that heart-wrenching, sickening video of the Temple I saw mere moments after discovering the Church, and in all my scepticism, heard-heartedness, critique and stubbornness.

I’ve come a long way. Brave young men taught me in all my defences, but persisted, as did the Spirit. I can honestly and truly say that the Gospel has changed my life. I’m not the same as I was before, and I won’t be the same today as I am tomorrow, and how beautiful it is that it is so. How beautiful is it that persons can grow and progress.

And, when I think about it, the Temple is one of the main reasons I’ve continued. I could have stopped seeing the missionaries. I could have stopped reading the Book of Mormon. I could’ve stopped asking questions and doing research. Especially since I was convinced that it wasn’t true, or rather, not of God. But I didn’t. I wanted to know more. No, I needed to know more. Because, deep down, I knew the things I read about the Temple weren’t true. I knew that something was inside there and I needed to find it. The missionaries were quiet – they didn’t say a word. The journey was mine. And now I can say, I’ve found it. I know what’s inside the Temple and the answer is truth. The answer is God. The answer is purpose. The answer is meaning.

It is exactly as Sister Shan said, “No other Church answers the questions ‘Where do I come from?’, ‘Why am I here?’, and ‘Where do I go after?’ as well as the restored gospel.” In fact, no other Church comes close.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints truly is God’s Church once again established on the earth. Joseph Smith did a mighty work in bringing it back as God’s chosen Prophet. God loves us. And He has given us Temples. Let us keep our eyes set on them. For they truly are the House of the Lord.

“How far is Heaven? Not very far. In the House of the Lord, it is right where you are.”

I'm still a new-blood, of a year and roughly a month, so there's still much to learn, much to understand-- questions eating away. I'll be patient, I'll be diligent, but I still need help. I'll be zealous at times and confused at others. I need to be tried, reproofed and corrected. I am a convert-- and mainstream Christianity is not nearly the same as restorative Christianity, much less Mormonism. Even though, my sights are set; the Spirit is my compass and the Temple is my North.

The New and Everlasting Covenant

The scriptures speak of covenants between God and man; from Adam to Moses to Abraham, and even David. It is interesting to find that the purpose of such covenants is almost always the same and, even today, we are bound to such a covenant. Even the same covenant from the beginning, the new and everlasting covenant.

Curious, isn’t it? A covenant which always has been is new, even today. Bruce R. McConkie explains, “It is new because it has been revealed anew in our day;” in accordance with Acts 3:21. He continues by saying, “it is everlasting because it has always been had by faithful people”. So what is the new and everlasting covenant?

D&C 66:2 “Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life and be made partakers of the glories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old.”

That’s interesting… The above verse states that it is the fullness of the gospel AND that it was written by ancient prophets and apostles. This is a new conundrum, in that the restoration of the gospel in 1830 is commonly believed to be the ushering in of the dispensation of the fullness of times, even the restoration of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And yet it is. And we knew this.

So, why then do we find that many of the ordinances that have been restored are considered “new”? Why do we not find these ordinances in other denominations, creeds and sects? Why do we rely mostly on latter-day revelation to reveal to us the doctrines, principles and ordinances of a God that is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8)?

The simple answer is apostasy. Apostasy has given way to much confusion, much thirsting and just as Amos prophecies in chapter 8 verse 12, “they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.”

Why?

Isaiah 24:5 “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.”

So we needn’t be surprised to see the world and all its faiths moved so far from the truths of the new and everlasting covenant.

Let’s take a step back. Let us revert to the first recorded statement from God regarding this covenant:

Genesis 17:7 “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.”

So the covenant was made, from the beginning, for God to be a God to our first parents, as well as to us. And that God, even our God went on to make a covenant of peace.

Numbers 25:13 “And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.”

Jeremiah 32:40 “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.”

Isaiah 55:3 “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”

D. Todd Christofferson summarised as follows, “the doctrines and commandments of the gospel constitute the substance of an everlasting covenant between God and man that is newly restored in each dispensation.”

So the new and everlasting covenant is a promise between God and man that He will be their God and they will come unto Him; a binding contract to keep them together. These are the doctrines and principles by which we have been called to live.

Joseph Fielding Smith said that the new and everlasting covenant was the total sum of every contract, obligation, and performance that pertains to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is sealed by the Holy Ghost of promise. This tells us that the higher priesthood is required – and that, in order to become partakers of the fullness of God’s blessings, we need to enter into every gospel ordinance made available to us.

That starts with the first ordinance of baptism, “the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water” (2 Nephi 31:17), and then confirmation. John 3:5 “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

Now those are the easy ones – mentioned countless time in both new and ancient scripture.

Sacrament is another ordinance, one which is observed weekly in The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints, “This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me … This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:19-20). Interestingly, though, this ordinance is somewhat debated in the Christian community. Fortunately, latter-day saints have the Book of Mormon to clarify – 3 Nephi 18:6 “And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you.”

The trouble comes in latter-day ordinances such as priesthood ordination and temple ordinances. This is where we need to apply our knowledge of Biblical prophecy, specifically, the restitution of all things as mentioned in Acts 3:21.

We’ve seen how the covenant had been broken and how apostasy had taken from the truths of the gospel, so this is where we need to rely on the spirit of prophecy, where we need to trust in living prophets and modern scripture. For without the New Testament, one would never know of baptism. How sacred and important an ordinance. Imagine if we didn’t have it – we surely could not enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).

Now, I speak concerning marriage specifically, for as much as endowments have been stated in modern scripture, nothing in ancient scripture even appears to refute/contradict. And genealogy, well, you’d have to be blind to miss those in the Bible. But marriage, now that’s been the source of much disputation (even in my family – none of my family members are LDS). But worry not, I’ll address endowments in a later post.

So what does God say concerning marriage?

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh," (Gen. 2:24).

"What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder," (Matt. 19:6).

You see, I’ve always had a problem with the term “’til death do us part”. I mean, we sure do advocate resurrection and eternal life as Christians, so why then do we forsake our teachings of family and marriage when it does come? Why would God institute the ordinance here on earth, but tear it apart in heaven? Did he not say that they’ll be joined as one? Did he not say let no man put asunder?

Now I know what you’re thinking, that verse applies to man and not God. But what about our initial covenants with God regarding peace and everlasting priesthood? Why would he take marriage away?

The truth is, he won’t. He doesn’t. There is no Biblical evidence that He will.

Let’s just think about the following verse before we delve into the Sadducees question to Christ, “Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,” (Ephesians 3:15).

Have you thought about it?

Now, Mark 12:25, “For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.”

Here Christ was asked regarding the companionship of the women who was given in marriage to her husband’s brothers after he had passed away in the life to come – this was tradition in those days. Now that’s interesting. They had a knowledge of marriage in the eternities already.

Let’s look at Christ’s response, which sure is true. “They” would neither marry, nor be given in marriage.

D&C 132:15-16 says, “Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me nor by my word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world. Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory.”

This instance was an example of marriage for time and not for eternity. Now I won’t get into Talmage’s explanation of her sealing to her first husband (or the promise to those faithful to get a spouse in the next life if they weren’t able to do so in this one), but what I will say is that Christ’s words in this account still rings true to LDS today. The time to get married is here on earth and the ordinance to be sealed needs to be done through the Melchizedek Priesthood. Otherwise, we will be as the angels in heaven.

Beyond this, there is no apparent disputation with regards to eternal marriage. In fact, considering the restoration thereof in these latter days, you won’t find much else on the matter in ancient scripture.

For just as baptism appeared to arrive in the New Testament, so has Eternal Marriage arrived in the Doctrine and Covenants. This is where latter-day revelation becomes important. We cannot become so blinded as to ignore God’s words to us in these days by focussing wholly on what He said in those days. The saints have always followed prophets – we’re just fortunate to have the Bible as a record of what has been said. But we must never forget to keep listening to what is being said.

To quote the Lord in 2 Nephi 29:8, “Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word?”

Family is central to God’s plan. The rock upon which Christ’s Church was built is revelation. And marriage is eternal. I know this – scriptures approve it and prophets have said it. This is my testimony which I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ.