Mormon Temple Endowment
If we ask the dictionary, an endowment is a gift. But for those who belong to Mormonism, an endowment means far more than that—it is a sacred ritual, an ordinance, performed inside Mormon temples. If we were to summarize the endowment as a dictionary would, it is an ordinance in which participants are taught deep truths, perform sacred rituals, and make covenants with the Lord. To be a participant in an endowment, one must be a member of the Church and, beyond, worthy, prepared, and adult.
The concept of a sacred endowment appears in the New Testament as well. “Endow” means, there, to “clothe” or “to instill qualities in.” After Christ’s resurrection, He told His apostles to remain in Jerusalem until “endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). The second chapter of Acts gives us the fulfillment of this commandment—with the day of Pentecost. That day, the Apostles were given power from heaven—the Holy Ghost manifested Himself in great glory and the disciples received strength and revelation.
What Mormons believe is that their Church is the original one that Christ set up upon the earth, which was lost and now restored. The priesthood, or the authority to act in God’s name, was a part of what was the Lord restored unto us, as was the practice of worshipping in sacred temples. The founder of the Mormon Church, Joseph Smith, received of God the ordinances that should be performed inside the Mormon temple in 1842. Joseph taught that these ordinances were “of things spiritual, and to be received only by the spiritual minded.” The endowment, particularly, reveals the completeness of the human condition and of our connection with God. It is essential preparation for those who would partake in eternal marriage, and for Mormon missionaries. It offers the complete blessings of Christ’s gospel and strengthens the faithful against temptation.
The Mormon endowment has four parts. The first is preparation. Participants are ceremonially washed and anointed before being dressed in temple garments (this are often called Mormon underwear, if a little disrespectfully). White is the color of both garments and robes. This symbolizes purity and equality between the participants. The second part is instruction. Participants are taught about the world’s creation, taught further about Adam and Eve, and the plan of salvation God set forth for our sakes. In the third part, the participants make covenants. They promise to be obedient, unselfish, chaste, and loyal unto His Church. In return, God promises joy, protection, progress and, eventually, a return to Him. The fourth part is like unto the Pentecost experienced by the Apostles. The participants feel the divine presence of God, for the temple is His House, a house of peace and light, understanding and revelation. In His house, His hand is felt.
The endowment has much symbolism, and deep symbolism at that. Because of the depth of the ordinance, members are encouraged to participate multiple times, which allows them to increase their understanding and grow closer to the Lord with every time. Additionally, every time, after the first, that a member participates in the endowment, they also participate on the behalf of the dead. Mormons believe that ordinances can be performed by proxy for those who never had a chance to receive them—but they also believe that the departed spirit still has the opportunity to accept the ordinance or not, in the same way that someone on earth could refuse baptism.
The endowment uses symbols sacred to Mormons—and the meanings are likewise sacred. The meanings of the symbols is knowledge that God has given unto them and the LDS temple is the only place appropriate to discuss such things. Faithful and endowed members of the Church will not give out specific details of the endowment, because of how sacred it is.
In the Mormon religion, endowments exist for a member’s benefit. Mormon men usually go through their first endowment session just before their mission, at 19. Mormon women usually receive theirs just before marriage, or, if they go on a mission, at 21.