1990 famously saw huge changes, but what changes happened to the temple before then?

* Dress - a look at today's artificial fabrics suggests the old temple robes would have looked very different and would have been quite heavy.
* Admittance - pre-1978 very different of course. Pre-1899, polygamy based.
* Temple recommends - presumably a century ago, entry was more complex.

Ceremonies:
* Second Anointing. This ceremony is often conducted on a Sunday or Monday when the temple is officially shut. I would be curious to know if this ever takes place by proxy.
* The Holy of Holies - many temples have a secret room where the church oresident can go. It is not clear if be has specific ceremonies which go on there.
* Polygamy - these ceremonies would have been very different indeed.
* The FLDS temple, after it was raided was found to have beds in it. Presumably, this is where marriages were consummated, but I don't know if the FLDS came up with this themselves or whether it was traditional.
* Rebaptism - I know rebaptism was a fact of the early LDS, especially after BY took over and some people would be baptized several times. But did the temple ever play a part in this?

I don't want to go off into wild conspiracy territory - I may do a David Icke thread about "the pink room" (which I don't believe), but it would be interesting to hear thoughts.

If anyone would like to delve into some scholarly research on changes to the temple endowment, see:

https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V34N0102_87.pdf

lurking in Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If anyone would like to delve into some scholarly
> research on changes to the temple endowment, see:
>
> https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads
> /sbi/articles/Dialogue_V34N0102_87.pdf

Much appreciated. A few highlights:
* Early endowments having members eating raisins and crouching behind bushes.
* WoW only introduced as a requirement in the 1920s.
* Oath of Vengeance.
* Half hour talks being given in the endowment.
* Foot washing.
* Proper hot tubs.
* Perfumed oil.

I had heard a figure of five hours for the early endowment. They say 6-9 hours. So what exactly did they do during all that time?

Interesting read. They have constantly changed the temple ceremony and the statistics show a large number of members really don’t like going to the temple. Who wants to watch the same bad movie over and over and it’s about as spiritual as working on an assembly line.

Satan used to have actual symbols on his apron. Recognizable symbols that included some of other religions.

The preacher would lead the congregation in a hymn. Was funny as it was usually a Protestant hymn and few in attendance knew the words.

Used to have a Lecture at the Veil.

Early 20th Century there was still and "oath of vengeance" against the US as part of the ceremony.

I seem to recall that there used to be an area near the recommend desk that you would place cash when you came to do a session.

Of course, it's in that weird part of my mind that I can't 100% depend on.

Does anybody have any off the top of their head info on that?

Yes, I should google it, but as it turns out, I don't care enough to.

Are you talking about the temple clothes rental counter? I'm not sure if they still have that. But, anyway, if you brought your own clothes you never had to do that.

Temple entrance itself is free. Except for the 10% + of your gross income, the lion's portion of your free time, the frontal lobe, and other things like that.

I couldn't remember where I had read it, but it later came to me.

I'll include a link, but here is the gist:

This is from the 1931 version.

"THE ANNEX

Armed with the "recommend" and endowment clothing, the candidate
goes to the Temple and enters by the Annex, the door of which is nearly
always open. Here he finds a small room which has the appearance of an
office. In the center of this room is a table on which is some
suggestive cash--the contribution of those who have gone before him. At
this table he presents his "recommend," which is closely examined for
future identification, as the "recommend" is good for six months, and
makes his donation to the cash. The very poor, we are told, are not
expected to contribute. They can, however, be made to feel very
uncomfortable."



But who's to know if that was actually the case?

I trust Richard Packham, who owns the site the above came from. Here's the link:

http://packham.n4m.org/endow31.htm

The book it came from is:


TEMPLE MORMONISM: ITS EVOLUTION, RITUAL AND MEANING

Published by A. J. Montgomery
156 Fifth Avenue, New York
1931

The Mormon 1931 Temple Endowment Ceremonies



But doesn't that seem REALLY strange?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/2019 03:34PM by Levi.

but I'm too "lazy" to look it up this morning. Anyone else want to? I'm just not good at looking something up this morning.

The fact that the sessions were 6+ hours is why my dad was at the temple for the entire day when they got married (my mom and dad that is). He said it was BIZARRE. He never told me that until after he knew I wasn't going back. He never went back to the temple until my sister got married about 26 years after he got married.

And people did not attend the temple on a "regular" basis. They got married and then my family didn't go back. From my recollection, which may be incorrect, it wasn't a big deal back when I was young to attend the temple like they push it now. My aunts and uncles who lived close by went to Wendover more than they went to the temple! ha ha ha ha (Yes, they did.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2019 11:19AM by cl2.