you will find the experience of someone who received their second annointing. It is an ordinance given to those in the higher positions in the church--their "calling and election" has been "made sure" meaning they've made it to the CK before they leave the earth. It is only for the "special" people.
Oddly enough, we used to have a poster here that left the church and he and his wife had had the second annointing. Maybe Susan archived it somewhere, or I'm senile.
Anointed One is the poster. He's from England and has posted about it before. Its probably archived somewhere on this site. He still pops in from time to time.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2011 09:39AM by kookoo4kokaubeam.
Ha, I asked some mishies about the 2nd annointings and either they've never heard of it or misunderstood me. They said that I'll go through it when I get my endowments.
I felt bad for them so I didn't correct them. Apparently I ask a lot of "deep doctrine" questions. It's not the first time I asked them about something they've never heard about.
Whenever we see articles in our local papers about mormons and, of course, there are ALWAYS mormons who have to make a comment about it not being a cult or the temple being sacred but not secret, we need to just post this link with a comment, "enough said."
Just read that entire post and many of the comments that followed it. Mind-blowing. He's right - the arrogance of man to decide who does and does not make it into the supposed c.k. The more I read (and I read and read and read and read...) the more I'm glad I'm leaving that whole package of nonsense behind!!
It is the fulfillment of the promise given in the opening of the endowment. "Each of you have been anointed..." ... "If you are true and faithful, the day will come when you are called up and anointed... whereas you have only been anointed to become such."
The ordinance was introduced in Nauvoo. Had Joseph lived it is my bet there would have been a 3rd, 4th and 5th anointings as well. The goal was to make a select group ever more special.
I believe Wikpedia cited there were approximately 14,000 second anointings performed from 1840s to the early 1940s. A gentlemen in my ward indicated that his dad's mission president claimed to receive his during the Hinckley administration.
I believe there was a thread about a year or so ago about it and someone posted a lot about it.... I just can't remember exactly! My brain is getting old :)
I'll do some poking around - thanks for that info. I find that, although I have been a life-long (albeit non-believing and annoyed) member, there are still so many things to learn about this "religion"!
Yeah I had never heard of them either, until I came to this board. Funny how many things the church never talks about or use to and then it is all hush hush... typical though :)
Interestingly (or perhaps not) Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants explicitly gives couples who are temple sealed the provision that they will be exalted regardless of how worthy they remain. As long as they don't shed innocent blood, they're in.
132:26 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man marry a wife according to my word, and they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, according to mine appointment, and he or she shall commit any sin or transgression of the new and everlasting covenant whatever, and all manner of blasphemies, and if they commit no murder wherein they shed innocent blood, yet they shall come forth in the first resurrection, and enter into their exaltation; but they shall be destroyed in the flesh, and shall be delivered unto the buffetings of Satan unto the day of redemption, saith the Lord God.
Perhaps temple sealings are the Latter Day equivalent of the second anointing or they may be one and the same thing...
I am indeed a "second greased". However, to be fair, it was in an apostate group. The RCJC's, a restoration church for all saints but especially gays and lesbians, first President had exposure to a polygamous group and the doctrine of the second anointing. It was introduced into the RCJC on a limited basis. There was a schism in that group and the part which I, for a time remained associated, administered the (a) second anointing. I was one of the recipients. Boy! Did that make me feel special. Now I can only feel ashamed of being so silly.
The problem with the 2nd annointing is that it creates a conundrum.
According to Moromonism, we are exhalted because of the atonement. In other words, because Jesus died on the Cross and suffered for our sins in Gethsemene, Jesus sealed the breach with the intelligences by physically and spiritually sacrificing himself for us (Jesus of course, being perfect could do this) thus opening the path to our exhaltation, providing we lived righteously on earth.
The ultimate result of this is that Jesus is the sole judge, in the name of the Father, of our actions on earth.
Therefore, the 2nd annointing bypasses Jesus' authority as the sole judge. Only he can judge, because he paid that price. If the caveat is that you must live righteously, who is man to decide WHILE STILL LIVING ON EARTH, that he's now good enough and can do whatever he wants? That does not compute.
Even if you could get past that problem, there is the conditional nature of bypassing Jesus: You can't commit murder or deny the holy ghost, but anything else is ok. This of course, pure crap, because this completely violates the concept that "no unclean thing can exist in the presence of god."
This is the core problem with Mormonism. The message might be beautiful, but facts reveal its all fraudulent.
Well, they have a way around that. If you read D&C 132, you'll find that "god" gave power to JS to do whatever he wants to do.
Here are my deconstructed verses:
19. If Joseph Smith, who I gave my power to, marries a man and woman together they will be amongst the first to be resurrected. They will become gods and reign over kingdoms and powers of the universe forever. Then they can commit any sin, except for murdering an innocent person, and they will still become gods. That bond, which Joseph Smith puts on them, is so powerful that even God and his angels can’t break or renege on the promise. This blessing is to have many children throughout all eternity.
46. Joseph, whatever you bind together on earth will be bound together forever in heaven if you do it in my name. Whatever sin you forgive of people on earth will be recognized as being forgiven in heaven. And whoever you condemn on earth will be condemned by God in heaven. 47. Also, whoever you decided to bless, God will obey and bless them. Whoever you curse, I, God, will curse—-this is true because I’m God and I say it.
Lost, you're right. it's all crap. But it's the most revealing of the craziness that is the dogma and doctrine of the church. If the reader could focus on the actual meaning, members would either demand a change, leave the church in droves, or convert to the FLDS or groups of similar ilk.
Years ago I was in a discussion on an internet forum with a Mormon who was claiming that there were no secret ceremonies in Mormonism. His defense of the Endowment was that it was available to any faithful Mormon and that its existence (if not the details) were mentioned publicly by the church.
I asked him, "What about second anointings?"
He asked, "What's that?"
I told him to ask his bishop.
Well he did ask his bishop and his bishop said he'd never heard of any such thing. However a member of his ward's High Priest's quorum said that, yes, the second anointing did exist but that's all he was going to say about it. I asked if that qualified as a "secret ceremony" -- something that his bishop didn't even know existed and that the high priest dude refused to discuss beyond acknowledging its existence.
The same guy was found later on another internet forum saying there were no secret ceremonies in Mormonism. Just goes to show that a lot of Mormons tend to say what sounds good rather than what fits even their own reality.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2011 08:41AM by baura.