The Development of the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony [The OTHER WORLD Series]

DialogueJournal.com ^ | 1987 | David John Buerger

[Colofornian]

...FOR FAITHFUL LATTER-DAY SAINTS, the temple endowment ceremony is one of the most...powerful ordinances received in mortality. One authoritative source called it the temporal stepping stone which all people must pass to achieve exaltation with God the Father and Jesus Christ...1 ... 1 Gospel Essentials, rev. ed., sunday school manual (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), 1979, 247.

[SNIP]

Another element of literalism disappeared in 1927 when kissing over the altar during vicarious sealings for the dead was abolished.129

Probably the greatest twentieth-century catalyst to increase the number of vicarious endowments was Heber J. Grant's emphasis on temple work. Endowments performed per member during Grant's administration increased substantially. From 1898 to 1912, vicarious endowments averaged .11 endowments per member per year. From 1912 to 1930, the average increased to .38. The decade of 1930-40 saw the annual average again jump to .62. ...this average dropped to .34 by 1945 and remained there through the end of 1950.

...members of the church's computer planning committee realized during the late 1950s and early 1960s, that, given the estimated 70 billion people who had been born on the earth, all LDS adults working in temples eight hours a day, seven days a week wouldn't be able to keep up with the world population growth, much less complete ordinance work for deceased ancestors. This concern has apparently not disappeared. 149 ... 149 See Church News 20 July 1986, 16.

[SNIP}

The 1970s saw a renewed emphasis on temple work. During the latter part of the decade, many stakes were issued endowment quotas by their temples. While less emphasis is now placed on quotas, expectations remain high. For example, active recommend holders living close to a temple usually are expected to average one endowment per month...

[Elsie]

IF, as you say, Mormonism = Christianity...THEN I am posting “faith-building” “Christian” stuff regularly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bde8eGumrCk

[Elsie]

See you have chosen to ignore the above; I'll assume you care MORE about Jesus than the things your chosen religion's Living Prophets® have taught.

I am praying for you to finally get enough gumption to leave that 'church' of yours.

[Elsie]

ABOVE meaning reply #44