Mormons reportedly now have 61 temples in operation and 54 more planned or under construction. A temple has a "sealing room" where Mormon couples are sealed in their marriage for eternity (12/99 The Discerner). This helps in their "exaltation," the right to become gods and goddesses and have their own planet in eternity (and privilege to continue to have children). A tithe of income is expected for the right of "sealing." In the days of Joseph Smith a Mormon man could be "sealed" to any number of women who would be his wives in eternity. Joseph himself was sealed to around 50 women proven and some believe in they are in the 80s. The sealings even included the wives of other men. The Mormon Doctrine calls for Mormon men to commit polygamy. A group of Mormons has broken away from the present church because they believe they need to comply to their Doctrine. Changes are very noticable going through their magzines today. Even though they will tell you they believe in the same God, Christians believe in, but the facts prove different. See the following taken from the December 1999 Ensign Magazine with added comments.
- The Book of Mormon confirms that Jesus Christ was with the Father from the beginning (3 Nephi 9:15)
- The Mormon God is a man as shown in their Ensign Magazine graphic which means that their God was once here on earth and had to obtain the Melchizedek Priesthood to become a god of this planet earth. He cannot be the God of Israel who is a Spirit according to the KJV Bible.
What are the implications here? Are we conditioning Mormons to devotion to Mary and approval of visions of her? The Pope lauds Mary's virtues, perpetual virginity, and intercessory role as the Mother of God. Pope Pius defined the Assumption of Mary in 1950
"From the time the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith introduced the temple ceremony into the church in 1842, it has been a source of controversy between Mormons and their critics. Because the ritual is kept secret, many false impressions and charges of gross immorality have been been extensively circulated. On February 18, 1846, The Warsaw Signal, an anti-Mormon newspaper published in Warsaw, Illinois, charged that those who participated in the ritual were "in a state of nudity" throughout the ceremony. In response to this article, a woman who had been through the ritual and had lost faith in Mormonism wrote a letter to the editor in which she charged that the ceremony had been misrepresented. Although she was extremely upset with the Mormon leaders, her account of what went on inside the temple in Nauvoo seems to be reliable. Since it is the earliest expose' found concerning the Mormon ritual. It is reprinted in its entirety:
"Mr. SHARP: - Dear Sir: - I discover by your paper, in what you have published in regard to the Mormon endowments, given of late in the temple, that you have been wrongly informed at least, so far as actual experience has taught me in the orgies of the afternoon, in that (as I have been taught to believe) most holy building. In revealing what I am about to do, I have no lashing of conscience; notwithstanding I took upon myself, during the laughable farce, several oaths and obligations of a serious character, not to reveal the secrets of the priesthood - had they been given me by anything other than assumed authority, and vile, corrupt, licentious libertines, taking upon themselves the livery of Heaven, and essaying to represent the characters of our God and Savior - knowing these characters as I did previously to be the most debased wretches upon earth, the whole farce appeared to me to be nothing less than fearful blasphemy.
"I went into this pretended holy operation, in company with 14 others, all sisters in the Mormon church, and with most of whom I was well acquainted. They were, in the main, women of good character. We were first received past the Guard into a private room on the north side of the Temple - this was the room of preparation of purification - We were divested of all our apparel, and in a state of perfect nudity were washed from head to foot with sweet oil scented (I think) with lavender. We were then clothed in white robes. All this was done by sisters in the church - none others were present - it is false to say that men and women are admitted together in an indecent manner. We were then conducted into a room called the Garden of Eden; here we found several of our brethren robed in white also, and apparently in a soporific state. We were presented before them and a voice from the Lord awoke them from sleep. After a considerable ceremony, which I do not recollect much of, we were left by the Lord and soon a very dandy-like fellow appeared with a black cap on; that had a long tail attached to it; he appeared very familiar - and by his very insinuating and friendly manner induced some of our sisters to eat of the 'forbidden fruit.' Soon after the voice of the Lord appeared again in the garden; we all appeared frightened, and both men and women huddled together into the corner of the room, as if in the act of hiding. The fellow in the black cap presents himself before the Lord and engages in a controversy, boasting of what he had done. The Lord pronounces a curse upon him - he gets down upon his belly and crawls off.
"At this period of the holy ceremony, I could not suppress my risible passions; for this fellow acted his part well - undoubtedly his part being the part of a Devil - was the most natural. We were then presented with aprons, which we put on about this time, a sword was shook at us through the partition of the room, which was to guard the Tree of Life. After considerable ceremony, which I do not recollect, we were passed into another room, which was dark and was dreary. This was called the Terrestrial Kingdom; immediately the dandy in the black cap made his appearance; at first he appeared very sly - peeping about, and when he found the Lord was not present, he became very familiar and persuasive. Said he, 'here we are, all together, and all good fellows well met. Some Methodists, some Presbyterians, some Baptists, some Quakers some Mormons, and some Strangites, & c. &c. Come let us drink together [.]' In this way he tempted us, and we partook with him. After a considerable parade and ceremony, we passed into another room, or Celestial Kingdom. Here I saw some of the Twelve, and particularly Brigham Young, with a white crown upon his head, and as I have since been told, representing God himself.
"We passed this room without much ceremony into another. I have forgotten what it represented; not much of interest transpired here, & we were conducted back and put in possession of our clothing - all save sister ______; she had a very fine alpaca dress stolen during her absence, and has never been able to recover it.
"In the different apartments of this singular farce, we took ourselves oaths and obligations not to reveal the secrets of the priesthood. I do not consider them binding; as I have had ample and repeated opportunity to prove the administrators of these obligations as corrupt as the Devil in Hell. In one place I was presented with a new name, which I was not to reveal to any living creature, save the man to whom I should be sealed for eternity. By this name I am to be called in eternity, or after the resurrection. This name was ____; and from all that I can gather, all the females had the same name given them, but we are not allowed to reveal it to each other, under no less penalty than to have our throats cut but from ear to ear, our hearts torn out, &c., &c. I have forgotten a part of the penalties. In one place something was spoken to me which I do not recollect - the meaning was 'marrow in the bone;' the token was a firm hold of the hand, pressing the finger nails firmly into the wrist of the right hand. I have since been told by a brother, that there was a mystical meaning in this, that will hereafter be revealed to me.
"Now, sir, this is the substance of the Mormon endowment - and the Mormon who says it is not true, is a liar, and the truth is not in him! I have been a member of this farce of Priest craft for the last six years; the first four years I suspected nothing what I was in the right of all holy things. The last two years I have been doubtful, seeing the abandoned conduct of the priests... For this I have toiled by night and by day; for this I have worked my fingers to the quick, to gain something from my scanty allowance, to assist in the completion of that building, the motto of which was the to be "HOLINESS TO THE LORD," and illumined by the Shekinah of heaven. Imagine then my disappointment in the blasphemous farce I saw acted before me, and by men who have at repeated trials, attempted to seduce me into the lowest degradation and ruin. But thanks to my Heavenly Protector! I have been enabled to withstand the shock, and hope and trust I shall outlive this disgrace of once being associated with such a set of heartless scoundrels. I hope, sir, for the good of community, you will give my 'revelation' a place in your columns, for in the presence of high heaven, I pronounce every word of it truth, and nothing but truth. - Yours, EMELINE." (Warsaw Signal, April 15, 1846, page 2) (Evolution of the Mormon Temple Ceremony: 1842 - 1990, Jerald and Sandra Tanner)
