The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship
"Buerger puts Joseph Smith's creative encounter with Freemasonry into an appropriate perspective" --John L. Brooke, The Journal of American History"Examines the near disappearance of the second anointing, once considered the crowning ordinance of the temple." --Religious AdvanceBuerger puts Joseph Smith's creative encounter with Freemasonry into an appropriate perspective ..." --John L. Brooke, The Journal of American HistoryDrawn from authentic sources, David Buerger's The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship is an insightful, comprehensive and scholarly history of LDS temple worship. Readers will learn of its humble beginnings in Ohio where members practiced Old Testament-like ceremonies to the adoption and transformation of Masonic ritual in Nauvoo, Illinois, to recent modifications which suggest an adaption to contemporary concerns for appearing relevant to today's political and social issues. The Mormon concept of "continuous revelation is reflected in the dynamics and continuing evolution of Mormon temple worship. Chapters cover the prelude to endowment, the Kirtland Ceremony, Joseph Smith's ritual, Brigham Young's revisions, developments in nineteenth century Utah, the twentieth century temple, and the authors conclusions form his research data. Appendix One features "The December 1845 Meetings of the Holy Order." Appendix Two features "Published Descriptions of the Temple Ceremony." A unique, accurate and insightful publication. --Midwest Book ReviewProviding a fascinating chronology of developments associated with Latter-day Saint temples and temple ordinances, this source book discusses the origins of the temple concept, comparative rituals, and changes in ceremonies. Buerger charts the abandonment of the adoption sealing which once linked unrelated families and examines the near disappearance of the second anointing, once considered the crowning ordinance of the temple. --Religious AdvanceDrawn from authentic sources, David Buerger's The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship is an insightful, comprehensive and scholarly history of LDS temple worship. Readers will learn of its humble beginnings in Ohio where members practiced Old Testament-like ceremonies to the adoption and transformation of Masonic ritual in Nauvoo, Illinois, to recent modifications which suggest an adaption to contemporary concerns for appearing relevant to today's political and social issues. The Mormon concept of "continuous revelation is reflected in the dynamics and continuing evolution of Mormon temple worship. Chapters cover the prelude to endowment, the Kirtland Ceremony, Joseph Smith's ritual, Brigham Young's revisions, developments in nineteenth century Utah, the twentieth century temple, and the authors conclusions form his research data. Appendix One features "The December 1845 Meetings of the Holy Order." Appendix Two features "Published Descriptions of the Temple Ceremony." A unique, accurate and insightful publication. --Midwest Book ReviewProviding a fascinating chronology of developments associated with Latter-day Saint temples and temple ordinances, this source book discusses the origins of the temple concept, comparative rituals, and changes in ceremonies. Buerger charts the abandonment of the adoption sealing which once linked unrelated families and examines the near disappearance of the second anointing, once considered the crowning ordinance of the temple. --Religious Advance