Recovery to Mormonism

Can the Mormon temple be right if there are changes in Mormon temple ceremonies?

To understand any change that has taken place in the Mormon temples, one must first understand the purposes of the temples. Although various things happen in them, the main reasons Mormons go to their temples are to feel closer to God and to make covenants with Him. A covenant is just a two way promise: I promise to give you something if you promise to give something back. The covenants of the temple have never changed and will never change, but the explanation of these covenants does change.

Mormon temple ceremonies explain covenants

To make a covenant with God, it is important to know what promises we are making. The best example in daily life is the use of contracts. For someone buying a house, it is foolish to sign a contract without knowing the terms of the contract. Learning the complex details of a modern legal document without help is difficult or impossible for most, so we get a trusted person to help us understand the language of the contract, such as a lawyer. Each lawyer may explain the content of the contract in a different way, especially depending on his audience, but the contract is still the same. As long as all the information in the contract is taught in a clear and understandable manner, the person signing the contract will do so knowing what they are agreeing to.

Mormon temple ceremonies are similar to this contract. Mormons learn the rules to the promises they are making by use of ceremonies. Ceremonies in the temple are instruction sessions to help those making the covenants with God understand what they are doing. Just like a lawyer can explain a contract in different ways, the Mormon temple ceremonies can be presented in various ways and still have the people know what covenants they are making, which is the whole reason for the ceremony.

Temple ceremony changes are not made often or extemporaneously. Any changes to ceremony are enacted in every temple. They are only done by revelation from God to the Mormon prophet to best meet the needs of those attending Mormon temples. The gospel of Jesus Christ never changes, but the way people learn it does change.

Mormon temple ceremonies change to help people understand covenants

Temples have been around since Old Testament times—Mormons believe even Adam and Eve had the ceremonies—and people’s culture and understanding have changed many times since then. An explanation that would have been perfectly clear to ancient Hebrews would confuse modern Christians. To help people understand the covenants being made, the explanation, or ceremony, has had to change over time as people’s understanding changes.

Mormon temple covenants have always been the same

Despite these changes in ceremony, the covenants remained the same. The promises Mormons make with God today are exactly the same as the ones in the time of Joseph Smith, which were restored as the same promises from the original Christian Church and from the beginning. These covenants are the important part of the temple experience, and they will always be the same.