Teaching Choral Concepts

Review

     The endowment is a re-enactment of scriptural images and symbols. It is literally a gift--a gift of God's power. Church members who have been through the temple will be inspired as they read  Endowed From On High. While carefully maintaining the sacred confidentiality of the temple ordinances, this book provides scriptural correlations which will open up rich new areas of understanding to them. Those who read it will be better informed about the scriptural authority and symbolism of the sacred ordinances, and they will be better prepared and motivated to apply those scriptural symbols in their lives as they strive to become more like Christ. 

A symbol has two parts: a signifier and a signified. The signifier is the symbol itself, and the signified is the meaning of the symbol. Almost every scriptural image used in the endowment has not just one meaning, but a complex network of signified meanings. This makes the endowment an experience so rich that an alert participant can continue to learn from it throughout his or her lifetime as awareness, knowledge and spirituality increase. 

This book points out more than twenty scriptural symbols which correlate with the temple service. The central focus of these symbols is found in Brigham Young's oft-quoted statement of the ceremony's ultimate purpose: to enable recipients to pass by the angelic sentinels who guard the entrance to God's kingdom as they "walk back to the presence of the Father." 

Endowed From On High  teaches that revelation occurs during the endowment, that promises are required before blessings are granted, that covenants are the channels through which blessings flow, and that the Lord is voluntarily "bound" when we obey His commandments. It is a unique and reverential guide to growth in this, the most sacred of all areas of our relationship with the Savior and our Heavenly Father. Reading and pondering its message will be a choice experience for all Church members.
 

Table of Contents

1. Editor's Preface, 11

About the Author, 13

2. Observations Concerning the Endowment, 15
Maintaining the Sacred Nature of Temple Covenants, 15
Many Sources of Information About the Temple Are Available, 18
The Endowment Is a Re-enactment of Scriptural Images and Symbols, 18

3. The Central Focus of the Endowment, 19
Learning Celestial Passwords, 19
The Image of Passing Angelic Sentinels, 20
The Use of Sacred "Key Words", 21
Revelation Occurs During the Endowment, 22
Promises Are Required Before Blessings Are Granted, 23
Covenants Are the Channels Through Which Blessings Flow, 24
The Image of "Binding God", 24
Gospel Ordinances Take the Form of a Covenant, 25

4. An Ancient Ceremony Restored Through Joseph Smith, 27
The Restoration of an Ancient Ceremony, 27
Unique Elements for Modern Times, 31
God Adapts His Words to Particular Needs, 32

5. Ongoing Preparations for the Blessings of the Endowment, 33
Keep the Commandments and Endowment Covenants, 33
Study the Endowment-related Portions of the Scriptures, 35
Learn to Understand Symbols that Both Reveal and Conceal, 36
Learn to Recognize Both "Signifiers" and "Signifieds," 37
Pray for Understanding of Specific Elements of the Endowment, 38
Pray and Meditate While in the Temple, 39

6. A Symbolic Initiation into the Priesthood, 41
The Initiatory, 41
The Meaning of Initiatory Symbolism, 43
An Endowment Is a Gift of God's Power, 43
Endowment Means Power From God and Is Associated with Temples, 44

7. Being Pronounced Clean Before God, 47
A Commandment to Cleanse Your Hands and Your Feet Before God, 48
Being Pronounced Clean from the Blood of This Wicked Generation, 49
The Washing Is Accompanied by Blessings to Empower Righteous Living, 49
The Washing Recalls Ceremonial Washing from Old and New Testament Times, 50

8. Being Consecrated Kings and Priests Unto God, 51
The Anointing Is a Symbol of Being Chosen and Consecrated by God to Be a Ruler, 51
Becoming Kings and Priests Unto God, 52
The Anointing Is a Symbol of Obligations and Promises, 53

9. Receiving a Protective Shield, 55
Old Testament Priests Wore Special Clothing to Ensure Modesty, 55
The Image of God Giving Special Clothing to the Faithful, 57
The Images of Defiled Garments and White Clothing, 58
Donning Temple Garments Is a Ceremonial Pre-enactment of God's Giving White Raiment to
the Faithful, 58
The Images of Nakedness and Wearing the Robe of Righteousness, 58
The Image of Covering Over Guilt Through Christ's Atonement, 59
God Provides Physical Reminders of Covenants Made, 60
Symbols Remind Us of Commitments to Righteous Conduct, 60
The Garment Is a Protective Shield, 60

10. A Significant and Sacred Key, 61
God-given Names Signify a New Relationship with Him, 61
Zion Shall Be Called by a New Name in the Last Days, 62
A New Name Will Be Given to Those Allowed to Enter the Celestial Kingdom, 62
The New Name Is a Symbol of Meriting Eternal Life, 63
The New Name Is a Key Word, 64
The Sacred and Confidential Nature of the New Name, 64

11. The Ceremonial Drama, 65
The Pedagogy of the Temple Service, 65
Prophets Were Shown Ceremonial Dramas to Help Them Understand God's Plan, 66
The Endowment Depicts Man's Progression From the Creation to Exaltation, 67
Donning Ceremonial Clothing Resembling Old Testament Priests, 67
Priestly Clothing Symbolizes Authorization to Enter into God's Presence, 68

12. The Creation, 69
God the Father Commanded His Spirit Children to Create the Earth, 70
The Father Created the Earth by His Son Jehovah, 71
The Father and Son Together Created Man and Then Woman, 72

13. Events in the Garden of Eden, 73
Adam and Eve Were Given Agency and a Prohibition, 73
Disregarding the Prohibition Set the Plan in Motion, 74
Satan Sought to Tempt and Beguile Eve, 74
Adam's Desire that They Obey the Command to Multiply and Replenish the Earth, 76
Willingness to Hearken unto Each Other's Counsel, 76
Adam and Eve Become Subject to Death and Are Cast Out of Eden, 77
Satan is Cursed, 77
Satan Vows to Tempt Mankind, 78
God Makes Mortality a Probationary State, 79
The Process of Teaching How to Return to God's Presence Begins, 79

14. The Telestial World, 81
Telestial-world Inhabitants Cannot Come to Where the Father and Son Dwell, 81
God Sent Messengers to Teach the Plan of Salvation, 82
Satan Enticed Men to Be Carnal, Sensual, and Devilish, 83
Those who Fail to Keep God's Laws Will Be in Satan's Power, 84

15. The Terrestrial World, 87
Terrestrial-world Inhabitants Can Be with Christ but Not the Father, 87
Obedience to the Law of Chastity Is Required, 88
Willingness to Consecrate All for the Building of Zion Is Required, 89
To Build Up Zion Is to Build Our Own Eternal Home, 90

16. A Symbolic Entry into the Presence of God, 91
In the Old Testament Tabernacle, a Veil Separated the People from the Most Holy Place, 91
In the Temple, a Veil Separates the People from the Celestial Room, 92
The Rich Symbolism of Passing Through the Veil, 93

17. The Glory of the Celestial Kingdom, 95
The Celestial Room Symbolizes the Glory of God's Presence, 95
Quiet Joy and Peaceful Meditation in the Celestial Room, 98

18. Living the Endowment, 101
Without Doing Temple Work for Our Dead, We Cannot Be Made Perfect, 101
The Purpose of the Endowment Is to Make Us More Christlike, 102

Works Cited, 104
Additional Resources, 105
Scriptural References Cited, 106
Index, 108

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