Revelation always has been important in the development, order, and organization of the temples. As modern Mormons we think naturally of temples as the mechanisms by which families are bound together for the eternities. We think it is natural when individuals are sealed to their ancestral fathers and mothers, and natural when genealogies are researched for that end. However, this view took about fifty years to develop.
It was Wilford Woodruff, the 4th President of the Church, who gave Latter-day Saints this conception. He said: “We want the Latter-day Saints from this time [1894] to trace their genealogies as far as they can, and to be sealed to their fathers and mothers. Have children sealed to their parents, and run this chain through as far as you can get it” (Millennial Star, May 28, 1894, 338-39).
This method of sealing was an important change in emphasis. Previously, individuals often were sealed to prominent authorities of the Church such as Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (see, Thomas Alexander, Mormonism in Transition, p. 298). This principle was known as “adoption.” The following is one of the best explanations of this historical development:
From: Teachings of Presidents … Wilford Woodruff,
Priesthood Manual, pages xxxiii–xxxv [emphasis is mine]
About three months before the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred, he delivered a discourse to a large assembly of Saints. … He spoke of the need to be sealed to our parents and to continue that sealing ordinance throughout our generations: “… Go and seal on earth your sons and daughters unto yourself and yourself unto your fathers in eternal glory.”
For the next few decades, the Latter-day Saints knew that there was to be “a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children” (D&C 128:18). However, their procedures were not completely set in order; as President Woodruff observed, the Prophet Joseph had not lived long enough to “enter any further upon these things.” Acting according to “all the light and knowledge [they] had,” they often had themselves sealed, or “adopted,” to Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, or other Church leaders of their day rather than to their own fathers and mothers. As President of the Church, President Woodruff referred to this practice, saying: “We have not fully carried out those principles in fulfillment of the revelations of God to us, in sealing the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers. … We have felt that there was more to be revealed upon this subject than we had received.”
That additional revelation came to President Woodruff on April 5, 1894. Three days later, in a general conference address, he told of the revelation: “When I went before the Lord to know who I should be adopted to … , the Spirit of God said to me, ‘Have you not a father, who begot you?’ ‘Yes, I have.’ ‘Then why not honor him? Why not be adopted to him?’ ‘Yes,’ says I, ‘that is right.’ I was adopted to my father, and should have had my father sealed to his father, and so on back; and the duty that I want every man who presides over a temple to see performed from this day henceforth and forever, unless the Lord Almighty commands otherwise, is, let every man be adopted to his father. … That is the will of God to this people. …
“We want the Latter-day Saints from this time to trace their genealogies as far as they can, and to be sealed to their fathers and mothers. Have children sealed to their parents, and run this chain through as far as you can get it. …
Early Saints in the mid-1800s had little or no ability to organize and research genealogies. Perhaps adoptive sealing functioned as an intermediary method until the Saints had a greater ability to do systematic genealogy.
The replacement of adoptive sealings by genealogical-based sealings illustrates the LDS concept of revelation at work. Revelation is not magical. Latter-day Saints believe that revelation expands knowledge (see the 9th Article of Faith). As such, the Church is a work in progress. A Church of revelation is a progressive Church.
True revelation ALWAYS makes things better, not worse. True revelation gives us greater appreciation for the Church, and it gives us greater insight into the Eternities.
Copyright 2008 S.Faux (Email: foxgoku54 [at] gmail [d0t] c0m; URL: http://mormoninsights.blogspot.com). Readers may distribute this post for noncommercial purposes provided such distributing is of the entire post, including author's copyright and contact information. All other rights reserved.
Please feel free to give my blog site a "Blogged.com" rating and review by clicking here.
Support Mormon Insights by making a COMMENT.
2 comments:
S. Faux - What a fascinating topic! A number of years ago I went to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City to research my mother's ancestors. We had just moved to the Salt Lake Valley from Portland, Oregon and I was excited to review the many records available there.
While researching one of her lines, I found that some of my mother's ancestors were "adopted" to Erastus and Minerva Snow. Prior to this time, I was only somewhat familiar with the practice of the "law of adoption" that you mention above.
Upon coming across these sealing records, I decided I needed to more fully understand this practice before it was modified by President Woodruff in the 1894 general conference.
Perhaps one of the most fascinating things I came across was Hosea Stout's account of Brigham Young's vision of Joseph Smith at Winter Quarters. In one of the accounts of that vision Joseph told Brigham that, "Our Father in Heaven organized the human family, but they are all disorganized and in great confusion" (Manuscript History of Brigham Young).
Over time, I came across other records that expanded my understanding of this practice and realized there are many, many scriptures that allude to this concept. While we are creating sealing links to our progenitors, I believe that over time in this dispensation we will yet see other changes in practice in the use of the sealing keys of Elijah. This is just my opinion...
On a related theme, you may be interested in the post What is an Endowment?.
Thanks for a great post!
Thanks, Greg, for the compliments and the great link. I wish I had more time to thoroughly research this topic. It is indeed fascinating.
Post a Comment