THE SECRET
“Oh Harry, we must never say his name.”
“Who, Voldemort?”
Some things should not be discussed. There is a simple reason for this. If it is not discussed then it cannot be
examined. If it cannot be examined then
it cannot be questioned. If it cannot be
questioned then it cannot be understood.
If it cannot be understood then it cannot be corrected. Things should not be discussed because it
would expose the error. We are forbidden
to discuss such things, because those who benefit from keeping it secret would
rather we did not expose the error to the light of truth.
Why keep it a secret?
By keeping things a secret, the works of darkness can continue on. That is why it is called “works of darkness”. Keep it in the dark where no one can see it
then no one can stop it. Keep it
hidden. Keep it a secret. Children know this when they are stealing
candy. Inside Traders know this when
they are setting themselves up to reap the gains from the devastating fall of
others. Cain thought that was how he
could get away with murder. That is how anyone
can get away with doing something that is wrong. Don’t talk about it.
Remember Harry Potter, the boy with magical
powers. Even before he knew he had special
skills at all, he was without fear. He
was curious. He questioned
everything. He wasn’t limited to the
traditions that surrounded him. He was
childlike in his desire to learn about the world around him. (3 Nephi 11:37-38)
For the most part, Harry was rejected by the world
around him. Was it because of that
rejection that he was willing to question the traditions which bound others in
fear? If he had been warmly welcomed in
the Dursley home, would he have ever wanted to leave the muggle world? Or had he grown up in the world of magic,
would he have ever questioned the superstitions of that world? He didn’t really belong to either the muggle
or the magic tradition and so he was not blinded by either set of traditions. He could take the best of both worlds and
create a solution to overcome the challenges that were presented to him.
What was the most significant threat to Harry
Potter?
(Spoiler
Alert!) (Spoiler Alert!) (Spoiler Alert!)
The most significant threat to Harry Potter was…it was…
well, it was…(whisper)… “you know who.”
“Who?
Voldemort?”
“You don’t just say it out loud, you nitwit!”
It turns out that Voldemort was a devil spirit that
had fallen from grace within the magic world.
But as Harry began to make new friends within that magic world, he
quickly discovered that there was something everyone around him wanted to keep secret. They did not want the name of the evil spirit
to ever be spoken aloud. There was a
palpable fear that everyone had even in the mentioning of the name. They were certain that even talking about
such things would bring the devil right in to their presence.
Harry Potter was sent on a path to overcome this evil
spirit that had fallen. And as it turns
out, a portion of that evil spirit already dwelt within Harry. The inner demon was something he was going to
have to overcome from within…
Does any of this sound familiar?
Would Harry have ever been prepared to recognize and
overcome this evil spirit if he had not been willing to talk about it? Would he not have needed to identify the evil
spirit in order to overcome it permanently?
Harry wasn’t afraid to ask the questions that needed
to be asked. He wasn’t afraid to talk
about it. Had he been bound by the
traditions of those around him, it is doubtful he would have ever gained the
knowledge and skill required to overcome this evil force. Harry did not have to keep it a secret
because he instinctively knew that truth does not need to keep secrets. Harry spoke the name of his enemy openly and
without fear.
Identifying the enemy is the first step in overcoming
the enemy. Identifying the sin is the
first step in overcoming the sin.
Truth is what is real and truth is one of the major
attributes of God. If we want to have
anything to do with God, then we are going to have to learn to love truth.
OUR SECRET
So let’s have a talk, you and I. We need to discuss something important. Let’s
talk about truth. We need to talk about
The Temple. There is a big secret in the temple of the latter-days. No one seems willing to talk about it. It’s
not allowed for discussion outside of the temple and not even in a temple
preparation class. It’s not even talked
about within the temple. But we need to talk about it,
because the Book of Mormon talks about it.
The Book of Mormon sheds light on the secrets of the temple. So let’s
talk about what the scriptures have to say about the temple.
The covenants made not to disclose certain things are very narrow in scope. Out of an abundance of caution, many members of the church include everything related to the temple under the category of something they have covenanted not to disclose. Reflect for a moment on what is specifically promised not to disclose. This is a very limited and narrow portion of the temple ceremony. In this forum, we have no need to lay out the specifics and hence drive away many sincere temple attenders who would otherwise benefit from a discussion on what the scriptures have to say about these things.
In this discussion, we are not going to violate any covenants. Please do not shut down the discussion out of
fear. As we talk about this, try to calm
your mind and consider it one line at time, one precept at a time. Consider it a little here and a little there.
By all means, take this to the Lord in prayer.
Please do not assume that just because we are
discussing one issue that we can assume all other related issues are now
forfeit. The idea that a religion “has
to be all or nothing” is a clever ploy but it is not grounded in truth. The unraveling of one particular issue does
not bring the whole of a religion crashing down in flames around you. Your Eternity will not become forfeit because
you dare to ask sincere questions. God
answers the questions that you are prepared to ask. If you ask about the traditions of your
fathers, He will answer. God will give
liberally to those who ask in Faith, always remembering
that Faith is exercised as we seek to know and do the will of God.
As you read the following
scripture references, please turn to the chapters and view the context of the
words that have been quoted. Ponder the
history of the temple in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Consider what has been taught
in the past and how that relates to what we now teach. Recognize that much of what is practiced today
is a derivative of the past ceremonies, but changed to be more palatable to the
culture of our times. What is called a "sign" today is an abbreviation of what was called a "penalty" before 1990. Recognize that the culture has influenced the temple ceremony.
Please also understand that I love the temple. I have often felt great peace as I have attended and served there. I felt light in the temple during times when all else in my life was darkness. The temple has been my sanctuary indeed. I still look forward to going as often as I can. The things I write about today are a result of being convicted by the Lord. His chastisements serve as the means to help me repent and find Him. These things are written that we may not reject the true light which can be had in the temple. Let us remove the darkness from among us and embrace His light. In regards to this subject, I do not know how that is to be accomplished. I wait upon Him for the further light and knowledge He has promised to send.
With that understanding, let us get to the big secret....
Is the Lord pleased with the parallels between Mason
Ceremonies and the Temple Ordinances?
Leviticus 19:12 "And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither
shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord."
- From which it is demonstrated that we should
consider carefully if what we are doing in His Name is truly
approved by him. Therefore, let us consider the teachings Christ has given us about how to take on His name.
Matthew 5:33-37 "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of
old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord
thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by
heaven, for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth for it is his footstool:
neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither
shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or
black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever
is more than these cometh of evil."
- Would making an oath “Before
God,” constitute swearing by God’s throne?
- Would making an oath before “Angels,” constitute swearing by Heaven?
- "And" would making an oath before “these
Witnesses” constitute swearing by the Earth? ("Witnesses" in this context means those mortal witnesses who are living upon
the earth.)
- Christ states that He is not pleased with oaths requiring
our lives are put under penalty. For example, "thou shalt not swear by thy head". Should we take this
literally? Should we take God at His word when He tells us to swear
not at all?
Moses 5:28-32 "And it came to pass that Cain took one of his brothers'
daughters to wife, and they loved Satan more than God. And Satan said
unto Cain: Swear unto me by thy throat, and if thou tell it thou
shalt die; and swear thy brethren by their heads, and by the living
God, that they tell it not; for if they tell it, they shall surely die;
and this that thy father may not know it; and this day I will deliver thy
brother into thine hands. And Satan sware unto Cain that he would do
according to his commands. And all these things were done in secret."
- Who asks for an oath to be made by thy throat?
Lucifer
- Who asks for an oath by thy head? Lucifer
- The secret is established to hide the sin from
The Father
- Because they loved Satan more
- Satan asked them to agree to a penalty of their
own death for the sake of the secret
- Is it written anywhere that such a method of oath
making is of God?
Moses 5:49 "For Lamech having entered into a covenant with Satan,
after the manner of Cain, wherein he became Master Mahan, master of that
great secret which was administered unto Cain by Satan; and Irad,
the son of Enoch, having known their secret, began to reveal it unto the sons
of Adam;"
- The secret is administered by Satan
- It has a purpose, to murder
- It is displeasing to God
- Even from the beginning of man's history this secret method of
oath making was used by Satan. Even until the end of man's fallen condition will it continue?
Moses 6:15
"And the children of men were numerous upon all the face of the
land. And in those days Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in
their hearts; and from thenceforth came wars and bloodshed; and a man's hand
was against his own brother, in administering death, because of secret works,
seeking for power."
- It gives Satan great power when things are done
in secret
- The secret works are for the purpose of gaining
power
- The secrets are used to administer death (murder)
and for purposes of war (mass murder)
Warning from the Book of Mormon
And here are references from the Book of Mormon...
2 Nephi 26:14 "But behold, I prophecy unto you concerning the last days..."
- Therefore, what follows in this chapter applies
to modern times, which means it directly relates to us.
2 Nephi
26:22-24 "And there are also secret combinations even as in times of
old, according to the combinations
of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of
darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by a flaxen cord, until he
bindeth them with his strong cords forever.
For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God
worketh not in darkness."
- From the beginning Satan used these secret
combinations and even as in old times, he still uses these.
- Mason rituals literally lead a blind folded man
into the ceremony by a flaxen cord. Could this symbolism included in
this verse directly implicate a connection to what was occurring in Nauvoo
where the men of the city were rising in the ranks of Masonry while
neglecting to build the temple in the time frame provided by the Lord?
- The context of 2 Nephi 26:22-24 discusses the sin
of neglecting the poor. It
describes building up many churches, but without the power and miracles of
God for the purpose of getting gain and “grinding upon the face of the
poor” (Verse 20). One of the main
attractions for membership in the Mason organization is the business connections which
can be established. The secret
agreements made in the halls of the clubs give them an advantage against
their competitors. Is this a stern
warning that a church organization should not incorporate the same
business practices that would be common among such combinations established among secret organizations?
- Notice that God does not work in darkness or in other words, God does not work in secret.
ONE EXAMPLE
(2 Nephi
26:23) "the Lord God worketh not in darkness"
Verse 24 "he
commandeth none that they shall not
partake of his salvation"
Verse 26 "hath he
commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out
of the houses of worship? Behold, I say into you, Nay.
Is it right to bar a person from the temple-synagogue or the temple-house-of-worship? Who is qualified to determine the "worthiness" of the temple attendees? I submit that the only one qualified to determine temple worthiness is the individual themselves based upon their own personal convictions as witnessed to them alone by the Holy Spirit. Here is an example to illustrate: What
if someone doesn't pay tithing, should that person be barred from the temple?
Not all
Ten Percent Tithes are equal in burden.
Consider that there is a certain level of cost of living within
your community. If one person makes
200% more than the cost of living and another person makes only 50% of the
cost of living in the same community, who of these feels the loss of the
ten percent the most? The Two Hundred Percent-er suffers no loss from the tithe because his income still exceeds the cost of living after paying tithing. However, the Fifty Percent-er suffers from the loss of tithe because his resources are reduced even further below the cost of living.
Consider also
that the cost of living in some areas is not related to a healthy standard of
living. Therefore, the LDS member
in South America who makes 200% more than the cost of living for their
community would still be at a significant disadvantage compared to the LDS
member in North America who makes 50% of the cost of living in that area. This is
due to the deviation in standards of living. In this case the North American who claims poverty is still well above a healthy standard of living. And the South American who claims wealthy is still impoverished. Which of these has sufficient for their
needs? Who of these will go without
certain necessities and then go without even more because of the tithe? Would not the greater burden of the poor
necessitate a greater mercy?
"But you don't understand the Law of Tithing is about Faith. You are forgetting that great blessings always come from the paying of tithing. The windows of heaven will open and poor out a gift so much that there will not be room enough to receive it."
I am not forgetting this at all. Indeed the Lord will test us in our poverty to see if our hearts are charitable. To see if we will give to another in need at the expense of our own comfort and well being. Christ did this very thing by his example. This is the Law of Sacrifice. This is not forgotten at all and sermons preached to remind us of this lesson are well received by the faithful. The sin is not in the Law of Tithing. The sin is in the heart of those who think they have the authority to control the tithing and enforce the law by compulsion upon the souls of others. This compulsion is manifest in the requirement to make an annual statement declaring the tithing is payed in full. Such a practice demonstrates that it is no longer a voluntary tithe but rather a compulsory tax. This compulsion is enforced when a full tithe is demanded before allowance is granted to enter into the Houses of Worship.
Let the poor decide between their own heart and
the Lord how much to give. It is
highly likely that the faithful poor will still give even in their poverty. However consider if it is right to
enforce the law of tithe as if it were a tax upon the poor by making their
opportunity to worship in the temple conditional upon the payment. The enforcement of the tithe becomes
unrighteous dominion because it robs from the parishioner the opportunity
to freely give and compels them to pay in order that they may worship.
Likewise, how many billions of dollars poured
into elaborate architecture is required before it becomes a mockery to the
poor who must go without basic necessities in order to fund the never
ending construction projects? Was
the story of the Widows Mite a lesson for the poor to give more or was it
a lesson intended for the wealthy? For whom did the Lord warn as he talked about the widow? Who better than the Administration who sat in the seat of Moses to receive this warning of the Lord?
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ME?
The secret combinations warned about are built up for the purposes of getting gain and for power. They seek to control the people by holding Eternity ransom for a price. We find from the Book of Mormon that these things are applicable to us as a Latter-day church.
“But behold, I prophesy unto you concerning
the last days; concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things forth unto the
children of men.” (2 Nephi 26:14) ,
These warnings are not to those who were in the First Council of Nicaea. These things were not spoken to the Popes who
went to war in the Crusades to the Holy Lands.
These things are not written for the Catholic Church. These things are written for the people concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring the Book of Mormon forth unto the children of men. These were preserved on plates...for our
times. As it is written, “when the Lord
God shall bring these things forth” is a statement that directly indicts the
people who receive these words as scriptures in our own day.
In 2 Nephi 26, the sins of the Church among the Gentiles is declared:
-
Pride above all others (verse 19)
(Examples of Pride:
"We are members of the only True and Living Church....upon the whole earth...for the last 2000 years!"
"We have the Authority of God....and no one else does")
- Deny power of God and teach own wisdom (Verse 20)
- Joining with secret combinations (verse 22)
- Casting others out of the synagogues (verse 26)
- Rejection of the Law of Consecration (verse 30-31)
(in the form of positioning leaders, religious books and church organizations between a person and their relationship with Jesus Christ)
(In the symbolic form of oaths and penalties. Including but not limited to Oaths of Revenge for the Martyred Prophet and Blood Atonement teachings in Brigham's era. Also the Signs which are the modern version of the Penalties. Also murder not just in symbolic form but in actual crimes committed.)
(
in the form of polygamy and adultery)
- Excluding groups from partaking based on race or gender (verse 33) and ability
to contribute economically (verse 20,26)
- Take the name of God in vain with secret covenants and in not keeping the true covenants (verse
32)
All the commandments have been violated and it is outlined clearly in 2 Nephi
26 that this applies to a modern people from the
Gentiles, and from among those Gentiles, those who claim to be of God in
the last days (example
Latter-days).
The purpose
of binding together with secret oaths is to create a group of members willing
to support each other in the participation of these sins. Such sins include all those listed in 2 Nephi
26. By keeping it secret, the leadership
is able to garner loyalty to the sin before the sin is committed. The loyalty becomes more important than
the truth. In fact the loyalty becomes the
only “truth” that matters, as the members become free to indulge in their
favorite vices and the leaders flatter the people into thinking that such things are approved by God.
More on the
dangers of secret combinations are warned about in the Book of Ether.
Ether 8:13-26...It doesn’t get any clearer than this chapter. The whole
chapter is an explicit condemnation of secret combinations. For brevity, I will not post the whole
chapter but would recommend that you read it keeping in mind that it serves as
a second scriptural witness to warn of that which is had among our own traditions.
Ether 8:2 Notice a king gains the people with flattering words.
Ether 8:13-14 "...Will ye swear unto me that ye will be faithful unto me
in the thing which I shall desire of you? And it came to pass that they all sware
unto him, by the God of heaven, and also by the heavens, and also by the
earth, and by their heads, that whoso should vary from the assistance
which Akish desired should lose his head; and whoso should divulge
whatsoever thing Akish made known unto them, the same should lose his
life."
Verse 19 "For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither
doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it,
from the beginning of man."
- Forbidden it...this is written in strong language.
Verse 20
declares that these things "are had among all people"
- What does "all" mean in this
sentence? Does it mean only among the people of a certain nation, or
a certain religion or a certain geographic area? If it is among all
people, then in what manner is it among my people or the people I
personally identify with? Is it worth my time to determine in what
manner, my people might be in error by accepting these things
into our practices? Are "my people" excluded
from the category of "all people"?
It is a distraction to
point the finger at other groups.
It is my group that must receive the examination in regard to
these things. "My group" is the church that I was raised in. It is the church of my ancestors. It is the denomination that I still worship in. Maybe these things are applicable to another set of people, but they have their own warnings from the Lord. These things are my warning. It is my people who received these things. We are they who need to repent based upon these words we have been given.
Verse 24
"Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these
things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful
situation, because of this secret
combination which shall be among you, or wo be unto it, because of
the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance
upon it, and also upon those who built it up."
Notice how it states "when ye shall see
these things come among you”, as opposed to “if ye shall see these things
come among you”. It does not say “if”. It also states that our “awful situation”
shall be “because of this secret combination which shall be among you” Notice the certainty in these words
that indicates these things shall be among us, as opposed to might be
among us...in other words, these things are among our people, and this means our situation is awful. We do not want to continue in
blindness to these things. Seeing that these things are cloaked in
secrecy, the first place to start is to examine those things which have
been asked of us to be kept secret. Behind the secret, we find the sin. Expose the secret to the light of truth and we can then recognize how to repent of the error.
Many more
things are written about this in Ether Chap 8, these are merely abbreviated
notes. From these readings alone, it
does not appear that such things as are had in our ceremonies are of God. We are warned that these
things will be among us. If we do not see these things, it is because we willingly turn a blind eye to the truth which is laid out before us in
the Book of Mormon.
ALL IS NOT WELL IN ZION
NEITHER IS ALL LOST
I
want to point out the many good promises that are made in the House of the
Lord. There are certain laws which
participants are asked to agree to live by.
None of these require an oath of secrecy at all. When covenanting to live by certain Laws there
are no associated oaths to keep the laws secret. We are free to openly discuss the Law of God.
For example we may
openly discuss the Law of the Gospel.
After all it has been explained to us in the scriptures. Likewise, keeping the Law of Sacrifice is
something we can speak with in any setting.
By keeping this law the Atonement is activated in our lives. Christ sacrificed for our sins and when we
sacrifice for God, he applies the Atonement in mercy. It is the law by which men are made free from
sin. We teach this openly for there is
no need to hide such good news. We rejoice in the teaching of these things.
Likewise we openly discuss the Law of
Chastity, knowing that teaching our children early regarding such things is
critical to their well being.
And it
would be impossible to Consecrate all that we have without openly discussing
the needs of others in a group setting that we may fulfill those needs in the service of our neighbors.
Notice how these promises to keep each of
these laws are indicated by nothing more complicated than a simple “YES” with a head bowed in humility. Reflect upon that simple “YES”. That response is sufficient. "That will do" sufficiently for the Lord to accept your promises.
After all that has been said, it is written from the Sermon on the Mount and Sermon at
Bountiful:
“But let
your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever cometh of more than
these is evil.” (Matthew 5:33-37 and 3 Nephi 12:37).
Christ
taught how to recognize the light from the darkness. Those things which are asked of you by nothing
more than a Yes or No response are from the Lord. Those things which are asked of you by the
forfeiture of your life including the swearing of your head are of the
Adversary.
It seems
unfair that such things could be mixed together into one and the same temple
worship. Yet this mixture of light and
dark is consistent with the nature of this world. Before the Father and the Son appeared to the
boy Joseph Smith, there was an overwhelming power of darkness that attempted to
overshadow him. He had to call upon the
Lord to receive rescue from the darkness.
In this world, darkness is given equal stage with light that we may
learn to discern between the two. You
will find this competitive mixture in every form. Your scriptures have truth and error. Your prophets have truth and error. Your spouse has truth and error. Your children have truth and error. Your temple has truth and error. Only one is free of all error. That is Jesus Christ the God of Truth.
God
offers clarity and understanding. If we do not understand these
things, it is because we do not ask God directly for light and truth. Learn to rely upon Him that He may teach you
personally how to separate out that truth and error in all other things.
