Hi Just Me,
Wow, even after reading it I had to sit back and think about it for about an hour or so. I am having flashbacks now to the first few endowment sessions I went through, and I am remembering that this obviously DID take place!! I just didn't remember it!
Through the years I would do other Temple Ordinances - but not many Endowment sessions. Mostly what I recall of the early years of my participation in those sessions was that I was anxious to do things correctly when we were supposed to do them. I didn't want to slow the progress of the session by screwing up. I also remember trying to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost so that I could get the spiritual understanding of what was going on. It can be overwhelming for someone who is still at a milk understanding.
With that said, though, as you can see from the older version of the Endowment, the covenants are made to God; not to man. They are symbolic of our sincere desire to keep God's higher laws. For instance, in my physical body, I would die rather than forsake Father or Jesus, even if my physical life was at stake. The older oaths taken were symbolic of our soul being at stake. Sadly, the person interviewing Elder Holland either did not allow him to explain anything; or that part of the conversation was cut out.
To my knowledge there was no secret society established within the Church who would go around and kill anyone who revealed what went on during an Endowment session. For those who kept their promise not to reveal anything, it was and is an issue of sacredness to them. Those who are worldly, or who, after having been Endowed would then talk about the Ordinances performed in the Temple, have broken their promise - they need to seek forgiveness for the welfare of their spiritual self; not for their physical self.
There will be those who will want to make something out of this. So be it. Their actions and words will eventually be addressed to them by God. Also, since these were symbolic, they cannot even compare with the Law of Moses; which were temporal laws. The breaking of some of these temporal laws was punishable by physical death; and by stoning no less.
I am now wondering if the reason these oaths were originally deleted is because a person only goes through an Endowment Session once for themself. All other sessions are done for the dead. Since the dead are unable to break such an oath and reveal the Endowment to anyone, it seems to be unnecessary to make such an oath on behalf of the dead. Also, since I don't know exactly when the Endowment unfortunately became available to the public (had it been revealed by 1990??), it is now not necessary to promise, even symbolically, to not reveal anything.
If anyone knows of any organized group within the Church whose purpose was to enforce the spiritual promises made in the Temple, I would like to hear about it/them. This would concern me very much. I ask this also because I know that the RCC organized their own society within the church to carry out deeds of darkness. They were known as the Jesuits; and it is unclear due to much controversy, as to whether or not the purpose of their existence is the same as it originally was. For those interested, their secret oath has been released to the public. Here is just a taste (and all we used to do was symbolically pantomime our oath with God):
"I furthermore promise and declare that I will, when opportunity present, make and wage relentless war, secretly or openly, against all heretics, Protestants and Liberals, as I am directed to do, to extirpate and exterminate them from the face of the whole earth; and that I will spare neither age, sex or condition; and that I will hang, waste, boil, flay, strangle and bury alive these infamous heretics, rip up the stomachs and wombs of their women and crush their infants' heads against the walls, in order to annihilate forever their execrable race. That when the same cannot be done openly, I will secretly use the poisoned cup, the strangulating cord, the steel of the poniard or the leaden bullet, regardless of the honor, rank, dignity, or authority of the person or persons, whatever may be their condition in life, either public or private, as I at any time may be directed so to do by any agent of the Pope or Superior of the Brotherhood of the Holy Faith, of the Society of Jesus.
In confirmation of which, I hereby dedicate my life, my soul and all my corporal powers, and with this dagger which I now receive, I will subscribe my name written in my own blood, in testimony thereof; and should I prove false or weaken in my determination, may my brethren and fellow soldiers of the Militia of the Pope cut off my hands and my feet, and my throat from ear to ear, my belly opened and sulphur burned therein, with all the punishment that can be inflicted upon me on earth and my soul be tortured by demons in an eternal hell forever!"Here is a link you can use to see the entire ceremony and oath:
http://www.remnantofgod.org/jes-oth.htmAnyway, thank you for pointing out that my memory just is not what it used to be. I apologize for mis-speaking.
Blessings,
jo
