Menu
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the second anointing, also known historically and in Latter Day Saint scripture as the fullness of the priesthood, is an obscure and relatively rare ordinance usually conducted in temples as an extension of the Nauvoo endowment ceremony. Founder Joseph Smith cited the 'fulness of the priesthood' as one of the reasons for building the Nauvoo Temple.[1] In the ordinance, a participant is anointed as a 'priest and king' or a 'priestess and queen', and is sealed to the highest degree of salvation available in Mormon theology. Those who participate in this ordinance are said to have their 'calling and election made sure',[2][3] and their celestial marriage 'sealed by the holy spirit of promise'.[4] They are said to have received the 'more sure word of prophecy'.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the largest Latter Day Saint denomination, performed the ceremony for nominated couples from the 1840s to at least the mid-1900s.[5] Current official information about the practice by that denomination, or whether the ordinance is still in use, has not been made public. The ordinance is also performed by many Mormon fundamentalist groups. However, it is not performed by denominations such as the Community of Christ,[6] who historically never practiced the Nauvoo endowment ceremony.
History[edit]
Thought Of The Day
Although Joseph Smith introduced the Nauvoo endowment in 1842, he stated that his work in establishing the 'fullness of the priesthood' was not yet complete.[7] In August 1843, church apostleBrigham Young stated that '[i]f any in the Church had the fullness of the priesthood, he did not know it'. Young understood that the 'fullness of the priesthood' involved an anointing as 'king and priest', with the actual kingdom to be given after resurrection.[8]
The first time a second anointing was performed was on September 28, 1843, when Smith and his wife Emma received it.[9][10] During Smith's lifetime, the second anointing was performed on at least 20 men and 17 women.[11]:22–23 After Smith's death, Brigham Young was selected by the majority of Latter Day Saints as the church's leader, and in January 1846, he began administering the second anointing in the nearly completed Nauvoo Temple. Young re-administered the ordinance to many of those who had received it under Smith, and he delegated his authority to others, who performed nearly 600 second anointings (some to polygamous unions) before the temple was closed on February 7, 1846.[11]:26
Thought Of The Day Anointing Quotes
After migration to the Salt Lake Valley, the LDS Church did not conduct further second anointings until late 1866.[12] Beginning in the 1870s, second anointings began to be performed vicariously for dead members of the church.[11]:30 In the 1880s, church presidentJohn Taylor was concerned that too many second anointings were being performed, and he instituted a series of procedural safeguards, requiring recommendation by a stake president, and a guideline that the ordinance 'belonged particularly to old men'.[11]:32–33 In 1901, church president Lorenzo Snow further limited accessibility to the ordinance by outlining stringent criteria for worthiness.[11]:33–34
By 1918, over 14,000 second anointings had been performed for the living and the dead.[11]:39 During the administration of Heber J. Grant in the 1920s, the frequency of second anointings was dramatically reduced. Stake presidents were no longer permitted to recommend candidates for the ordinance; rather, recommendations could only be made by members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.[11]:39–40 By 1941, just under 15,000 second anointings had been performed for the living, and just over 6,000 for the dead.[11]:41 The church has not allowed historians to have access to second anointing records subsequent to 1941; therefore, the current frequency of second anointings is unknown. It is known that in 1942, 13 of the church's 32 general authorities had not received the second anointing.[11]:41 By 1949, the practice had been 'practically discontinued' by the LDS Church,[5] though until 1981 it may have continued 'to be performed—albeit on a small scale'.[11]:42–43
Ceremony[edit]
According to 19th-century journal entries, the second anointing ceremony consisted of two parts. The first part consisted of a washing and anointing of the bodies of the participants by an officiator. The second part took place some time later, and was conducted without an officiator in a private ceremony between a married couple, in which the wife symbolically prepared her husband for his death and resurrection.[11]:26–27
Meaning and symbolism[edit]
The 'first anointing' refers to the washing and anointing part of the endowment ceremony, in which a person is anointed to become a king and priest or a queen and priestess unto God. In the second anointing, on the other hand, participants are anointed as a king and priest, or queen and priestess. When the anointing is given, according to Brigham Young, the participant 'will then have received the fulness of the Priesthood, all that can be given on earth.'[13] Baixar absolute beginners soundtrack.
The 'first anointing' promises blessings in the afterlife contingent on the patron's faithfulness, while the second anointing actually bestows those blessings. According to prominent 20th-century LDS Church apostleBruce R. McConkie, those who have their calling and election made sure 'receive the more sure word of prophecy, which means that the Lord seals their exaltation upon them while they are yet in this life. .. [T]heir exaltation is assured.'[14]
The second anointing may have been intended to fulfill scriptural references to the 'fulness of the priesthood', such as that in Doctrine and Covenants, Doctrine and Covenants 124:28, a revelation by Joseph Smith commanding the building of a temple in Nauvoo, Illinois, in part, because 'there is not a place found on earth that he may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood' (emphasis added). LDS Church leaders have connected this ordinance with a statement by Peter in his second Epistle. In 2 Peter 1:10, he talks about making one's 'calling and election sure,' and further remarks, 'We have also a more sure word of prophecy' (2 Peter 1:19). Smith referenced this process in saying, 'When the Lord has thoroughly proved [a person], and finds that the [person] is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the [person] will find his calling and election made sure'.[15][16]
The second anointing is performed only on married couples. A few writers have argued that because of this, women who receive the second anointing, in which they are anointed queens and priestesses, are ordained to the 'fulness of the priesthood' in the same manner as their husbands. These scholars suggest that Smith may have considered these women to have, in fact, received the power of the priesthood, though not necessarily a specific priesthood office.[17]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^Doctrine and Covenants 124:28
- ^Smith 1976, pp. 322–23: 'The anointing and sealing is to be called, elected and made sure'
- ^Doxey 1992 (discussing the result of 'calling and election', but not referring to second anointing).
- ^Flake 1992 (defining 'holy spirit of promise').
- ^ abBuerger 1983, p. 42: 'Judging from his remarks seven years later, however, in a 1949 letter presented to the Council of the First Presidency and Twelve, [George F.] Richards still express frustration: 'For a long time I felt that I would like to express to you the disappointment I feel in that we have practically discontinued the administration of Second Anointing in the church'.
- ^Elbert A. Smith, Differences That Persist between the RLDS and LDS Churches, (1950), website accessed 2008-06-11.
- ^History of the Church, 5:139–40 (August 31, 1842), speaking to the Relief Society.
- ^Journal of Wilford Woodruff, August 6, 1843; also in History of the Church 5:527.[full citation needed]
- ^Prince, Greg (15 August 1995). 'Ordinances: The Second Anointing'. Power from on High: The Development of Mormon Priesthood. Salt Lake City: Signature Books. p. 189. ISBN978-1560850717.
- ^Diary of Joseph Smith, 28 September 1843; Wilford Woodruff, Historian's Private Journal (1858), p. 24 (LDS Church archives).[full citation needed]
- ^ abcdefghijkBuerger 1983
- ^Journal of Wilford Woodruff, December 30, 31, 1866.[full citation needed]
- ^Journal of Heber C. Kimball, 26 December 1845 (quoting Brigham Young).[full citation needed]
- ^McConkie 1966, pp. 109–10
- ^Smith 1976, p. 150
- ^Doxey 1992, p. 248
- ^Quinn 1992, chapter 17
References[edit]
- Anderson, Devery S. (Fall 2003), 'The Anointed Quorum in Nauvoo, 1842-45', Journal of Mormon History (29): 137–157.
- Buerger, David John (1983), ''The Fulness of the Priesthood': The Second Anointing in Latter-day Saint Theology and Practice'(PDF), Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, 16 (1)
- Buerger, David John (2002) [1994], The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (2nd ed.), Signature Books, ISBN1-56085-176-7, OCLC52076971
- Doxey, Roy W., ed. (1978), The Latter-day Prophets and the Doctrine and Covenants, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, ISBN0877477043, OCLC3966189
- Doxey, Roy W. (1992), 'Calling and Election', in Ludlow, Daniel H (ed.), Encyclopedia of Mormonism, New York: Macmillan Publishing, p. 248, ISBN0-02-879602-0, OCLC24502140.
- Flake, Lawrence R. (1992), 'Holy Spirit of Promise', in Ludlow, Daniel H (ed.), Encyclopedia of Mormonism, New York: Macmillan Publishing, pp. 651–52, ISBN0-02-879602-0, OCLC24502140.
- McConkie, Bruce R. (1966) [1958], Mormon Doctrine (2nd ed.), Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, ISBN0-88494-062-4, OCLC1129018
- Quinn, D. Michael (1992), 'Mormon Women Have Had the Priesthood Since 1843', in Hanks, Maxine (ed.), Women and Authority: Re-emerging Mormon Feminism, Salt Lake City: Signature Books, ISBN1-56085-014-0.
- Smith, Joseph Fielding, ed. (1976), Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Deseret Book Co., ISBN0-87747-626-8, OCLC22984603
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_anointing&oldid=898465373'
What is the Anointing?
The anointing is an empowerment from God for a specific task and purpose. The anointing is given to those who are “called” by God to do His will. Just as David was anointed by Samuel to be the next King of Israel, David received the anointing through the vessel, Samuel. Through David’s love for God, he was found by God, whose eyes search throughout the earth for those whose hearts are toward Him.
Christ means “The Anointed One'”. Jesus Christ is literally “The Anointed Jesus”. Christ also having dual definition meaning “The Messiah”‘ His people are referred to as being anointed by God. Those who are in Christ are “in the Anointed One'”. The anointing serves a dual purpose in our walk with God.
Inside Us
Firstly, the anointing is within us. I John tells us that we have the same anointing of the Holy Spirit that Jesus had. This anointing is within us to teach us all things, to help us to know Him as He really is. Without the anointing of the Holy Spirit there is no understanding. The spirit of revelation is released through this anointing of the Holy Spirit inside of us. Paul prayed that we would have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Jesus told the disciples that He was with them, but soon would be “in them”. When we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives to fill us with His Presence, then that same anointing that Jesus had will come to abide within us to teach us all things. I John also goes on to say that “you don’t need a man to teach you”. This means that all things are tested by the anointing of the Holy Spirit within us, leading us into the truth.
“The anointing of the Holy Spirit is the empowerment for us to live the way Christ desires us to live, His people reflecting and demonstrating the Kingdom of Heaven in the earth.”
Thought Of The Day Anointing Images
Upon Us
There is also a mantle of power that God puts upon His people. There are special tasks that require an anointing or unction from God to perform. Maybe someone needs to be physically healed – there is an anointing for that. Maybe someone needs delivered from demonic power – there is an anointing of the Holy Spirit for that. It can also be to preach the gospel, the good news. There is an anointing to teach. God has anointings for specific purposes to accomplish His will. Some may view this as just the anointing of the Holy Spirit, believing it is just one anointing. I don’t think it really makes a difference. What we do need to know is that we need the anointing of the Holy Spirit to do what God has called us to do. God wants people set free from oppression. That is what the anointing does. When you minister in the anointing you also are a beneficiary of what is flowing through you. In turn, you experience a greater freedom and magnification of the reality of His Presence in your life. The anointing is for people set free from the heavy yoke. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. God’s anoints us to help people be free.
The Oil of His Presence
Oil, biblically, is representative of the anointing as well. In the Old Testament, when someone or something was anointed for a purpose, they used oil to consecrate. To be anointed is to be set apart for a specific purpose. Download dragon dogma dark arisen pc the pirate full. Psalm 133 talks about how wonderful it is when brethren dwell together in unity saying, “It is like the oil running down the head, beard and on the garments.” They must have used a lot of oil! Whatever the case, the oil is very much symbolic of the anointing of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Effects of the Anointing
The are certain benefits or effects of the anointing upon our lives as well. When we spend our time with the Lord, we are continually coming into His courts. Just by being around the Anointed One, we get anointed. The anointing produces peace, joy, love, grace, patience… all of the fruit of the Holy Spirit comes by the anointing. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is an empowerment as well to live the way Christ desires us to live. To bear the fruit of the Spirit we must love the Holy Spirit. When the anointing is upon our lives there is clarity of thought, confusion is gone. His anointing gives us focus, purpose and wisdom as we abide in His Presence.
How to Receive the Anointing of the Holy Spirit
To walk in the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the first thing that must take place in our hearts is a revelation that Jesus sent His Spirit for a purpose. That purpose is that we may firstly “Abide in Him”. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you then you shall ask… and it shall be done.” We need to value to Presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives to walk in His anointing. We are told not to “grieve” the Holy Spirit. Most people would not know the Holy Spirit has left because He has been gone so long. There is a place of being aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. It is when this tangible awareness is with us that we can actually tell that He is grieved by certain things. To be grieved means to be upset or unhappy. We want God to be happy within us. The Holy Spirit is God within us. We are habitations of God. God dwells in us in the person of the Holy Spirit.
Worship is a magnet for the Holy Spirit. We need the spirit of worship upon our lives. This will cause the Holy Spirit water level to rise within us. There measure we sow is thee measure that we will reap. When we sow to the Spirit, we reap life. sowing to the flesh we reap corruption and spiritual decay. Make thanksgiving and praise and priority in your life. Worship will open up your heart to receive more of His anointing on your life.
Learning to live in the Presence of God is essential to our lives. “The Secret to Experience God’s Presence” is a new book by John Belt to help you do just that – There is no place like His place!