Comparison between the LDS temple endowment versions
THE MORMON TEMPLE ENDOWMENT CEREMONY
Comparison between the pre and post 1990 versions
The following is the 1984 transcript of the endowment with the appropriate changes marked to indicate where differences between this version and the current endowment. Strikethroughs are used to indicate deleted passages, bold typewriter font is used to indicate added text. In passages where the wording was changed, the old text is marked as deleted and the new text is marked as added. Original version of this can be found here.
FIRST LECTURER: Brethren and sisters, we welcome you to the temple, and hope you will find joy in serving in the house of the Lord this day. Those of you who are here to receive your own Endowments should have been washed, anointed, and clothed in the Garment of the Holy Priesthood. For those who are representing deceased persons, the ordinances of washing, anointing, and clothing in the Garment of the Holy Priesthood, together with the ordaining in behalf of the deceased brethren were preformed previously for those deceased persons whom you are representing. Each of you should have received a New Name in connection with this company. If any of you have forgotten the New Name, or have not received these ordinances as explained, please stand. (pause)
Please be alert, attentive and refrain from whispering during the presentation of the Endowment. As you are asked to proceed to the Veil, please do so in an orderly manner, row by row, as directed. After passing through the Veil into the Celestial Room, and in other areas in the Temple, if you need to communicate, please whisper, thus helping us maintain the quiet reverence that should prevail in the House of the Lord. We will now proceed with the presentation of the Endowment.
SECOND LECTURER: Brethren, you have been washed and pronounced clean, or that through your faithfulness, you may become clean from the blood and sins of this generation. You have been anointed to become hereafter Kings and Priests unto the Most High God, to rule and reign in the House of Israel forever.
Sisters, you have been washed and anointed to become hereafter Queens and Priestesses to your husbands.
Brethren and Sisters, if you are true and faithful, the day will come when you will be chosen, called up, and anointed Kings and Queens, Priests and Priestesses, whereas you are now anointed only to become such. The realization of these blessings depends upon your faithfulness.
You have had a Garment placed upon you, which you were informed represents the garment given to Adam and Eve when he was they were found naked in the garden of Eden, and which is called the “Garment of the Holy Priesthood.” This you were instructed to wear throughout your life. You were informed that it will be a shield and a protection to you inasmuch as you do not defile it and if you are true and faithful to your covenants.
You have had a New Name given unto you, which you were told never to divulge, nor forget. This New Name is a keyword which you will be required to give at a certain place in the temple today. The Your Endowment is to prepare you for exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom. receive all those ordiances in the House if the Lord, wich are neccessary for you to enable you to walk back to the prescence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being able to givem them the key words, the signs amd tokens, pertaining to the Holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation.
If you proceed and receive your full endowment, you will be required to take upon yourselves sacred obligations, the violation of which will bring upon you the judgment of God; for God will not be mocked. If any of you desire to withdraw rather than accept these obligations of yourown free will and choice, you may now make it known by raising your hand.
Brethren and sisters, as you sit here, you will hear the voices of three persons who represent Elohim, Jehovah, and Michael. Elohim will command Jehovah and Michael to go down and organize a world. The work of the six creative periods will be represented. They will also organize man in their own likeness and image, male and female. This, however, is simply figurative so far as the man and woman are concerned.
THE CREATION–FIRST DAY
ELOHIM: Jehovah, Michael, see: yonder is matter unorganized, go ye down and organize it into a world like unto the worlds that we have hereunto formed. Call your labors the First Day, and bring me word.
JEHOVAH: It shall be done Elohim. Come Michael, let us go down.
MICHAEL: We will go down, Jehovah.
JEHOVAH: Michael, see: here is matter unorganized. We will organize it into a world like unto worlds that we have heretofore formed. We will call our labors the First Day, and return and report.
MICHAEL: We will return and report our labors on the First Day, Jehovah.
JEHOVAH: Elohim, we have been down done as thou hast commanded, and have organized a world like unto the worlds that we have heretofore formed, and we have called out labors the First Day.
ELOHIM: It is well.
SECOND DAY
ELOHIM: Jehovah, Michael, go down again. Gather the waters together and cause the dry land to appear. The great waters call ye seas, and the dry land call ye earth. Form mountains and hills, great rivers and small streams, to beautify and give variety to the face of the earth. When you have done this, call your labors the Second Day, bring me word.
JEHOVAH: It shall be done, Elohim. Come Michael, let us go down.
MICHAEL: We will go down, Jehovah.
JEHOVAH: Michael, we will gather the waters together and cause the dry land to appear. The great waters we will call seas, and the dry land we will call earth. We will form mountains and hills, great rivers and small streams to beautify and give variety to the face of the earth. We will call our labors the Second Day, and return and report.
MICHAEL: We will return and report our labors on of the Second Day, Jehovah.
JEHOVAH: Elohim, we have been down done as thou hast commanded, and have gathered the waters together, and have caused the dry lands to appear. The great waters we have called seas, and the dry land we have called earth. We have formed mountains and hills, great rivers, and small streams, to beautify and give variety to the face of the earth; and we have called our labors the Second Day.
ELOHIM: It is well.
THIRD DAY
ELOHIM: Jehovah, Michael, return again to the earth that you have organized. Divide the light from the darkness. Call the light “day”, and the darkness “night.” Cause the lights on the firmament to appear; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. Cause the stars also to appear and give light to the earth, the same as with other worlds heretofore created. Call your labors the Third Day, and bring me word.
JEHOVAH: It shall be done, Elohim. Come Michael, let us return again to the earth that we have organized.
MICHAEL: We will return again, Jehovah.
JEHOVAH: Michael, we will divide the light from the darkness, and we will call the light “day,” and the darkness “night”. We will cause the lights in the firmament to appear, the greater to rule the day, and the lesser to rule the night. We will cause the stars also to appear and give light to the earth; the same as with other worlds heretofore created. We will call our labors the Third Day, and return and report.
MICHAEL: We will return and report our labors of the Third Day, Jehovah.
JEHOVAH: Elohim, we have been down done as thou hast commanded, and have divided the light from the darkness, and have called the light “day” and the darkness “night”. We have caused the lights in the firmament to appear; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. We have caused the stars also to appear and give light to the earth, the same as with worlds heretofore created. We have called our labors the Third Day.
ELOHIM: It is well.
FOURTH DAY
ELOHIM: Jehovah, Michael, return again.and place seeds of all kinds in the earth that they may spring forth as grass, flowers, shrubbery, trees, and all manner of vegetation; each bearing seed in itself after its own kind, as on the world we have heretofore created. Call your labors the Fourth day, and bring me word.
JEHOVAH: It shall be done, Elohim. Come Michael, let us go down.
MICHAEL: We will go down, Jehovah.
JEHOVAH: Michael, we will place seeds of all kinds in the earth that they may spring forth as grass flowers, shrubbery, trees, and all manner of vegetation; each bearing seed in itself after its own kind, as on the worlds we have heretofore created. We will call our labors the Fourth Day, and return and report.
MICHAEL: We will return and report our labors of the Fourth Day, Jehovah.
JEHOVAH: Elohim, we have been down as thou hast commanded, and have placed seeds of all kinds in the earth that they may spring forth as grass, flowers, shrubbery, trees, and all manner of vegetation; each bearing seed in itself, after its own kind, as on the worlds we have heretofore created; and we have called our labors the Fourth Day.
ELOHIM: It is well.
FIFTH DAY
ELOHIM: Jehovah, Michael, now that the earth is formed, divided and beautified, and vegetation is growing thereon, return and place beasts upon the land: the elephant, the lion, the tiger, the bear, the horse, and all other kinds of animals; fowls in the air in all their varieties, fishes of all kinds in the waters, and insects and all manner of animal life upon the earth. Command the beasts, the fowls, the fishes, the insects, all creeping things, and other forms of animal life to multiply in their respective elements, each after its kind, and every kind of vegetation to multiply it its sphere, that every form of life may fill the measure of its creation, and have joy therein. Call your labors the Fifth Day, and bring me word.
JEHOVAH: It shall be done, Elohim. Come Michael, let us go down.
MICHAEL: We will go down, Jehovah.
JEHOVAH: Michael, now that the earth is formed, divided and beautified, and vegetation is growing thereon, we will place all beasts upon the land: the elephant, the lion, the tiger, the bear, the horse, and all other kinds of animals; fowls in the air in all their varieties, fishes of all kinds in the waters, and insects and all manner of animal life upon the earth. We will command the beasts, the fowls, the fishes, the insects, all creeping things, and other forms of animal life to multiply in their respective elements, each after its kind, and every kind of vegetation to multiply in its sphere, that every form of life may fill the measure of its creation, and have joy therein. We will call our labors the Fifth Day, and return and report.
MICHAEL: It is well, Jehovah. Now that the earth is formed, divided an beautified with vegetation growing thereon, and provided with animal all manner of life, it is glorious and beautiful.
JEHOVAH: It is, Michael.
MICHAEL: Let us return and report our labors of the Fifth Day, Jehovah.
JEHOVAH: Elohim, we have been down doneas thou hast commanded; we have placed beasts upon the land: the elephant, the lion, the tiger, the bear, the horse, and all other kinds of animals; in the waters, and insects, and all manner of animal life upon the earth. We have commanded the beasts, the fowls, the fishes, the insects, all creeping things, and other forms of animal life to multiply in their respective elements, each after its kind, and every kind of vegetation to multiply in its sphere, that every form of life may fill the measure of its creation, and have joy therein. We and have called our labors the Fifth Day.
ELOHIM: It is well.
SIXTH DAY
ELOHIM: Jehovah, Michael, is man found upon the earth?
JEHOVAH: Man is not found on the earth, Elohim.
ELOHIM: Jehovah, Michael, then let us go down and form man in our own likeness and in our own image, male and female, and put into him his spirit, them their spirits and let us give him them dominion over the beasts, the fishes, and the birds, and make him lord over the earth, and over all things on the face of the earth. We will plant for him them a garden, eastward in Eden, and place himthem in it to tend and cultivate it, that he they may be happy, and have joy therein. We will command him them to multiply and replenish the earth, that he they may have joy in his their posterity. We will place before him them the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and we will allow Lucifer, our common enemy, whom we have thrust out to tempt him them, and to try him them, that he they may know by histheir own experience the good from the evil. If he yields they yield to temptation we will give unto him them The Law of Sacrifice, and we will provide a savior for him them, as we counseled in the beginning, that man may be brought forth by the power of the redemption and the resurrection, and come again into our presence, and with us partake of Eternal Life and exultation. We will call this the sixth day, and we will rest from our labors for a season. Come, let us go down.
JEHOVAH: We will go down, Elohim.
(The film now shows a scene of a lush, tropical area. A thick mist rises from the earth.)
ELOHIM: Jehovah, see the earth that we have formed. There is no man to till and take care of it. We are here to form man in our own likeness and in our own image.
JEHOVAH: We will do so, Elohim.
(The youthful body of Adam who lies in a comatose state, is shown from the shoulders up.)
ELOHIM: Jehovah, man is now organized, and we will put into him his spirit, the breath of life, that he may become a living soul.
(Light shines on Adam’s face, and his chest expands as he begins to breathe. He stirs, as if awakening.)
ELOHIM: Jehovah, is it good for man to be alone?
JEHOVAH: It is not good for man to be alone, Elohim.
ELOHIM: We will cause a deep sleep to come upon this man whom we have formed, and we will take from his side a rib from which we will form a woman to be a companion and helpmeet for him.
(Adam lays his head upon the ground as he looses consciousness.)
NARRATOR: Brethren and sisters, this is Michael, who helped form the earth. When he awakens from the sleep which Elohim and Jehovah have caused to come upon him, he will be known as Adam, and having forgotten all, will have become a little child. Brethren, close your eyes as if you were asleep.
(All male patrons in the room close their eyes.)
ELOHIM: Adam, awake and arise.
(Adam obeys the command, and is shown with foliage in front of him which conceals his body from view. The youthful Adam appears to be in his 20’s, is in good physical condition, and is clean shaven.)
NARRATOR: All the brethren will please arise.
(The male patrons open their eyes and rise from their seats. An attractive, youthful Eve enters the scene and stands beside Adam. They are both shown from the shoulders up.)
ELOHIM: Adam, here is a woman whom we have formed and whom we give unto you to be a companion and helpmeet for you. What will you call her?
ADAM:: Eve.
(For the first time, the Gods, Elohim and Jehovah, are shown. They are two bearded, luminescent, glorious personages, clothed in flowing white robes. They appear standing in mid air above and in front of Adam and Eve, and are surrounded by a radiant aura of silvery-white light.)
ELOHIM: Why will you call her Eve?
ADAM:: Because she is the mother of all living.
ELOHIM: That is right, Adam; because she is the mother of all living. Adam, we have organized for you this earth, and have planted a garden, eastward in Eden. We will place you in the garden and we will there command you and Eve to multiply and replenish the earth, that you may have joy and rejoicing in your posterity. Jehovah, introduce Adam and Eve into the garden which we have prepared for him them.
JEHOVAH: It shall be done, Elohim.