The Lords Use of Ritual

Volume Three—Chapter Twenty-Nine THE LORD’S USE OF RITUAL

#What Is Ritual?

Ritual is a system of established and prescribed ceremonial and symbolic physical acts utilized in religious worship. We sometimes refer to rituals as rites, ceremonies, or ordinances. In the Church, we are accustomed to associating our entering into sacred covenants with rituals or ordinances. Examples include baptism (the baptism of water and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost), the sacrament (partaking of the bread and the water), ordinations to the higher priesthood and offices in that priesthood (the laying on of hands), and the ordinances of the temple including the covenant of eternal marriage. Other rituals or ordinances include the blessing of babies or blessing the sick, the confirmation of an individual to be a member of the Church, ordinations to the lesser priesthood, and the setting apart to various offices and callings in the Church by the laying on of hands. All of these physical ritual acts are utilized in association with set or, at least, structured uttered prayers.

#Scriptural Examples of Ritual

In the scriptures we read of examples of rituals that are not part of established or regularly-performed ordinances. The Lord or his servants sometimes have juxtaposed the Lord’s blessings with physical acts.

The calling of Enoch. The Lord called the prophet Enoch to his service. In order to allow Enoch to see spiritual things, the Lord “said unto him: Anoint thine eyes with clay, and wash them, and thou shalt see. And he did so” (Moses 6:35). Rather than simply blessing Enoch with spiritual eyes, the Lord commanded him to participate in the process of anointing his own eyes with clay. Then he was able to see the spiritual things the Lord desired him to see.

Elisha heals Naaman of leprosy. In the book of 2 Kings we read the wellknown story of Naaman, a Syrian military general who lived in the ninth century BC. At the time there were two kingdoms in Israel, the Kingdom of Israel in the north, in Samaria, and the Kingdom of Judah in the south, centered in Jerusalem. Naaman was a good man but was stricken with leprosy. A young Israelite maid in Naaman’s household, a servant of Naaman’s wife, knew of her master’s condition. She also knew that deliverance from his awful disease was possible. “She said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet [Elisha] that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of the leprosy.” The king of Syria, wanting to save his valued general, sent a letter to the king of Israel saying that he would send Naaman, “that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.”

The king of Israel was apprehensive and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy?” Elisha heard of the letter and told the king, “Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” Naaman came “with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in [the Jordan River] seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.” Naaman, expecting to be received and treated with more solicitude and respect was insulted on two counts. First, why couldn’t Elisha take the time to come out of the house, meet him, and then heal him by the laying on of hands or in some other, more personal, way? Second, Naaman reasoned: What is it about the Jordan River? Why that filthy place? “Are not Arbana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.”

And then the timeless lesson. The sensitive servants of Naaman asked the question: “If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean?” No doubt convicted by the poignancy and spirit of truthfulness in their words, Naaman humbled himself. “Then he went down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:1-14).

The Lord heals the man blind from birth. In John 9:1-7, Jesus and his disciples encountered a man who had been blind from birth. Jesus set about to heal him: “He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam . . . He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.”

#Why Does the Lord Utilize Ritual?

As the Lord deals with his people on earth, why does he employ ritual? What is he trying to teach us by his use of rituals or ordinances? Of what particular significance are the physical acts he specifies? Might it be that the Lord involves us in rituals and ordinances arbitrarily—for no particular reason except to mark it as an action of godly import? Is it for some capricious godly whim? Is it purely to teach obedience? Let us be reminded, that there is nothing of arbitrariness or caprice in God’s universe. He does nothing without studied reason and purpose. His central objective is, within the limitations imposed by this mortal test, to bring us home to live with him forever. He wants us home. His efforts to give us every chance to get there are thoughtful and deliberate (Moses 1:39). We may well seek for thoughtful divine purpose in all ritual.

#Purposes of Ritual

It would seem that there are at least eight lessons we learn, or are intended to learn, as we participate in rituals and ordinances. As we consider these eight purposes of ritual, let us be reminded that in the Church, ritual and ordinance invariably imply covenant.

1. Pro-active effort is necessary in order to receive the Lord’s blessings. The Lord’s blessings do not come without effort. He wants us to learn this literally, but he teaches it figuratively or metaphorically. He requires that we submit ourselves to the ordinance. We don’t receive the blessings of the sacrament, for example, without going to Church, placing ourselves in a reverent, repentant frame of mind, singing a hymn, listening to the prayer, and then partaking of the bread and water. We don’t receive the blessings of the temple without preparing ourselves spiritually, making our way to the temple, and participating there in the ordinances and rituals. In order to participate in an ordinance, we must achieve a proper frame of mind, repair to a certain place, and be there punctually.

Similarly, we do not achieve spiritual growth on earth without deliberately and purposefully exerting ourselves. Obedience is usually painful. Spiritual growth does not come free or even cheap. It must be done deliberately and conscientiously. The obligation to grow spiritually rests upon our own shoulders. No one can do it for us. We must exert ourselves. We must assume full responsibility. We must decide to

participate in the “ordinance” and then do it!

2. Undeniable commitment. Virtually all physical ordinances and instances of ritual in the Lord’s gospel signify a sacred, binding agreement. They signify covenants we enter into with him. When we covenant with him, we submit to that covenant by a definite overt physical action. This commits us in our own eyes. There is nothing ambiguous or indefinite about an overt physical act. We have done it. We know it. We know the Lord knows it. We are committed. We cannot renege on our promise. We must now make good. We must now keep our covenant.

When the Lord gave to Enoch the gift of spiritual vision, did he expect a commitment from Enoch? As Enoch received this gift, was he entering into a covenant? Did the mortal Jesus Christ let the blind man know that removing his blindness did not come without obligation? Did General Naaman sense a spiritual obligation or commitment to the God of Israel after his experience in the River Jordan? Naaman said afterward, “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel” (2 Kings 5:15).

3. Commitment before the saints. When we participate in an ordinance, the Lord often has us do so where other saints are present. These others witness our participation in the sacrament or in the rituals and ordinances of the temple. And why does he want others to witness our participation? He wants them to know that we are committed. They saw us make the covenant. Now, in a way, we are responsible to them, and they to us. They can help us keep that commitment. No one can go it alone. Earning our exaltation is not a process we achieve by ourselves. We all need help. The Lord sees to it that we get that help from others who know that we have made covenants. Others were there. Now they know that we need the fellowship of the saints. We are all a part of his Church, a group of his followers committed to help one another on our way toward exaltation.

4. Enrichment of our fellowship. There is an additional reason why the group dynamic is spiritually fortifying for all of us. In the temple, we share together a ritual that is not so much secret as it is sacred. We avoid speaking of it outside the temple because of its profoundly sacred nature. It is not something we would like to see become the topic of mundane conversation. So we keep it to ourselves. It is a topic held sacred among us saints. This cherished, shared knowledge adds to the warm fellowship existing among us. The Lord intends that it should be so. He has a vested interest in binding us together. He knows well that an effective way to bring us back home is for us to remain close, reliant, and loyal to one another here in mortality.

For this very reason, myriad earthly fraternal organizations utilize ritual. In these men’s and women’s organizations, secret ritual and lore are intended to bind the members together as an organization. They share something secret and special. They keep it to themselves. Their friendship and bond is thus strengthened. It is interesting to note that this secular concept of ritual may have had its origins as a divinely promoted religious concept.

5. Enrichment of the meaning of the ordinance through symbolism or metaphor. At times the mechanics and script of the ritual itself may give us valuable spiritual insight. It may teach us precious spiritual truths. This may pertain today, particularly in the temple.

For example, symbolism is important in the complete ordinance of baptism. There is much insight to be gained into how we grow spiritually through an understanding of the three parts of the ordinance of baptism, (1) the baptism of water, (2) the baptism of the Spirit, and (3) the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost.2

6. Deny yourself. The ritual of ordinances we are commanded to receive in mortality all involve the physical body. The body is immersed, hands are laid on heads, certain signs and tokens are made with hands and arms, the bread and water are received by our hand and mouth. If a candidate for exaltation passes beyond this life without his having had the opportunity to receive the ordinances, the Lord commands that someone still here on earth vicariously perform the ordinance on the deceased’s behalf. The ordinances are part of mortality. They must be done during this mortal test.

What metaphorical teaching is the Lord trying to convey here? The ritual is a figurative reminder that in order to gain our exaltation, we must deny our mortal natural man self. We are reminded instead to choose the Lord and his purposes. We must prioritize our thoughts and actions here on earth. We must resist our natural inclination to seek primarily after things of this world. We must instead, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33, cf. 3 Nephi 13:33). Then the Lord’s ultimate blessings will be ours.

7. The Lord’s personal touch. All physical ordinances are just that—physical. They all involve touch. The touch of another can provide a tangible reminder and sign of love and caring. The mortal Christ ministered personally and intimately by touching and expressing. So it is with ordinances and rituals. The Lord cannot be here to touch and personally minister, so he has his servants administer ordinances in the same way. When the Lord’s servants administer an ordinance, it is as if the Lord himself were administering it.

8. To teach unquestioning, unconditional obedience. The Lord does not resent our studying his doctrine. He wants us to try to come to an understanding or gain insight into his ways and reasons. In fact, we are commanded to study, even to “search the scriptures” (John 5:39). In mortality, however, none of us will ever come to fully understand him and his purposes. There must ever remain an element of blind trust and obedience in our relationship with him. His ways are higher than our ways. We participate in rituals and ordinances, at least in some sense, simply because he commands it.

One is reminded of the incident wherein the recently evicted (from Eden) Adam is asked by the angel why he is offering sacrifices to the Lord. Adam replied, “I know not, save the Lord commanded me” (Moses 5:6). The angel then went on to bless Adam for his determination to obey, even though Adam did not completely understand the significance of the Lord’s command. The angel then taught him the meaning of the Lord’s commandment, “And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth” (Moses 5:7).

This concept is perhaps particularly applicable to those individuals who have long studied the scriptures and the doctrines of the gospel. They may have come to think of themselves as having near complete insight into God’s ways. They, especially, need to be reminded that they do not understand all of God’s purposes. They must, at times, submit to his counsel, even when they don’t understand the reasons. There will always be designs and purposes of the Lord that remain outside our ability to understand while we are here on earth. Every man must evidence his willingness to act on the Lord’s command even when he doesn’t understand all the Lord’s purposes and intentions regarding the command. He must always be willing to unconditionally submit to the Lord’s wishes. All we have to do to receive the Lord’s blessings is to “go and do,” to just obey his commands. We don’t have to completely understand the intricate workings of his commands to benefit by them. Simple deliberate faith and obedience—these are the watchwords.

#Vicarious Ordinances for the Dead

When the moment of final judgment arrives for each of us, we know we will be judged based on just who we have become spiritually, how much we have grown to become like God. We know spiritual growth is difficult and occurs over an extended period of time. Obedience, and its commensurate spiritual growth, requires dedicated, regular denying of oneself. As we succeed in this, we are changed. We become new creatures, a little more like God. Thus, we are ultimately judged by an all-knowing Savior based on exactly who we have become.

Yet, we are commanded to participate in the Lord’s essential program of vicarious ordinances for the dead. In order to become exalted, an individual must be baptized and confirmed into the Lord’s true Church by one having proper authority. One must also receive required temple ordinances. If a person does not have the opportunity to complete these ordinances in mortality, those ordinances can and must be performed for him in the temple by a proxy. The practice of baptism for the dead was first revealed to the Lord’s people prior to this final dispensation. In the writings of the apostle Paul we find, “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?” (1 Corinthians 15:29). Today, there is much effort expended by many church members to perform vicarious ordinances for the dead in our temples. We are given to understand that until a person here on earth, acting as proxy, completes the work for an individual now in the spirit world, then the waiting spirit cannot be exalted.

Why are these ordinances so necessary? It is easier to understand that the person on the earth who has found and accepted the gospel is helped along in his spiritual progress by personally participating in the ordinances of the gospel. It is, however, less clear why the Lord is so insistent that vicarious work for the dead be completed. There even seems to be an arbitrary element in this requirement of the Lord. Given our present state of knowledge, it is difficult to understand all his reasons.

We know that a “welding link” must be formed between generations of the Lord’s exalted people (D&C 128:18). All of those individual who participate in this “linking” must be identified and their ordinances completed by proxy. We are told further, if the vicarious work is not completed in the temples, then “the whole earth [will] be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming” (D&C 138:48). Apparently, the very purposes of this earth will be frustrated unless the genealogical research and vicarious ordinance work is completed. But could not the necessary sealing work be completed in the spirit world following this mortal life? We are taught that it must be completed here on earth. But why?

Could it be that the Lord’s requirement for vicarious ordinance work is a powerful reminder to us all that we must accommodate his requests even when we are not clear about all of the reasons for his command? Perhaps the element of arbitrariness in this work is left as a deliberate feature by the Lord. Perhaps he is saying to each of us, in effect, “I’ll provide you with a full explanation later. For now, please just do as I request. Demonstrate to me your faith and obedience.” It is well for us to remember the words of the Lord to Isaiah:

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it (Isaiah 55:6-11).

See volume 1, chapter 7, Spiritual Growth—Gifts of the Spirit and chapter 8, The Blessings of Spiritual Gifts.

2 See volume 1, chapter 18, Baptism, the Ordinance that Brings Spiritual Growth.