4 Comments

  1. Aaron

    “Wilford Woodruff was a first-hand witness of the endowment as it was first given to the twelve apostles by Joseph Smith in a meeting on March 26, 1844, just weeks before the Prophet’s martyrdom.”

    It was, of course, given before that date as well, but I’m not sure that’s clear from your post.

  2. Susan

    In response to your 1/26/08 post: “The ceremony presented on March 26, 1844, might have been the first given to the entire Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (can anyone confirm?).”
    Truman Madson said in Volume VII of his “On Sacred Ground: Reflections on Joseph Smith” that “the most faithful of the Twelve” were given “the complete temple endowment” in the upper room of the Red Brick Store in 1842. He explained that this was a step toward the “Last Charge” meeting held in March 1844 in the same room, where “apparently at least nine of the Twelve were present; three were absent: William Smith, John E. Page, and Sidney Rigdon….” The wives of those Twelve Apostles that were present were also in attendance along with others of the faithful.

  3. Of the nine who would receive the original endowment in the Red Brick Store, three would eventually leave the Church. 2/3rds would remain faithful until the end. Yet even Brigham Young testified that the endowments were not fully completed and functional until 1845 when those outside the Anointed Quorum were able to receive the endowment for themselves. Those who were presented the original Red Brick Store endowment in the upper room were reendowed when the temple was at a functional status. Because of variations that occurred in the wording of the endowments after temples were being built in Utah, Brigham Young ultimately authorized them to be written in scripted form, whereas before it was only something that could be heard and memorized. Because they were scripted, it provided a unity between the presentations in each temple, only after Brigham Young had spent months meticulously scrutinizing each page of text for discrepancies. It was Wilford Woodruff and Brigham Young Jr. wrote down the endowment for President Young’s review. Authorized adjustments have been made from time to time since then, but the blessings of the endowment are the same today as they were in 1844.

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