Close Menu
  • The One Climbs Show
    • YouTube
    • Apple Podcasts
    • Spotify
    • Show Posts
  • Topics
    • All Posts
    • The Book of Mormon
    • Atonement
    • Symbolism
    • Temple Prep
  • Study Tools
    • Book of Mormon Onomasticon
    • Etymology Dictionary
    • Hebrew 4 Christians
    • Lectures on Faith.com
    • LDSSymbols.com
    • Number in Scripture
    • Isaiah Explorer
    • ScriptureNotes
    • Strong’s Condordance
    • The Book of Isaiah (IIT)
    • Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
  • About
    • About oneClimbs
    • Contact
Trending
  • Lecture Five, the Godhead, and the Light We Missed
  • Retaining brightness
  • Sebus, Severed Arms, and Humility Unto Salvation
  • oneClimbs on The Stick of Joseph: Alma’s Sermon
  • What were Nephite “Sanctuaries”?
  • Why the Conventional Interpretation of Jacob 2:30 Falls Short
  • #39 – Insights on Prayer from Incense
  • #38 – Exploring the Greater and Lesser Arches
oneClimbs.comoneClimbs.com
  • The One Climbs Show
    • YouTube
    • Apple Podcasts
    • Spotify
    • Show Posts
  • Topics
    • All Posts
    • The Book of Mormon
    • Atonement
    • Symbolism
    • Temple Prep
  • Study Tools
    • Book of Mormon Onomasticon
    • Etymology Dictionary
    • Hebrew 4 Christians
    • Lectures on Faith.com
    • LDSSymbols.com
    • Number in Scripture
    • Isaiah Explorer
    • ScriptureNotes
    • Strong’s Condordance
    • The Book of Isaiah (IIT)
    • Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
  • About
    • About oneClimbs
    • Contact
oneClimbs.comoneClimbs.com
Home»Quotes»The Meaning of the LDS Temple and its Ordinances
Quotes March 18, 20125 Mins Read

The Meaning of the LDS Temple and its Ordinances

In Denver Snuffer’s book, “Passing the Heavenly Gift”, he provides a great summary on the meaning of the temple and its ordinances.

The temple ordinances portray a walk back to God’s presence. Although the ceremonies are presented in symbols, they testify of, and invite the actual return to Him. The washings, intended to cleans us, are more than a physical ordinance. They testify to us about necessary individual purity and spiritual cleanliness. Anointing with olive oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Thorough the Holy Spirit we are sanctified. It is holy, and when we receive it we become holy through our association with it.

When we are clothed with a garment, it symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ, laying down His body to cover our sins with His atonement. These are powerful symbols of how intimately our individual redemption is connected to Him.

The endowment instructs us about creation, and our own journey through mortal life. We must consider ourselves as if we are respectively, Adam and Eve. When we do, we find an explanation of our mortal condition. It tells us we came from God’s presence, and now live in a fallen world. To regain God’s presence we need to obey, make sacrifices, follow Christ’s Gospel, observe the law of chastity and consecrate our lives to Him. As we do, we will receive sacred knowledge from His messengers. Such messengers are sent by Him.

Men will try and mislead us with false teachings that mingle the philosophies of men with scripture. But if we remain true and faithful to whatever light we receive from Him, He will always send more. Messengers will come from the presence of God, bringing His message. They will not offer themselves for worship, adoration or respect…

True messengers labor to have you come to know Christ. They want all to be redeemed from the fall.

The purpose of the temple is to guide you back to Him. It is not the real thing, but only a symbol pointing to the real thing. It is not enough to read what has been written in scripture or taught by true messengers. You must get an experience for yourself so you also know God.

The real thing is found when the veil parts and you gaze into heaven. (p. 466-467)

The idea that the temple “…is not the real thing, but only a symbol

pointing to the real thing.” is critical to understand, not just of temple ordinances, but all ordinances. The gospel of Christ was meant to be lived and experienced; God expects to not just be blindly worshipped in word, but truly loved and trusted because we know Him.

I think we can be so full of worldly knowledge and confidence in covenants that we go no further; we know not the God in whom we should trust. We know a lot about what He has said to others via scripture and testimonies, but have we ever heard His voice? Do we stop at the symbol, or do we look beyond to what the Spirit of God can reveal to us?

This article discusses the topic of why symbols are used

This article references the dangers of being “stuck in Bountiful”

There’s song by Addison Road that I’ve been listening to recently that has some really awesome lyrics and sums up some of my thoughts on this subject (the audio is down below):

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all, no
If You touched my face would I know You
Looked into my eyes could I behold You

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean
Are You fire, are You fury
Are You sacred, are You beautiful
What do I know, what do I know of Holy

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean
Are You fire, are You fury
Are You sacred, are You beautiful
So what do I know, what do I know of Holy

What do I know of Holy
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame
And a God who gave life it’s name
What do I know of Holy
Of the One who the angels praise
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean
Are You fire, are You fury
Are You sacred, are You beautiful
What do I know, what do I know of Holy
What do I know of Holy
What do I know of Holy

Doctrine Jesus Christ Modern Temples Parting the veil Perspective Plan of Salvation Quotes Sacrifice Temple Prep The Spirit
Previous ArticleThe Founding Fathers were Overwhelmingly Religious Men
Next Article From Gutenberg to Grandin: Tracing the Development of the Printing Press
Steve Reed

I created oneClimbs as a place to organize my thoughts and share my observations with anyone who might find the information useful. Though I may speak passionately or convincingly in some of this content, PLEASE don't simply take my word alone on anything. Always seek the truth of all things through study and prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

New Post Email Notifications

You can subscribe any time, and I will ONLY use your email to send you new post updates.

POPULAR POSTS
  • Popular
  • Recent
Recent Comments
  • Steve Reed on Restoring the pentagram to its proper place: “Sure, I don’t have a problem with that. I don’t think Satan owns anything, he’s not a creator, he can…”
  • Marcus Smith on Restoring the pentagram to its proper place: “Then you must also reject the hijacking of the word Lucifer as it is simply another name for Venus or…”
  • KC on Lecture Five, the Godhead, and the Light We Missed: “I believe Joseph. Based on what HE wrote, before additions, subtractions, alterations, if anyone knew, he did.”
  • Steve Reed on Lecture Five, the Godhead, and the Light We Missed: “Very cool, Dawn. There’s so much, it’s very vast with no end in sight. We have all these little crumbs…”
  • Steve Reed on The Mother, the Dove, Mercy, and the Holy Spirit: “Another episode should be coming out that I did about Mormon and how it appears that he wrote Alma’s story…”
Blogroll
  • A Traditional Architecture Glossary
  • Academy for Temple Studies
  • Book of Mormon Onomasticon
  • Bruce Charlton's Notions
  • Interpreter Foundation
  • Isaiah Explained
  • Isaiah Explorer
  • Isaiah Institute
  • Isaiah Prophecy
  • Junior Ganymede
  • Latter-day Saint Architecture Blog
  • Latter-day Saint Temples
  • LDSSymbols.com
  • Leading Saints
  • Number in Scripture by E. W. Bullinger
  • Strongs Concordance
  • TempleStudy
  • The Ancient Context of Joseph Smith's Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar
  • Webster's 1828 Dictionary
New Post Email Notifications

You can subscribe any time, and I will ONLY use your email to send you new post updates.

About this Site

I created oneClimbs as a place to organize my thoughts and share my observations with anyone who might find the information useful. All content on this site is considered a work in progress that is often updated when new insights are obtained.

Climbspiration

“do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again” – Luke 6:35

oneClimbs.com
  • Home
  • All Posts
  • About oneClimbs
  • Contact

LecturesOnFaith.com  //  LDSSymbols.com

© 2025 oneClimbs. All content unique to oneClimbs is fair use. All other content is property of the respective copyright owner. oneClimbs.com is not owned, controlled, or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All views and opinions are of the authors here who are solely responsible for their content and should not be interpreted as official statements of Church doctrine, belief, or practice, unless specifically stated and correctly referenced.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.