The Endowment Before the Nauvoo Temple

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]Welcome to the very first episode of our Temple Education series.

[00:00:05]Today, we are going to be speaking about the original performance of the Nauvoo Endowment, which occurred over the course of May 4th and May 5th, but as you'll see, got started on May 3rd.

[00:00:27]Professor at BYU named Christopher Blythe, if that is his real name, Professor Blythe. The typical paid Mormon apologist associated with BYU.

[00:00:39]Creativity unbound, unshackled. Love to see it.

[00:00:48]>> [music] >> On this May 4th, the anniversary of when Joseph first performed the Endowment in Nauvoo, I am beginning a series on Temple Education. I have planned this for over a year now.

[00:01:07]We're at the ideal period in church history to be able to talk about the Endowment openly.

[00:01:15]All of us, including myself, are a little more comfortable discussing the Endowment openly.

[00:01:23]So, to get this started, we have to jump back to that night in Nauvoo.

[00:01:31]In fact, rather than May 4th, I want to start on May 3rd.

[00:01:38]Joseph for months had been hinting at what would be performed in the Temple.

[00:01:47]People knew it wasn't going to be an exact replica of what happened in the Kirtland Temple.

[00:01:55]Uh we're washings and anointings and blessings, and a special shout were introduced. He was talking about things like keywords, like how to test angels.

[00:02:06]He had encouraged people to join the Masonic Lodge.

[00:02:12]Something was shifting. On May 3rd, Joseph selected the Worshipful Master of the Nauvoo Lodge, who was also the baker in Nauvoo, guy named Lucius Scovil, to come to his general store, what we call the Red Brick Store, to go upstairs and to set it up. Not for the Masonic Lodge, even though the Masonic Lodge would meet there, but he set it up for the performance of the endowment.

[00:02:49]Years later, we have a source from Lucius describing what happened there on that night, May 3rd. This is the day before the endowment. I'm going to go ahead and read his memory that he would publish in the Deseret News.

[00:03:04]The document says, "Editor of Deseret News, I noticed an article in the Deseret News of January 25th, 1884, in relation to church doctrines. If I can testify that on the 3rd day of May, 1842, Joseph Smith, the prophet, called upon five or six This included Shadrach Roundy, Noah Rogers, Dimick B. Huntington, Daniel Carns, and myself. I am not certain but that Hosea Stout was also there to meet with him, the prophet, in his business office, the upper part of his brick store. He told us that the object he had was for us to go to work and fit up that room preparatory to giving endowments to a few elders that he might give unto them all the keys of power pertaining to the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods.

[00:03:56]We therefore went to work making the necessary preparations and everything was arranged representing the interior of a temple as much as the circumstances would permit, he being with us dictating everything.

[00:04:09]He gave us many items that were very interesting to us, which sank with deep weight upon my mind, especially after the temple was finished at Nauvoo and I had received the ordinances, in which I was among the first, as I had been called upon to work in the temple as one of the hands during the winter.

[00:04:26]Some weeks previous to the dedication, he told us that we should have the privilege of receiving the whole ordinances in due time.

[00:04:33]The history of Joseph Smith speaks for itself, but I can and do testify that I know of a surety that room was fitted up by his order, which we finished in the forenoon of the said 4th of May, 1842, and he gave us to understand that he intended to have everything done by him that was in his power while he remained with us.

[00:04:53]He said his work was nearly done and he should roll the burden of the kingdom upon the shoulders of the 12.

[00:04:58]I am the only one living that I know of who helped to fit up that room, except Hosea Stout, who was there, I I am most respectfully your brother in the covenant.

[00:05:08]So, it sounds like the question about Hosea Stout is actually the question whether Hosea was there the night before on May 3rd or he was just there to help on May 4th. How exciting.

[00:05:18]So, here you are. The prophet calls you over. It'd be more exciting if he invited you to get your endowment right that night, but instead, he says, "Hey, something amazing's going to happen and you're going to be part of this, but I need your help setting up this room as a temple for this for giving the keys of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood.

[00:05:42]We know something about how it was set up from the other sources that were recorded in memory.

[00:05:48]I want to start First of all, let's recognize Lucius Scovil. He's testifying saying, "Hey, on May 3rd, I was there.

[00:05:54]Joseph explained how to do it. On May 4th, we showed up and prepared the room and made it as close to a temple as we could."

[00:06:02]Very exciting.

[00:06:04]And we have to keep in mind that the temple and the way the temple was organized in Nauvoo was different than it was in the Kirtland Temple. So, this was a new understanding of how the building should be set up.

[00:06:20]All right. That was called Higher Ordinances and published in Deseret News semi-weekly on February 15th, 1884.

[00:06:30]Interestingly, we also have an account from a man by the name of John Henry Rollins, who said that the prophet asked him to carry water up to the room.

[00:06:40]And afterwards, he discovered that was for the endowment. Obviously, a washing portion of the endowment.

[00:06:47]We have four accounts left by those that were there that evening of May 4th. They left us their accounts of what occurred that night on May 4th, 1842.

[00:07:00]Let's start by checking out Joseph Smith's journal entry.

[00:07:05]You can find this on the Joseph Smith Papers website, and it is a very short entry that will be expanded by Willard Richards later on, but the initial account is very brief. There he says simply, "In council in the presidents and general offices with Judge Adams, Hyrum Smith, Newel K. Whitney, William Marks, William Law, George Miller, Brigham Young, Heber C.

[00:07:36]Kimball, and Willard Richards.

[00:07:40]There's a space in the record, and giving certain instructions concerning the priesthood, et cetera, on the Aaronic priesthood to the first, continuing through the day.

[00:07:54]May 4th.

[00:07:56]Apparently a lengthy time there, continuing through the day.

[00:08:00]He has James Adams, Hyrum Smith, Newel K. Whitney, William Marks, William Law, George Miller, Brigham Young, Heber C.

[00:08:07]Kimball, and Willard Richards. How many people does he list there himself? 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.

[00:08:19]And the person he's leaving off here is Wilson Law, who was also present that night, the brother of William Law. All right, so we have something brief here recorded by Joseph Smith or Willard Richards writing for Joseph Smith.

[00:08:33]Later that account's going to be expanded, but I don't want to read that yet because I want to look at the contemporary sources first. Brigham Young also left an account of what occurred that night. He says, "I met with Joseph, Hyrum, Heber, Willard, Bishops Whitney and Miller, and General James Adams in Joseph's private office, where Joseph taught the ancient order of things for the first time in these last days, and received my washings, anointings, and endowments."

[00:09:06]Pretty cool.

[00:09:08]Let's look at Heber C. Kimball, who also recorded his experience. Strange events, June 1842, I was initiated into the ancient order, was washed and anointed and sealed and ordained a priest, and so forth, in company with nine others, which included Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, William Law, William Marks, Judge Adams, Brigham Young, Willard Richards, George Miller, and Newel K. Whitney.

[00:09:40]We have a general group. There's 11 men there that night. They're all mentioned.

[00:09:45]We saw that Brigham Young talked about receiving his washings and anointings and endowments.

[00:09:52]Heber C. Kimball talked about being ordained a priest and so forth.

[00:09:57]Obviously, king and priest was around at that moment. They called this the ancient order each time there.

[00:10:05]Uh this is the ancient order of things.

[00:10:07]Something Joseph clearly said as well as referring to the degrees of the priesthood, the different orders of the priesthood from Maronic to Melchizedek.

[00:10:16]It's mentioned in both.

[00:10:18]George Miller also gives us an account.

[00:10:21]This is what he says. "Many of the apostles and elders having returned from England, Joseph washed and anointed as kings and priests to God and over the house of Israel, the following named persons, as he said he was commanded of God."

[00:10:37]These are specially chosen individuals that he's going to first reveal the endowment to.

[00:10:43]He's included James Adams of Springfield, William Law, William Marks, Willard Richards, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Newel K. Whitney, Hyrum Smith, and myself and conferred on us patriarchal priesthood.

[00:10:55]This took place on the 5th and 6th of May, 1842.

[00:10:59]Now, he's a day off. It takes place on the May 4th and 5th um with the previous meeting with those who had set up the room on May 3rd.

[00:11:08]But, uh he includes something interesting. He tells us, "Yep, we're washed and anointed. Kings and priests are mentioned." He says, "They're kings and priests to God and over the house of Israel. Kings and priests to God and over the house of Israel."

[00:11:28]Very interesting.

[00:11:31]This is actually a recollection that George Miller gave in 1855.

[00:11:38]And D. Michael Quinn suggests that this use of the word patriarchal priesthood has more to do with the fact that the Strangites had an understanding of patriarchal priesthood that George Miller was playing off of in his recollection. I don't know if that's true. If you've been if you've received your endowment, you know this language of patriarchal shows up within that ceremony.

[00:12:00]And uh I think there's something to it.

[00:12:02]This is a family order. Later on, Joseph publicly says that he's anointed James Adams to the patriarchal power, which might be related to him being a patriarch, but I think has something to do with the fact that he has received this ceremony.

[00:12:23]Brigham Young gives us one more account of what happened that night.

[00:12:27]Um this is a recollection all the way in 1877 at the time of the St. George Temple completion.

[00:12:35]Brigham is really concerned with getting a written copy of the endowment. Early on, Heber C. Kimball is going to write a letter to Parley P. Pratt and refer to what happens here in the endowment. And he's going to say, "These are things not to be written."

[00:12:56]I don't think the Saints wrote this down until they got to Utah.

[00:13:05]There's a great article from Kathleen Flake that talks about why this is important that it wasn't written down. I think we can actually show that there was a a sort of unsystematized nature to the ceremonies as it occurred in the Nauvoo Temple. And I'll I'll talk about that in another episode.

[00:13:24]But this idea that it's not to be written down is really important.

[00:13:30]Brigham Young believes he needs to write it down. He's not going to live for long. The temple's finally being completed in Utah, and he is passing down this tradition that he received from the prophet and had believed he'd received additional insight on.

[00:13:48]And so, in a meeting in 1877, February, he talks about this, and his scribe, L. John Nuttall, will record it.

[00:13:59]He says, "When we got our washings and anointings under the hands of the prophet Joseph at Nauvoo, we had only one room to work in, with the exception of a little side room or office."

[00:14:12]I don't know if the current setup of the Red Brick Store is the same as it was then. Do we really know the layout?

[00:14:20]I think we probably do. So, you know that when you go up the stairs, you have this little room right there before you walk into the large room where the Council of Fifty met, and the Relief Society met, as well as members of the Quorum of the Twelve, and of course, this group we're talking about today.

[00:14:38]So, you can picture that with me.

[00:14:41]"And it was in this side room where we were washed and anointed, had our garments placed upon us, and received our new name.

[00:14:49]And after Joseph had performed these ceremonies, he gave the key words, signs, tokens, and penalties.

[00:14:57]Thereafter, we went into the large room in Nauvoo over the store.

[00:15:01]Joseph divided up the room the best that he could, hung up the veil, giving us signs, tokens, and penalties with the key words pertaining to those signs.

[00:15:10]And after we had got through, Brother Joseph turned to me and said, 'Brother Brigham, this is not arranged right, but we you done the best we can under the circumstances in which we are placed, and I wish you to take this matter in hand, organize and systematize all these ceremonies with the signs, tokens, penalties, and keywords.

[00:15:32]I did so, and each time got something more.

[00:15:37]So, that when we went through the temple at Nauvoo, I understood and knew how to place them there.

[00:15:42]We had our ceremonies pretty correct.

[00:15:45]In the creation, the gods entered into an agreement about forming this earth and putting Michael or Adam upon it.

[00:15:51]These things of which I've been speaking are what are termed that the mysteries of godliness, but they will enable you to understand the expression of Jesus made while in Jerusalem.

[00:16:01]This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

[00:16:12]All right, what an incredible recollection. We now know that the initiatory was performed in a separate room from the main room in which Joseph had put up a veil and administered various keys, penalties, keywords, signs, tokens, which tells us something about the endowment. It doesn't tell us that the entire drama was there. We know this is an incomplete ceremony because gosh, they don't even have someone to perform the role of Eve in the temple.

[00:16:45]But, we have one more source to look at to help us understand what was going on there in Nauvoo.

[00:16:53]So, this is recorded by Willard Richards again, one of the people that was present to receive his endowment, but written from the perspective of Joseph Smith.

[00:17:05]I spent the day in the upper part of the store in my private office. Again, the day so-called because in that room I kept my sacred writings, translated ancient records, and received revelations.

[00:17:18]And in my general business office or lodge room, where the Masonic fraternity met occasionally for want of a better place, they're waiting to build the Masonic temple down the road.

[00:17:28]In council with General James Adams of Springfield, Patriarch Hyrum Smith, Bishops Newel K. Whitney and George Miller, William Marks, William Law, and then these two names are actually crossed out in the record because they're going to perhaps have some role to do with the martyrdom, but definitely become major critics of Joseph Smith and abandon the faith.

[00:17:53]And Presidents Brigham Young, Heber C.

[00:17:55]Kimball, and Willard Richards instructing them in the principles and order of the priesthood, attending to washings and anointings, endowments, and the communication of keys pertaining to the Aaronic priesthood, and so on to the highest order of the Melchizedek priesthood, setting forth the order pertaining to the ancient of days.

[00:18:16]And all those plans and principles by which anyone is enabled to secure the fullness of those blessings which have been prepared for the Church of the Firstborn, and come up and abide in the presence of the Elohim in the eternal worlds.

[00:18:31]In this council, now he's going to use a word that Brigham Young used in his journal, was instituted the ancient order of things for the first time in these last days.

[00:18:43]And the communications I made to this council were of things spiritual and to be received only by the spiritual minded, and there was nothing made known to these men but will be made known to all saints of the last days so soon as they are prepared to receive and a proper place is prepared to communicate them.

[00:19:00]Even to the weakest of the saints.

[00:19:02]Therefore, let the saints be diligent in building the temple and all houses which they have been or shall hereafter be commanded of God to build, and wait their time with patience.

[00:19:12]All houses, this is a reference to the Nauvoo house they're also supposed to complete in the revelations given in section 124 previous to this about it.

[00:19:22]Not quite a year earlier we had that revelation commanding the building of the temple and in it we're told that you have to complete these two houses and wait their time with patience and all meet this in faith and perseverance unto the end knowing assuredly that all these things referred to in this council are always governed by the principles of revelation.

[00:19:45]I love this.

[00:19:47]And all those plans and principles by which anyone is enabled to secure the fullness of those blessings which have been prepared for the church of the firstborn and come up and abide in the presence of the Elohim in the eternal worlds.

[00:20:03]This line there's so much going on in this account from Joseph.

[00:20:12]We know a little more about what's going on. We see the connections with the other accounts. I love that ending.

[00:20:18]That we're to everyone's going to receive this.

[00:20:22]I also love the talking about communication of keys pertaining to the ironic priesthood and then obviously other orders of priesthood says and so on to the highest order of the Melchizedek priesthoods setting forth the order pertaining to the ancient of days. What is the ancient of days?

[00:20:39]It already has something to do with Adam, right? Michael.

[00:20:43]And all those plans and principles by which anyone is enabled to secure the fullness of those blessings which have been prepared for the church of the firstborn and come up to abide in the presence of the Elohim. This is a clear reference to section 84 where the keys of the Melchizedek priesthood will allow you to enter the presence of God and be in the company of the general assembly in the church of the firstborn to have that great vision to enter the rest of the Lord as it says in that section, to abide the presence of God. The keys that he's imparting are going to have something to do with entering the presence of God.

[00:21:22]You remember that Brigham Young is later going to tell us that the purpose of the endowment is to communicate those keys which allow us to pass the porters that stand at the door, the angels, and offer them the tokens and signs and penalties, which will then allow you to enter the presence of God. All that seems present here on this day, but it needs to be systematized. It needs to be perfected.

[00:21:51]Joseph says we almost got it right.

[00:21:55]Brigham spends his life thinking about these moments.

[00:22:00]It's not until September of '43 that we have the endowments with that pivotal part of the modern endowment, which it's both genders.

[00:22:12]There are kings and priests like there were in May, and there are also queens and priestesses, an essential part of that ceremony.

[00:22:20]We also don't know were garments given to the saints before this night, or is this the first night in which garments were given? I suspect it was the first night. Garments, so far as I know, are only associated with the holy order, with this group.

[00:22:37]Another thing, what do we call this group of saints organized that night by Joseph Smith? We find out, first of all, this is going to include everybody, but Joseph will call them the quorum.

[00:22:53]Sometimes they're called the holy order.

[00:22:54]Sometimes they're called the anointed quorum.

[00:22:57]And one of my favorite ways that it shows up both in the writings of William Clayton and William Smith would also use this term as Joseph's Lodge.

[00:23:09]That is some special development from revelations Joseph had about Freemasonry.

[00:23:17]What an incredible experience it would have been to be there that night. I want to draw your attention to that reference. This is designed for even the weakest of saints. Heavenly Father wants you to receive the mysteries of godliness.

[00:23:33]And he knows how to prepare you for them.

[00:23:37]This set of individuals received it first and their goal was to make it available to everybody else. It wasn't about creating an elite group of saints even though it might have felt that way for some so eager to receive their endowments.

[00:23:53]But the goal was to have a core group that could minister them in the temple.

[00:23:59]And of course they were the first to receive their endowment. I want to point out something for you. Brigham Joseph Smith was not endowed on May 4th, 1842.

[00:24:08]He received it the following day. I believe also Hyrum may have received it the following day as well.

[00:24:14]But the reason Joseph received it the next day was cuz he was ministering the first day. This tells us that first endowment probably didn't have the the full cast of characters that were present that day. It was probably the the communication of just the ideas and the basic ceremonies before it was captured fully within a drama.

[00:24:40]We don't know that for sure though.

[00:24:42]By the time it's performed the temple, the endowment drama had definitely existed and been performed.

[00:24:50]On the next day Brigham Young wrote I attended council as yesterday and we administered to brother Joseph the same ordinances.

[00:25:01]In Joseph Smith's account it says, "General Adams started for Springfield and the remainder of the council yesterday continued their meeting at the same place and myself and brother Hyrum received in turn from the others the same that I communicated to them the day previous."

[00:25:16]If there was a drama performed at this May endowment, it would have been performed at May 5th. The first day May 3rd would have been the day that people are told how to set up the rooms.

[00:25:29]Joseph gets there, he ministers it, tells them about these keys on May 4th.

[00:25:35]And then May 5th perhaps the ceremony was fully performed, but again no women present. It's not a complete endowment.

[00:25:45]After communicating these keys Joseph has the opportunity to receive them himself.

[00:25:52]This is the order of how ordinances were restored throughout Joseph Smith's life.

[00:26:00]He first baptized Oliver Cowdery before Oliver Cowdery baptized him.

[00:26:06]And the holy order or anointed quorum had that same function. If I was going to organize a liturgical calendar for Latter-day Saints, these three days would be one of the major center periods.

[00:26:23]Learning the mysteries of God under the direction of Joseph Smith. What an incredible time. And not only that, but being invited by him to help complete this revelation.

[00:26:39]I love it.

[00:26:41]Brigham Young has his extremely important role in this council that he's going to take on by the commission from Joseph Smith.

[00:26:52]There's lots more work to do before the completion of the Nauvoo Temple, but a huge piece of that work gets accomplished there on May 3rd, May 4th, and May 5th of 1842.