Washing and anointing
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[[Image:Washing and anointing tub in the Salt Lake Temple circa 1912.jpg|thumb|right|250px|One of ten full-size tubs that was used for washings and anointings in the [[Salt Lake Temple]] of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] circa 1912 prior to later changes in the ordinance by that denomination that eliminated washing and eventually nudity.]]
In the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], '''washing and anointing''' (also called the '''initiatory''') is an [[ordinance (Latter Day Saints)|ordinance]] ([[sacrament]]) practiced by certain denominations of the movement in [[Temple (Latter Day Saints)|temples]] as part of the [[Endowment (Latter Day Saints)|Endowment ceremony]]. The ordinance consists of a ritual purification by water and an anointing by oil to prepare the participant to become "kings and priests" or "queens and priestesses" in the afterlife. The ordinance is performed by an officiator of the same sex, and culminates in dressing the participant in [[temple garment]] (a religious undergarment worn by some denominations of the movement). The ritual is one of two anointings practiced by the faith, the other being the rare [[Second Anointing]].
Although introduced by [[Joseph Smith, Jr.]], the religion's founder, many denominations of Smith's followers (such as the [[Community of Christ]]) do not believe washings and anointings are an essential part of the religion, and no longer practice them. Other denominations, such as [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], have made accommodations such as eliminating actual bodily washing in tubs, and eliminating nudity.
==History==
These ordinances are perhaps the earliest practiced temple ordinances for the living since the organization of the [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Church]]. There is evidence that these ordinances were performed in part since [[1836]].<ref name="mysteries">The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship, David John Beurger,pg. 1</ref> They were first practised in [[Kirtland, Ohio]].<ref name="mysteries" /> These ordinances continue to be administered today.
The ordinance of washing and anointing symbolizes the ritual cleansing of [[priests]] that took place at ancient [[Kingdom of Israel|Israel]]'s [[Tabernacle]], the [[temple of Solomon]], and later temples in [[Jerusalem]] (see Exodus 28:40-42, Exodus 29:4-9, 20-21 29-30, 30:18-21).
On [[January 18]], [[2005]], the LDS Church changed the washing and anointing ritual to eliminate the touching of the subject's body parts by the person administering the ordinance.<ref name = Packham>[http://home.teleport.com/~packham/endow05.htm Washing & Anointing Ritual<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Procedure==
The washing and anointing ordinance proceeds in two stages. In the first stage, the person performing the ordinance, who is a person of the same sex as the person receiving the ordinance, touches the person on the forehead with water and states that he or she is washing the person "preparatory to you receiving your anointings".<ref name = Packham/> The officiator then recites a list of body parts that are being symbolically washed.<ref name = Packham/>
In the second stage, the officiator touches the person on the forehead with consecrated oil and states that he or she is anointing the person "preparatory to your becoming a King [or Queen] and a Priest [or Priestess] unto the Most High God".<ref name = Packham/> The officiator again recites the same list of body parts that are being symbolically anointed. The subject is then handed [[temple garment]]s to put on.
Apart from the difference in gendered terminology,<ref>The use of "King" vs. "Queen" and "Priest" vs. "Priestess".</ref> there is one difference in the washings and anointings performed on males and females. After both stages of the ceremony, the officiator lays his hands on a male recipient's head and "seals" the washing or the anointing and indicates that the person "may become clean from the blood and sins of this generation through your faithfulness".<ref name = Packham/> However, females do not undergo this second step after either stage. Rather, during the washing and the anointing females are told by the officiator that "your sins are forgiven and you are clean every whit".<ref>[http://www.lds-mormon.com/veilworker/rituals.shtml Mormon Initiatory Ceremonies<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Parallels in Judaism and early Christianity==
Multiple early [[Christian]] documents discuss the ordinance of "[[chrism]]" which is nearly identical to the anointing ordinances in [[Latter-day Saint]] temples. The most detailed version of the practice is by [[Cyril]].<ref>See [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf207.ii.iii.iv.html Select Library Of The Nicene And Post-Nicene Fathers Of The Christian Church: Second Series Volume VII: Cyril Of Jerusalem: "Ceremonies of Baptism and Chrism" (see § 6)].</ref> Cyril details how [[oil]] or ointment was "symbolically applied to thy forehead, and thy other organs of sense" and that the "ears, nostrils, and breast were each to be anointed." Only a [[bishop]] could anoint the forehead. Cyril states that the "ointment is the seal of the covenants" of [[baptism]] and God’s promises to the Christian who is anointed.
The text also claims that all true, believing Christians received the ordinance: "We are called Christians, because we are anointed with the oil of God."
In addition to Cyril, [[Theophilus]] and [[Tertullian]] discussed the ordinances and the "several ceremonies are thus explained in the Apostolical Constitutions."
==See also==
*[[Second Anointing]]
==Notes==
<references/>
==References==
*{{Citation
| last=Buerger
| first=David John
| title=The Development of the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony
| journal=Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
| volume=20
| issue=4
| pages=33–76
| year=1987
| url=http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?/dialogue,20139
}}.
*{{Citation
| last=Buerger
| first=David John
| title=The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship
| edition=2nd
| place=Salt Lake City
| publisher=Signature Books
| year=2002
| isbn=1560851767
}}.
*{{Citation
| last1=Tanner
| first1=Jerald
| last2=Tanner
| first2=Sandra
| title=Evolution of the Mormon Temple Ceremony: 1842-1990
| place=Salt Lake City
| publisher=Utah Lighthouse Ministry
| year=2005
}}.
==External links==
*[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf207.txt Full text of Cyril's document mentioning Chrism]
*[http://www.mormonmonastery.org Topical list of LDS Temple references, including washing and anointing]
[[Category:Latter Day Saint temple practices]]
[[Category:Ritual purification]]
[[fi:Valmistavat toimitukset (mormonismi)]]
{{Latter Day Saint movement}}