The Purpose of Ordinances

This morning a poignant question was posed to a group of people I follow which inspired this short but thought-provoking post. In LDS Theology we view the ordinances as necessary, but without a deep understanding and appreciation of them they can really come off as a sign of an arbitrary God who might as well command us to stand on our heads and call it an ordinance.

To add fuel to the fire and to create a paradox, Joseph Smith seems to imply that the physical ordinances in and of themselves don't really do much for us when he said:

"You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half--that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 314.)

This all begs the question, therefore, as to the necessity of physical ordinances. This short essay is an effort to give my opinion on the subject.

My opinion partly revolves around a growing favorite scripture of mine. D&C 109:15 suggests a fullness of the Holy Ghost is accessed through the temple ordinances. Some people have dismissed this claim saying that Christ didn't need the Holy Ghost because he was *obviously* Christ. But this runs counter to the plainness of 2 Nephi 31:12.

"And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, LIKE UNTO ME; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do." (caps added for emphasis)

We understand the whole context of 2 Nephi 31 is the necessity of obeying commandments, specifically the ordinances, and it seems to connect it directly with the Holy Ghost; EVEN FOR THE SAVIOR. There is not much authoritative commentary on this verse, but it appears to be saying that even the Savior received the Holy Ghost as a result of his obedience to the ordinances.

This is where my speculation comes in, but an educated guess nonetheless. I like how Terryl Givens words the ordinances in that he calls them the portals of righteousness/salvation. In connection with this, Facsimile 2 Figure 7 of the Book of Abraham provides an interesting key. It is Abraham/God performing heavy and sacred temple signs in which the Holy Ghost then comes unto Abraham to administer/reveal hidden knowledge.

from scottwoodward.org

In addition to this, Dr. Adam Miller should be credited for bringing this insight to my mind, the ordinances are always symbolic of folding time so that eternal life begins now. With both ideas in mind, the ordinances are signs/signals to heaven that we are worthy NOW of the blessings of Eternal Life which come drop by drop through ritual crescendo and endowment of the Holy Ghost.

This might add further meaning to Joseph Smith's vivid comment above about a bag of sand. I provide again here for added emphasis:

"You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half--that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 314.)

I wonder if this applies to the rest of the ordinances in that in and of themselves (their physical application) doesn't really do much. But what does make them important is the sign it provides to heaven for the receiving of the Holy Ghost.

To receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost through the ordinances has only been commented on slightly by the brethren. The clearest authoritative definition I could find was from Elder D. Todd Christofferson:

"In the Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer ... the Prophet petitioned, “And do thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house … may grow up in thee, and receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost” (DC 109:14–15). The “fulness of the Holy Ghost” includes what Jesus described as “the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom; which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son” (D&C 88:4–5). (“The Power of Covenants,” Ensign, May 2009, 19–23, footnote #5)

This all comes together and probably is best summarized by Brigham Young:

 "Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the House of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the Holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell." (Journal of Discourses 2:31).

It is worth pointing out that "Angels (i.e. the sentinels) speak by the power of the Holy Ghost" (see 2 Nephi 32:3). In other words, not only does the sanctifying and endowing of the divine nature come from the Holy Ghost through the ordinances, but the power of the Holy Ghost is how the ordinances we have received are sealed everlastingly in the heavens.

Ordinances are necessary because they are eternal symbols and tokens set forth to transform us and transport us back into the presence of God. Both of these are done through the Holy Ghost by applying the atonement of Christ, in all of its aspects, to our souls.