Washing and anointing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:28, 18 June 2024

Revision as of 18:35, 16 July 2024

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[[File:Washing and anointing tub in the Salt Lake Temple, June 1911.png|thumb|One of ten washing and anointing rooms of the [[Salt Lake Temple]] of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] circa 1911.]]

'''Washing and anointing''' is ana [[TempleLatter-day (LDSSaint Church)#Temple ordinances|ordinance]]practice of ritual purification, similar to [[chrismation]]. It is a key part of the [[Endowment (Mormonism)|temple endowment]] ceremony as well as the controversial [[Second Anointing]] ceremony practiced by [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) and [[Mormon fundamentalism|Mormon fundamentalists]]. It was also part of the female-only healing rituals among Latter-day Saints until at least the 1940's.

In preparation for the temple endowment, a person, generally over the age of 18, is sprinkled with water, then [[Anointing|anointed]] with perfume or oil as a cleansing before God.<ref name="buerger35" /><ref name=":1">John Christopher Thomas describes this Old Testament practice, “This cleansing from bodily uncleanness was a symbol of putting away of the filth of sin; the washing of the body therefore was a symbol of spiritual cleansing, without which no one can draw near to God..." {{citation |title=Footwashing in the Old and New Testament, the Graeco Roman World, the Early Church, and the Liturgy |date=April 15, 2014 |url=http://www.zionlutherannj.net/footwashing-in-the-old-and-new-testament-the-graeco-roman-world-the-early-church-and-the-liturgy-2/}}</ref> Once washed and anointed, the participant is dressed in the [[temple garment]], a symbolic white undergarment.<ref name="packer">{{Harvtxt|Packer|2007}}.</ref> The ordinance performed by the authority of the [[Melchizedek priesthood (Latter Day Saints)|Melchizedek priesthood]], and by an officiator of the same sex as the participant,<ref name="ABVW" /> is "mostly symbolic in nature, but promis[es] definite, immediate blessings as well as future blessings," contingent upon continued righteous living.<ref name="packer" /> These ordinances of washing and [[anointing]] are referred to often in the temple as "initiatory ordinances" since they precede the endowment and [[Sealing (Mormonism)|sealing]] ordinances.<ref name="perry">{{harvtxt|Perry|1992}}.</ref>

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=== New Testament Period ===

[[File:Jesus washing Peter's feet.jpg|left|thumb|[[Jesus]] washing [[Saint Peter|Peter's]] feet. Painted by [[Ford Madox Brown]].]]

{{Expand section|date=April 2023|small=no}}

In the [[New Testament]] Jesus washes his disciples' feet prior to his crucifixion.<ref>John 13:1-17</ref> Joseph Smith published his own version of these New Testament passages, adding new materials which said, "Now this was the custom of the Jews under their law; wherefore, Jesus did this that the law might be fulfilled."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Joseph |title=JST, John 13:8–10 |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/jst/jst-john/13?lang=eng&id=10 |publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Joseph |title=Joseph Smith Translation (JST) |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/joseph-smith-translation?lang=eng |publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |date=July 1833}}</ref>

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=== Early-Utah period ===

After the Latter Day Saints left Nauvoo, women continued to administer washings and anointings in their homes as well as in temples. The in-home rituals were part of a practice of administering to the sick.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Newell |first=Linda King |date=December 1999 |title=A Gift Given: A Gift Taken Washing, Anointing, and Blessing the Sick Among Mormon Women |url=https://sunstone.org/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/115-6-30-43.pdf |journal=[[Sunstone Magazine]] |issue=115 |pages=30–43}}</ref> These washings and anointings were encouraged by church leaders of the time including [[Brigham Young]].<ref name=":0" /> In one instance [[Ezra T. Benson]] called on women who were ordained to wash and anoint to get rid of a disease affecting the [[Cache Valley]].<ref name=":0" /> This practice of washing and anointing in the home was curtailed in the 1880s and by the April 1921 [[General Conference (LDS Church)|general conference]], the consensus was that [[Priesthood blessing|blessings performed]] by Melchizedek Priesthood holders should be sought whenever possible.<ref name=":0" /> In 1946, [[Joseph Fielding Smith]] sent a letter to [[Belle S. Spafford]] saying these washings and anointings were discouraged.<ref name=":0" />

==Use in LDS Female Healing Rituals==

Historically, Latter-day Saint women performed special washings and anointings to heal the sick and afflicted.[[Joseph Smith]] officially sanctioned female healing in 1842. This practice continued in the LDS Church until at least the 1940's. A sick person was washed, anointed with oil, and given a [[priesthood blessing]] by the "laying on of hands".<ref name=female_healing>{{cite journal |last1=Stapley |first1=Jonathan A. |last2=Wright |first2=Kristine |title=Female Ritual Healing in Mormonism |journal=Journal of Mormon History |volume=37 |issue=1 |page=1-85 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23291588 |access-date=16 July 2024}}</ref>

One of the first recorded female healings took place at the [[Relief Society]] meeting on April 19, 1842. Sisters Sarah Cleveland and [[Elizabeth Ann Whitney]], who were councilors in the Relief Society Presidency, administered to Abigale Leonard "for the restoration of health." Minute notes also indicate that Sister Martha Sessions may have laid her hands on [[Eliza R. Snow]] to give her a blessing during this meeting.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Snow |first1=Eliza R |title=Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book |url=https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book/56 |website=Joseph Smith Paper |publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |access-date=16 July 2024}}</ref>

In the following Relief Society meeting, on April 28th, 1842, Joseph Smith said that anyone who has faith can give [[priesthood blessing|priesthood blessings]] to heal the sick. Smith said that God had sanctioned female healing by the laying on of hands and that anyone who disagreed should "hold their tongues."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Snow |first1=Eliza R. |title=Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book |url=https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book/59 |website=Joseph Smith Papers |publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |access-date=16 July 2024 |pages=35-37}}</ref>

[[Brigham Young]] and [[Ezra Taft Benson]] encouraged women to perform these healing rituals at home. However, by the April 1921 [[general conference (LDS)|general conference]] the consensus was that healings should only be performed by Melchizedek Priesthood holders (who are exclusively male).<ref name=":0" />

In 1946, President [[Joseph Fielding Smith]] sent a letter to [[Belle S. Spafford]], the General Relief Society President at the time, discouraged the practice of female healing, indicating that it was likely still happening at this time.<ref name=":0" /> <ref name=female_healing/>

==Administration==