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Dear, welcome to the Pink Apostle podcast. This is my journey from works to grace, doubt to faith, and striving to surrender. Jesus calls his followers to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And through this podcast, I hope to inspire a thirst for him, preserve his truth, and shine his light in a dark world. It is also the story of how God transformed my heart and ignited a passion to share his love and hope with you.
Hey friends, welcome back to the Pink Apostle podcast. I'm your host Katie and today's episode is one I've been preparing carefully for a while because it's deep, layered, and honestly very personal. If you've been a part of the LDS church, or if you have friends or family who are, you already know how central the temple is to the life of a devout Latter-day Saint. It's not just a beautiful building or a place for quiet reverence. It's considered the literal house of the Lord, a place where eternity-changing ordinances are performed, where salvation and exaltation are sealed, and where, as I was once taught, the highest blessings of heaven are earned.
But if you're not familiar with the LDS faith, let me take a second to explain what it actually means. In Mormonism, the temple isn't the same thing as a weekly church building. It's much more exclusive and sacred. Only members who pass a worthiness interview can enter. And inside, they participate in special rituals that are believed to be necessary for eternal life with God. These include things like baptisms for the dead, eternal marriage ceremonies called sealings, and the endowment ceremony, which involves symbolic clothing, covenants, and what are considered secret ordinances. These temporal rituals are seen as essential steps on the path to exaltation, which if you remember from episode 5 and 6 in LDS theology means becoming like God and living in the highest level of heaven. So when I say the temple was central to my faith, I don't just mean it was meaningful. I mean it was the goal. The temple represented my eternal future, my identity, and even my family's salvation.
But here's what I've come to realize. The temple system that I used to revere and even idolize doesn't actually line up with what scripture or Jesus teaches. And even more surprising, its origin story is tied to something I didn't realize until I started digging into the history and the details, Freemasonry. So, in this episode, we are digging into the origins of the LDS temple endowment and its ties to Masonic ritual, what the Bible teaches about the temple from the tabernacle to Jesus, and why all of this is deeply important for your relationship with God. Because if you are in Christ, you don't need a building, a veil, a recommend to prove your worthiness, or a secret name to draw you near to him. You are the temple. So grab your Bible, a notebook, and let's pray to get started. And then we'll dig into this together.
The Lord Jesus, we just come before you humbly right now. And I just pray that every person who is under the sound of my voice that the room that they are in will be cleared of any spirit of distraction, any spirit of offense, anything that the enemy may send to keep your word from soaking deep into their hearts. I pray that they will have a clear mind and that you will fill them with wisdom and understanding that comes only from you, Father. And I just pray that as I speak today that I will be less and you will be more. That everything that I say will come from you, Father. And I say all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
All right. So, before we dive into where the temple endowment came from, let's start with what the LDS church itself says the temple is for. The LDS church defines its temples in an article on LDS.org called, "What is the purpose of the temple?" And they say that the temple is literally a house of the Lord, a holy place set apart from the rest of the world. Elder Robert D. Hales taught, "The primary purpose of the temple is to provide the ordinances necessary for our exaltation in the celestial kingdom." So these ordinances that can only be performed in the temple aren't optional. They are essential for salvation and exaltation according to LDS theology.
Now, let's step back into history. It's 1842. Joseph Smith joins the Masonic Lodge in Nauvoo, Illinois. And just a few weeks later, he introduces the LDS Temple Endowment ceremony. That timing isn't just interesting, it's pivotal. Many early LDS leaders were already Freemasons, including Joseph's brother, Hyram Smith, Brigham Young, and Heber C. Kimball. Kimball even admitted that there was a similarity of priesthood in masonry. Joseph Smith saw Freemasonry as preserving fragments of ancient truth. Distorted, yes, but useful for restoring what he believed was God's true order. The LDS church today still claims that the temple ordinances were revealed by God, but their own essays say masonry may have acted as a catalyst. In reality, many parts of the endowment ceremony were directly copied from Masonic rituals like secret handshakes, passphrases, special clothing, signs and tokens, and penalties for revealing content. These weren't divinely revealed ordinances. They were borrowed directly from Masonic tradition where they'd existed long before Nauvoo.
One of the most revealing issues is how much LDS temple ordinances have changed over time. Prior to 1990, penalties mimicking Masonic oaths like pantomimed throat slitting were included. The five points of fellowship at the veil were removed and the creation narrative and other language was softened. But in Hebrews 13:8, we read that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So if these ceremonies came from God, why have they changed? God doesn't need revisions when he gives revelations. And this isn't just an outsider claim. It's acknowledged by the LDS church itself. In its Gospel Topics essay on masonry, it states, "The relationship between masonry and the origins of temple ordinances is not fully understood. Elements of the endowment seem to resemble those of masonry, and that matters. Freemasonry is a secret society that traces its roots to post-Christian medieval guilds. It's not biblical, and it's not Christian. And if the LDS ordinances resemble something that originated in mysticism and fraternity, not scripture, then where did they come from? This leads to a critical question. If the LDS temple ceremony comes from masonry and Freemasonry is not Christian, then what spirit is behind these rituals? Do they reflect God's truth or a distortion of it?
So let's now go to the Bible. Exodus 25:8 says, "Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them." God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle, which was a portable tent of worship. It was full of rich symbolism and very specific instructions. It represented God's holy presence and dwelling among sinful people. The temple was designed with layers of increasing holiness to show how sacred God's presence truly is. First, there was the outer court where the people would bring animal sacrifices as offerings for sin. Then came the holy place, a room that only priests could enter where they maintained the lampstand, the table of bread, and the altar of incense. You can read all about this in Exodus 26, but it's far too detailed to go into here. Beyond that was the most holy place, and it was also called the Holy of Holies. This inner room was separated by a thick veil, and it housed the Ark of the Covenant, which was the symbol of God's very presence. No one was allowed to enter that space except for the high priest and only once a year on the day of atonement to offer a blood sacrifice for the sins of the people. And that's all outlined in Leviticus 16.
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So all of it, all of the structure, the rituals, the restrictions, they were all meant to teach Israel a powerful truth. God is holy, and sin creates a separation between us and him. Approaching God wasn't casual. It required sacrifice, a mediator, and deep reverence. Later, Solomon built the first permanent temple, which you can read about in first Kings 6-8. When he dedicated it, God's glory filled the temple so powerfully that the priests couldn't even stand. But that temple was eventually destroyed in 586 BC. A second temple was built under Zerubbabel. I had to practice that name. And later expanded by Herod. This is the temple that Jesus walked in. Yet in John 2:19, Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." But he wasn't talking about Herod's temple. He was talking about himself. And when Jesus died on the cross, Mark 15:38 says, "The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." That curtain was the veil that separated the Holy of Holies. It symbolized restricted access to God. When Jesus died, God himself tore it down from top to bottom. Not man to God, but God to man.
Hebrews 9:8-10 explains this even further. The Holy Spirit was making it clear that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. This is a symbol for the present time during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshipper's conscience. They are physical regulations and only deal with food, drink, and various washings imposed until the time of the new order. In other words, the entire Old Covenant temple system, its rituals, sacrifices, and restricted access, it was all a shadow, a temporary framework pointing forward to something greater. And that new order is here, and it came through Jesus. Hebrews 10:19-20 says, "We have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus through the new and living way he opened for us through the curtain that is his body." That's why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:16, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in your midst? You are now the temple. If you are in Christ, his spirit lives in you. And here's the incredible part. Jesus didn't just tear the veil and walk away. He made a way for himself to live inside us. In John 14, Jesus tells his disciples, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. He dwells with you and will be in you." That same spirit, the spirit of God, now lives in every believer. Romans chapter 8 says that the spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us and gives life to our mortal bodies. That's not a metaphor. That's resurrection power living inside you. And in Ephesians 3:20, Paul says that God is able to do far more than we could ever ask or imagine according to the power at work within us.
This is why the gospel is better than anything man-made. You cannot earn your way into God's presence. You'll never be worthy on your own. Your worthiness comes from being covered by the blood of Jesus. And when you place your trust in him alone for your salvation and admit that you can't earn it, when you do that, you become the temple and the Holy Spirit lives in you. That is the gospel. Not secret rites and stone buildings, but full access to God through Jesus Christ. Nowhere in the New Testament are believers commanded to build temples, veil themselves, wear ritual clothing, or receive secret names. You won't find secret handshakes, tokens, or passwords. You won't find threats of spiritual punishment for revealing sacred ordinances. But in the LDS temple, these things are central. Members are required to participate in secret rituals, including symbolic gestures, oaths, and covenants, many of which are forbidden to speak of outside the temple walls. And until 1990, those ceremonies even included violent penalties like pantomimed throat slitting sworn as consequences for revealing temple content. That's not biblical worship. That is fear-based secrecy. All of it fades in the light of Jesus who tore the veil and brought full open access to the Father. In him there are no secret codes, no hidden doors, just grace, truth, and freedom. The LDS temple reintroduces a veil Jesus already tore. It rebuilds a system Jesus already fulfilled.
And here's where it gets even more serious. In 1974, BYU religion professor Reed Durham said, "There is absolutely no question in my mind that the Nauvoo period was a period of heavy borrowing and adaptation." Joseph Smith's involvement with Freemasonry, Kabbalah, and ceremonial magic is well documented. Though later he took some of this back under pressure. The historical record supports his statement and that's a major spiritual problem because God doesn't approve of cult influence. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, "Let no one be found among you who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord." God doesn't call his people into hidden mysteries veiled in secrecy. He calls us into the light with worship grounded in truth.
So, let's pause here. We've looked at the origin of the LDS Temple Endowment and its ties to Freemasonry. We've walked through the biblical purpose of the temple from the tabernacle to Solomon's temple all the way to Jesus. And we've seen that Jesus himself is the fulfillment of the temple. And by his blood, we are made holy dwelling places for God. He is the fulfillment. He tore the veil. He made the way and he now dwells in you.
In next week's episode, we are going to move on and talk about the priesthood because it goes hand-in-hand with the temple. We're going to talk about how the priesthood functioned in the Old Testament, how Jesus fulfills it as our high priest, what the LDS church teaches about restoring it, and how Freemasonry influenced the priesthood as well. So, take a breath, reflect on what we've covered, and please hear me. This isn't about attacking people I once stood beside in faith. It's about holding everyone up to the light of God's word and asking, "Does this align with the truth that he's already revealed?" I'm sharing this because I care. I truly love you too much not to say something. And my prayer is that as you wrestle with these things, you will begin to see the beauty and simplicity of the gospel. That Jesus has already done everything that's needed. You don't need to earn it. You don't need to add to it. You just need to receive it.
Let's pray together. Father God, thank you so much for just bringing us together. Thank you for bringing every listener on the other side of this podcast to this place. And Father, I just pray that all of this information that you will give understanding and wisdom to every person who hears it and that you will continue to lead and guide into your truth and your light. And I pray that every person who listens and hears will receive you in faith and in your grace, knowing that there's nothing more that they can do to add to it. And I just pray your eternal blessing over everyone in Jesus' name. Amen.
All right, guys. I'll see you next time. Bye.
Thank you so much for joining me on the Pink Apostle. If today's episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts, questions, or your own story by reaching out to me at katie@thepinkapostle.com. And if this episode blessed you or impacted you, please consider donating on the website thepinkapostle.com to support our mission. If you could also leave a five-star review or share it with a friend who needs to hear this message of hope and grace, I would be so grateful. Remember, Jesus loves you more than you can imagine. No matter where you are in your journey, he's calling you to surrender, trust, and walk in the freedom he offers. Until next time, remember Jesus's words. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be open to you. Jesus loves you so much. Bye.
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