Mitt
Romney's Mormon Temple Oath of Loyalty to the Mormon Church
TEMPLE
NARRATOR: "And as Jesus Christ has laid down his life for the redemption
of mankind, so we should covenant to sacrifice all that we possess,
even our own lives if necessary, in sustaining and defending the Kingdom
of God."
TEMPLE PATRONS:
"Yes."
ELOHIM: "That
will do."
TEMPLE NARRATOR:
"Each of you bring your right arm to the square. You and each of
you covenant and promise before God, angels, and these witnesses at
this altar, that you do accept the Law of Consecration as contained
in this, the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, in that you do
consecrate yourselves, your time, talents, and everything with which
the Lord has blessed you, or with which he may bless you, to the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for the building up of the Kingdom
of God on the earth and for the establishment of Zion."
Each of you bow your head and say "yes."
TEMPLE PATRONS: "Yes."
PETER: "That will do."
Mormon Leaders
Expect All Church Members to Take this Oath Seriously, Even on Political
Matters
Church President
Gordon B. Hinckley recently declared:
"Now
may I say a word concerning loyalty to the Church. We see much indifference.
There are those who say, 'The Church won't dictate to me how to think
about this, that, or the other, or how to live my life.'"
"No, I reply, the
Church will not dictate to any man how he should think or what he should
do. The Church will point out the way and invite every member to live
the gospel and enjoy the blessings that come of such living. The
Church will not dictate to any man, but it will counsel, it will persuade,
it will urge, and it will expect loyalty from those who profess membership
therein."
"The book of Revelation
declares: 'I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would
thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither
cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth' (Revelation 3:15-16)."
"I make you a promise,
my dear brethren, that while I am serving in my present responsibility
I will never consent to nor advocate any policy, any program, any doctrine
which will be otherwise than beneficial to the membership of this, the
Lord's Church."
"This is His work.
He established it. He has revealed its doctrine. He has outlined its
practices. He created its government. It is His work and His kingdom,
and He has said, "They who are not for me are against me" (2
Nephi 10:16)."
"In 1933, there
was a movement in the United States to overturn the law which prohibited
commerce in alcoholic beverages. When it came to a vote, Utah was the
deciding state. President Heber J. Grant, then President of this Church,
had pleaded with our people against voting to nullify Prohibition. It
broke his heart when so many members of the Church in this state disregarded
his counsel."
"On this occasion
I am not going to talk about the good or bad of Prohibition but rather
of uncompromising loyalty to the Church."
"How
grateful, my brethren, I feel, how profoundly grateful for the tremendous
faith of so many Latter-day Saints who, when facing a major decision
on which the Church has taken a stand, align themselves with that position.
And I am especially grateful to be able to say that among those who
are loyal are men and women of achievement, of accomplishment, of education,
of influence, of strength-highly intelligent and capable individuals."
"Each of us
has to face the matter-either the Church is true, or it is a fraud.
There is no middle ground. It is the Church and kingdom of God, or it
is nothing."
- President Gordon B. Hinckley. "Loyalty," April Conference, 2003.
Unquestioning
Obedience a Virtue
"For
us, to 'believe all things' means to believe the doctrine of the restored
gospel of Jesus Christ as well as the words of the Latterday
prophets. It means to successfully erase our doubts and reservations.
It means that in making spiritual commitments, we are prepared to hold
nothing back. It means we are ready to consecrate our lives
to the work of the kingdom."
"The more we believe,
the easier faith-based obedience becomes. Hence the value of 'believing
all things.'"
"We are
instructed to be like children, who are willing to be taught
and then to act without first demanding full knowledge."
"Some members are
constantly evaluating the gospel by the standards of the world. They
may think, 'That is not how I think the Lord would want it done,' or,
'Based on my understanding of the scriptures, the Church position should
have been . . .'"
"Some Church
members may have reservations because of a physical appetite they are
not quite willing to surrender."
"Other common
reservations are flagged by words such as 'yes, but . . .' when scriptures
or prophets are quoted. Or we may hear, 'I am not going
to let the Church make my decisions for me.'"
"Obedience is
a fundamental law of the gospel. It is not only the demonstration
of our faith but also the foundation of our faith. But the philosophical
standard of the world holds that unquestioning obedience equals blind
obedience, and blind obedience is mindless obedience. This is simply
not true.
Unquestioning obedience to the Lord indicates that a person has developed
faith and trust in Him to the point where he or she considers all inspired
instruction — whether it be recorded scripture or the words of modern
prophets — to be worthy of obedience."
"One day there will
be answers to all our questions, and they will be based on divine fairness
and love. The Lord will not hold people accountable for factors over
which they have no control."
"Let us believe all
things. Let us have unquestioning faith in all of the doctrines
and truths of the restored gospel."
"Helps for Family Home
Evening: 1. Blindfold one family member. Have a parent guide him or her
through a set of obstacles. Compare this activity to the doctrines presented
in this article."
- Elder Robert Oaks, "Believe All Things," Ensign, July
2005, page 30
"I know a 17-year-old
who, just prior to the prophet’s talk, had pierced her ears a
second time. She came home from the fireside, took off the second set
of earrings, and simply said to her parents, “If President
Hinckley says we should only wear one set of earrings, that’s
good enough for me.”"
"Wearing
two pair of earrings may or may not have eternal consequences for this
young woman, but her willingness to obey the prophet will.
And if she will obey him now, on something relatively simple, how much
easier it will be to follow him when greater issues are at stake."
- Apostle M. Russell Ballard, “His Word Ye Shall Receive,”
Ensign, May 2001, 65
Church Leaders
Expect Conformity
"But no child in
this Church should be left with uncertainty about his or her parents'
devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Restoration of His Church, and
the reality of living prophets and apostles who, now as in earlier days,
lead that Church according to 'the will of the Lord, . . . the mind
of the Lord, . . . the word of the Lord, . . . and the power of God
unto salvation.' In such basic matters of faith, prophets do not apologize
for requesting unity, indeed conformity, in the eloquent sense
that the Prophet Joseph Smith used that latter word. In any case, as
Elder Neal Maxwell once said to me in a hallway conversation, 'There
didn't seem to be any problem with conformity the day the Red Sea opened.'"
"What a classic
example of the warning Elder Richard L. Evans once gave. Said he:
Sometimes some
parents mistakenly feel that they can relax a little as to conduct
and conformity or take perhaps a so called liberal view of basic and
fundamental things-thinking that a little laxness or indulgence won't
matter-or they may fail to teach or to attend Church, or may voice
critical views. Some parents . . . seem to feel that they can
ease up a little on the fundamentals without affecting their family
or their family's future. But, if a parent goes a little off course,
the children are likely to exceed the parent's example.
"To lead a child
- or anyone else - even inadvertently, away from faithfulness, away
from loyalty and bedrock belief simply because we want to be clever
or independent is license no parent nor any other person has ever been
given. In matters of religion a skeptical mind is not a
higher manifestation of virtue than is a believing heart, and
analytical deconstruction in the field of, say, literary fiction can
be just plain old-fashioned destruction when transferred to families
yearning for faith at home. And such a deviation from the true course
can be deceptively slow and subtle in its impact. As one observer said,
"[If you raise the temperature of my] bath water . . . only 1 degree
every 10 minutes, how [will I] know when to scream?"
- Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, General Conference, Sunday April 6th
2003
Mitt Romney
Has Also Made Death Oaths in the Mormon Temple
Romney made his
Mormon temple covenants prior to 1990 when the gruesome death oaths
were removed. So in Romney's case, he has made these death oaths to
God:
Romney's
Mormon Temple Death Oath #1:
ELOHIM: "All arise." (All patrons stand.)
ELOHIM: "Each of you make the sign of the First
Token of the Aaronic Priesthood, by bringing your right arm to the square,
the palm of the hand to the front, the fingers together, and the thumb
extended. This is the sign. Now, repeat in your mind after me the words
of the covenant, at the same time representing the execution of the
penalty."
"I Mitt Romney, covenant before God, angels and
these witnesses that I will never reveal the First Token of the Aaronic
Priesthood, with its accompanying name and sign, and penalty. Rather
than do so, I would suffer my life to be taken."
(Patrons perform the action as the Officiator guides
them.)
"That will do." (Patrons sit down.)
Romney's
Mormon Death Oath #2:
PETER: "The sign is made by bringing the right
hand in front of you, with the hand in cupping shape, the right arm
forming a square, and the left arm being raised to the square. This
is the sign. (The officiator demonstrates.) The Execution of the Penalty
is represented by placing the right hand on the left breast, drawing
the hand quickly across the body, and dropping the hands to the sides.
I will now explain the covenant and obligation of secrecy which are
associated with this token, its name, and sign, and penalty, and which
you will be required to take upon yourselves."
PETER: "All arise. (All Patrons stand.) Each of
you make the sign of the Second Token of the Aaronic priesthood by bringing
the right hand in front of you, with the hand in cupping shape, the
right arm forming a square, and the left arm being raised to the square.
This is the sign."
"Now, repeat in your mind after me the words of
the covenant, at the same time representing the Executing of the Penalty."
"I, Mitt Romney, solemnly covenant, before God,
angels, and these witnesses that I will never reveal the second Token
of the Aaronic Priesthood, with its accompanying name, and sign, and
penalty. Rather than do so, I would suffer my life to be taken."
(Patrons perform the action as the Officiator guides
them.)
"That will do." (All patrons sit down.)
Romney's
Mormon Temple Death Oath #3:
PETER: "All arise. (All patrons stand.) Each of
you make the sign of the First Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood or
Sign of the Nail by brining the left hand in front of you with the hand
in cupping shape, the left arm forming a square; also by bringing the
right hand is also brought forward, the palm down, the fingers close
together, the thumb extended, and by placing the thumb over the left
hip. This is the sign."
"Now repeat in your mind after me the words of
the covenant, at the same time representing the Execution of the Penalty:"
"I solemnly covenant in the name of the Son that
I will never reveal the First Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood or
Sign of the Nail, with its accompanying name,and sign and penalty. Rather
than do so, I would suffer my life to be taken."
(Patrons perform the action as the Officiator guides
them.)
"That will do." (All patrons sit down.)
It's just a matter
of time before this come
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