We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. Articles of Faith 1:3
“Ordinances and blessings are sacred acts performed by the authority of the priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ. As priesthood holders perform ordinances and give blessings, they follow the Savior’s example of blessing others. Priesthood ordinances and blessings provide access to God’s power (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:20). Ordinances and blessings are to be performed with faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and according to the guidance of the Holy Ghost” (General Handbook, 18.0).
President Nelson wrote: “Essential ordinances of the gospel symbolize the Atonement. Baptism by immersion is symbolic of the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Redeemer. Partaking of the sacrament renews baptismal covenants and also renews our memory of the Savior’s broken flesh and of the blood He shed for us. Ordinances of the temple symbolize our reconciliation with the Lord and seal families together forever. Obedience to the sacred covenants made in temples qualifies us for eternal life—the greatest gift of God to man—the “object and end of our existence.” (“The Atonement,” Ensign Nov. 1996).
Gospel ordinances are important because they help us understand the covenant into which we are entering. A covenant relationship with Jesus Christ depends on receiving proper ordinances from His authorized representatives and remaining worthy of our covenants. These ordinances should be “transformative” in nature, not transactional. They are not about buying salvation; they reflect our yearning to be closer to God.
God’s kingdom is one of order, and ordinances are the way we set our lives in order, or put ourselves in harmony with the order of heaven. Order, ordain, and ordinance have the same root.
Word Origin
Hebrew: In Hebrew, there is no single word that perfectly translates to “ordinance.” Chuqqah (חקה) and its root, chaqaq (חק), means to trace or mark, i.e. create the pattern. This captures the essence of an ordinance. For example, in Doctrine and Covenants 52:14 the Lord points out that He gives a pattern in all things and then in verse 16 He references ordinances.
Greek: Like Hebrew, there is no single word to perfectly translate “ordinance” in English.
Diatage (διαταγή) means to arrange, appoint, ordain, prescribe, give order.
Ktisis (κτίσις)is the act of founding and establishing, and creating. It comes from the root word to form, shape, i.e. to completely change or transform. Therefore, ktisis implies ‘re-create’.
English: The word “ordinance” traces back to the Latin ordinare, meaning “to set in order,” which comes from the Latin word ordo, meaning “order” or “rank”. It may imply putting one’s life in order with God.
“Order—To put in ranks or rows, in proper sequence or relationship. Ordain—The process of putting things in rows of proper relationship. Ordinance—The ceremony by which things are put in proper order”
President Boyd K. Packer
Premortal Nature of Ordinances
Joseph Smith taught that “the ordinances of the Gospel [which] were laid out before the foundation of the world” (History of the Church, May 12, 1844, Joseph Smith Papers) and “were instituted by the Priesthood in the council of Heaven before the world was” (Joseph Smith Papers, Discourse, 11 June 1843). The power of ordinances springs from the fact that they represent eternal realities—the order of heaven.
Power of Godliness Is Manifest in the Ordinances
In 1832, the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “This greater priesthood [Melchizedek] administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:19–21). “Ordinances received and honored with integrity are essential to obtaining the power of godliness and all of the blessings made available through the Savior’s Atonement” (David A. Bednar, “Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins,” Ensign, May 2016).
In what ways is the power of godliness manifest in the ordinances? The power of godliness is manifest in the ordinances of the priesthood because they are the divinely authorized channels through which the power and knowledge necessary for salvation are administered. They represent the keys of the mysteries of the heavens, without which no flesh on earth could be saved. There are at least three distinct reasons for ordinances.
1. Channel of Divine Power and Authority
“Good conduct without the ordinances of the gospel will neither redeem nor exalt mankind; covenants and the ordinances are essential” (Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Nov. 1984).
Elder Bednar explained: “Sacred ordinances that are received worthily and remembered continually open the heavenly channels through which the power of godliness can flow into our lives. By receiving priesthood ordinances and making and keeping sacred covenants, we are yoked to and with the Savior (see Matthew 11:28–30) and can be blessed with strength beyond our own to overcome the temptations and challenges of mortality as we prepare to return to God’s presence” (“Temple Ordinances: Preparing to Return to God’s Presence,” Liahona, July 2022). “Pressing forward to and partaking of the fruit of the tree [2 Nephi 31:17] may represent the receiving of additional ordinances and covenants whereby the Atonement can become fully efficacious in our lives” (Power to Become, 77).
2. Spiritual Rebirth and Sanctification
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “being born again, comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances” (Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 4 August 1839, Joseph Smith Papers). For example, the ordinances of baptism and confirmation (the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost) provide for baptism “of fire and the Holy Ghost,” which cleanses and sanctifies the soul, burning out “dross, iniquity, carnality, sensuality, and every evil thing… as if by fire”. The Sacrament which promises the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, enables a person to “always retain a remission of sins”.
“In all the ordinances, especially those of the temple, we are endowed with power from on high. This ‘power of godliness’ comes in the person and by the influence of the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost is part of the new and everlasting covenant. It is an essential part of our baptism, the baptism of the Spirit. It is the messenger of grace by which the blood of Christ is applied to take away our sins and sanctify us (see 2 Nephi 31:17)” (D. Todd Christofferson, Ensign, May 2009).
3. Endowed with Power and Knowledge
The ultimate purpose of the ordinances is that they lead us to know God. By participating, individuals are “endowed with power from on high”. Ordinances are instruments of change and purification that lead the participant to know God. The knowledge of one’s condition and true relation to God can only be obtained by experience through the ordinances established for that purpose. These rituals, such as baptism, are more than symbols; they are “implemental, dynamic, and causative” (Robert J. Matthews, “The Role of Ordinances in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”).
The Melchizedek Priesthood administers the gospel and “holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God”. “Reading the experience of others, or the revelation given to them, can never give us a comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to God. Knowledge of these things can only be obtained by experience through the ordinances of God set forth for that purpose” (Joseph Smith, Discourse, 9 October 1843, The Joseph Smith Papers).
What About Changing Ordinances?
In describing the last days, Isaiah 24:5 in the King James Version reads, “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant”.
What does it mean to “change the ordinance? Isaiah 24:5 is clarified in Doctrine and Covenants 1:15, “For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant”.
The word changed heperu (פָרַר) comes from a primitive root; to break up. They have broken the ordinance (the covenant). It’s not about changing the ordinance but about breaking the covenant. Most Bible translations render Isaiah 24:5 as breaking the covenant, not changing the ordinances.
Elder Randall K. Bennett “compared covenants and ordinances to a capsule of prescribed medication. Ordinances are like the capsule itself: a vehicle for the medication to get where it’s most needed. Covenants are like the medication; it does the most good when it’s planted deeply”
When the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles occasionally modify the ways in which temple ordinances are performed, Elder Bennett said, it’s “so that God’s children can better understand the covenants they’re making with Him. Adjustments allow for covenants to be planted in the hearts of people living in different times and in different circumstances.” (Young Single Adult Devotional at Brigham Young University–Idaho on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024).
Throughout history, under priesthood keys, the Lord has directed His prophets to adjust ordinances and procedures to bless His people. Here are some key points to consider:
• Procedures and Methods Change: Procedures, policies, and the administration of ordinances continue to change as inspired direction comes to those who preside. For instance, the procedure for administering the sacrament changed from using one large vessel to individual disposable cups, though the covenants remained the same. Current adjustments in temple procedures, and others that will follow, are continuing evidence that the Lord is actively directing His Church.
• Purpose of Adjustments: Adjustments are made so that God’s children can better understand the covenants they are making with Him. They are revealed to clarify concepts and ensure worldwide accuracy and consistency of instruction despite differences in language and culture.
• Covenants Remain Unchanged: Although the procedures or ways of performing ordinances may be modified, the central covenants of the temple and God’s promised blessings to His covenant children have not changed. The underlying doctrine and covenants within ordinances like baptism and sealing are equally efficacious and remain unchanged.
Illustration – Temple Ordinances and the Power of Godliness
Sister Reyna I. Aburto related the following:
My grandmother Isabel Blanco was born in Potosí, Nicaragua. In my memories, she is a loving, hardworking, and faithful woman. As I was growing up, she planted in my young heart the seed of faith as I saw her pray to God with fervor and as she took me to mass every Sunday to worship Jesus. However, she did not have an easy life. Among many other things that she did, when she was young, she worked as a maid for an affluent family. As was sadly common, her employer got her pregnant and when she could no longer hide her pregnancy, she was dismissed.
My father, Noel, was born from that pregnancy, and although Potosí was a small town and everyone, including Noel, knew who his father was, Noel never had any direct contact or relationship with him.
Isabel never married, and she had two other children out of wedlock. After some time, she and her three children moved to the country’s capital, Managua, looking for better employment and educational opportunities.
During his late teen years, Noel developed an addiction to alcohol. He eventually met and married my mother, Delbi, and they had four children. Through the years, his alcoholism took a toll on their marriage and after moving to San Francisco, California, USA, in their 50s, they separated. Unfortunately, he died by suicide a few years later.
My mother and I became members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a few years before my father passed away. Some years after his death, all the vicarious temple ordinances were performed in his behalf, except for one: the sealing ordinance. At the time, I did not dare ask my mother if she wanted to be sealed to him, because I knew how strained their relationship had been.
Then a miracle happened. My mother had a dream in which she saw her husband, Noel, outside the kitchen door in their home in Managua, extending his hand to her and inviting her to come with him. She woke up with a sweet feeling in her heart. Not too long after that, she called me one day and calmly said, “I am going to be sealed to your father this Saturday. You can come if you want.”
I replied excitedly, “Of course, I want to be there!” After our phone conversation ended, I joyfully realized that I could also be sealed to them.
On a glorious Saturday morning, my mother, my husband, and I knelt at a sacred temple altar and performed the living and vicarious sealing ordinances that gave my parents and me the opportunity to be together forever. My son was also there as proxy for my brother, who had passed away years before. At that holy moment, all the pains and sorrows were forgotten. We all felt the soothing and healing balm that our Savior, Jesus Christ, offers us through His Atonement, on both sides of the veil.
Years later, I had a dream in which I saw my father at what seemed to be a pulpit in one of our meetinghouses. He was wearing a white shirt and a tie, and he was giving an inspiring message. In my dream, I could perceive that he was a seasoned leader of the Church. I do not know exactly what that dream means, but it gives me the hope that maybe he has accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ in the spirit world.
At some point, we also performed the temple work for my grandmother, Isabel, except for the sealing to spouse ordinance because she was not married in her life. Just think about this, a woman like Isabel, who was not treated with respect by men and who dealt with many struggles in her life, can be given the opportunity on the other side of the veil to exercise her agency and make a sacred covenant with God through a vicarious ordinance in the temple. She, like all of us, is in need of increased faith, in need of repentance, in need of love, in need of sanctification—in short, in need of healing.
Looking back now, I can see that even though Noel had a difficult childhood and a damaging addiction, his love for his children was stronger than his weaknesses. When he was with us, his best qualities would come out. He was always kind to us, and I cannot remember even one occasion in which he lost his temper with his children. Because God is merciful, Noel is also given the chance to exercise faith, to repent, and to accept Jesus Christ as his Redeemer through saving temple ordinances performed in the holy temple (“Miracles of Healing through Temple Ordinances,” Ensign, Sept. 2020).
