Washing and anointing
From Free net encyclopedia
In Mormonism, washing and anointing (also called the Initiatory) is an ordinance (ritual) that symbolizes ritual cleansing and anointing to be a king or queen in heaven. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the ritual is performed in temples.
Washing and anointings (also referred to as initiatory ordinances) are perhaps the earliest practiced temple ordinances for the living since the organization of the Church. There is evidence that these ordinances were performed in part since 1832. They were first practiced in the Whitney Store as part of the School of the Prophets. This ordinance continues to be performed today.
The ordinance of washing and anointing symbolizes the ritual cleansing of priests that took place at Israel's Tabernacle, the temple of Solomon, and later temples in Jerusalem (see Exodus 28:40-42, Exodus 29:4-9, 20-21 29-30, 30:18-21).
Multiple early Christian documents discuss the ordinance of "chrism" which is nearly identical to the anointing ordinances in Latter-day Saint temples. The most detailed version of the practic is by Cyril and may be found at Select Library Of The Nicene And Post-Nicene Fathers Of The Christian Church: Second Series Volume VII: Cyril Of Jerusalem: "Ceremonies of Baptism and Chrism" (see § 6). Cyril details how ointment or oil was "symbolically applied to thy forehead, and thy other organs of sense" and that the "ears, nostrils, and breast were each to be anointed." Only a Bishop could anoint the forehead. Cyril states that the "ointment is the seal of the covenants" of baptism and God’s promises to the Christian who is anointed.
The text also claims that all true, believing Christians received the ordinance: "We are called Christians, because we are anointed with the oil of God."
In addition to Cyril, Theophilus and Tertullian discuss the ordinances and the "several ceremonies are thus explained in the Apostolical Constitutions."