For those of us who have long been fascinated by the historical development of Latter-day Saint temple worship, Jonathan Stapley’s recent work, Holiness to the Lord: Latter-day Saint Temple Worship, and his insightful interview on the subject at the Latter-day Saint history site From the Desk offer a significant contribution to the conversation. The interview offers a compelling overview of the book, tracing the evolution of temple rituals from Joseph Smith’s foundational, biblically inspired practices in Kirtland to the more elaborate endowment ceremonies developed in Nauvoo, which aimed to create a “ritualized heaven on earth.” What emerges is a clear picture of a living, breathing tradition, one that has been continuously adapted by subsequent leaders, such as Brigham Young and, more recently, President Russell M. Nelson. Stapley’s work promises to bridge the gap between the sacred privacy of the temple and the scholarly desire for historical understanding, offering a nuanced exploration of how these central ordinances have shaped Latter-day Saint identity and belief over time.

How Has Temple Worship Evolved Since Joseph Smith’s Time?

Jonathan Stapley’s work signifies a shift towards greater openness and scholarly examination of what has traditionally been a very private aspect of Latter-day Saint worship. By providing a detailed historical account, his book aims to bridge the gap between the sacred and the academic, offering a deeper understanding of the temple’s central role in the faith. As he explained in the interview:

It is no secret that Latter-day Saints have a robust culture of privacy (or even secrecy) with regard to the temple. There are important religious reasons for that, but the result is that both insiders and outsiders have often been left without constructive information. And since the days of Joseph Smith there have also always been people willing to expose the temple ceremonies to the public gaze.

In recent years, church leaders have found new ways to share elements of temple worship with the public that in the past have been restricted. Holiness to the Lord: Latter-day Saint Temple Worship is a scholarly history of the development of the temple ceremonies and the beliefs that Latter-day Saints have had in conjunction with them.

It is drawn from extensive research and presents information that is accurate and reliable.

Having read the book, I agree with his assessment. It’s sensitive to Latter-day Saints, while providing a lot of good insight into the practice of temple worship.

Stapley’s work also highlights that temple worship is not a static tradition. It has undergone significant development from its beginnings in Kirtland, through the expansive additions in Nauvoo, and continuing with adaptations by subsequent Church leaders. This reveals a history of revelation and responsiveness to the needs of the Church. Stapley noted this in the interview:

It is quite clear that Joseph Smith regularly changed and altered patterns of worship that we commonly call “ordinances,” as have subsequent church leaders. It is a feature of living faith as opposed to being a bug.

In short, it is important to understand how the meaning of “ordinance” has itself changed over time, and how Joseph Smith and subsequent church leaders have negotiated changes in our sacred ceremonies over time. I have a whole section on this in Holiness to the Lord that contextualizes some commonly circulated Joseph Smith quotes that indicate that “ordinances” can never change.

It’s a key point that stood out to me in the book as well (something I discuss in my review, which should go live in a couple of weeks to coincide with the official release of the book).

For more on how temple worship has evolved, head on over to the Latter-day Saint history site, From the Desk, to read the full interview with Jonathan Stapley.