The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship

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Summary: This book removes the mystery of the Mormon Temple
Review: As a former Mormon who has been to the temple many times, I found this book to be a straightforward explaination of how the Mormon temple endowment evolved and how it will continue to evolve. Using the journals of the men who were involved in the founding of the Mormon religion, the author shows how the temple ritual was like a big stew started by Joseph Smith from the rites Masonary and later added upon by Brigham Young (a Mason) and others.

A very well researched book, it will inform all those who really want to know where the temple rituals came from.

Rating:
Summary: An informative book on a subject that is rarely discussed
Review: Buerger gives an apparently evenhanded historical overview of the sacred temple worship of the Mormon Church. Non-members will find this book revealing, former members will find it reliable, and current members will probably be a bit uncomfortable with the subject discussed. This is not a book about the spiritual aspects of temple worship. It is about the history of temple events and practices, the development of the ceremonies (including the influences of Masonic rituals), as well as ceremonies that are rarely or no longer practiced.

Unlike contemporary texts released by the LDS church, this book does not seem to sugar-coat or sterilize the history of temple worship, and provides a great deal of explicit information that is not easily available, due to the closing the church archives and the sacred nature of temple activities. (Respectfully, the exact ceremony that is used in the temples today is NOT included in this book, however many historical aspects are discussed.) Many diary entries from prominent church members are included, and Buerger makes it clear when he includes entries that may not be entirely reliable.

I found this book to be absolutely fascinating, however, I recommend it to church members only with great caution, as it will surely present some serious and challenging issues to consider.

Rating:
Summary: Academically well written and researched, but...
Review: From a secular academic point of view this book is well written and well researched and offers some interesting insights into Mormon temple worship. The book has two main problems however. First, the book ignores why the temple is so important to faithful Mormons. It downplays the spritiual importance of temple worship to a faithful member of the church. Second, at the end is an appendix of works where you can find the Endowment ceremony discussed. Most of the books are polemical works which are vindictive and inacurrate. The books in this appendix mock things that are sacred to Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It's like the Ancient Romans mocking the first Christians for believing that their God died and rose again the third day. It's sad that people can't respect other people's religious faith.

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Summary: Pretty good history, but biased conclusions
Review: I enjoyed reading this book, and it's history help me a lot to understand the evolution of temple ordinances. I'm LDS and don't understand why someone said LDS would feel embarassed by the book. If it wasn't for the uncalled opinion on how it should evolve (like sugesting a short version of the endowment) I would have given it an extra star. By uncalled opinion I mean that the temple ordinances evolution is not a matter of public opinion (the LDS church is not a democracy, but a theocracy) but rather a matter of either revelation or leadership decision (decision of those in authority to make such changes.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for any mormon
Review: The best and by far the most complete study of Mormon temple ceremonies. Not only does it address the endowment and the chages the church has made in their ceremonies(most recently in 1990) but also lesser known ordinaces such as the second endowment. The book is daring in subject matter and approach cutting right to the facts. This book tells it how it is without any display of personal religious viewpoints, which in and of itself is an accomplishment. Nowhere else will you find such a frank and fair description of Mormon ceremonies.

Rating:
Summary: Good academic study but lacks spiritual discussion.
Review: The book is well researched and well written. As an academic book it is very good, however the author's discussion ignores the deep spiritual attachment that many members of the church have towards the temple, his book focuses on why members might not like the temple ceremony rather than why a vast majority draw strenght from temple worship. The list of books in the appendix that describe what goes on in the temple are mostly polemical works that mock, and denigrate things that are sacred to a large group of people.

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Summary: Buerger did his homework on this one...
Review: The title of this book should read "History of Mormon Temple Ordinances," as there is little written about temple worship. The Mysteries of Godliness is a great book for Mormons or non-Mormons interested in the evolution of the temple ordinances of the LDS church. However, non-Mormons will have a difficult time grasping the overall picture without having seen, felt, and heard the LDS temple rites as they now stand. Dave Buerger does an excellent job of compiling LDS church archives, journals of early LDS, et al, for a wonderfully presented running history of the temple ordinances. Buerger did so much research that he hardly gives any running commentary, almost all of the sources used are from the work of others.

This book is not a history of Joseph Smith. This is not a story of the LDS church's priesthood succession question. This book also does not explain the spiritual nature behind the ordinances of the temple. The book however is loaded with very rare journal entries made by prominent early LDS leaders and explains the loss of knowledge that the general membership of the LDS church currently faces with its own temple rites.

I suggest picking up this book if you are LDS and interested in the history of temple worship.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Historical Perspective
Review: This is a great historical look at the evolution of temple worship in the Mormon church, beginning with the charismatic, possibly wine-induced spiritual free-for-all of the Kirtland ceremony to the very carefully scripted, sanctimonious modern temple experience. Throughout the book, the reader watches as the men in charge change and evolve the temple ceremony, including some of it's most sacred ordinations.

There are some areas that I think beg for more illumination. While considerable time is dedicated to the second anointing or second endowment, still I felt Buerger could have gone further in discussing WHY Heber J. Grant so sharply curtailed those ordinances. I also felt he could have explored in greater detail the parallels between the temple ceremony and Free Masonry. And lastly, I would like to have seen some indepth discussion of the loss of the temple adoption ordinance.

That aside, the view you get of the temple ceremony is that of an evolving work in progress, that bends and shapes either to the divine will or the whims of the men in power...you decide which.

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Summary: My eyes are wide open.
Review: When you see truth, it has an affect on you, and this book certainly does. YOu are given a chance to peek into the mormon temples, and lookt at the weird secrets within the temple. The center of any cult is first, the secrets, or mysteries it has, and two, the way in which they treat an respect other people.

The only thing more foul than a mystery is disrespect for the allmighty. They profane things with thier temple. The temple ceremonies are like comparing OGd to an unjust judge, or Christ to a thief in the night.

BErget hists all the points and his ducks are all in a row. I wonder where he found some of his sources, sicne they are so juicy. I did find some errors. On page 39, ther is a comma out of order. And page 210, the word "Endowment" is missspelled.