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In the Temple ceremony Satan wears an apron symbolizing his 'powers and priesthoods'. When I first went through (1960 vintage) the apron had actual symbols on it. Symbols very recognizable from use by many other Churches.
Now Satan wears a blank black apron with no symbols at all.

In asking a number of Temple Presidents and workers where the symbols went I have gotten responses to 'they were never there' to 'we don't talk about that'. Why the great secrecy? None seem to know where they went.

Why the backing away from the strong statements of early LDS Leadership about the false religions of the day, every one other than LDS?

Joseph, and certainly Brigham and a number of others must be turning over in their graves with all the changes and the soft peddling of 'eternal truths' they used to preach.

So where does one see the apron of Satan (or various changing versions of it) that used to be part of the 'direct from God, unchangeable' ritual?

Were you inside a Temple when you got your "We don't talk about that" answer?

I never saw the symbols, but I believe the general rule should be that the stuff that gets excised from the ceremony obviously wasn't a divinely "necessary" part, and was probably an unauthorized addition by a well meaning Church leader. So there's no reason it should be included in the "divine secret" portion of confidentiality.

Yes, I asked while in the Temple. First saw it going through in Manti and Salt Lake City both. SLC in the mission home and David O. McKay and Marion G. Romney were in there with us during the session, not just afterward in the upper room. If the full ceremony and garb are from direct revelation to Joseph Smith, why the changes? The sacrament prayers have not changed. The baptismal prayer has from Book of Mormon to today though.

For those going through Live sessions in Manti and SLC, I think the paintings on the walls help a lot. Adds interest and the dinosaurs make it a good thinking room as you see them painted contemporaneous with the animals we know alive today. No sappy music and no nauseating zooming in and out that you get in the movie. Really good when we would get thespian Temple actors who played off each other. Almost made you want to stand up and clap for them.

But, back to the Apron. A blank apron with 'symbols' doesn't make sense. If it was there before, why remove it now?

It is just like Jesus giving Joseph Smith the plans for constructing the early Temple. Nothing like today. No big ceremonies, no room to room jaunt to keep you awake and the public was allowed in. The first one was accepted by Jesus himself, Joseph said so. Funny most of the others don't have that legacy?

Kind of like Joseph saying every high church leader should have a personal visit with Christ. Today you hear that kind of thing strongly discouraged. Has even one of the current leaders said they have had it? Any of them? For Josephs Apostles it was a requirement, now it is frowned on and actively preached against. What has changed?

Yeah, I remember the embroidered symbols on Satan's apron. They were excised with the 1990 changes.

I really liked Satan's apron in the live sessions. Wished I had one of those

Hello,

I first enter into the Temple for the endownment just right after the Year of 1990. I pretty much just barely missed witnessing those Pre-1990 Temple Stuff.

I have read that satan's apron had many of the same Masonic symbols that Geo Washington had on his.. all-seeing eye, skull and crossbones, compasses, suns, moons, stars, etc..

May explain why it was changed ..

JoetheClerk wrote:But, back to the Apron. A blank apron with 'symbols' doesn't make sense. If it was there before, why remove it now?

The apron is a symbol of Satan's power of deceipt (whether it sports lucky charms or not). He didn't stop wearing it because that is who he is.

What has bothered me tremendously for many years was that, as an endowed Mormon, I was required to wear the apron (a symbol of my deception before the Mormon God) after I had repented and covenanted with the Him that I would no longer do such things. So much for the miracle of forgiveness.

I even had to wear it during the marriage ceremony between my wife and I. We all did as MIT Mormons. A little deceipt doesn't hurt any marriage, right Joseph?

I am glad my body will never be buried with it now.

Please call that being (?) as "the satan".

Calling his/her/it as "Satan" (without definite article) shows kind of respect/reverence/honour/ ADORATION.

Really, I can not understand theists, when they mention the adversary. Is the devil some kind of god, worth of esteem? (as God/GOD/G_d/Jehovah/JHWH/elohim/Adam or whatever)?

F*** the devil !


Quote:
* شيطان in Arabic * (DCP?)
* Σατανάς in Koine Greek* (CalCrus?)
* שָׂטָן in Hebrew *
* סטנא in Aramaic *
Apolyon, Beelzebub, Semihazah, Azazel, Belial, Sammael, Tempter, Evil One, God of This World, Father of Lies, Prince of Darkness, Lucifer
A lot of alias for an unexisting tale character.

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Oooooh, this was a hard work! I pushed the EDIT button instead of QUOTE. This comment was totally killed then restored as the phoenix.

ludwigm wrote:

Apolyon, Beelzebub, Semihazah, Azazel, Belial, Sammael, Tempter, Evil One, God of This World, Father of Lies, Prince of Darkness, Lucifer

A lot of alias for an unexisting tale character.

Every culture has it's evil character, which no doubt accounts for the many names, just as they all have their god... which accounts for the many names there too.