Episode Details

Did Early Temple Sealings Guarantee Heaven? Dr. Jonathan Stapley, an award-winning historian—and surprisingly, a PhD in carbohydrate chemistry  discusses his Mormon History Association Best Book Award-winner, "The Power of Godliness: Mormon Liturgy and Cosmology." This is a fascinating deep dive into how early Latter-day Saints understood priesthood, the lost history of female ritual healing, and how the church's ordinances have evolved over time. https://youtu.be/_tNWj8gupM0 0:00 Cosmological Priesthood 17:29 Mormon Women healing 31:36 Mormon Priestess 44:24 Dallin Oak: Women Have Priesthood! 53:21 Alternative Medicine 1:01:52 Baby Blessings 1:13:21 Temple Sealings 1:22:15 Armininianism vs Calvinism: Are Mormons Saved? Don’t miss our other discussions with Jonathan. https://gospeltangents.com/people/jonathan_stapley Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Uncovering the Lost History of Mormon Liturgy: A Deep Dive into The Power of Godliness If you have ever been curious about the evolution of Mormon rituals, Dr. Jonathan Stapley offers a fascinating look into the archives. Stapley, a scientist by trade and a historian by passion, discusses his 2018 award-winning book, The Power of Godliness: A Mormon Liturgy and Cosmology. While Latter-day Saints rarely use the term "liturgy," Stapley argues it is a tremendously powerful concept for framing the worship, rituals, and ordinances that construct the Mormon universe. Redefining the Priesthood: Ecclesiastical vs. Cosmological To make sense of historical shifts, Stapley introduces a vital framework that splits early Mormon priesthood into two distinct categories: Ecclesiastical Priesthood: This represents the offices of the church (deacons, teachers, priests, elders, bishops, etc.). Cosmological Priesthood: Developed in the Nauvoo Temple, this encompasses the "heaven on earth" structure where men and women act as kings, queens, priests, and priestesses. While early church members viewed these liturgical structures as ways to channel the power of God, by the 20th century, standard church catechisms shifted to simply defining the priesthood as the literal power of God. Forgotten Era of Female Ritual Healing One of the most inspiring (and historically misunderstood) topics in the book is female ritual healing. In the 1800s, women were recognized healers who routinely performed anointings and blessed the sick. Joseph Smith explicitly stated this was entirely appropriate and a manifestation of God's power. Stapley warns against the trap of "presentism"—the mistake of looking at history through the lens of modern definitions. Today, healing is classified as a priesthood ordinance, leading some to falsely assume that early women held ecclesiastical priesthood offices. Interestingly, the modern narrative shifted in a subtle but revolutionary 2014 General Conference sermon by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. Elder Oaks redefined the conversation by stating that because there is only one power of God, women who participate in the work of the church are wielding the authority of the priesthood in their callings, a massive linguistic and theological shift from previous decades. Lost Temple Rituals: Baptisms for Health and Temple Healers Modern LDS temple practices are highly streamlined, but they used to be vastly more diverse. Joseph Smith originally envisioned the temple as a place for literal physical healing. Baptisms for Health: By the 1880s, baptisms for health were the single most common living ritual performed in temples. If you were feeling sick, you could make a pilgrimage to the temple to be baptized for your health. Temple Healers: Pioneer temples featured dedicated temple healers. For example, Lucy Bigelow Young (one of Brigham Young's wives) received the sick—sometimes brought in on beds—and healed them inside the St. George Temple. These practices were ultimately discontinued in the 1920s under President Heber J. Grant, who reformed and shortened the liturg