Without Disclosing My True Identity
Joseph’s teachings or had been excommunicated. This included the Three Witnesses to the
authenticity of the gold plates, from which the Book of Mormon was translated. Most of these
leaders would have rather seen Joseph killed than allow him to continue to mock the things
that they valued and held dear in their pious hearts—including their presumed priesthood
authority. The things that Joseph mocked were the very things that set them up above
others and gave them their personal value, pride, power, and authority among the people.
Part of the anger and contention against Joseph was caused by the way he prepared
the endowment for the people. In the presentation of the endowment, Joseph instructed the
actor who played the role of Lucifer to wear the Masonic apron as “an emblem of my
(Lucifer’s) power and priesthoods.”^10 The actor who plays “Adam,” the character who
symbolically represents a sincere seeker of truth, is confused by Lucifer’s apron and asks,
“What is that apron you have on?”
Lucifer responds and clarifies that it represents “an emblem of my power and priesthoods.”
In response, a confused Adam inquires, “Priesthoods?”
“Yes, Priesthoods,” Lucifer responds.^11
Before this symbolic interchange takes place between the actors who play Adam and
Lucifer, the person receiving his or her temple endowment only hears one reference to
“priesthood.” This occurs when both male and female participants are dressed in the
garments of the Holy Priesthood prior to viewing the presentation of the temple endowment.^12
At a purposefully specified place during the endowment, all participants are
dressed in the “Robes of the Holy Priesthood”—both men and women equally. Putting on
the robes—which are exactly the same for both genders—was meant to symbolize human
beings accepting the power and authority of their individual free agency. The ritual was
meant to represent one assuming the personal responsibility and power to make one’s
own choices. The robe is placed on the left shoulder during the part of the presentation
that represents one’s mortal life upon earth. Being placed on the left shoulder represents the
way in which humans act with the power of their free agency in mortality, i.e., the lone and
dreary world, which is usually contrary to the commandments of God; thus the placement
on the left shoulder in contrast to being placed on the right.^13
The power and authority of every human being is established merely by one’s
singular creation into existence—an interminable license of free will to act for him or
herself. This agency sets human beings apart from all other life forms in the Universe.
Again, it was Joseph’s intention that the robes of the Holy Priesthood represent this
human power and authority and nothing else! This unique human agency is the “power of
God” that gives all human beings the right to act and to be acted upon equally. It is the
same agency shared in equality with the most advanced human beings in the Universe,
i.e., the Gods.^14 In essence, priesthood authority truly is the “power of God” given to all
mortals to act “in God’s name”; i.e., to empower and utilize ones’ existence to the end of
finding one’s true happiness, or in other words, to act as God would act.
Before Lucifer’s character is introduced into the endowment ceremony, both the men
and women share equal status in this symbolic holy priesthood. They each are clothed in equal
undergarments that metaphorically symbolize their pre-mortal (as advanced human beings)
and mortal creations. The Holy Priesthood was meant to be androgynous—having the
characteristics of both male and female. Joseph was trying to express in symbolism that the pure
Holy Priesthood, when exercised consistent with one’s true humanity, is nothing more or less
than an order of people, both men and women, who are committed to following Christ in the