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TEMPLES, 1983.
23 Feb.: Telephone ordering of garments.
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
The Presiding Bishopric
50 East North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
February 23, 1983
To: General Authorities; Regional Representatives; Stake, Mission, and District Presidents; Bishops, and Branch Presidents in the United States (Except Utah, Idaho and Wyoming)
Dear Brethren:
Telephone Ordering Procedure for Garments and Temple Clothing
We are pleased to announce that Beehive Clothing Mills has arranged a telephone system for ordering garments and temple clothing. After April 1, 1983, members may place individual orders on a toll-free telephone line.
A sample order form with necessary instructions is attached. A supply of order forms is being furnished to each bishop and branch president. We encourage each bishop and branch president to keep the order forms and give them to members who desire to order by telephone. Additional order forms may be obtained from the Salt Lake Distribution Center.
We believe this service will offer an efficient and convenient system for members to purchase garments and temple clothing. Please inform the members in your units about this new service.
Sincerely your brethren,
THE PRESIDING BISHOPRIC
/s/ Victor L. Brown
/s/ H. Burke Peterson
/s/ J. Richard Clarke
(Letter from the Presiding Bishopric to General Authorities; Regional Representatives; Stake, Mission, and District Presidents; Bishops, and Branch Presidents in the United States (Except Utah, Idaho and Wyoming); February 23, 1983. Bergera collection.)
30 Sep.: Prenumbered and registered recommend books.
“Effective December 1, 1983, a prenumbered and registered temple recommend book will be distributed to all units of the Church. Temple recommends issued prior to December 1, 1983 and which expire no later than November 30, 1984 will still be honored. Recommends with an issue date after December 1, 1983 using the un-numbered recommend books will be held in question and approvals and clearances sought prior to allowing the individual to enter the temple. All old recommend forms after November 30, 1983 should be either shredded or burned so as not to be used by mistake.
The new recommend books will be registered and distributed through authorized channels to a particular unit. If there is any misuse or if forms become lost or stolen, it should be reported immediately to the temple within the district where the unit is located and to the Temple Department at Church headquarters. Local units should maintain only an adequate operating inventory of temple recommend books and should also note the number sequence of the books in their possession for security purposes.
We will appreciate your cooperation in instituting this new procedure in an efficient and effective manner. Please understand that all recommends which are currently issued will be honored at the Temple.” (First Presidency Circular Letter, 30 Sep., 1983)
Endowments for young, single adults.
“Young, single adults normally receive their temple endowments when they are called to serve full-time missions or when they are to be married in the temple. The temple endowment includes sacred covenants that the member is obligated to observe throughout life. Those who go to the temple should be both worthy and mature enough to keep these covenants by righteous living, though unmarried. Single members who are qualified by worthiness and maturity may receive a temple recommend for their own endowments. Generally, such unmarried members could be recommended when they become established in their vocations and professions, and want to be strengthened further in righteous living.” (General Handbook of Instructions, #22, 1983; p. 36)
Dress standards for temple attendance.
“Brethren should wear clothing that is appropriate for sacrament meeting when they go to the temple.
While performing temple ordinances, brethren wear approved garments and either the approved one-piece white suite (white tie is optional) or white trousers with a long-sleeved white shirt and white tie. They also wear white stockings and white shoes or slippers with white, light tan, or gray soles.
Sisters should not wear slacks when they go to the temple. They should dress modestly. If they wear hats or head scarves, they should remove them at the temple entrance.
Sisters may wear plain combs,k small barrettes, and white ribbons in the temple to keep their hair in place. Hairstyles, makeup, and nail polish should be conservative. Heavy makeup, loud colors, and large and ornate jewelry are out of place.
While performing temple ordinances, sisters wear approved garments and a white dress with long sleeves and a modestly high neckline. They should also wear white hose and white shoes or slippers with low or medium heels and white, light tan, or gray soles.
Brides may wear their wedding dresses in the temple. They should be white, have long sleeves and modestly high necklines, and have all sheer materials lined. Brides may wear their wedding dresses during the endowment session but must remove the trains for the session. They may not wear gowns with long dress pants in the temple.
Children must wear white clothing in the temple.
The temple furnishes temple clothing without charge to missionaries who receive their own endowments and while they are in a Missionary Training Center.
Members may rent temple clothing, including shoes, brides’ dresses, and clothing for children at the temple for a small fee. Members may bring their own temple clothing if it meets temple requirements.” (General Handbook of Instructions, #22, 1983; p. 38)
Civil marriages in chapels discouraged.
“Bishops should encourage couples who marry out of the temple to be married in a home or meetinghouse and should discourage them from being married in commercial wedding chapels. The Church generally discourages marriage ceremonies in the meetinghouse chapel unless the chapel is a multi-use area.” (General Handbook of Instructions, #22, 1983; p. 39)
Rules on sealing.
Sealing children to parents.
“If a child is born in the covenant and remains worthy, his birthright guarantees that he will have parents eternally no matter what happens to the covenant parent. Such a child is never to be sealed to parents.
Sealing Living Children to Parents and Deceased Children to Living Parents
A living child who is sealed to parents receives the right to the same blessings as if he were born in the covenant and he cannot be sealed later to any other parents, even if (1) the sealing of his parents is canceled after his birth, (2) he is adopted later, (3) his natural parents give their consent, (4) he gives his consent, or (5) his natural parents die.
These instructions apply also to a deceased child who was sealed by proxy to parents when one or both of the parents were living. The only exception would be if the sealing of a child to parents were canceled by the President of the Church.” (General Handbook of Instructions, #22, 1983; p. 41)
Child cannot be sealed to single parent.
“A child may not be sealed to only one parent.” (General Handbook of Instructions, #22, 1983; p. 43)
Restoration of blessings for the dead.
“If an endowed, deceased person was excommunicated, a proxy baptism and a proxy restoration of the priesthood and the temple blessings must be performed. If the deceased person was excommunicated for teaching or practicing polygamy, the First Presidency must give permission for his temple ordinances to be performed.
The Temple Department, under the direction of the First Presidency, oversees all restorations of blessings for the dead. This department considers only the requests of family members and priesthood leaders.” (General Handbook of Instructions, #22, 1983; p. 44)
Making temple clothing.
SACRED CLOTHING
Making Temple Clothing
The Relief Society General Office distributes two copies of Instructions for Making Temple Clothing to stake Relief Society presidents and to mission presidents. These instructions should be carefully safeguarded. One copy is to be kept on file. The other copy may be loaned to individuals who have received their endowments and who desire to make their own or their family’s temple clothing. Individuals are not authorized to make temple clothing for sale.
Clothing The Dead
Two copies of Instructions for Clothing the Dead are distributed to stake Relief Society presidents and to stake and mission presidents. Ward or stake Relief Society presidents, stake presidents, or bishops may request additional copies of this information from the Relief Society General Office.
Church distribution centers do not carry burial clothing for infants or children. If the need should arise, the local Relief Society could help the family obtain appropriate clothing. The Church has not given regulations for dressing infants, children, or unendowed members for burial. (Relief Society Handbook, p. 28; 1983.)