Initiatory

Initiatory ordinances occupy a very different place in the Latter Day Saint movement than baptism or the sacrament. Unlike baptism, which exists across nearly all Mormon denominations, initiatory rituals became closely tied to temple theology, priesthood authority, sacred space, and endowment traditions that developed largely during the Nauvoo period under Joseph Smith. In modern Mormon usage, “initiatory” usually refers to the washing and anointing ordinance associated with preparation for the temple endowment. 

Because these ordinances developed within the same late Nauvoo temple environment as the endowment and sealing system, later Mormon groups divided sharply over whether they belonged to the original Restoration. Some preserved them as sacred temple ordinances. Others rejected them as later innovations. Some retained pieces of the theology while removing or reinterpreting the ceremony itself.

The LDS Church (Brighamites)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints administers initiatory ordinances inside dedicated temples as part of the broader temple endowment process. In LDS theology, the initiatory prepares the participant to enter deeper temple covenants. It represents purification, sanctification, priestly preparation, and symbolic spiritual rebirth before the endowment ceremony.

Historically, the initiatory involved ritual washing, anointing with consecrated oil, pronounced blessings, sacred undergarments, and symbolic preparation for temple covenants. In early Nauvoo and Utah practice, the ceremony was more physically direct than it is today. Participants were historically washed and anointed on parts of the body while shielded by a loose ceremonial garment. Over time, the ordinance became increasingly symbolic and less physically invasive.

Modern LDS initiatory ordinances are abbreviated compared to their nineteenth-century forms. Participants remain clothed, water and oil are applied lightly, and blessings are pronounced regarding spiritual strength, posterity, protection, and preparation for covenant life. Temple garments are also formally connected to the ordinance and are authorized for wear afterward.

The ceremony is considered sacred and confidential. Participation requires a current temple recommend, which means the person must pass worthiness interviews and be considered eligible for temple worship. Because temple worship occupies such a central place in LDS theology, initiatory ordinances remain one of the defining ritual differences between the LDS Church and many other Latter Day Saint movements.

Community of Christ (RLDS Tradition/Josephites)

Community of Christ does not practice LDS-style initiatory ordinances. Historically, the RLDS tradition rejected many late Nauvoo temple developments, viewing them either as later innovations or as teachings improperly expanded under Brigham Young after Joseph Smith’s death.

As a result, Community of Christ does not preserve washing and anointing rites, temple garments, endowment preparation ceremonies, or exaltation ordinances connected to temple progression. Its temples developed along very different lines. Rather than functioning as restricted ritual spaces for ordinances like the endowment or initiatory, Community of Christ temples are public worship spaces centered on peace, prayer, education, and church gathering.

This reflects a broader theological difference. Community of Christ retained sacraments such as baptism and communion, but it moved away from the Nauvoo temple system that became central in Utah Mormonism.

Fundamentalist Mormon Groups

Many Mormon fundamentalist groups preserve initiatory practices much more closely aligned with older Utah Mormonism. In these settings, washing and anointing rites are usually connected to temple theology, priesthood authority, celestial marriage, and claims about preserving the original ordinances.

Groups descending from traditions associated with figures such as Lorin C. Woolley often view mainstream LDS temple changes as signs of departure from earlier truth. Because of that, initiatory rites may retain older ceremonial forms, older ritual language, and stronger emphasis on priesthood lineage than the modern LDS version. Some ceremonies may take place in private homes, restricted meeting spaces, or fundamentalist temple structures rather than large institutional temples.

Documentation is often limited because many fundamentalist communities keep these ordinances private. In some groups, access to initiatory rites also functions as a marker of religious status, priesthood legitimacy, and community belonging.

The Church of Christ (Temple Lot)

The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) rejects the Nauvoo temple system, including initiatory ordinances. Although the church believes in the importance of a future temple in Independence, Missouri, its understanding of temple worship is very different from LDS temple theology.

Temple Lot believers generally accept earlier Restoration teachings while rejecting endowment ceremonies, washing and anointing rituals, temple garments, and LDS exaltation theology tied to temple progression. Their approach reflects a simpler Restorationist model rather than the elaborate temple ritual system that developed in Nauvoo and Utah.

Strangites

James Strang introduced temple-oriented and ceremonial ideas within his movement, but surviving evidence for a fully developed initiatory system remains limited. Strangite theology included interest in priesthood hierarchy, sacred kingship imagery, temple concepts, and religious ceremony, but the movement never developed a large temple system comparable to Utah Mormonism.

Because the Strangite movement fragmented and declined after Strang’s death, its ritual traditions are difficult to trace in detail. Modern Strangite communities are extremely small, and public information about any continuing initiatory-style rites is limited.

Cutlerites

The Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) preserves some of the closest surviving continuities to older Nauvoo temple traditions outside the mainstream LDS Church. Historically, the Cutlerites maintained temple-related ordinances, washing and anointing rituals, endowment traditions, and sacred ceremonial structures.

Because the church views itself as preserving priesthood authority carried directly from the Nauvoo era, initiatory rites remain tied to claims of legitimacy and continuity with Joseph Smith’s final teachings. Public information about modern Cutlerite initiatory practice is very limited because the church is small and private.

Bickertonites

The Church of Jesus Christ, often called the Bickertonite tradition, rejects most Nauvoo temple ritual theology and does not practice initiatory ordinances. The church focuses more on New Testament Christianity, baptism, communion, spiritual gifts, and apostolic restoration.

Like several non-Utah branches of Mormonism, Bickertonites did not preserve the temple endowment system or its preparatory ordinances. No washing and anointing ordinance, temple garment tradition, or initiatory preparation rite exists within the tradition.

Remnant and Restorationist Groups

Independent restorationist and remnant Mormon fellowships vary widely in how they approach initiatory ordinances. Some groups attempt to reconstruct early Nauvoo washing and anointing rites using historical documents, diaries, temple records, and fundamentalist traditions. Others reject institutional temple systems but preserve symbolic washing, anointing, or covenant rites in private settings.

Groups influenced by Denver Snuffer and broader independent restorationism often reinterpret initiatory theology in less institutional terms. Instead of treating it as a fixed temple ordinance controlled by a centralized church, they may frame it around personal covenant, spiritual purification, direct revelation, and preparation to enter God’s presence.

Because these groups are decentralized, there is no single initiatory model across independent restorationist Mormonism. The practice depends heavily on the group, the leader, and the way each fellowship understands authority after Joseph Smith.