Mormonism Mormonism is the theology and religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationism, Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to va ...

, a prayer circle, also known as the true order of prayer, is a ritual established by

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the age of 24, Smith attracted tens of thou ...

that some Mormons believe is a more potent method of prayer that can lead to receiving greater blessings and

revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...

from God. The ritual involves forming a circle of participants around a person who offers a prayer, usually at an altar in a

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

. The members of the circle repeat the words of the prayer. Mormon prayer circles were once organized by local congregations on a monthly schedule, but in the late 1970s were restricted only to temples.

Origin of Mormon prayer circles

Prayer circles were common in the Protestant revivals of the Second Great Awakening that Smith or other early LDS leaders likely witnessed or engaged in. Ritual circles were also practiced in

Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

, to which Smith had been initiated in 1842 by Abraham Jonas. Early Mormons may have practiced Protestant-type prayer circles at least as early as 1833 during the early phase of School of the Prophets, according to Zebedee Coltrin's recollection. On May 4, 1842, Smith met with nine other men and performed the first endowment ceremony. It is not clear whether this ceremony included a prayer circle. However, prayer circles became the main purpose of meetings of the

Anointed Quorum The Anointed Quorum, also known as the Quorum of the Anointed, or the Holy Order, was a select body of men and women who Joseph Smith initiated into Mormon Temple (Latter Day Saints), temple Ordinance (Latter Day Saints), ordinances at Nauvoo, Illin ...

beginning on May 26, 1843. Women were first included in the ceremony on September 28, 1843.

Within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

After Smith's death in 1844,

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church) continued to practice prayer circles in its temples. In addition, local stake and ward prayer circles were organized and conducted until May 3, 1978, when the church's First Presidency announced that all prayer circles should be discontinued except those performed in a temple as part of the endowment. The reason for this change is not known, but could have resulted in part from the growth of the LDS Church, and the fact that prayer circles were usually organized by a member of the First Presidency or the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Only members who had received the endowment could participate in prayer circles outside of the temple. LDS prayer circles were described in ''Sunstone'' magazine: :Dressed in temple clothing, circle members sang, prayed, bore testimonies, and listened to brief sermons. Led by the Stake President, the group would then stand together in a large circle and rehearse parts of the endowment ceremony. A prayer roll would be placed on an

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

and a prayer would be offered in behalf of the stake's needy and afflicted.

Within Mormon fundamentalism

Amongst some Mormon fundamentalists, such as the Apostolic United Brethren, prayer circles within temples, endowment houses, and homes are still common.

Notes

References

*. *
Excerpts
*. *.

External links