Traumatized by the "washing and anointing" ritual in a Mormon temple #ldstemple #mormon #lds

When Sacred Ritual Becomes Traumatic: The Washing and Anointing Ceremony and Member Wellbeing

For many Latter-day Saints preparing for religious service or temple attendance, the anticipation centers on spiritual experience and personal growth. Yet for some members, particularly those without advance preparation or cultural familiarity with temple practices, the washing and anointing ritual in Mormon temples has become a source of lasting psychological distress rather than spiritual fulfillment. This gap between expectation and reality raises important questions about informed consent, ritual transparency, and institutional accountability within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The washing and anointing ceremony represents one of the oldest and most intimate practices in LDS temple worship. For decades, however, the Church provided minimal advance disclosure about what the ritual entailed, leaving members to encounter the experience with little preparation for its physical and emotional dimensions.

The Washing and Anointing: What Happens Behind Temple Doors

The washing and anointing ceremony occurs during the endowment session, the Church's primary temple ritual. According to accounts shared on the Mormon Stories Podcast, participants remove their clothing and don a simple covering referred to as a "shield", essentially an open-sided garment that exposes significant portions of the body. During this state of undress, temple workers (both men and women, depending on the participant's gender) perform ritualistic washing and anointing with oil on specific body parts.

The ritual's stated purpose involves symbolic cleansing and dedication of the body for religious covenant-making. However, the physical reality of naked vulnerability combined with same-sex touch from strangers creates a sensory and emotional experience that can feel invasive, particularly for individuals unprepared for such intimate physical contact in a religious context.