Ordinance (Latter Day Saints)

Artist's depiction of a Latter Day Saint baptism including the all-white clothing, c. 1850.

In the Latter Day Saint movement, an ordinance is a sacred rite or ceremony that has spiritual and symbolic meanings and act as a means of conveying divine grace. Ordinances are physical acts which signify or symbolize an underlying spiritual act; for some ordinances, the spiritual act is the finalization of a covenant between the ordinance recipient and God.

Ordinances are usually performed by the authority of the priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ. The use of the term "ordinance" by adherents is distinct from the use of the term in other branches of Christian tradition, where "ordinance (Christian)" is often used to imply that the act is merely symbolic and does not convey grace. Latter Day Saint use of the term "ordinance" carries the same meaning as the term "sacrament" as used by other Christian denominations.^[1] Community of Christ-derived denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement also tend to refer to "sacraments" rather than "ordinances".

Some ordinances—such as baptism, confirmation and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper—are similar to those practiced by other Christian denominations. Other Latter Day Saint ordinances—including the endowment and sealings—are unique and usually performed within a Latter Day Saint temple.