The Five Points of Fellowship
Joyful task it is, dear brothers
Thus to take upon the lip
With full heart, and fitting gesture,
All our points of fellowship.
Foot and knee, breast, hand, and cheek
Each a measured part shall speak:
Speak of answering mercy’s call;
Speak of prayer for Mystical members all;
Speak of keeping secrets duly;
Speak of stretching strong hand truly;
Speak of whispering the unruly.
Foot to foot: ’tis Mercy’s mandate,
When is heard the plaintive sigh,
Hungry, thirsty, homeless, naked,
On the wings of aid to fly;
Hasten, mitigate the grief —
Hasten, bear him quick relief!
Quick with bread to feed the hungry;
Quick with raiment for the naked;
Quick with shelter for the homeless;
Quick with heart’s deep sympathy.
Knee to knee: in silence praying,
Lord, give listening ear that day!
Every earthly stain confessing,
For all tempted Mystical members pray!
Perish envy, perish hate,
For all Mystical members supplicate.
Bless them, Lord upon the ocean;
Bless them perishing in the desert;
Bless them falling ‘neath temptation;
Bless them when about to die!
Breast to breast: in holy casket
At life’s center strongly held,
Every sacred thing entrusted,
Sealed by faith’s unbroken seal;
What you promised God to shield
Suffer, die, but never yield.
Never yield whate’er the trial;
Never yield whate’er the number;
Never yield though foully threatened,
Even at the stroke of death.
Hand to back: A brother falling —
His misfortune is too great,
Stretch the generous hand, sustain him,
Quick, before it is too late.
Like a strong, unfaltering prop,
Hold the faltering brother up.
Hold him up; stand like a column;
Hold him up; there’s good stuff in him;
Hold him with his head toward heaven;
Hold him with the lion’s grip.
Cheek to cheek: O, when the tempter
Comes, a brother’s soul to win,
With a timely whisper warn him
Of the dark and deadly sin.
Extricate him from the snare,
Save him with fraternal care.
Save him — heavenly powers invoke you —
Save him — man is worth the saving
Save him — breathe your spirit in him
As you’d have your God save you.
This completes the obligation;
Brothers, lest you let it slip,
Fasten on tenacious memory
All our points of Fellowship;
Foot and knee, breast, hand, and cheek —
Foot and knee, breast, hand, and cheek.
Thus, a member of The Mystical Court is taught the following:
- Foot to foot. He should go out of his way, and not permit his steps to halt in extending mercy and benevolence.
- Knee to knee. The knee should be bent in intercessory prayer for others, and in pleading for forgiveness for his own sins.
- Breast to breast. The man of honour should guard all just and lawful secrets inviolate within his breast.
- Hand to back. It is a Mystical Court member’s duty to support his Brother, to lift him up, and to speak well of him before the world. This may also hold some symbolism of being “raised up” in other ways.
- Mouth to Ear. He should whisper good counsel into the ear of a Brother, instruct him, and warn him of coming danger.
The Five Points Symbolism
Foot to foot, that we may go,
Where our help we can bestow;
Pointing out the better way,
Lest our brothers go astray.
Thus our steps should always lead
To the souls that are in need.
Knee to knee, that we may share
Every brother’s needs in prayer:
Giving all his wants a place,
When we seek the throne of grace.
In our thoughts from day to day
For each other we should pray.
Breast to breast, to there conceal,
What our lips must not reveal;
When a brother does confide,
We must by his will abide.
Mason’s secrets to us known,
We must cherish as our own.
Hand to back, our love to show
To the brother, bending low:
Underneath a load of care,
Which we may and ought to share.
That the weak may always stand,
Let us lend a helping hand.
Cheek to cheek, or mouth to ear,
That our lips may whisper cheer,
To our brother in distress:
Whom our words can aid and bless.
Warn him if he fails to see,
Dangers that are known to thee
Foot to foot, and knee to knee,
Breast to breast, as brothers we:
Hand to back and mouth to ear,
Then that mystic word we hear
Which we otherwise conceal,
But on these five points reveal.
This is the five kisses in the Mormon church as a blessing
Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar
Blessed be thy [womb/phallus], without which we would not be
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty/ breast formed in strength
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names.
I think it’s intriguing that the Wiccan ceremony preserves the symbolic nature of the elements, while the Mormon ritual did not. This, in my opinion, is the reason that the ritual did not survive in the LDS church. As we lose the significance, symbolism, and historical background of our rituals and indeed many of the concepts and teachings of the Church, they are no longer vital in our worship.
THE MYSTICAL COURT 