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From documentation in Buerger's book Mysteries of Godliness (Smith Research Associates) I share some interesting information. From a table in the book, LDS second anointings for the living were administered in the following quantities:

No official Church records are available after 1941. George F. Richards, Salt Lake Temple President, was alarmed at the decline and begged the First Presidency to re-institute the practice. As noted in the book, from 1930-1942, only eight blessings were given in twelve years.

There was a major shift in the 'necessity' of the Second Anointings in the Church from Heber J. Grant down to the present time, especially as it pertains to the belief that it is not required for exaltation. Quoting from the book:

"The current official policy initiated by Heber J. Grant suggests that church authorities now feel that the second anointing is not required for exaltation. The fact that the ordinance continues to be performed-albeit on a small scale-seems to signal some importance. But when the ordinance came to be interpreted as conditional, it became a "special blessing" for a limited number of proven, trustworthy older men and women and the upper levels of an elite, insular hierarchy. In such light the significance of the ordinance was reduced. When John A. Tvedtnes, for example, asked Apostle Harold B. Lee in a Salt Lake Temple missionary question-and-answer session if the "second endowment" existed and "if so, what connection does it have with the Holy Spirit of Promise, and who receives it and why and how," Lee answered, "You don't have to worry. You've received all the ordinances necessary for exaltation....It is a special blessing given by the President of the Church to men who have been called. It is not necessary to receive it, however. You have all the endowment you need to be exalted" (John A. Tvedtnes Journal, 30 June 1961, recounted by permission)." (Mysteries of Godliness, Buerger, Smith Research Associates)

This, I perceive as a decided shift from the earlier doctrine of the ordinance being performed for the purpose of actually ordaining a man a "King and Priest". You will note that the initial endowment anointing states that a person "MAY" become such. The second anointing actually anoints a man a King and Priest. This understanding today has become blurry, if not non-existent among the LDS.

Also, it seems that from the above graph that there weren't very many worthy Saints in the 1930's and 40's. What was the matter with some of your parents? (that's a joke folks!) Seriously, it is clear that a de-emphasis occurred and that the ordinance's eternal relevance declined in the minds of the LDS Church hierarchy at least as it pertains to the general membership 'needing' it. This may be a bit puzzling to people trying to decide if the ordinance of Second Anointing is important or not. Current rhetoric would tell you that it is not important. As previously affirmed, I feel that the Second Anointing or Calling and Election ordinances are an imperative step in the chain of Holy ordinances available to men in the flesh, that lead to Godhood.

In fairly recent times, there has been some renewed interest by the LDS leadership in this ordinance, as very senior temple workers were queried several years ago about how this then-abandoned ordinance was performed. This would seem to be evidence of ignorance existing regarding the performance of this ordinance even at the highest levels of the LDS Church.

So there has been some fairly recent resurgent LDS interest in this ordinance, even though it was essentially abandoned for about 50 years. These activities are performed in great secrecy, and still, few LDS members have even heard of this ordinance, as present LDS members are not taught of its importance. However, this ordinance was not such a secret occurrence in former LDS days. The image below was taken directly from the Manti Temple Jubilee (50 year) celebration book, and is a summary of ordinances performed in the Manti temple for the first 50 years of its operation.

The last listing of "Higher Blessings----3,550" represents the number of Second Anointing ordinances performed in the Manti temple in its first fifty years of operation. This book was openly published, and anyone in the public at the time might have obtained one. Most large libraries in Utah should also have a copy of this book.

It is very significant that this necessary ordinance was essentially abandoned by the LDS church during the administration of Heber J. Grant, only to make some sort of clandestine reappearance in the LDS church in this day--after the perversion of most of the critical features of the Holy Endowment. This is further indication of LDS apostasy from the essential principles of the prophet of this dispensation, Joseph Smith.

Note the plainness with which Brigham Young talked about the Second Anointing ordinance:

The subject of the Endowments and Second Anointing was presented when President Young said that the order of the Second Anointing was for the persons to be anointed to be clothed in their priestly robes, the man upon the right hand and wife or wives upon the left hand. The administrator may be dressed in his usual clothing or in his priestly robes as he may see fit. The meeting should be opened by prayer, then the administrator should anoint the man a King and Priest unto the Most High God. Then he should anoint his wife or wives Queens and Priestess unto her husband. There should be but one man anointing at any one meeting. If more than one man is anointed in a day, they should come together and open by prayer as though there had not been any meeting before and thus continue to the end. President Young said when a woman was anointed a Queen to a good man and he died and the woman was sealed to another man for time it was not necessary for her to be anointed a Queen again, but if she was anointed a Queen to a man who was not worthy of a wife and she is sealed to another man she should be anointed a Queen unto him. When a good man dies and his wives have not been anointed Queens unto him, they may be anointed Queens to him after his death without a proxy. (Journal of Wilford Woodruff, December 26th, 1866)

This ordinance of anointing for a man to become a King and a Priest unto God, or for a women to become a Queen and a Priestess to her husband, was a critical ordinance or exaltation in the former days of the LDS church, for tried and proven church members. This indeed is an ordinance to be granted to men and women in the flesh, having proven themselves in their faithfulness. This is not a performance of ordinance that was to be discarded by one LDS administration sixty years ago, to be started up again today, especially in the dramatically different understanding and secretive LDS environment of today.

Where there is no change of priesthood, there is no change of ordinances, says Paul. If God has not changed the ordinances and the priesthood, howl, ye sectarians [and present-day Mormons]! (TPJS p. 308)

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13)

Jeff Hanks