140 years ago today - Feb 1, 1877

[Wilford Woodruff]
In January 1877, shortly after the lower portion of the St. George Temple was dedicated, President Brigham Young, in following up in the Endowments written, became convinced that it was necessary to have the formula of the Endowments written, and he gave directions to have the same put in writing. Shortly afterwards he explained what the Lecture at the Veil should portray, and for this purpose appointed a day when he would personally deliver the Lecture at the Veil. ...:

This is the Lecture at the Veil to be observed in the Temple. A copy of the Lecture is kept at the St. George Temple, in which President Young refers to Adam in his creation &c. ... He also requested me to write all the ordinances of the Church from the first baptism and confirmation through every ordinance of the Church. Geo. Q. Cannon assisted some in this writing, and when I had finished it to the satisfaction of the President, he said to me, '"Now you have before you an ensample to carry on the endowments in all the temples until the coming of the Son of Man.'" -- St. George, Utah

[Source: L. John Nuttall Papers, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]