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Our ward conference took place today. A good portion of our bishops comments did focus on what he would like to see improve within the ward. One item, was that he felt saddened when showing up to an empty temple. I do have a relative that works at our local temple, who has stated that the temple runs on restricted hours due to the lack of attendance.

Our stake has tried several programs to unite the wards in temple attendance, but with no success really to report of. The most aggressive plan was to call young temple patrons. Youthful couples in the stake were given the calling of "temple patron". Their primary job was to attend at regular intervals through out the month. This allowed each session to have some appearance of participation from young married people, though in reality, it was their specific calling to be in attendance. How about in your area?

My parents, who are in the Ogden temple district, were given a similar calling a couple of years back. So it is not unheard of, even in Zion.

John Larsen wrote:My parents, who are in the Ogden temple district, were given a similar calling a couple of years back. So it is not unheard of, even in Zion.

The curious thing with our stakes "temple Patron" program, was that they specifically called young couples. I can only guess that the reason had something to do with creating a more youthful appearance for the whole temple experience.

Maxrep wrote:The curious thing with our stakes "temple Patron" program, was that they specifically called young couples. I can only guess that the reason had something to do with creating a more youthful appearance for the whole temple experience.

What a crock. I think it's a remarkably uninspired program. Young couples need to be either working, at home with their children, or working at making children (a.k.a. building their relationship). If they need to put butts in the seats, then call the elderly. They'd love to go. They're bored; they aren't working any more; they have fewer responsibilities; they could go after they get out of the doc's office.

Our temple isn't open all the time. We have to make an appointment to go. Perhaps this is what the future will look like. It certainly makes more sense than what the older temples do now.

About ten years ago, my home stake called various people to attend the temple frequently, for baptisms, sealings, and other ordinances, and then invited them to report on their experiences in stake conference. The reports were extremely positive.

The ward in which I currently serve has an extremely active temple committee. Members of the ward attend the temple very often. Many of the young women do baptisms every week. We'll take seventy people to the Draper Temple open house on Friday night, the second of three planned open house excursions for our ward.

Daniel Peterson wrote:About ten years ago, my home stake called various people to attend the temple frequently, for baptisms, sealings, and other ordinances, and then invited them to report on their experiences in stake conference. The reports were extremely positive.

The ward in which I currently serve has an extremely active temple committee. Members of the ward attend the temple very often. Many of the young women do baptisms every week. We'll take seventy people to the Draper Temple open house on Friday night, the second of three planned open house excursions for our ward.

Let's see. Your current ward is made up of single college students. Single college students are often broke. Any activity that allows for a random number (let's use 70) of college students of both genders to get together, for free, (especially if they can get dressed up and look spiffy) is liable to be very well attended. And it has an added bonus: the activity (whether an open house excursion or temple sessions themselves) allows both genders to demonstrate their worthiness as eventual soulmates.

'Way to improve the mating ritual/social life of your ward members, Daniel. You're performing a great service in the Kingdom. Good job!

I'm guessing temples in Utah are still pretty well attended but in the last two areas of the country in which I have lived there was a similar lack of temple attendance.

~td~

Temple attendance is a mixed bag. Temples with very heavy LDS populations have high attendance. Temple along the Wasatch front are packed even though they operate under long hours. The Jordan River Temple turns people away at times. Thus we see two new temples being built in the Salt Lake Valley.

The small temples are another matter. First, they were never intended to be full time operating temples. It was intended they would have limited hours. We have one of these where I live. Still the attendance seems for our temple low on the week day sessions for this temple. Fridays and Saturdays are busy. Summer months are better than winter because I think of the horrible weather we have so much of the time.

But as I have noted before here, even if these temples have low attendance they still have the effect of increasing over all attendance. They bring the temple closer. Where when I had to drive three to four hours for the temple I now am very near a temple. I may have gone to the temple twice a year before now I go about once a month. I think this is true for most the people in out district. Sure the temple presidency is always trying to drum up more business. But overall if the temple is closer to the people the people will attend more than if they have to travel 3, 4, 8, 10 hours or more. Thus overall attendance will increase.

I am a member of another church, so I can't speak to this personally, but I will note that my wife, who is a faithful TR-holding member has not attended our small temple located across town for nearly a year. Something called "real life" demands her time.

fook

harmony wrote:What a crock. I think it's a remarkably uninspired program. Young couples need to be either working, at home with their children, or working at making children (a.k.a. building their relationship). If they need to put butts in the seats, then call the elderly. They'd love to go. They're bored; they aren't working any more; they have fewer responsibilities; they could go after they get out of the doc's office.

Our temple isn't open all the time. We have to make an appointment to go. Perhaps this is what the future will look like. It certainly makes more sense than what the older temples do now.

You think the Church is a remarkably uninspired program.