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Someone on another thread raised a valid point that I think deserves it's own thread. Although I don't recall who said it or where it was said, the basic jist was what a shame it was how many hundreds of millions of dollars had been spent on temples over the past 170 years and how many countless man hours have been wasted in them by members all on DEAD PEOPLE.

Can you imagine the good that could be done, the lives that could be saved if all those manhours and all that money was spent on the LIVING?

It's just sad and such a shame.

It's a great use of time and money if you believe that God keeps the spirits of dead people sequestered in a prison until living people say special words and perform various physical movements on their behalf.

Nortinski, please elucidate.

edit to add: Is art a waste? Is fly fishing a waste?

Twas I dear Nort.

However, I can't seem to recall the thread that I posted this on...

I think a bumper sticker similar to the old military one is fitting for Mormon vehicles:

We do more for dead people before 9pm than all of the morticians in the world. -Mormons

Morley wrote:Nortinski, please elucidate.

edit to add: Is art a waste? Is fly fishing a waste?

Morley, you are one of the best minds on the board, IMHO, but could you please elucidate? How is the countless repetition of ordinances for the dearly departed not a waste of time? Some of the temples are very pretty, but the time spent? Even a TBM would do well to wonder just what HF was thinking?

Not to mention that the number of people who have lived and died on the earth is so staggering that every recommend holder on earth could work 24/7/365 and it would take literally tens of thousands of years for them to do all of the ordinances for all of them. It is a futile effort. Temple going Mormons can't even keep up with the number of people that a CURRENTLY dying every year, let alone the BILLIONS who have gone before.

It's like crunching the possible population growth numbers given in the Book of Mormon. They're just impossible.

The work could be done in a matter of minutes.

Nortinski wrote:Not to mention that the number of people who have lived and died on the earth is so staggering that every recommend holder on earth could work 24/7/365 and it would take literally tens of thousands of years for them to do all of the ordinances for all of them. It is a futile effort. Temple going Mormons can't even keep up with the number of people that a CURRENTLY dying every year, let alone the BILLIONS who have gone before.

It's like crunching the possible population growth numbers given in the Book of Mormon. They're just impossible.

I fish the Henry’s Fork and other, smaller, tributaries of the Snake River. To do this, I have a rod and reel, waders, and flies that I’ve tied myself. I rig my pole, wade into the water, and cast until I’ve seduced a hungry cutthroat or rainbow. After I land him, I release him immediately. I do this over and over again, season after season, year after year.

Is this activity worthless?

Lucretia MacEvil wrote:
Morley, you are one of the best minds on the board, IMHO, but could you please elucidate? How is the countless repetition of ordinances for the dearly departed not a waste of time? Some of the temples are very pretty, but the time spent? Even a TBM would do well to wonder just what HF was thinking?

I doubt if God has much to do with it.

My father spent last week at my house to get his fill of my cooking and an infusion of conversation. The care he requires is pretty much 24/7. He receives dialysis, as his kidneys have been gone for years. You all (through the US Government) pay for this at around $50,000 a year. This is besides the government disability and retirement he draws. A waste of resources?