The functional banality of LDS temples

[drumdude]

One unanswered question that often bothers me is why the LDS church with all of its vast resources, keeps building such ugly "temples". There are exceptions, of course. The Salt Lake Temple is a noteworthy exception. But I'm talking about the McMansion cookie-cutter versions of the modern LDS church.

The sealing room is almost completely functional, with minimal attention paid to aesthetics. Its purpose is for the 20 minute sealing ceremony, then everyone leaves. It sits empty for 99% of its life. The majority of sessions here are bored members who have done the tedious ritual thousands of times, even though they've run out of names they just keep reusing old ones. There is a token stained glass window. Everything is white, reinforcing purity doctrine (with sexual undertones given sex is forbidden until this sealing ceremony). There are the two sets of mirrors of course, which is really the only interesting aesthetic feature of the room.

580-20190808_0628_CSmith_1607.jpg

The sitting rooms look like the shopping malls I grew up going to in the early 90's. As if Donald Trump's essence just exploded and showered the room with tasteless gold and wood decoration. Who finds this aesthetic attractive?

LDS_Oakland_Celestial%20Room%2001.jpg

The amount of time and money spent, the Herculean attempt at creating something sublime on par with the great religious buildings of human history, and the utter abject failure to do so never ceases to astound me. These are just efficient functional factories to keep people doing the tedious rituals for the dead.

Just compare your average LDS "temple" to any of hundreds of churches and cathedrals across the globe. It's as if the LDS buildings are an intentional parody of them.

st-patricks-cathedral-picture.jpg

[ceeboo]

Hey DD

There are the two sets of mirrors of course, which is really the only interesting aesthetic feature of the room.

Forgive my never-Mo ignorance.

What is the meaning and/or purpose of the "two sets of mirrors" is the Sealing room? And what is a "sitting room" used for?

Thanks in advance.

[drumdude]

Hey DD

There are the two sets of mirrors of course, which is really the only interesting aesthetic feature of the room.

Forgive my never-Mo ignorance.

What is the meaning and/or purpose of the "two sets of mirrors" is the Sealing room? And what is a "sitting room" used for?

Thanks in advance.

The mirrors symbolize that the sealing will last for eternity. The sitting room is called the Celestial room. Once you are done doing the endowment ceremony you get about 5 minutes to bask in the glory of the sitting room until you're quickly shoved back out on the street.

[ceeboo]

The mirrors symbolize that the sealing will last for eternity. The sitting room is called the Celestial room. Once you are done doing the endowment ceremony you get about 5 minutes to bask in the glory of the sitting room until you're quickly shoved back out on the street.

Thanks, DD

So once a couple is sealed, they go to the "sitting room/Celestial room" by themselves? Or is that where family members/loved ones would/could join them after a sealing?

[drumdude]

The mirrors symbolize that the sealing will last for eternity. The sitting room is called the Celestial room. Once you are done doing the endowment ceremony you get about 5 minutes to bask in the glory of the sitting room until you're quickly shoved back out on the street.

Thanks, DD

So once a couple is sealed, they go to the "sitting room/Celestial room" by themselves? Or is that where family members/loved ones would/could join them after a sealing?

Celestial room is at the end of the endowment ceremony, that's separate from sealing ceremony. I don't think Celestial room is used at all during sealings.

Basically the couple and the family show up, check in. The couple goes to the locker room to change into the temple clothes. The family stays in their church clothes. The couple kneels at the altar, the sealing ceremony is performed, and the family and couple leave.

Any non-members have to sit in a waiting room outside the check-in area.

[ceeboo]

Got it!

Thanks, DD!

[Xenophon]

Maybe I'm the crazy guy in these parts but when I look back on my time as Mormon the temple is one of the few things I remember fondly. Obviously a fair bit of that is tied into the fact that it is where my wife and I were married but it is more than that. I enjoyed getting to go with her and taking that time out of our schedule to share it together. Growing up Episcopalian the liturgical nature and feeling of the ordinances were comforting. Also I'm probably too big of a sucker for these kinds of esoteric experiences.

I also honestly can't look back on our time there and think that they weren't beautiful places. Are they the same as an old world church, absolutely not, but I also can't view them as ugly either. They are just a different sort of take on the same idea of letting the building be a place to transport you to something different.

I obviously no longer believe in the theological aspects of our temple marriage but it doesn't change that the temple and our sealing is a representative piece of our relationship and the bond we share. It is nearly impossible for me to seperate those feelings from the physical place.

[drumdude]

Got it!

Thanks, DD!

Anytime! The experience is really bizarre. It's strange seeing your friends and family dressed up in chef hats and green aprons.

Teenagers on NewNameNoah's temple videos claim that they're fake in the comments. They can't believe their church has such a strange cultish practice.

[drumdude]

it doesn't change that the temple and our sealing is a representative piece of our relationship and the bond we share. It is nearly impossible for me to seperate those feelings from the physical place.

I completely respect that. It means something to you personally.

But yes, I'm glad you agree the old world cathedrals are in another category completely. I dare anyone to enter one of those cathedrals and not have your breath taken away in awe. Believer or non-believer, you immediately know you are somewhere very special. Something that took so much time, effort, care, and community effort to create. Something culturally significant that stands the test of time.

[malkie]

Thanks, DD

So once a couple is sealed, they go to the "sitting room/Celestial room" by themselves? Or is that where family members/loved ones would/could join them after a sealing?

Celestial room is at the end of the endowment ceremony, that's separate from sealing ceremony. I don't think Celestial room is used at all during sealings.

Basically the couple and the family show up, check in. The couple goes to the locker room to change into the temple clothes. The family stays in their church clothes. The couple kneels at the altar, the sealing ceremony is performed, and the family and couple leave.

Any non-members have to sit in a waiting room outside the check-in area.

Non-members and "unworthy" members - like me - are excluded from the sealing ceremony, which, in the US and Canada, at least, usually means that they are excluded from the actual marriage as well.

But we're allowed to greet the couple and their worthy friends and family members afterwards