Gold Shovels at Temple groundbreaking events.

[MG 2.0]

The point in the opening post is about having a special moments for a select few.

In this picture taken at the second temple to be dedicated in the Congo, the select few are Primary children.

You’re not opposed to that, I’m sure.

Regards,
MG

[Marcus]

In this picture taken at the second temple to be dedicated in the Congo, the select few are Primary children.

no, they weren't "the select few."

Also attending were the counselors in the area— Elder Theirry K. Mutombo and Elder Ian S. Ardern, both General Authority Seventies — as well as dozens of government, community and interfaith leaders, many of whom participated in the soil-turning formalities.

https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2 ... ngo-temple

[MG 2.0]

In this picture taken at the second temple to be dedicated in the Congo, the select few are Primary children.

no, they weren't "the select few."

Also attending were the counselors in the area— Elder Theirry K. Mutombo and Elder Ian S. Ardern, both General Authority Seventies — as well as dozens of government, community and interfaith leaders, many of whom participated in the soil-turning formalities.

https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2 ... ngo-temple

Well, that’s good! Better for the shovels.

A thread about shovels. Cool.

Recognition given to adults and children. Cool too.

Nice to get the missionaries in on it also. They’re ALL a select few.

Regards,
MG

[IHAQ]

Given the context, I don't think the distinction between "gold shovels" and "gold painted shovels" is hair splitting.

I do <shrug>

The use of ceremonial shovels for ground breaking ceremonies is a very common tradition.

The question in the OP is - Is this the kind of thing you’d expect Christ to want? Did Christ, for instance, have commemorative bowls at the sermon on the mount?

As shown in MG 2.0's photo, the children in Africa at a temple groundbreaking ceremony are also using ceremonial shovels.

And?

You chose to emphasize the "gold" part in a way that, in my opinion, was misleading.

You have chosen to see it that way.

[MG 2.0]

The question in the opening post is - Is this the kind of thing you’d expect Christ to want? Did Christ, for instance, have commemorative bowls at the sermon on the mount?

Give it up, IHAQ. You’re sounding silly.

Regards,
MG

[Res Ipsa]

The question in the opening post is - Is this the kind of thing you’d expect Christ to want? Did Christ, for instance, have commemorative bowls at the sermon on the mount?

Give it up, IHAQ. You’re sounding silly.

Regards,
MG

Christ is reported to have said lots of things, including this:

6Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 12For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

So, I’d have to say that I have no idea what Jesus’ opinion would be. Given that he didn’t actually set up a church, I have no idea what his opinion would have been on celebratory ceremonies, like a temple groundbreaking. I know he told people not to worry about mundane, earthly concerns, so I’m not sure a temple groundbreaking ceremony would be high on his list of concerns. He also was pretty harsh on people who judged others, so he may very well look dimly on posts like yours.

So, I dunno what Jesus would have thought of groundbreaking ceremonies. Did he believe that worship of God should be drab and joyless? Did he value ceremony? Did he think we should not be fixated on money, whether ours or someone else’s? No idea.

[MG 2.0]

I have no idea what his opinion would have been on celebratory ceremonies, like a temple groundbreaking.

If you’ve been to any temple dedications and/or ground breakings you know that the purpose of these get togethers is to celebrate and recognize the hand of the Lord in providing the means…a temple, a House of the Lord…to bless the lives of Heavenly Father’s children.

The shovels, the cornerstone laying, all of it, are trappings…they are symbolic recognitions…that play a part as we worship the maker of heaven and earth and the works of His hands.

You folks get WAY too wound up in the temporal end of things rather than the spiritual.

Regards,
MG

[Marcus]

You folks...

"
it would be interesting to see how a Mormon temple "blesses lives." i feel like clean, available water would bless their lives more.

it still rankles that this happened, in 2018.

...Elder Andersen said the significance of the meeting with Vice President Mohadi was to “express to him our desire to help improve Zimbabwe.” He noted that Vice President Mohadi had made a specific request for support with the development of clean-water wells in more remote areas of Zimbabwe.

“We want to help in every way we can,” said Elder Andersen. “We are not a wealthy people but we are good people, and we share what we have,” he added.

https://web.archive.org/web/20190429193 ... es-support

bolded to note the lie.

[Res Ipsa]

I have no idea what his opinion would have been on celebratory ceremonies, like a temple groundbreaking.

If you’ve been to any temple dedications and/or ground breakings you know that the purpose of these get togethers is to celebrate and recognize the hand of the Lord in providing the means…a temple, a House of the Lord…to bless the lives of Heavenly Father’s children.

The shovels, the cornerstone laying, all of it, are trappings…they are symbolic recognitions…that play a part as we worship the maker of heaven and earth and the works of His hands.

You folks get WAY too wound up in the temporal end of things rather than the spiritual.

Regards,
MG

I don’t know why you’re saying “you folks.” Of course religion is about spirituality. The last supper indicates to me that Jesus placed some value on ceremony and ritual. I don’t get the impression from my reading of the New Testament that Jesus thought that worship should be drab and joyless.

On the other hand, if Jesus were on the groundbreaking planning committee and someone said, “hey Jesus, how about we drop $100 each on eight or ten of these nifty souvenir shovels, I could totally see him saying “spend the $800 on the poor. We can take the soil in our hands and joyfully dedicate it to God. Seek not earthly souvenirs, but store your treasure in heaven “

Yeah, I can totally see that.

I think that what you have to wrestle with was that Jesus was highly critical of religious folks who focused on wealth and trappings. His charge was pretty explicit: take care of the poor. And his teachings are pretty antithetical to the notion of a church that sits on and accumulates a massive amount of wealth in the face of tremendous poverty and suffering. You can do as much gymnastics as you like — I think there’s a circle there that cannot be squared. I don’t get the impression that Jesus was a gymnastics fan.

[Rivendale]

If you’ve been to any temple dedications and/or ground breakings you know that the purpose of these get togethers is to celebrate and recognize the hand of the Lord in providing the means…a temple, a House of the Lord…to bless the lives of Heavenly Father’s children.

The shovels, the cornerstone laying, all of it, are trappings…they are symbolic recognitions…that play a part as we worship the maker of heaven and earth and the works of His hands.

You folks get WAY too wound up in the temporal end of things rather than the spiritual.

Regards,
MG

I don’t know why you’re saying “you folks.” Of course religion is about spirituality. The last supper indicates to me that Jesus placed some value on ceremony and ritual. I don’t get the impression from my reading of the New Testament that Jesus thought that worship should be drab and joyless.

On the other hand, if Jesus were on the groundbreaking planning committee and someone said, “hey Jesus, how about we drop $100 each on eight or ten of these nifty souvenir shovels, I could totally see him saying “spend the $800 on the poor. We can take the soil in our hands and joyfully dedicate it to God. Seek not earthly souvenirs, but store your treasure in heaven “

Yeah, I can totally see that.

I think that what you have to wrestle with was that Jesus was highly critical of religious folks who focused on wealth and trappings. His charge was pretty explicit: take care of the poor. And his teachings are pretty antithetical to the notion of a church that sits on and accumulates a massive amount of wealth in the face of tremendous poverty and suffering. You can do as much gymnastics as you like — I think there’s a circle there that cannot be squared. I don’t get the impression that Jesus was a gymnastics fan.

I find it extremely troubling the creator of M42 , M13 and Cygnus X1 finds comfort in a stone building.