Temple Shock

[Guest]

Not only is there immense pressure to stay for the entire session, but afterwards there is immense pressure to say just how wonderful and spiritual it all was.

I still remember how my mom was peering at me from across the isle with the "isn't this just special?" look. I was particularly creeped out when I was required to demonstrate cutting my throat/disemboweling myself in the chant/prayer circle. I'm just not that kind of person.

I can honestly say that I never felt a loving connection when I attended the temple (although I had a few highly emotional ones). No matter how many hours (or days) I fasted (and prayed) for this connection beforehand. The decor (palacial - as if God gets into austentaciousness), the God awful temple clothes, the dressing rooms and the bad breath were particularly distracting from what I always considered being close to a loving and non-pretentious God.

It's a breath of fresh air to know I will never experience the obligation to suck it up and enter the facade again.

It's being with your loved ones in a quiet place with the expectation of peace that makes the temple seem like a sanctuary of God. I have always felt more peace in my own home.

(if this is too strong for the terestial forum, I'll edit. I don't attend the telestial either)
(Moderator Note) Yes, please edit the specifics, or the post will need to be split. I will give you an opportunity to edit it yourself before moving. Thanks. :) Liz

When I think about it, Liz, the temple doesn't directly require such horrific consequences to divulging of the signs and tokens anymore. Though it made a lasting impression upon me, the hierarchy discarded the prophet revealed bloody Satanic oaths. Can we not freely discuss in any forum what is no more found in the Mormon God's temple?

If you still disagree, go ahead and split it. I'd prefer to let the record stand that I witnessed this twisted idea of the love of God.

I suppose the revelations of the internet were an accident the Mormon God did not foresee. Kind of makes Him appear to be a mortal with no gift.

[_KimberlyAnn]

Hi, Inconceivable and Dr. Shades. I went through the temple for the first time in October of 1990. I missed the more grizzly stuff by six months. Thank goodness!

Scottie, you are exactly correct about what the Relief Society sisters would be whispering if I had admitted the temple gave me the creeps.

Here are just a few quotes from the Temple Preparation manual:

Note to teacher: Temple ordinances and covenants are sacred, and discussion about them is primarily limited to within the temple. Therefore, class discussion should be limited to the explanations given in this manual.

Disclosing anything other than what is included in the Temple preparation course is forbidden. That means Jason Bourne or any other church leader is outside the lines when discussing the temple in more detail than what is allowed by the Temple preparation manual.

Explain that the Lord reveals truth to those who are spiritually ready to understand it. Those who receive truth with faith and obedience continue to receive more truth. Those who are not spiritually prepared and who fail to receive truth or receive it with a doubtful heart will gradually lose the truth they have.

Stories with symbols present truth in such a way that those who are spiritually prepared understand the meaning of the symbols. Those who are not prepared do not understand the meaning.

Some people in the Savior’s time understood the messages of His parables, but many did not. The same is true today. There are many levels of spiritual understanding among righteous members of the Church.

Explain that almost every aspect of the temple ceremony is symbolic. This means that each person should prepare to be as spiritually sensitive as possible to the symbolic nature of the temple endowment.

• What could keep a person from being spiritually sensitive in the temple?

Class members might mention such things as the following:

1. A person may not be worthy. A person who has failed to sincerely repent and has not prepared humbly and prayerfully for the temple will find that the symbols will be lifeless and their meanings will be hidden.

2. A person may lack faith. A person who does not have faith in Jesus Christ and the temple ceremony may not receive the inspiration from the Holy Ghost necessary for understanding the temple endowment.

3. A person may focus so much on the outward motions of the ceremonies that he or she may miss the powerful teachings represented by the symbols.

There you have it. Members are taught that not understanding what happens in the temple is a sign that one is not spiritually sensitive, possibly (likely) because of sin and a lack of faith.

I did believe that perhaps I was lacking in faith. I knew I was sinful--I couldn't keep every commandment, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't admit that I didn't understand the temple or that I had many questions. Besides, there is no discussing the temple outside of temple walls, so asking questions of others wasn't really an option, even if I had been bold enough to do so.

The whole temple issue is, in my opinion, spiritually abusive.

KA

[_OMWO2]

Hello KA

I went through the temple in 1986 so I was (un)fortunate enough to have participated in the symbolic mutilation.

I went through on my wedding day with my soon to be wife. I was freaked out by the initiatories and further blown away by the endowment. The problem with the situation for me was I had to go on. I was getting married and we had all my parents friends in the room etc.

In hindsight I suppose I could have walked out and demanded a simple wedding service in the relief society room, but I was a coward. Instead I went through, married my lovely wife and avoided the temple for the next 19 years until one day I "realized" I no longer believed.

[_Jason Bourne]

Disclosing anything other than what is included in the Temple preparation course is forbidden. That means Jason Bourne or any other church leader is outside the lines when discussing the temple in more detail than what is allowed by the Temple preparation manual.

Yea but I guess I have an "Oh well" attitude. I can tell you that every person I have spent time walking them through what they would experience, in a general, but some specific ways, had a much better experience and not none of the freaked. The temple is very different from any LDS experience previous to it. If the ground work is laid it does not come across as all that odd or strange, for the most part.

I too found my first experience odd and disconcerting and wondering if this really was the Church I grew up in. I also thought there was a lot of build up for something that ended up being fairly mundane.

I once read a talk by DOM I think at something to do with the LA temple where he said that he was disappointed with his first temple experience and that if people were honest they would mostly agree that they were as well.

Explain that the Lord reveals truth to those who are spiritually ready to understand it. Those who receive truth with faith and obedience continue to receive more truth. Those who are not spiritually prepared and who fail to receive truth or receive it with a doubtful heart will gradually lose the truth they have.

Stories with symbols present truth in such a way that those who are spiritually prepared understand the meaning of the symbols. Those who are not prepared do not understand the meaning.

Some people in the Savior’s time understood the messages of His parables, but many did not. The same is true today. There are many levels of spiritual understanding among righteous members of the Church.

Explain that almost every aspect of the temple ceremony is symbolic. This means that each person should prepare to be as spiritually sensitive as possible to the symbolic nature of the temple endowment.

• What could keep a person from being spiritually sensitive in the temple?

Class members might mention such things as the following:

1. A person may not be worthy. A person who has failed to sincerely repent and has not prepared humbly and prayerfully for the temple will find that the symbols will be lifeless and their meanings will be hidden.

2. A person may lack faith. A person who does not have faith in Jesus Christ and the temple ceremony may not receive the inspiration from the Holy Ghost necessary for understanding the temple endowment.

3. A person may focus so much on the outward motions of the ceremonies that he or she may miss the powerful teachings represented by the symbols.

There you have it. Members are taught that not understanding what happens in the temple is a sign that one is not spiritually sensitive, possibly (likely) because of sin and a lack of faith.

This is troublesome. I dislike spritual manipulation like this. I had no idea the temple preparation manual contianed anything like this.

I did believe that perhaps I was lacking in faith. I knew I was sinful--I couldn't keep every commandment, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't admit that I didn't understand the temple or that I had many questions. Besides, there is no discussing the temple outside of temple walls, so asking questions of others wasn't really an option, even if I had been bold enough to do so.

The whole temple issue is, in my opinion, spiritually abusive.

You make some valid points. I have said a few times to some LDS friends that the way we talk about how wonderful temple worship and the experience there is is almost like the story The Emperor has not Clothes. It is so because we say it is but often people really are not all the fired up about it. I have come to conclude it is what one makes of it. When I go I try to focus on godly things that are meaningful to me. THe quiet and reverence there helps me to do that and to ponder such things.

[_antishock8]

KA,

That could have very well been something I wrote. I experienced the same exact thing, right down to wanting to get the obama out of there.

The temple ceremony continues to get more and more innocuous as time goes on... Hopefully, years down the road they'll just be doing something akin to a Sunday School lesson. My experience was the catalyst that opened the door to my apostasy.

[_Jersey Girl]

Class members might mention such things as the following:

1. A person may not be worthy. A person who has failed to sincerely repent and has not prepared humbly and prayerfully for the temple will find that the symbols will be lifeless and their meanings will be hidden.

2. A person may lack faith. A person who does not have faith in Jesus Christ and the temple ceremony may not receive the inspiration from the Holy Ghost necessary for understanding the temple endowment.

3. A person may focus so much on the outward motions of the ceremonies that he or she may miss the powerful teachings represented by the symbols.

I really find the above quite sad in that it sets a person up for what appears to be an unwarranted guilt trip.

[_harmony]

I really find the above quite sad in that it sets a person up for what appears to be an unwarranted guilt trip.

Guilt is one of the things the church does best. Notice I didn't say God. God doesn't do guilt.

[_Jersey Girl]

I really find the above quite sad in that it sets a person up for what appears to be an unwarranted guilt trip.

Guilt is one of the things the church does best. Notice I didn't say God. God doesn't do guilt.

Well, the discrepancy is found in item #1. No person could possibly present themselves as sinless or blameless at any given time. Repentance is one thing but we are after all, human beings and not God.

Or in LDS belief, not gods...not yet.

It makes no sense to hold a human being to even near purity of heart. It's just not possible.

[_harmony]

It makes no sense to hold a human being to even near purity of heart. It's just not possible.

You don't have to be pure. You just have to convince your bishop and SP that you're pure enough. Nevermind what God thinks; it's your bishop and your SP you have to convince.

[_Jersey Girl]

It makes no sense to hold a human being to even near purity of heart. It's just not possible.

You don't have to be pure. You just have to convince your bishop and SP that you're pure enough. Nevermind what God thinks; it's your bishop and your SP you have to convince.

harm...I've been reading and thinking about all of this for well over 10 years now. What I see in people's descriptions/accounts is that yes, they can present an inaccurate picture of the state of their heart to the Bishop/SP and engage in LDS rites/rituals. Even when one is entirely devoted to their LDS faith and leaves the Temple with doubts/questions or what have you, they often feel compelled to present a less than accurate picture of what they felt/observed and essentially, fake it for their loved ones.

I know that not all LDS fail to find a sense of spiritual connectedness in the Temple however, the above scenarios do exist and do compell one to present a false picture of their inner selves to those who are dear and close to them.

Does that make sense?