Disturbing Plane Crash Object Lesson..

[_beastie]

Hey, should we call Internet Mormons iLDS?

Gets a thumbs-up from me!

[_Zoidberg]

I propose that we add Porter's newly coined term to our jargon.

[_Inconceivable]

The family all dressed in white and holding hands begin their walk up the steps to the CK when they stop and look back at one lone child.

"Why aren't you coming with us?", asks the mother.

"I can't because my temple work HAS NOT BEEN DONE!!!!", the child sobs as her family disappears behind a large hanging veil.

You would think leadership would know their own doctrine:

5 I saw Father Adam and Abraham; and my father and my mother; my brother Alvin, that has long since slept;
6 And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins.
7 Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;
8 Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;
9 For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.
10 And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 137:5 - 10)

(edited to remove offensive words like "idiot" and "ignorant" in describing Mormon leadership)

[_Livingstone22]

In 2003 when I was 20, I was asked to help out at a mutual night (I converted the year before--so I had no idea what mutual was). They played out a game based on life. The kids (I believe they were about 12-18 years old) went around in the cultural hall earning points by answering scriptural/church questions, playing games (like getting married and getting a temple recommend), and I went around offering doughnuts in exchange for their pretend temple recommends. At the end, they turned off the lights, and each child went up to the stage and got "judged" based on the number of points they had. They were told to go to one of three different rooms. I followed one group to the primary room, where all was dark except a black light. There, a member of the ward informed us that we had been assigned to the Telestial kingdom (one boy was "cast out" for some reason--of course he was really hamming it up as he was thrown out of the door; he was screaming and flailing his arms in a playful fashion). Then our group (and the other two groups) were allowed to tour the other "kingdoms." We went to another room where only a lamp was lit next to a picture of Christ. There, the group was told they were seeing the Terrestrial kingdom and they were read the scriptures pertaining to a description thereof--that we could see the light of Christ, but not directly experience being with Him. Then, we all went to the Relief Society room, where there were bright lights, a fog machine, and the Bishop and his wife who were dressed in white next to a large picture of the temple. There, the Bishop told the kids about what it was like in the Celestial kingdom and what were the requirements for going there.

I was just thinking about this last week when I saw something on the TV about a Halloween "Hell house" at a church (a dramatization of what it wold be like in hell and who would go there). I was thinking that if I had kids, I would not think any of this was very appropriate.

[_gramps]

In 2003 when I was 20, I was asked to help out at a mutual night (I converted the year before--so I had no idea what mutual was). They played out a game based on life. The kids (I believe they were about 12-18 years old) went around in the cultural hall earning points by answering scriptural/church questions, playing games (like getting married and getting a temple recommend), and I went around offering doughnuts in exchange for their pretend temple recommends. At the end, they turned off the lights, and each child went up to the stage and got "judged" based on the number of points they had. They were told to go to one of three different rooms. I followed one group to the primary room, where all was dark except a black light. There, a member of the ward informed us that we had been assigned to the Telestial kingdom (one boy was "cast out" for some reason--of course he was really hamming it up as he was thrown out of the door; he was screaming and flailing his arms in a playful fashion). Then our group (and the other two groups) were allowed to tour the other "kingdoms." We went to another room where only a lamp was lit next to a picture of Christ. There, the group was told they were seeing the Terrestrial kingdom and they were read the scriptures pertaining to a description thereof--that we could see the light of Christ, but not directly experience being with Him. Then, we all went to the Relief Society room, where there were bright lights, a fog machine, and the Bishop and his wife who were dressed in white next to a large picture of the temple. There, the Bishop told the kids about what it was like in the Celestial kingdom and what were the requirements for going there.

I was just thinking about this last week when I saw something on the TV about a Halloween "Hell house" at a church (a dramatization of what it wold be like in hell and who would go there). I was thinking that if I had kids, I would not think any of this was very appropriate.

Well, they got the black light right, I guess. Where I have been privy to groups of people hanging around in rooms lit with black lights, it was a decidedly telestial atmosphere.

And damn fun, I might add.

Cool, the telestial kingdom is one of those places.

See you all there!

[_beastie]

Well, at least it isn't as extreme as what some EVs do. A famous EV college, near my hometown, runs a well known scare mare every Halloween. The entire thing shows what hell will look like for nonbelievers. Screaming, screeching, blood and torture. Then at the end they sequester you in a small room and one of the believers preaches to you and makes everyone pray, and passes around little cards for addresses for those who "want to know more".

This is such a popular scare mare that you have to wait literally hours to get in, on nights right before Halloween. My boyfriend and I went once and then tried to escape without hearing the preaching at the end, and they wouldn't let us. We were trapped listening to the preaching. We never went back.

[_MishMagnet]

We had that point system night where your points then translated into which kingdom you went to. They had wedding cake and punch in the Celestial, saltines and water in the Terrestrial and nothing in the Telestial.

Does anyone remember the story in the manual with the mom who gave her ears to his son? He was born without ears and no prosthetics would work and they found a donor for him and he found out later the donor was his mom?

My sister and I were taking Anatomy/Physiology at BYU in the early 90's. My sister, one night while we were studying, said "You remember that story about the boy born without ears? That was total crap!"

[_the road to hana]

Anyone else witness this psycho drama as a teen?

Not as a teen, but during college as part of a student ward activity.

If I'm not mistaken, LDS leadership wrote a letter in recent years instructing that this activity not be continued. I've seen that letter somewhere online. If I relocate it, I'll post it.

[_Always Thinking]

We had that point system night where your points then translated into which kingdom you went to. They had wedding cake and punch in the Celestial, saltines and water in the Terrestrial and nothing in the Telestial.

Does anyone remember the story in the manual with the mom who gave her ears to his son? He was born without ears and no prosthetics would work and they found a donor for him and he found out later the donor was his mom?

My sister and I were taking Anatomy/Physiology at BYU in the early 90's. My sister, one night while we were studying, said "You remember that story about the boy born without ears? That was total crap!"

OMG, I'm laughing! Can you imagine a little baby head with big adult ears attached? LOL

[_The Nehor]

Anyone else witness this psycho drama as a teen?

Not as a teen, but during college as part of a student ward activity.

If I'm not mistaken, LDS leadership wrote a letter in recent years instructing that this activity not be continued. I've seen that letter somewhere online. If I relocate it, I'll post it.

It was about 7 years ago. I haven't seen or heard of it since.