last Saturday my wife and I were able to attend a Stake Temple Day at the Chicago Temple. As I met old friends and acquaintances and watched other people interacting before and after the session, I was struck with how positive and joyous the Temple environment is. I didn’t have time to go — there were a thousand other things I needed to do — but during the 3-hour drive home I contemplated just how positive and uplifting the Temple is, and how interesting it was that I felt grateful to have gone, even though it pretty much “shot” a valuable Saturday. From my perspective, the Temple experience strengthens marriages, helps people better understand and live their lives, and frequently brings joy through this form of service. And it’s a wonderful place to meet people. Truly, the Temple is a happening place.
The LDS Temple: A Happening Place
I remember on my mission in Sao Paulo, when the temple was under construction for several months. When they finally reopened it, and the dust and confetti from the celebration settled, we went there the following day. That was the longest I’d ever been without going, and the sense of peace and comfort overwhelmed me. I’ll never forget the drama of that spiritual experience.
Thanks for sharing this, Jeff. The temple is a wonderful, wonderful place.
Truthfully—-I could have substituted a few words and it would have read like a Green Bay Football fan speaking about attending a Monday night game.
Anonymous,
unless of course green bay loses….
The Temple is truly the house of the lord. Even sitting in the foyer or on the grounds, you can feel His presence.
Hello everyone,
this is the French guy from last week – I read with interest the post about the Temple – I am studying the LDS faith right now, I am still a member of a Baptist church here in Dijon but I don’t know why I feel attracted to the LDS church although I can read so much anti-mormon litterature on the web – regarding the Temple, I know they are beautiful buildings, that the prophets say they are a restoration of the ancient temples – but why the moons, the suns, the star with 5 arms (?), why the handclasp, why the association why Masonry ? I have read on several occasions the article of Jeff regarding LDS temples – it makes sense, but still I have a hard time with this – and my final question, if any one can answer, what is for LDS peopkle the true nature of our Heavenly Father ? an exalted man ?
best regards
thanks for the blogs !
Joseph Smith said that if we do not understand the character of God, we do not understand ourselves.
Understanding that Father has a body is but the basic premise of the Mormon doctrine on exaltation(of course, I am mindful of the scriptures of “trust not in the arm of flesh” and “God is not a man, that he should lie” etc–Flesh/man here refer to mortality–otherwise, you would be condemning God as well, for he did not his finger write the ten commandments and did he not speak “face to face” with Moses?)
And when we see God, will we not see him as he is for we shall be like him? (1 John 3:2)
Paul promised that we could be joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16). If so, then we receive all that Christ receives. What does Christ receive? All the Father hath, as he is the heir of God (Heb. 1:2) The logic then follows that we receive all things.
How, then, do we become a joint-heir with Christ? Christ himself “learned” obedience by suffering (Heb. 5:8). We similarly receive a “reward in heaven” when we suffer/endure for Christ’s sake (Matt. 5:11). As we seek to “be…therefore perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect,” we seek after godly attributes in the imitation of Jesus.
If Christ is perfect and his Father is perfect, can we not suppose that they were perfect through the same way?
There’s a primary song called, “I’m trying to be like Jesus.” In that song is the key to man’s becoming like God and to understanding his nature.
My wife Esperanza and I live in Alaska, over 700 miles from the nearest temple. And the cost of traveling south is very high. Fortunately, we get to make the trip once a year and occasionally even more often. And every time we go, we attend the temple, usually several times while we are on our trip. After we retire in a year or two, we hope to live much closer to a temple. To me it seems like most of what is wrong with the Church is wrong outside of the temple and among those saints who do not attend the temple often. Things are so much brighter and more hopeful among those who do. We are almost like a church within a church. I consider it one of the greatest blessing in my life to be able to enjoy the happiness and joy that goes along with temple attendance when so much else about being a Mormon, both online and off, is filled with so much negativity. Bless you for bringing this up in your most recent blog post.
French guy- Try exploring the temple resources over at MormonMonastery
I’d be wary of resources like that. Haven’t visited it, but it sounds like the information would be less than reliable–likely revealing things that are considered sacred to faithful Mormons. I’m certainly prejudging, but when it comes to matters of the web and when there are so many solid, scholarly resources available, I’m certainly in a position to discriminate
You can learn a great deal of the orthodox view from FARMS (legitimate scholars–all of them; ridicule at your own risk) and even a few things from FAIRLDS (though they’re fairly polemical).
Again, too many resources, too little mortality to be fiddling around with wanna-be, pseudo-scholarship.
Walker, the anonymous author of Mormon Monastery (whom I know) is currently teaching in the BYU Religion department. He’s ok 😉
You do understand why one might be skeptical of such sites though, esp. when they’re not in the traditional channels of discourse (ie Jeff’s website–if it’s cited by lds.org–that’s traditional enough for me, farms, fairlds, Mike Ash, etc.).
In any case, French guy (sorry, I don’t know your name) use wisdom and analysis in WHATEVER you read.
Hi ! The French Guy is back ! Thanks for the tips – I met with the missionaries last week – we had a good talk – however I bumped into a web site last Sunday regarding the problems of Mormonism – although I was on the edge of “admitting” the truth of the LDS church, reading this article got me all shaken up. To this very day , I am LOST !
Hey, French Guy! Re: sun, moon, stars, etc–Hugh Nibley says, “A temple…is a scale-model of the universe…the first mention of the word templum is by Varro, for whom it designates a building specifically designed for interpreting signs in the heavens–a sort of observatory where one gets one’s bearings on the universe.”
…a place for “the contemeplation of the unbroken continuity of life from eternity to eternity.”
Read the 88th Section of the D & C, and contemplate also the nature of “light.” Mormonism is a very “spacey” philosophy!
Unfortunately, this board has seen too many people who have posed as honest seekers of truth. If you are one of these (though I give an enormous benefit of doubt), please speak up now and save everyone the time spent on groveling.
That said, if you are lost, I would recommend studying the fundamentals of the gospel (the word “fundamentals” comes from the same root for “foundation”) rather than getting off on random doctrinal branches. I’m aware that the early brethren did just that (speculate a great deal); however, we are at a different time and place–like Elder McConkie, more light has shone on the world as to what is really important.
Ten bucks says that the website quoted some brother who discussed some random topic. These websites seldom find things to criticize about modern Church doctrine. Continuing revelation tells us what we should emphasize AS WELL as what is true.
As a member of 27 years, I am now having second thoughts about the temple…why has the temple rituals changed, why are temple rituals a copy of the masonic temple, and if the temple is so darn important, why is it EVERY ward (7 and counting not including slits) have a temple attendance problem meaning only about 10% go. I’m going to give it a few more years, but really, its looking like you either drink the koolaide and NEVER say boo about doctrine, or you bring something up and you get dog piled.
IRT why only about 10% attendence.
Luke 5: 31-32, then remember that “No unclean thing can enter into the prescence of God”.
The temple rituals changed so it could become faster and allow more people to go through. it retains all that is neccesary and as perscribed in scripture and modern revelation.