Mormon Temple Ceremony and Magic

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Eden

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This is a new thread based on a webpage someone posted elsewhere. So as not to derail that thread, I’m posting here.

Here is the link to the webpage in question:

nowscape.com/mormon/mormcr1.htm#index

What is the meaning of magic in Mormonism, for instance “magic underpants” as mentioned in the article? How do Mormons defend their belief in “magic” and “secret handshakes” against accusations of occultism and paganism? Do Mormons not see occultism and paganism as antithetical to God?
 
Eden said:
This is a new thread based on a webpage someone posted elsewhere. So as not to derail that thread, I’m posting here.

Here is the link to the webpage in question:

nowscape.com/mormon/mormcr1.htm#index

What is the meaning of magic in Mormonism, for instance “magic underpants” as mentioned in the article? How do Mormons defend their belief in “magic” and “secret handshakes” against accusations of occultism and paganism? Do Mormons not see occultism and paganism as antithetical to God?
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Sorry Eden, LDS are advised not to discuss temple ordinances with non-LDS, or outside the Temple; so I doubt if you will receive much response form LDS to this thread.

zerinus
 
Eden said:
This is a new thread based on a webpage someone posted elsewhere. So as not to derail that thread, I’m posting here.

Here is the link to the webpage in question:

nowscape.com/mormon/mormcr1.htm#index

What is the meaning of magic in Mormonism, for instance “magic underpants” as mentioned in the article? How do Mormons defend their belief in “magic” and “secret handshakes” against accusations of occultism and paganism? Do Mormons not see occultism and paganism as antithetical to God?
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_garment_(Mormonism
 
Z, we could discuss the old temple ceremony, till 1990 or so. It portrayed non-lds clergy as satanic. What do you have to say about that?
 
Eden said:
This is a new thread based on a webpage someone posted elsewhere. So as not to derail that thread, I’m posting here.

Here is the link to the webpage in question:

nowscape.com/mormon/mormcr1.htm#index

What is the meaning of magic in Mormonism, for instance “magic underpants” as mentioned in the article? How do Mormons defend their belief in “magic” and “secret handshakes” against accusations of occultism and paganism? Do Mormons not see occultism and paganism as antithetical to God?
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Let me start by stating that I am not Mormon, and have limited understanding of Mormon practices.
That being said, I have seen in discussions with Mormons on predominantly Mormon boards that they (rightly) take great offense at having their garments called “magic underpants”. As I understand it, belittling their belief in the necessity of sacred garments is akin to someone saying that our priests say a magic formula (ala “hocus pocus”) and make Jesus magically appear in the bread and wine at Mass. We do not use magic in the Mass, and Mormons do not have “magic underpants.”
 
juno24 said:
Let me start by stating that I am not Mormon, and have limited understanding of Mormon practices.
That being said, I have seen in discussions with Mormons on predominantly Mormon boards that they (rightly) take great offense at having their garments called “magic underpants”. As I understand it, belittling their belief in the necessity of sacred garments is akin to someone saying that our priests say a magic formula (ala “hocus pocus”) and make Jesus magically appear in the bread and wine at Mass. We do not use magic in the Mass, and Mormons do not have “magic underpants.”
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It was my understanding that the website in question is Mormon. Am I mistaken?

nowscape.com/mormon/mormcr1.htm#index

Here is the quote:

THE “NEW NAME”

A Mormon’s most secret and cherished possession should be his “New Name” which he receives during the Temple Rituals. This is the name by which he “will be called forth on the morning of the First Resurrection” by his God, and by which he will be known throughout Eternity. He receives this from a Temple Worker, in a whisper, as he is being helped into his new “magic underwear” for the first time, during his Temple initiation. Each time he returns to do Temple work he will go through these same rituals for a dead person, whose name he will carry through the entire ceremony on a little slip of paper, which he surrenders to the Introducer at the Temple Veil, before he enters the Celestial Room. On these return visits he will normally by-pass the “Washing, Anointing, and Clothing in the Garment of the Holy Priesthood” rituals, and just receive the “New Name” in a little booth as he leaves the locker room on his way to the theatre type Endowment Rooms. The “New Name” is usually Biblical, such as Abraham, Moses, Seth, or Mary, Martha, Naomi, or they come from the Book of Mormon. Many Mormons are not aware that every person attending the Endowment on a particular day receives the same male or female “new name”, or its alternate. The alternate is given when the first given name of the person receiving the Endowment, deceased or alive, (not the proxy) is the same, or sounds very similar to the “new name”. My son and I share the same “new name” of Enoch with the prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and probably millions of other living and dead Mormons. I often wondered how we would know which “Enoch” was being called forth, or if we would all be judged together en masse.
 
zerinus said:
Sorry Eden, LDS are advised not to discuss temple ordinances with non-LDS, or outside the Temple; so I doubt if you will receive much response form LDS to this thread.

zerinus
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Of course, you can imagine to an outsider that sounds like you have something to hide.
 
You will get lots of response from ex-LDS. My hubby is one of those. As he says, there is a lot of secret-stuff in mormonism. The Temple ceremonie are wide open now, and you can find them on the internet. My husband was one of those who did baptisms for the dead, stood in for the dead at baptisms and marriage sealings, etc. For ten years the home teachers came every month to get my hubby back to LDS. I truly liked these two “brothers” and asked on several ocassions if they would bring their wives so we could meet them. They never did bring them to the once a month meeting, but brought the wives when they came to say “hello” on their way home from Sunday meeting a few times. Since hubby joined the Catholic Church , when we see them, they turn the other way. (My hubby calls it “shunning”) One of the past home teachers has come to see me several times. He asked for a Catholic bible saying that he was seriously searching, I gave him a Catholic Answers Bible, he loves it. He asked me not to tell anyone we both know about his “search”. This man is in his 70’s and his wife is ill, and a lot of pressure from family, so don’t think he will convert, but he is studying Catholicism. One day he told me that he has come to realize that his religion is not the true religion but does have some truth to it. This same gentleman who only a few years ago, tried to get me to take the “lessons” so that my husband could go to celestial heaven. I keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

Love and peace,
Mom of 5
 
Eden said:
It was my understanding that the website in question is Mormon. Am I mistaken?

nowscape.com/mormon/mormcr1.htm#index
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I looked through the site, and it appears to be something put up by a (possibly) disgruntled LDS member. It does not appear to be something sanctioned by the Mormon church. From what I understand, faithful Mormons will not discuss their temple ceremonies with non-Mormons, so the site is either run by a former Mormon, or one with a bone to pick with the Mormon religion.
 
Eden said:
Of course, you can imagine to an outsider that sounds like you have something to hide.
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Not so; we consider what takes place in our temples to be sacred, and not to be lightly disccussed with unbelievers.

zerinus
 
Eden said:
It was my understanding that the website in question is Mormon. Am I mistaken?
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Yes. No Mormon site would use the phrase “magic underwear” or any thing like it. They call them “the garment of the holy priesthood”.

That being said, they do teach that the garment will protect them from harm, so in a way it is thought to be majic. There are many Mormon folk tales of temple garments protecting people from all kinds of injury. But in reality it has not been effective for the many faithful Mormons who die in car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes and house fires the same as everyone else.

Paul
 
Why can’t Mormons discuss the things that take place in temples? My LDS friend is always told by her parents that the things are ‘sacred not secret’. If so sacred then, why not tell your children about it so then they can look forward to it, instead of quesitoning it(i.e.;marriage is a very sacred thing,bound by God and yet we know of it and can speak of it to people). I find all this highly suspicious. I’m not critizing the mormon church, just asking questions and looking for legitimate answers. Obviously LDS members are not aloud to speak of what happens inside a temple for curious strange reasons, and I think a former-Mormon could explain. And if one is LDS, they should be able to handle the questions for this is a very touchy, odd, incomplete topic.
Thank you
 
juno24 said:
I looked through the site, and it appears to be something put up by a (possibly) disgruntled LDS member. It does not appear to be something sanctioned by the Mormon church. From what I understand, faithful Mormons will not discuss their temple ceremonies with non-Mormons, so the site is either run by a former Mormon, or one with a bone to pick with the Mormon religion.
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I see that possibility raised, but does that negate the description of the ceremony?

Near the bottom of the page it says:

From my reading and correspondence and from people who have first-hand knowledge of the secret/sacred ceremonies – one is my old girlfriend Joy, who told me many of the same things --I conclude that this is real. If you can ignore the specific references “proving” Mormonism false, and concentrate on the reporter’s observations, you will learn what Mormons do to each other ‘on their own time’.
… And the kicker is… its’ all tax-deductible!
 
Scholastica15 said:
Why can’t Mormons discuss the things that take place in temples? My LDS friend is always told by her parents that the things are ‘sacred not secret’. If so sacred then, why not tell your children about it so then they can look forward to it, instead of quesitoning it(i.e.;marriage is a very sacred thing,bound by God and yet we know of it and can speak of it to people). I find all this highly suspicious. I’m not critizing the mormon church, just asking questions and looking for legitimate answers. Obviously LDS members are not aloud to speak of what happens inside a temple for curious strange reasons, and I think a former-Mormon could explain. And if one is LDS, they should be able to handle the questions for this is a very touchy, odd, incomplete topic.
Thank you
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Jesus talked about not “casting your pearls before swine”.

zerinus
 
zerinus said:
And I consider your religion to be dead and apostate.

zerinus
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Well clearly, you are mistaken. May God forgive you for your lack of knowledge of truth.
God Bless and you are definately in my prayers.
 
zerinus said:
Not so; we consider what takes place in our temples to be sacred, and not to be lightly disccussed with unbelievers.

zerinus
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Can you confirm at least that what the site describes is a fairly accurate representative of what goes on?
 
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