Question for LDS (MORMONS)

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I live in a city where there is a beautiful Mormon temple that I pass each afternoon as I go for my run. There are no visible doors, it is like Fort Knox with fencing etc. Are passers by allowed to enter or not? I have seen cars enter the carpark but you need an electroinc pass.

Do you have to be Mormon to enter?

I guess I am used to churches having their doors open all day for everyone (believers or not) to enter and pray.
 
I’m not a Mormon, but it is my understanding at only Mormons who are “worthy members of the church” are allowed to enter.

A new temple was constructed near me a few years ago. Before a temple is dedicated they normally have an open house where anyone can visit. It was a very interesting experience. It was nothing like any church I have ever been in before.

If you’re really interested you can find interior pictures of various LDS temples on the internet.
 
LOCO said:
I live in a city where there is a beautiful Mormon temple that I pass each afternoon as I go for my run. There are no visible doors, it is like Fort Knox with fencing etc. Are passers by allowed to enter or not? I have seen cars enter the carpark but you need an electroinc pass.

Do you have to be Mormon to enter?

I guess I am used to churches having their doors open all day for everyone (believers or not) to enter and pray.
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Hi, LC in Australia,

There are a couple of Latter-day Saint temples in Australia, and I assume they are only open at limited hours of operation and need to have some kind of security such as you described in order to protect the property from vandalism. They only have a couple of doors to make security easier and due to symbolism related to entering “the house of the Lord”.

There is a huge difference between a Latter-day Saint “chapel” which is where the members and visitors attend Sunday services and weekday activities, and a Latter-day Saint “temple” which is opened during an “open house” for anyone to enter the building and see inside before it is “dedicated to the work of the Lord” that happens in the temple rooms after the building is dedicated. (The “work of the Lord” being baptisms in behalf of kindred dead, endowment of “power from on high” for the living and in behalf of kindred dead, and eternal marriage ceremonies (sealings for eternity for those who continue worthily in their marriage covenant) for the living and in behalf of kindred dead.)

All visitors are welcome at a Latter-day Saint chapel, although those are not open at all hours either, but for many hours on Sunday and for some evenings during the week. You can actually figure out a closest chapel by following a couple of links on lds.org using a search address tool, if someone is curious. There is always a temple open house before a temple is dedicated and then closed to public visitors, although some have a separate visitor center and many have a waiting room inside the temple near the front door.
 
Thank you everyone for the replies. The one near me is definitely a ‘temple’ then not a ‘chapel’😃
 
TheExorcist said:
Hi Gj,

How long were you LDS?

I’ve been for almost 17 years. Not able to get out as of yet.
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I find this very curious. How are you not able to get out if that is what you wish to do? I could leave the Catholic Church tomorrow and, while I’m sure I would get some calls from my Catholic friends, there is really nothing they could do if that was my wish. I could understand maybe if it was a family issue and I certainly don’t mean to pry. It just sounds strange.
 
SteveVH said:
I find this very curious. How are you not able to get out if that is what you wish to do? I could leave the Catholic Church tomorrow and, while I’m sure I would get some calls from my Catholic friends, there is really nothing they could do if that was my wish. I could understand maybe if it was a family issue and I certainly don’t mean to pry. It just sounds strange.
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Married a dyed-in-the-wool Mormon girl. Her family goes back to several of Joseph Smith’s companions. She’s made it clear if I leave the church she leaves me. If that happens I lose my son as well. Better to play Mormon than lose my family. I tried to leave the church once. Ironically when I was transferred to UT for work. I started attending an Episcopal parish and fell in love with the liturgy and made a connection with one of the priests there. Then when my family joined me my wife about had a meltdown so I resumed my LDS activities. So, I wait…
 
LDS folks are very nice. Just pick up the phone and call the temple! All the temples I’ve seen are based on the old Hebrew Temple - there’s public areas for the non-initiated and then inner sanctum, super secret areas. Some temples have regular tours, and others will be open to tours by appointment. This is just the public areas, of course.

We toured the Oakland temple, and they have beautiful fountains and gardens. You go into the “guest room and book store” and they are happy to jump up and give a little tour, but only in the public areas. We told them that we were practicing Catholics with no interest in converting so please stay easy on the preaching. But that we were Christians who were open to learning about our brothers and sisters in Christ (didn’t mention that we don’t really accept their form of religion as truly Christian).

It was quite pleasant. The architecture was very striking, the views astounding, but the inside – not so much for our taste.

And as someone said, thanks to the internet, all those super secret inner chambers are now very available on the internet. They may seem rather cheesy to someone from a Catholic background (and even to some Mormons, I understand), but it is important to be respectful. We were not pressed with literature, or begged to enter into any kind of a “bible study” or any of that.
 
TheExorcist said:
Married a dyed-in-the-wool Mormon girl. Her family goes back to several of Joseph Smith’s companions. She’s made it clear if I leave the church she leaves me. If that happens I lose my son as well. Better to play Mormon than lose my family. I tried to leave the church once. Ironically when I was transferred to UT for work. I started attending an Episcopal parish and fell in love with the liturgy and made a connection with one of the priests there. Then when my family joined me my wife about had a meltdown so I resumed my LDS activities. So, I wait…
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I don’t know if you’ve read it before but the New Order Mormon site might be helpful. There are lots of people there in the same boat as you. It’s sad how often people are threatened with loss of their families in order to keep them in the LDS church.
 
zaffiroborant said:
I don’t know if you’ve read it before but the New Order Mormon site might be helpful. There are lots of people there in the same boat as you. It’s sad how often people are threatened with loss of their families in order to keep them in the LDS church.
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Yes, I found the NOM website through exmormon.org and its a bit useful. However, its this that doesn’t exactly fit me, “New Order Mormons recognize both good and bad in the Church, and have determined that the Church does not have to be perfect in order to remain useful. New Order Mormons seek the middle way to be Mormon.” I seek to be OUT of the church completely. This may come to fruition one of these days but not now. That whole bit about the church doesn’t have to be perfect? It’s a false system of salvation and will save nobody. Please continue to pray for me and my wife and a change of heart by her.
 
Once the LDS temple has been dedicated, no one enters without a valid temple recommend, a card that indicates the holder may be admitted. One must be LDS in good standing to obtain that temple recommend.

The temple should not be confused with the LDS church that you may find in the community. They are entirely different.
 
LOCO said:
I live in a city where there is a beautiful Mormon temple that I pass each afternoon as I go for my run. There are no visible doors, it is like Fort Knox with fencing etc. Are passers by allowed to enter or not? I have seen cars enter the carpark but you need an electroinc pass.

Do you have to be Mormon to enter?

I guess I am used to churches having their doors open all day for everyone (believers or not) to enter and pray.
Click to expand...
The Temples are considered most sacred. LDS must hold a “temple recommend”, obtained after an interview from the Bishop, reflecting the TR holder has met certain basic standards set forth in the LDS church. The Chapels are available for praying and drop-in support. The Temple is where special saving ordiances are conducted, not simple church services.

To help, think of what it would be like at the Catholic Church if people just came in off the street willy-nilly and walked around the alter area, getting into stuff, eating hosts, socializing…that would not be appropriate because that area is special, set apart. Our temples are where we can feel closest to Heavenly Father, so we try to hold that space apart and sacred as well.
 
TheExorcist said:
Yes, I found the NOM website through exmormon.org and its a bit useful. However, its this that doesn’t exactly fit me, “New Order Mormons recognize both good and bad in the Church, and have determined that the Church does not have to be perfect in order to remain useful. New Order Mormons seek the middle way to be Mormon.” I seek to be OUT of the church completely. This may come to fruition one of these days but not now. That whole bit about the church doesn’t have to be perfect? It’s a false system of salvation and will save nobody. Please continue to pray for me and my wife and a change of heart by her.
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There are also many there who are only bidding their time and helping each other work toward their families’ getting out. I’ve seen many who posted about spouses eventual exit from the LDS church and many many posts discussing how that came about. Those posters whose families have left the LDS have said the advice found on NOM was helpful and have been grateful for the support and advice they received there.

I have to say though very few seem willing to join another church, they tend to atheism or agnosticism.
 
TheExorcist…It is very painful to hear of your situation. I will keep you in prayer…most difficult and with the threat of losing your family, that is so terrible.

I will PM you…

Kathleen
 
LatterDayLady said:
The Temples are considered most sacred. LDS must hold a “temple recommend”, obtained after an interview from the Bishop, reflecting the TR holder has met certain basic standards set forth in the LDS church. The Chapels are available for praying and drop-in support. The Temple is where special saving ordiances are conducted, not simple church services.

To help, think of what it would be like at the Catholic Church if people just came in off the street willy-nilly and walked around the alter area, getting into stuff, eating hosts, socializing…that would not be appropriate because that area is special, set apart. Our temples are where we can feel closest to Heavenly Father, so we try to hold that space apart and sacred as well.
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Anyone can walk into a Catholic Church and Pray at the Altar. That is not so in an LDS Temple.

It is in the LDS Temple that the blood oaths are made. That you will “suffer your life to be taken.” It is also where, prior to 1990, woman vowed to obey their husbands.
 
I had heard that the blood oaths were yet another change that the LDS Church made in order to appear more mainstream. Thank you for confirming that change.
 
CowboyCatholic said:
I had heard that the blood oaths were yet another change that the LDS Church made in order to appear more mainstream. Thank you for confirming that change.
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When I went through the temple before my LDS mission I was struck by how weird and creepy the whole endowment process was. At the time, I thought something was wrong with me. Now I realize it was just my common sense.
 
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