Temple Events

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Scholastica15

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Hi

Ok my LDS friend has parents who go to the temple EVERY weekend and I was wondering why. I’m not hoping to start anything-- I’m just a curious person and seeing how my friend can’t tell me because the stuff they do at the temple is “sacred not secret”, I figured I’d hop on here and ask.

Thanks.
 
Many LDS attend the temple as a regular part of their spiritual lifestyle. It is not the same as daily mass or anything else catholic. Mormons go through all of the Temple ordinances the first time through for themselves. They beleive very strongly thought that deceased folks need to these same ordinances and that they must be performed physically iin these temples by the living through proxy. It is considered by LDS to be a very important and “love thy neighbor” activity to do this as often as possible. The LDS also do not have manuals ar interactive classes within the Temple nor do they speak in any detail of these ordinances outside of the Temple so learning these things takes repeated trips through and even then it’s pretty much up to the individuals interpretation what these activities really mean.

does that answer your question?
 
Well in a way and thank you for your answer but when you say activities, what do you mean. I just think its so wierd how they go, at evening/night too, and come home and say nothing about it. It reminds me of some kind of cult or something… creepy. Do you know like what happens there or is it still unspoken?
Thanks
 
Scholastica,
Here is a link to a site that contrasts the pre-1990 endowment ceremony with the changes post-1990. The additions are in small type and the deletions are lined out. You will notice that they have deleted a great deal of the ceremony. They claimed that it was to make it shorter and hence more convenient for the members. I suspect that the real reason was that many converts (like myself) found these parts of the ceremony offensive and cultish. Judge for yourself.

Notice the deleted scene that lampoons a Christian minister and portrays him as Satan’s employee. Talk about bashing other religions!

The endowment has undergone many changes since the 1800’s. Many prior versions are available online.

I left the LDS Church in 1986, and so all of my experience was with the pre-1990 version of the endowment. I attended 19 or 20 times during my 11-year LDS membership.

Hope this helps.
Paul
 
yes I do know waht happens and in greaty detail. I don’t mind speaking about it either. I think though that I can explain pretty easily without going into the sacred/secret stuff. (although I can go there if you need to).

There are a number of things going on in there that they don’t mind you knowing:

baptisms and comfirmations on behalf of dead people. These can be performed by youths and usually are. (with adult supervision and priesthood authority)

initiatory ordinances (washing and anointing) perormed for both the living (once only) and on behalf of the dead.

Endowment (most common activity that frequent temple goers do) this is a lenghty activity and is done for the livng (once) and on behalf of the dead. This runs about an hour and a half a session and the sessions run one after the other. That means that you can go through for 4 or 5 deceased folks a day if you wanted to. There is no difference in the session wether you are going through for yourself or on behalf of a dead person. it is considered more of a spiritual learning experience than anything else at that point. (except for the dead person in which case it is a “sacrament” for them)

next you have sealings. This is a mormon temple wedding. they also are performed both for the living and the dead. sometimes married couples like to do a block of these on behalf of the dead while they are doing a “temple day”. it is a quick ordinance.

Do you feel adequately informed now?
 
I once asked a Mormon guy about the way clergy were portrayed. This was before the change. He looked very uncomfortable and denied it. I knew he was lying and he knew that I knew. I let him twist and then asked if that is really what they think of us. He did not answer. But that silence was the answer.
 
As I have been reading the changes in the 1990 endowment, I see that many of the changes are concessions to feminism.

For instance, instead of Eve (and the LDS women in attendance) promising to obey “the law of their husbands”, they now promise to obey “the law of the Lord”.

Also completely deleted is the part where Elohim (the Mormon god the father) tells Eve:
Eve, because thou hast hearkened to the voice of Satan and hast partaken of the forbidden fruit, and given unto Adam, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children. Nevertheless, thou mayest be preserved in child-bearing. Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee in righteousness.
Click to expand...
(Italics mine) I thought it was strange that they took this out, because it (unlike the rest of the endowment) is in the bible (Genesis chapter 3).

The other big thing that has been deleted are the masonic penalties for revealing the secret masonic handshakes and passwords. No more throat-sltting and disembowlment. Originally, the penalties were seen as inseparable from the signs and tokens.

Since Mormons never discuss the endowment outside of the temple, those who began temple attendance after 1990 will likely never know that these elements of the ceremony ever existed.

Paul
 
Ok thank you I think I got it now. Just wondering… I thought it was odd(and still think it is) that they are always there at the Temple… I just worry about my friend. She has no idea what shes in for and yet she still loves her faith… :confused:
 
don’t forget the adamic language. “pay lay ale”, that’s gone now too. The five points of fellowship could be seen as a concession the the feminists as well. I think that even with the changes though it’s still pretty obvious that eve is subordinate to Adam. Elohim usually talks to Adam exclusively. Adam makes his covenants with Elohim, Eve makes hers with Adam.
 
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