I just recalled my last time sitting in the Celestial room. My DH was slowly withdrawing from the church. My parents were having some marriage issues. So my mom, sister, & I went through a session together.

I was accustomed to sitting in the Celestial room for a few minutes, waiting for any indication that Heavenly father was aware that I was in his "living room." Usually a stupor of thought or a growling stomach would remind me to move on with my day.

But this time, my mom and sister were with me. I was surprised when my mom started asking for our opinions on what she should do in her marriage. It was as though she'd been waiting for this moment to have this very important discussion. My mom and sister talked quietly for a few minutes. I wasn't used to having full conversations in this oh so sacred room. My impression was that my mom thought she'd receive clear answers to her questions if we were in the temple.

Then they turned to me to ask how I was doing with my husband's lessened involvement at church. I remember feeling surprised because I could honestly say I thought he was ok. He was figuring things out for himself. No need to hold secret counsel about it! We left shortly after that.

I didn't realize at the time that DH was mentally done with TSCC and was just trying to support me. Now we're both out. And I wonder if my mom, who rarely goes to the temple, is waiting to scheme in the celestial room with my other TBM siblings about how to handle my apostasy.

Never got to spend much time in the Celestial Room. Usually, we did two sessions and were rushed out as , first we were going to the next session, and the last session was the end of the day and were rushed out.

I did get to sit for a few minutes once in awhile and wait for my husband if I got there before him.

Never had any discussions with anyone either.

Just no time.

Odd, isn't it.

How did you manage to actually have a conversation in there? All I ever tried to do was just sit quietly and try to absorb the quiet atmosphere.

But we always got hustled out by the temple workers, so I never quite felt relaxed. I felt like I had to sit for a moment and then get out of the way for the next group coming in.

in-the-lobby-of-the-Salt-Lake-Marriott-hotel-ly yrs,

S

The only inspiration I felt in there was where to go for dinner afterwards. Seriously... I wanted to get some divine message, but it never came for me.

I suppose we had the benefit of a McTemple where the workers were usually just happy to see people attend. The only time I was ever rushed out was on my wedding day! The grumpy matron was waiting for my group to leave so they could close early that day.

In true TBM fashion, I always blamed myself for not being spiritually prepared to receive answers in the temple. Lol

I married someone gay. My whole purpose in going to the temple was to be able to sit and meditate in the CR. I was sure that if I could do that, I'd be able to get the answers I was looking for.

I never so much as got to sit down in the CR--NOT ONCE.

The longest I ever meditated in the temple was in the foyer--waiting for my husband to finish a session as I had been pulled aside to do sealings. I waited for 40 minutes. I never went back to the temple after that.

Never.

I have felt inspired there, but I wouldn't say that it was any different than my experiences outside of the temple. I always preferred going alone during off-peak times, because then I could reflect on my life in the mostly still room. Going with people or during the peak times makes it less peaceful, and it was the stillness that always made it feel welcoming for inspiration to me.

First time there I was inspired to run, Berry, run like the wind.

I didn't listen to that intuition....

I toured the Spring, TX temple before it was made all holy and as we sat in the Celestial room, I looked around and told my hubby and son that if this was what heaven was like, I didn't want to go there! There were a few chuckles from othere lookie-loos like us, but more bad looks from the faithful and we were immediately ushered out of the room.....

It was the most ornate ugly place I have been in and no place i would want to spend an eternity. It was explained to us that this room was a representation of what the Celestial Kingdom would be like.... they didn't say anything about the other levels of heaven and i didn't know enough to ask about them then.

Nope. Too ritzy, opulent, gaudy, for that. The silly clothes didn't help, either. Or the fact I was just bored too death standing/sitting, moving clothes around, pretending to kill myself, chanting while raising and lowering my arms, giving funny handshakes, (and at the end to a guy behind a curtain followed by the five touchy/feely points)...

To be honest, I felt more at peace in the choir seats of the empty chapel near home. Everything about trying to 'get the spirit' in the temple is bassackward. Mormon temple worship is an empty reward from a lot of sacrifice.

Yes.

I prayed in the Celestial Room about if I should marry my then Fiancé.

I had a "burning bosom-like" feeling that I assumed confirmed that I should indeed marry her.

Luckily for her and me I ignored this "sign from god".

Within a few years I was out if the Cult and out of the closet.

I also learned an important lesson about not confusing feelings with truth.

The Lord told me yes, but I said no.

Nicely put!

At the times I most wanted and hoped to hear that still small voice, the silence was resounding. The voice I usually did "hear" was my own telling me, "everything will be ok. Go to sleep/ go eat dinner/ go back to your house, family, friends."

I'm glad that my inner voice was looking out for me!

Hee hee!

Perfect.

It was the big let down my first time in the temple. What? Jesus or angels weren't there?

No, never received an answer or inspiration. I've prayer in there before, thinking I would surely get an answer to my burning questions, but nada. I was a bit confused and disappointed because I thought if there was any place The Lord would hear your prayer and give you an indication, the oh so holy celestial room was it.

I always felt the CR was pretty, but not a place I could hang out and relax. It was like a stuffy stilted don't-touch anything kind of place. I was just as happy to get out of there and go get something to eat.

I never did except once. I was questioning the truthfulness of the church. I was literally praying when I looked up and saw a picture of Christ in the garden of Gethsamane. I thought if a garden and nature was good enough for the savior, the only begotten. ..even when the temple was available to him. .. then it was good enough for me. Later I learned the temple was destroyed when Christ was crucified and veil torn. Why? Because he fulfilled prophecy by being crucified. No longer did people have bring offerings in similitude of the savior. So why the hell do we need temples again? Oh that's right. ..js was upset about Alvin passing away and wanted a bunch of women to sleep with and money. Anyway that was my one and only time of inspiration in the temple. Not really sure I believe in God at this point but I do feel like I can be honest with myself. f

I fully expected my departed mother to be there. I looked around for her. My dad asked who I was looking for. I said mom. He said she was over there pointing to my step mother. I said no my mother. He said it didn't work like that. So i said what the hell did I go through all that for? He looked hurt and I never brought it up again.

Same thing for me. I actually prayed to see my father, grandfather, grandmother, anyone!! I had heard so many faith promoting stories about people seeing spirits in the temple that I thought it was only fair that I too would see someone dearly departed.

But there was just nothing. Nada. In fact, I always wondered why I didn't cry in the temple. Everyone was always dabbing their eyes with tissues. What was wrong with me? Was I not righteous enough to feel overwhelmed? In fact once I was attending with the RS and I fake cried by grabbing a tissue in the CR. I nonchalantly dabbed my eyes and looked silently at the carpeted floor hoping that no one would notice that I was 100% full of $hit. If I felt pressured to fully fake it, how many others are just going along for the ride?!?

As I've posted elsewhere--I was inspired to say, "I'm in a cult!" How that happened was it was a live session and I sat next to a very confused soon-to-be missionary kid who had no idea what the fuck was happening. (This was in the slice and dice days.) He was scared shitless to go to the veil. I told him not to worry, someone would whisper the name if the token into his ear.

When the confused kid got into the celestial room, all his friends and family shook his hand and hugged him. I saw him transformed (by the power of the group) into a temple Mormon. I recognized myself...scared shitless, then a member of a cult. And folks don't believe in receiving temple revelations on this site!

The Boner.

I never felt inspired in the Celestial Room. It always felt like a hotel lobby, but white. And I was usually at the Provo Temple, where I knew they would ask me to leave soon. So I usually just stayed for a couple of minutes and then headed back to the dressing room to change, before they could shoo me out.

There is a lovely grove of aspen trees at Fort Bridger that never fails to inspire me. It might be the most peaceful place on Earth (although I haven't tried them all out yet). I always wondered why God's house didn't feel more like that.

I was totally confused. They had just made us promise to avoid loud laughter. My bishop, who went through the session with us, started cracking jokes in the Celestial room. He is a very humorous, fun loving guy. I would have thought it would be off limits to laugh in such a holy place.

Also, I was totally disappointed that I did not see my dead father. I heard so many stories of people seeing the spirits of the deceased in the temple. I totally expected that he would have wanted to accompany me my first time through.

I wanted to stay and meditate and wait for my dead father to make his presence known. But, my mom rushed me out so that we could all go out to eat at a restaurant.

The whole thing: costumes, hand signals, death threats, naked blessing... Left me in a state of shock. I was in turmoil for three days and almost called off my mission. Finally my sister talked me into swallowing it. I decided to shelf it and deal with it after my mission. which I did.

I always wanted to get out of there because I usually got laid after a temple session. I always did the prayer circle too.

Bow your head and say YES - YES - YES!!!

I always struggled with the idea of having direct influences from the holy spirit and satan in my head. It really made me crazy to never be sure whose voice was telling me what. I had been taught that satan could not enter the temple. I was pretty excited about the idea of being someplace where I could at least narrow it down to two. One day I realized that the "voices" in my head sounded exactly the same inside the temple as out. This was one of the pieces that eventually led me out.

I still feel that finally feeling alone in my own brain is the best part of my de-conversion. So, I suppose you could call that some sort of inspiration.

Yes...inspired to run faster than I have ever run before.

kind of, I usually felt pretty relaxed (a lot of it came from coming down off the stressful endowment session I assume). So I got as much inspiration as I would normally get (I fancy myself somewhat creative) when I am relaxed and pensive. Sitting in the celestial room was time well spent for me, it was the getting there that was the issue.

Likely, she thinks the magic of the place will rub off.

Probably! I feel bad that she feels like such a failure. Half her family is out of the church. She's stuck with the crazy ones. She's handling things fairly well to my face, at least.

That reminds me. One of my ex-Mo friends claimed that the first time she did baptisms for the dead, she kept hearing shouts of joy from Heaven. Only one dunk didn't bring about this response, so she sadly felt that person hadn't accepted the work.

It freaked her out so much, that she wouldn't open her eyes, because she was afraid she'd see the people who were doing the shouting.

She's not one to make up stories. Now that she's a non-denominational Christian, I should ask her about this again.

Never been in one...just saw them in pictures...always looked to me like they would fit right in as waiting rooms in high class brothels.

Ron Burr