...and the passwords to get past the guards at the gates of heaven how they gonna keep us out? We haven't lived the gospel for who knows how long, but the passwords we know! Are the guards going to search our hearts? If that is the case whats the use of the passwords?? Of course I am hoping for what a TBM would say if asked this.

That's an interesting thought, isn't it?

Say we got in, then what exactly would we do *in* the mormon heaven? Hmm. Sounds like a great book idea... :)

if we didn't live up to the covenants we made in the temple.

I remember when my TBM friend and I were talking long after I left that Church and I told her that I still remembered the entire words said at the veil in the temple, all the signs and tokens, even though we'd been taught that we would not remember them if we broke our covenants.

True to Mormon fashion she replied:-

"That's because Heavenly Father knows you'll come back to the Church."

*sigh*

Thanks, that smug little reply made me laugh. Mormons really do have all the answers. They make them up as they go! :-)

Wouldn't it be cool to get the list of what names are used on what days?

Those of us who evaded endowment could assign ourselves a temple name to go with the handshakes for when we get there!

It really does sound like a great plot for a comedy.

apparently love their rituals and symbols. It's one of the most common threads throughout the history of humanity.

The human mind is amazingly imaginative, especially about something that is an open subject; anyone can create imaginary people, places and things to occupy an imaginary after life without any argument because there is no one to counter it.

Human beings typically want to live forever. No death, no ending, with intricate lists of rewards and punishments for behavior while alive.

There is such a need to have a higher power that settles all scores, and makes everything fair with every horrible deed punished beyond anything in this life.

Handshakes are just one way of securing that imaginary after life -- but the problem with that is that there are only so many ways to create a handshake! :-)

Fantasy and imaginary are at it's best when it creates an after life.

SusieQ#1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> apparently love their rituals and symbols. It's
> one of the most common threads throughout the
> history of humanity.

> Handshakes are just one way of securing that
> imaginary after life -- but the problem with that
> is that there are only so many ways to create a
> handshake! :-)

Handshakes are a way of securing an after life for Mormons.

Just curious, how common it is in any other group in the history of humanity that teach handshakes are needed to secure an after life.

Helen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SusieQ#1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > apparently love their rituals and symbols. It's
> > one of the most common threads throughout the
> > history of humanity.
>
> > Handshakes are just one way of securing that
> > imaginary after life -- but the problem with
> that
> > is that there are only so many ways to create a
> > handshake! :-)
>
> Handshakes are a way of securing an after life for
> Mormons.
>
> Just curious, how common it is in any other group
> in the history of humanity that teach handshakes
> are needed to secure an after life.

I don't think it matters. There are rituals that every religion exercises to get a person in their proper place in an after life. Must be hundreds of rituals. Mormons happen to use a temple ritual. Other groups have other rituals.

After Jesus and god payed a visit to JS they had to give the handshakes and phrases to get back into their own heaven.

Skooby Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> After Jesus and god payed a visit to JS they had
> to give the handshakes and phrases to get back
> into their own heaven.
Sounds like the old Cheech & Chong routine.

Cheech and Chong go to the Celestial Kingdom. That could be a very funny routine.

Your post reminded me of last week's "Conspiracy Theory" on Trutv. http://www.trutv.com/shows/conspiracy_theory/index.html
Ventura proves how arrogance equals ignorance, but I like watching the circus ;)

Anyway, this show was about how very wealthy people and the U.S. government are building underground bunkers for themselves when the world comes to an end. So to prove their point they go to the Denver, CO airport, and it has murals and signs all over with Mason symbols. Close by are some of these underground bunkers. I'm thinking, when the time comes, maybe I can get into a secret bunker by using my secret Mormon handshake. LOL!

Exmos know all that stuff... and look at it as symbolism at best.

Active mormons pay the prices, and they keep paying the prices, so they know.

Anti-mos, and curious no-mos look up the stuff, so they know it all, too.

The only people who don't know it are the ones sincerely going through the mormon process to get it.

Kinda silly, actually.

I view the handshakes being the forerunners of the plastic card. You needed a password to get through the Green Door (or pearly gate as case may be). Of course, an all-knowing God wouldn't need that--but wait!-- the faithful will be judged by Joseph Smith instead of Jesus Christ...and Joseph is not all-knowing, so he needs your golden ticket, i.e., temple recommend (hold on to it for the raffle later....)

The GA's don't need the handshake any more and the throat-slitting disemboweling vows were offputting to potential converts, so out they go. So much for the supreme purpose Joe Smith said --to restore the temple ordinances which have been corrupted.

Wouldn't it be funny if they assigned everybody a six digit number which they suggested be invisibly tattooed on members' foreheads or wrists--for faster processing during the Apocolypse, which will probably be held in Missouri.

I still go along with the idea that we'll be in "heaven" and the guide will be showing us around and he'll/she'll say "Be quiet--in that room are the mormons and they think they are the only ones here."

Maybe only those who WANT TO USE THE HANDSHAKES will use them.

I've taught them to my nonmo boyfriend--his father was a descendent of mormons and he knows the temple rituals (as his relatives were also masons). He is going to shake his hand with the sure sign of the nail next time he sees his father and see what reaction he gets.