For anyone interested; I was reading the thoughts of non LDS (on a blog) after touring a recent temple open house. They had this link to an article about the use of Solomon's temple: http://mit.irr.org/are-mormon-temples-extension-of-biblical-temple

Another interesting read by Richard C Evans (RLDS first counselor to their prophet)
after he found out about Joe Smith's polygamy etc.
"Forty years in the Mormon Church"
http://www.solomonspalding.com/docs2/1920Evn1.htm
First chapter "Why I Left"

Wouldn't it be great for some higher up LDS to leave in our day!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2015 06:40PM by left.

The "original" Jewish temple was a profit-making enterprise for the priestly class. The gullible masses, loaded with all sorts of commandments as to when they had to offer up "sacrifices," would bring food, animals, money, etc. The priests would skim off the best for themselves, burn most of the rest in a big show, and sell/trade some for making the temple even grander.

In that sense, mormon temples continue a long tradition. None of these "temples" have ever been about any "god." Just profit for the class that runs them.

Differences in the use of the temples might be a crack in someone's shelf. It helped us to wake up and realize the con that is paying tithing to the LDS!

The Romans destroyed the temple at Jerusalem in 70 AD. Where are the Romans when you really need them?

Granted, there was a lot of nonsense (which Jesus reportedly got upset about, like the business of fleecing the moneylenders) and class systems (women could not go into certain "courts," and only those men in the "priestly" class could go into the really important rooms) and so on, but the temple itself represented the Jewish culture and people at a very fundamental level.

I think that's why we still hear "next year in Jerusalem" in the Passover ceremony. It has a huge symbolic meaning to them.

Mormon temples have no such symbolic value, do not unite people (quite the contrary, they SEPARATE people), they do not teach anything of value.

I know I was very disillusioned about how cold, sterile, and boring the Mormon temples were. A couple of trips, plus my son's wedding, and I was done.

Thoughts...mmm.. Temples suck. Fake. Exclusive. Not a fun wedding at all. No open bar.

"No open bar."

OMG too funny!!

I see them as a display of arrogance and astonish display.

When I watch Mormons talk about their temples, I see people who are easily impressed by show and fancy things. They swoon over fancy buildings. They confuse fancy buildings with spirituality. Yet they only swoon over their own.

Many I know like to visit lots of temples just to see them and tell others that they went to see the temple when they were in such and such state or country. It's a show.

So for certain types of people, the temples serve the purpose of giving them something fancy to ooh and aahhh about. At the same time it gives them something to brag about to other members.

I know they tell you thats not the way they think, but then I rarely hear Mormons tell the truth about anything in their church so why should I believe them when their attitudes seem to show they just get impressed easily and like to get attention from their friends at church?

Yes. Mormons have an edifice complex.

Touché

Mormon temples are a "hobby" of mine.

When I was a mormon, I actually loved going to temple. I **THOUGHT** I was doing something good for somebody else, no loud, asshole kids, no anxiety about being called upon to bear testimony or give insight into something that I deep down didn't believe in, it was clean, it was sparkly, it was sanctioned drag.

That being said, the temples that the mormon church used to build were real. That is to say, the "pioneer" temples were all built at great sacrifice and built to the highest standard they could at the time.

The buildings that were built in the early 20th century actually had some architectural interest (the three with no spires).

The mid century buildings (idaho falls, oakland) had some style on the interior. IF has a fantastic bap font made of bronze.

Even into 1980 with Seattle, the moroni was made of copper and gold leafed, yes, the temple itself is just ass, but at least they used a real mormoni.

Now, the mormoni is fiberglass and is only painted a goldish orangish color. It's paint yo. The bappy fonts cows are all just fiberglass. The "architectural" tid bits are all fiberglass. The furniture is commercial grade import crap. The light fixtures are good, but nothing really special, just standard Schonbek designs except for the last 3 which are custom Schonbek.

Cookie cutter, slapped together, McTemples in 1999/2000 really did a lot to cheapen the brand.

Interesting. A couple of decades ago I went through an endowment because all the adults were going, to be followed by dinner out. I didnt like temples even back then but the wife wanted to go and the socializing after sounded fine.

Anyway, coming out of the endowment and walking down a hall, I spotted a large column that appeared to be fancy marble. Curiousity got the better of me so I knocked on it, thinking there would be a thud of rock. Nope. Sounded like the Tin Man's chest. Hollow. And apparently no heart.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/2015 03:48PM by blankstare.