I asked about temple names and revealed mine for the first time only to find out that everyone who went through that temple that day got the same name.

Sam. Hollah.

What a ridiculous joke temple worship is. One year ago today I was flying home for thanksgiving and my whole world had been turned upside down and I didn't know if my family was going to take it well or not that I had lost my faith.

One year later, here I am. Where will I be a year from now, I don't know... But I'm glad my soul is rid of that awful guilt and hose horrible obligations to believe something so stupid. Every day I spend without those is a good day.

I wonder who came up with the idea of giving out names via a chart and everyone getting the same one? It just seems so . . . lazy?

Like, okay, here's a name for you, not that it matters . . . it's just the name you'll have for eternity . . . but whatever. What? You don't like that name? Well, come back on Thursday. Yeah, according to my chart here the name on Thursday is Michael. A good solid name. Oh wait, Thursday is full. Well there's a spot on next Tuesday if you like Stephen.

I salute you man! Amazing journey!

Hugs to you Cold-Dodger. You're braver than most people can ever appreciate or dream of being. I hope you're doing well. You're in my thoughts often as I know you are having a rough time.

As Thanksgiving is just around the bend, I'd like to say I'm thankful for your example, your transparency, your bravery, your passion and your emotional honesty. I admire all these things in you.

You're a very valued and cared for member here. Please never forget it! ❤️

+ !
Thinking of you also CD. Kindest Regards ;o)

I am surprised the temple name thing doesn't bother more members. Why don't they see that there is nothing special about it at all? It is not inspired. Stupid church.

Hang in there Cold-Dodger! Try to enjoy some turkey and don't even bother with discussions of religion this weekend. Lay around and eat!

Makes me so glad I didn't bother with the temple ritual thing as a LDS young adult member. I never wanted to go through all that rigamarole to have to get a temple recommend even when I was living by all the rules.

It was ostentatious then, and it still is.

Good for you you had the gumption to get out when you did, Sam [past tense.] ;)

I had thought the temple name was your name you were known by in the Heavens. It was the name before you were born and after you die.

To find out it is some name plucked from the scriptures and randomly assigned based on the calendar puts the whole façade into perspective. If you had gone a day earlier or a day later, your eternal name would Daniel instead of Joseph or Benjamin.

I also thought it was my name known by in the heavens.

It was Lucy.

Such a small insignificant moment in reality, but it was a huge moment for me. I had waited all my life for that name. My ex said "WHAT" at the veil.

I'm glad I made it to the temple. I would have still thought there might be something I was missing no matter what others told me. Not too long ago I was driving down the canyon into Brigham City (where I grew up) and going to my parents' grave and I realized the temple was one of the biggest disappointments of my life--if not the biggest. It was hideous.

That name! What a joke. I've never been all that sure about my own name, but my parents did a much better job than God did.

I thought the same thing. I feel so gullible now. Elias. That is a very special biblical name. Why would I get it? Such a big red flag and I just accepted it.

I expected my new name to be a word I had never heard of--something from a celestial language. Not Elias.

What a difference a year makes! You seem to be in a good place Cold-Dodger. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving whatever your name is.

I don't know if they're still gathering information, but the New Name Oracle collected temple names and has a full explanation of how they were chosen over the years. Apparently, the idea to give everyone the same name on the same day started in 1965.

Here's the link:
http://www.fullerconsideration.com/templenameoracle.php

Mine is Agnes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2015 12:15PM by DebbiePA.

I'm at a loss as to why the Mormons don't let their members select their own names as the Catholics do for their confirmation ceremonies. Especially since it was supposedly already your name in the pre-existence. I mean, shouldn't you know it already? A bonus of this method is that you are a lot less likely to forget a name that you yourself have selected. They could reserve the "same day, same name" for those doing baptisms for the dead.

Has anyone ever attempted to forecast future names based on past data? What a PR disaster if the code for the algorithic temple name generator got leaked.

It was leaked 3 years ago from a collaborative project started right here at RfM. Several people correctly told their loved ones what their name would be before they went, and I learned my mother's new name and two of my cousins. At least one TBM discussion board started warning people not to reveal their endowment date, because trolls were going around announcing new names. Some people left the church because of it.

The church suspiciously changed exactly half the list about a year later, most likely to try to throw us off, but it didn't work for long.

This is the project:

http://www.fullerconsideration.com/templenameoracle.php

Timothy here. lol. I remember getting mine and thinking, "this name sucks, I couldn't get a better one?"

A year ago I was still miserable and drinking the koolaid thinking that it was a cure.

They should do it like "Animal House".....

Temple Worker: "Your new LDS Temple name is.....Pinto."

Temple Worker: "Your new LDS Temple name is.....Flounder."

Temple Patron: "Flounder?...Why Flounder?"

Temple Worker: "Why not?"

I think that is why they say your name is super secret and not to reveal it to anyone outside the temple. You aren't supposed to even say it to your husband (even though he knows it) outside the temple. Way to sacred/secret and you will get struck by lightening or something if you do.

What a bunch of bull! It's just to keep everyone from finding out they all have the same stupid name.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2015 06:00PM by phoebe64.

Really interesting! Who got that started?

That would be me. Here was the first thread, but there were a couple of others before it where we tossed around the idea.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,557783,557783

As brainwashed as I was, I was wise enough to know that "Martha" was a very common name--wouldn't a lot of women be named that? I thought I would receive a very special name, such as Arololia Glo
Mondoriasanctum, because it would be less likely for anyone else to have the same name. I forget names, and I actually smuggled in a pencil and paper (the potato sack I was wearing had a pocket) so I could write down my name.

I went through the Holy Temple about 12 years later, and I felt like such a failure--an outcast--because I had forgotten my name. I was afraid I would be turned away, and be humiliated, in front of my sister, my mother, and all my sister's wedding people. The Matrons were very condescending, and told me I had nothing to worry about? Huh? They asked me the date I first got my own endowments, and I told them it was my wedding day, and gave them the date. That was all they needed to know! What? Were they going to call my wife-beater ex husband again? The Mormons had already required a form filled out by my ex, stating that I was a worthy Mormon and had never cheated on him, and had always worn the temple underwear....

The Mormons used to intimidate the hell out of me. When I found out that everybody was Martha that day (the worst day of my life!) and that there have been thousands of Marthas since then--I laughed.

How could we have been so stupid?

The temple ceremony would be a lot more interesting if they gave out the new names like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHppmhyNx8M

No SHIfT! Free At Last - You've only been here a year Cold-Dodger, or you only posted about this a year ago?

Anyway - Happy Birthday, Anniversary, Thanksgiving, Cheer for another year... Um

Lost your faith ¿

Where I come from we call that finding your faith (to 'move on'). You didn't lose anything. If anything, you found your balls, voice, etc.