Jesus Christ said our bodies are a temple and that Harrod's temple would be destroyed to the point of not one stone being left upon another. Well Titus came through and destroyed the temple fulfilling Christ's prophecy.

Jesus Christ focused on how we should live and behave and how we should treat others. In short, have clean thoughts, be good and treat others like you would like to be treated.

Nowhere can it be found that Christ said you need to go to a temple to be saved or reach heaven. Christ talked about being generous and helping the poor and the needy but he didn't talk about building expensive temples and wearing weird clothes and paying a lot of money for the privilege of being able to enter.

In fact. Christ drove the money changers from the temple being angry that they had turned it into a business. I don't think Christ would be particularly happy that poor families had to pay 10% of their income just to get a card so they can enter the temple to attend a wedding.

In the church it's all about temples now. I personally never found the temple all that spiritual or anything to rave about. It always seemed like an assembly line. I felt like I was on Candid Camera dressing up silly and do silly stuff. I saw it as demeaning and not fulfilling.

Yeah the church gives lip service to being a Christian church but Christ said our bodies are temples. He said nothing about building more or what goes on inside of LDS temples. The temples are idols. It makes zero sense the temple in Rome to exist. There are hardly any members there and the church is shrinking in Europe. The Rome temple is simply a show piece. An idol. An idol the church leadership and members worship.

I'm sure at least ten more idols will be announced this coming General Conference and some of them will be built in places where there are few Mormons but the church will build them anyway.

Precisely, but ChurchCo can't consider even the possibility that they're off the track; $ & adulation of the GAs is all they need to 'maintain'.

Sincerely with me, they pretended like Forgiving, Kindness, Honesty, caring & concern for others were totally Unknown concepts.

GNPE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Precisely, but ChurchCo can't consider even the
> possibility that they're off the track; $ &
> adulation of the GAs is all they need to
> 'maintain'.
>
> Sincerely with me, they pretended like Forgiving,
> Kindness, Honesty, caring & concern for others
> were totally Unknown concepts.

Pretty much. They would excommunicate Christ himself if he refused to say they are God's true leaders on earth. You could be literally the best person on the planet but if you get sideways with the church leadership you get excommunicated which is their way of shaming you.

Pilate never changes.

I think if people want to donate to a temple fine BUT how can a church that professes charity not open the doors to all—-paying or not, members or not?

How can banning and blocking and secrets be Christ like?

I have never been to any other church that was not open to all and cannot believe they keep their federal tax exemp status for these buildings when they operate like private clubs!

Note to self: googling how to complain about an entity to IRS.....
:) :) :)

Mel:

Ironically, it's local taxes that ChurchCo is avoiding regarding real estate; Police, Fire, other local gov't functions like the courts that ChurchCo has charges filed for 'trespass', etc.

Not supporting the fire department—does that explain why so many burn down ?

Yup. Christ preached in public places. He said put your light on a stand for all to see and not keep it under a bushel. In other words don't hide anything. The temple is all about hiding things. The church is all about hiding things.

Yes, everything is hidden especially from prospective converts!

I’m truly embarrassed about how I worshiped mere buildings.

Sometimes, after I finished an endowment session, I literally peaked out the window to see if the outside world was still there. I felt so removed from the “world.”

Feel free to laugh at me. I deserve it.

CrispingPin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I literally peaked out the window to see if the outside world was still there. I felt so removed from the “world.”
>
> Feel free to laugh at me. I deserve it.

No no! Hey at least you did feel some spiritual presence at the time.

People kept talking to me in SS whether I could feel the Holy Ghost talking in a still small voice. The only thing I heard was to get out and stop trying to get these people to approve of me and accept mez. I finally did listen!

mel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CrispingPin Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I literally peaked out the window to see if the
> outside world was still there. I felt so removed
> from the “world.”
> >
> > Feel free to laugh at me. I deserve it.
>
> No no! Hey at least you did feel some spiritual
> presence at the time.
>
> People kept talking to me in SS whether I could
> feel the Holy Ghost talking in a still small
> voice. The only thing I heard was to get out and
> stop trying to get these people to approve of me
> and accept mez. I finally did listen!

I hated everything about the temple. The first time I went though was the biggest let down. It never improved. The day I resigned from the church was the day I felt the biggest relief of my life. It felt like I just escaped prison and was now in a country with a non-extradition treaty and I had an offshore bank account full of money. One awesome feeling it was. Almost better than sex.

Probably the biggest disappointment of my life. Doing sealings the last time I went did it for me. I had to do sealings to some guy I didn't know (and my husband was there and they didn't pull him aside to do them with me). It was so disturbing to me that I sat in the foyer waiting and thinking, and I never went back. That was the LAST STRAW. I already hated the temple as it was.

I was stunned on my first time going through the temple. Several times, I caught myself thinking, "Is THIS really what all the hoopla was about? Surely, there must be some spectacular kind of wrap-up. . ." But there wasn't. It was dreary and dry, with just the right touch of silliness (provided mostly by the clothing) to keep things moving along.

No special spiritual nourishment or revelation. Not much of anything, really.

But of course, you can't SAY that to anyone. They are all looking at you, waiting for your First Timer's Rhapsody, and you don't quite dare to let anybody down.

Not until I stumbled across this board all those years ago did I know that anybody else had been horrible enough to entertain those same thoughts. I felt so validated!

I also thought about the teaching of the lds church had no rituals and find out we had rituals.

I didn't have anyone act like "wasn't this special." My mother said she would go along, but that she had difficulty getting through the endowment because of being nervous (though she attended quite a bit--not monthly or anything, but quite a bit) about performing all the movements, etc. She asked me to take someone else to help me. I took my soon to be husband's sister and I didn't know her very well. It was more a feeling of RELIEF it was over as I had a lot of fears about what was going to go on in the temple. I DID NOT WANT TO GO because of my fears. (My dad only went back after 25 years when my sister got married as he found it so bizarre.)

I am glad I made it to the temple so that I KNOW FOR SURE myself what goes on in there and that there is nothing to it. Obviously, I don't have the spirit. ha ha ha



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2019 06:59AM by cl2.

catnip Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was stunned on my first time going through the
> temple. Several times, I caught myself thinking,
> "Is THIS really what all the hoopla was about?
> Surely, there must be some spectacular kind of
> wrap-up. . ." But there wasn't. It was dreary and
> dry, with just the right touch of silliness
> (provided mostly by the clothing) to keep things
> moving along.
>
> No special spiritual nourishment or revelation.
> Not much of anything, really.
>
> But of course, you can't SAY that to anyone. They

> are all looking at you, waiting for your First
> Timer's Rhapsody, and you don't quite dare to let
> anybody down.
>
> Not until I stumbled across this board all those
> years ago did I know that anybody else had been
> horrible enough to entertain those same thoughts.
> I felt so validated!

George Carlin once said individuals can be pretty bright but when they start to form groups they behave stupid. The temple is the perfect example of a group acting stupid. I bet if you could read the minds of the individuals participating in all the silly stuff as individuals they probably would be thinking, "this is weird. This is silly. This is creepy. Get me out of here!" The thing is nobody wants to rock the boat and look bad to the group even though many of the individuals in the group are hating the whole experience of doing what the group is doing.

cl2 Wrote:

> I had to do sealings to some guy I didn't know
> (and my husband was there and they didn't pull him
> aside to do them with me). It was so disturbing

Cl,

Could you explain a little? I never went. Does a sealing involve touching the unknown guy, is that what was disturbing? And why didn’t your husband stop it???

Or did you have to go in the water with him like in a baptism? Sorry I just don’t understand.

> and I never went back. That was the LAST STRAW.

Well at least something goood came of it then!!!

You hold the man's hand in the patriarchal grip (is that the correct term Rubicon?), meaning you are holding his hand. Then they repeat the sealing (what they said at my wedding) and ask you if you take the person as your forever spouse or whatever they say. I'm sure it is posted here. You are being sealed together in proxy for someone who is dead--pretending you are someone else. You are kneeling at an alter just as though you were getting married.

The person who was supposed to do sealings didn't show and so as we were walking into the temple, I was pulled aside to do the sealings. My husband was with me. They sent him on to do an endowment session.

I have had a lot of stalkers in my life. I had a few in the singles ward. Some guys that were odd in many ways. I had a few at work, too. This guy who I did the sealings with was like those guys and he kept smiling at me as though he'd found the love of his life. I had to keep looking in another direction. It was just more than I could handle. The only reason I was there was because it was just after 1990 and my husband wanted me to see what the new temple movie was like, the changes that had been made, but then they pulled me aside. I had some time in the foyer to "meditate" and I never went back. No way in HELL could he have convinced me to go back.

The strange thing about my husband going to the temple is that he was cheating on me with men. He was the executive secretary in the bishopric and the bishopric had many temple nights that I didn't attend, but my husband did. He is still angry at me for making him go alone. Just recently we were talking about it and he told me he'd make up some excuse for me. I said, "Why didn't you just tell them I didn't want to go???" My therapist finds it crazy that I was worthy and my husband wasn't, but he is still angry at me.

He is still my husband, although our marriage was null and void about 25 or more years ago. He started cheating 2-1/2 years in, so I guess even longer than 25 years ago. We got married in 1984. We are still married because I didn't have the energy emotionally or psychologically to divorce him. My therapist told me to make a decision about going through with the divorce and that very evening something happened and I chose to not pursue it at the time he left me. I never have. I do get insurance through him and we now share the house I kept after he left as our kids wanted to live here and he wouldn't let me sell it. We have our reasons and he is the one paying for it now because of my job situation. I lost 2/3 of my income with job issues.

BUT I have always loved him as a person. I was already traumatized by what was going on in my life (but then I knew before I married him--I've repeated my story often enough). But to then go to the temple and them to do what they did was really tough on me. I did see someone else post about doing sealings to someone they didn't know and how it was very difficult for them. It was nice to have my feelings validated as I had never heard anyone else talk about it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2019 06:53AM by cl2.

cl2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> you are holding his hand. Then they repeat the sealing
> (what they said at my wedding) and ask you if you
> take the person as your forever spouse or whatever
> they say. You are being sealed together in proxy...

CL,

Thanks for the explanation!!! Yes that is creepy!

And what if you get to some forever place and find the proxy concept doesn’t wash?? And that you really are sealed to his guy forever??? Double creepy!!!

I can see why you never returned!

Also I see nothing wrong with staying with you gay husband for economic reason: rent, healthcare are biggies. As long as both are ok with the arrangement it is nobody’s business!!!

cl2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Probably the biggest disappointment of my life.
> Doing sealings the last time I went did it for me.
> I had to do sealings to some guy I didn't know
> (and my husband was there and they didn't pull him
> aside to do them with me). It was so disturbing to
> me that I sat in the foyer waiting and thinking,
> and I never went back. That was the LAST STRAW. I
> already hated the temple as it was.

That would be very weird. The only time I ever did sealings was when I was single in an institute ward. I remember doing proxy dealings to some very homely looking returned sister missionary. It was weird as hell. I would have been fine with my girlfriend but she didn't have a temple recommend. Oh well. I guess it was better than having to do it with some old lady.

Man the temple is just so wrong in so many ways.

"very homely looking sister returned missionary"....better than...."some old lady"?? Really?? Too bad they don't allow pictures here or you could bless us with your hunky perfection. Come on ladies... Step it up..are you going to take this shit from this guy??

Rubi,

Offshore account... no extradition.....heeheehee!!!

mel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rubi,
>
> Offshore account... no
> extradition.....heeheehee!!!

Getting out of the church felt like a successful jail break and get away. Haha! I was reeling from the feeling!

https://youtu.be/NO1MlVywvv4

Gonna make a jail break!

Once a week while at the MTC, you HAD to go across the street to the Provo temple for an endowment session. Not only were you asked by your MTC branch president if you had attended during an interview, but you had to get your little temple pamphlet stamped which proved that you did indeed attend. The stamp would vary from day to day (from letters with colors to temple and moroni shapes). My 2nd MTC branch prez, unlike my first one, didn't want to see my pamphlet.

So one p-day, the other two elders in my dorm wanted to get an early start on their prep day. So in a rare move, the 4 of us trekked across the street for the 5:30 am session. It was nearly empty. On one side of the room, there were 6 women. I think 4 were pushing 70 with their silver hair and blue rinses. One was probably in her 40s and there was a younger one with brown hair and freckles. I was sitting next to two elders that were getting kinks in their necks from ogling her. Of course, she was doing her part by standing up (before the session began) and letting down her pinned up hair before resetting it and tucking it under her head piece.

We all watched in amazement as the temple worker went down the row looking for the model couple to kneel at the altar. Of course, the younger woman accepted and walked toward the altar. On the men side of the room, there were two horny elders just dying to kneel next to her. One elder that did not was Cowboy. He was in love with his horse (with a picture and in Texas he carried his own saddle). I loathed the temple. I had trouble changing robes and sashes. I did not want people staring at me so I had zero interest kneeling at the altar. The worker actually tried to invite two older men first. One guy was hard of hearing. They had to yell in his ear and he still wasn't hearing right. (We're going to begin. He replied "No. I don't feel any wind.") Another gentlemen was unable to kneel due to a leg brace. So the worker came back and reluctantly chose one of the missionaries. There was a warning. We really don't like to use missionaries unless we absolutely have to.

Throughout the session, I watched a continual game of wiggling. She would adjust herself by moving away from him. Then the elder would move closer to her. It was not fun to watch and she looked ill from time to time. She kept releasing his hand and the worker would have to remind her not to let go of the grip. She was the first one to disappear through the veil and was nowhere in sight in the celestial room.

For the next week, all we heard from Elder Horny was about his fantasy with Melody. And you better believe that she never told him her real name!

So yes indeed. There's quite a few lecherous men hoping to meet women at the temple.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2019 03:38PM by messygoop.

Ha! I guess everyone experiences the temple differently.
I couldn't wait to get out of the temple and back to the real world. And there were plenty of temple workers willing to help me. "Move along Shinehah - we've got another group coming through."

Shinehah Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ha! I guess everyone experiences the temple
> differently.
> I couldn't wait to get out of the temple and back
> to the real world. And there were plenty of temple
> workers willing to help me. "Move along Shinehah -
> we've got another group coming through."

Haha! Exactly. I remember going to the temple on a ward temple night and I didn't even stop in the celestial room. I went to the locker room and got in my regular clothes and headed to the cafeteria. It was Friday night and the temple did have pretty good roast beef and it was cheap.

Shinehah Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Move along Shinehah - we've got another group coming through."

This is hilarious but also what a gyp after paying all that tithing.

Makes me think of how you tip to get a good table in a restaurant. Wonder what would have happened had you slipped them a twenty and asked for a better table/I mean: more time?

CrispingPin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I’m truly embarrassed about how I worshiped mere
> buildings.
>
> Sometimes, after I finished an endowment session,
> I literally peaked out the window to see if the
> outside world was still there. I felt so removed
> from the “world.”
>
> Feel free to laugh at me. I deserve it.

I used to wear platform shoes and bell bottomed slacks to church. Haha! We all have things to laugh about. Yeah. You always hear the member talks about how fancy the temple is; especially a new one that has just opened up.

On the other hand I have heard members complain how ugly certain temples are. My dad couldn't stand the Provo temple and all my relatives would go YUCK! when they went to the Boise temple.

Rubicon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> On the other hand I have heard members complain
> how ugly certain temples are. My dad couldn't
> stand the Provo temple and all my relatives would
> go YUCK! when they went to the Boise temple.

I remember when the Provo and Ogden temple designs were made public. There was a lot of talk about space ships, UFOs and meeting space aliens inside the Mormon temples. Why else would they design the temples to look exactly like space ships?

I went to the Provo temple a few times when I was at the MTC.

I remember thinking that it would be a great set for a James Bond movie.

But, yeah, back to the point. There is absolutely nothing about the Provo/Ogden temple designs that could ever be mistaken for a spiritually edifying or inspiring aesthetic.

My guess is that some well-connected Mormon architects needed some money, begged some relatives and friends in high places...and...VOILA! Temples that look like someone's idea of futuristic buildings that would be encountered by Captain Kirk and Spock on the planet Zenos Omni Delta.

Wally Prince Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rubicon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > On the other hand I have heard members complain
> > how ugly certain temples are. My dad couldn't
> > stand the Provo temple and all my relatives
> would
> > go YUCK! when they went to the Boise temple.
>
> I remember when the Provo and Ogden temple designs
> were made public. There was a lot of talk about
> space ships, UFOs and meeting space aliens inside
> the Mormon temples. Why else would they design
> the temples to look exactly like space ships?
>
> I went to the Provo temple a few times when I was
> at the MTC.
>
> I remember thinking that it would be a great set
> for a James Bond movie.
>
> But, yeah, back to the point. There is absolutely
> nothing about the Provo/Ogden temple designs that
> could ever be mistaken for a spiritually edifying
> or inspiring aesthetic.
>
> My guess is that some well-connected Mormon
> architects needed some money, begged some
> relatives and friends in high
> places...and...VOILA! Temples that look like
> someone's idea of futuristic buildings that would
> be encountered by Captain Kirk and Spock on the
> planet Zenos Omni Delta.

Haha! Yeah. Never found the stargate to Kolob inside the Provo temple but I did hear people go there thinking it's the BYU basketball stadium. Haha!

Actually I kind of liked going up the escalators in my temple garb and looking out the windows.

Most temples are ugly. A lot even have a sinister look to them.
They look almost haunted at night. The only one I like is the Washington DC one. It’s sickening though to know what that thing cost to build.

Hockeyrat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Most temples are ugly. A lot even have a sinister
> look to them.
> They look almost haunted at night. The only one
> I like is the Washington DC one. It’s sickening
> though to know what that thing cost to build.

The San Diego temple looks like a magic castle designed by Benny Hinn. It has that cheesy evangelical super church look to it.

Only Mormons require a permission slip to enter their temple. You have go see the assistant principal (bishop) and the principal (SP). And maybe a hall monitor (counselor).

If you did feel something in the temple, keep in mind that spaces are sanctified by the power of intention. Native Americans built “temples” out of stones arranged on the ground. Building temples out of gaudy high end materials caters to the prosperity gospel that Mormons are taught. Keep running that treadmill and be a big boss in the CK.

They did build a temple where gentiles can worship TSCC’s one true God. City Creek Mall.

that refers to the Mormon-type temple activities in any way.

The D&C refers to the "work for the dead" but that's about it.

It seems obvious to me that it was no accident that all of the Freemasonic "secret society" type stuff (secret handshakes, bloody oaths of secrecy, new names, passwords) were introduced at the very time that Joseph Smith was essentially running a secret "plural marriage" club--a club that gave to special "initiates" the right to have sex with partners outside of their traditional monogamous marriages. After the new temple crap was introduced in Nauvoo and while Joe and his special friends were publicly denying that they were practicing polygamy, the focal point for the secret sanctioning or licensing of such adulterous unions was....drum roll....the temple. Yes, that place where people did stuff and then promised, on penalty of death, not to reveal what they did. (What they did was pretend to unite already married people (usually the guys) into additional marriages with other partners (sometimes willing, sometimes under pressure), so that they could commit adultery and fornication, while pretending that they weren't because...because...they were "married" to each other.

Later under Brigham Young, the temple-polygamy connection was fully institutionalized and went mainstream in the kingdom of Mormondumb.

After the manifesto was issued, the primary purpose of the temple was lost, but the temples were such a central feature in Mormonism that they could be re-purposed based using and building up the "we don't see dead people, but we pretend to perform ordinances on their behalf" side of things.

In reality nothing even makes the slightest sense subsequent to the secret adultery/fornication club days.

They say that what's done in the temple is too sacred to talk about. Why? No reasonable explanation. There's nothing particularly remarkable or mind-blowing in the temple movie. The game of "Pay, Lay, Ale, ring around the altar" contains nothing in it that is more sacred than any publicly viewable baptism or sacrament meeting open to the public.

It's simply the embarrassment at this point. Standing around an altar in funny costumes chanting "pay, lay, ale" is hugely embarrassing. That's all.

The handshakes are embarrassing. That's all.

There are no profound truths being revealed that the public can't handle. It's the members who can't handle their own embarrassment about the silliness of what they do in the temple.

Walls,

Very well thought out post. How interesting that the temples aren’t in the Bible nor BoM nor anything else of the so-called scripture.

Your explanation of their true purpose, the secret sanctioning, sounds very logical to me. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!!

The important thing about the temple is the recommend. As long as the members pay a full tithe and give free labor to the church the temple just has to provide a good reason for the members to want to have a recommend.

The main reason is to attend temple weddings and not be the black listed family member.

I think most members don't like going to the temple and only pretend they like it. Whenever something is cut out of the temple ceremonies I alway hear my relatives say how inspired the decision was and how they like it better.

So they can keep cutting things out of the temple ceremony and they just might because people are filming what's going on and posting it on YouTube.

You really could cut a lot out of the endowment ceremony. You could just reduce it to the signs and tokens and going through the veil. You could even simplify that process. Actually my initiation into my college fraternity was a real stream lined endowment ceremony. It had the masonic handshakes. I got my fraternal nick name and I was welcomed as a member after. I did not have to get paddled of masturbate inside a coffin. Haha!

But the endowment is the same type of fraternal lodge nonsense. They could have it. Put on your green aprons and dance around singing,"I'm a jolly green giant!" Dance in a circle three times and give three knocks. What is wanted? I'm a jolly green giant and I've come to enter Kolob through the veil. What is that? That's hand shake number one. Has it a name? It did have one but Russ cut it out of the ceremony. Ok. Bag this shit. I'm tired. Please tell me I don't have to recite that five points of fellowship bullshit. Russ cut that out too. Let him enter. (Polyester curtain opens) enter what looks to be your rich grandmother's living room.

Thanks for the speed version Rubicon! Now I think I have the gist and know I missed : nothing!!!!!

The Boomers love the temple. I have a lot of Boomer friends who spend a lot of time there. Their kids? Not so much.

Boomer Joe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Boomers love the temple. I have a lot of
> Boomer friends who spend a lot of time there.
> Their kids? Not so much.

Wonder why Boomers like it? It is old-fashioned and they’re comfortable with it?

The bottom line is the temple will become what the members want it to become. The members actually are the church and not the leaders.

The garments got shorter and became two piece because the members refused to wear Victorian era underwear.

Parts of the temple ceremony changed because people who had been abused complained it made them feel uncomfortable.

Parts of the temple changed because it was too sexist.

Things will keep changing and more will get cut out. Maybe the temples will morph into being nice clean meditation centers. Who knows. The reality is the members decide what they eventually will become.

I think the MormonCult temple is presented to its members as the grand finally, the carrot at the end of the stick, and for sure the ideal, beautiful beyond words Idol on the Hill which, if and when you reach it, you have "arrived". Members are pushed and guilted to make the temple their goal come "hell or high water".

Then, for a whole bunch of members, when they arrive, the temple is nothing but a joke, something strange and weird, and even an experience that as you "experience" it, you just sit in your hilarious costume and repeat over and over, "What the fuck is going on?"

THIS is the most sacred and spiritual happening the cult has to offer, and I had to pay my 10% + to enter??? Seriously?

My own thoughts also included thinking that I had been tricked into a situation by the cult to make promises that I had no idea I would be expected to make. Slit my own throat, pull out by innards....and promise to give everything to the cult? Where did this come from? I mean, come on??? I am living in the twentieth century!

The crazy temple experience taught me, in its way, to not trust the church as I felt I had been tricked and manipulated. I was attending university at this time and the atmosphere in school was much more believable, honest, and truthful than I was finding the church that I was active in attending for the first time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2019 04:50PM by presleynfactsrock.

I like books and often have three on the go at once. One of my many bookmarks is from 2008 and is Mormon. One side says “I love to see the temple” and has an accompanying photo. On the other is a quote from Tommy Monson –

“As we love the temple, touch the temple and attend the temple, our lives will reflect our faith.”

Love and touch - what a really strange thing to say! All I can say is I love my wife and yes we touch. But seeking to transfer real human love to Mormon necro-temples is just so wrong.

The whole system of life is built around being worthy to enter the temple, so if it is not idolatry it is pretty close.

As many have commented on, it never ceases to amaze me how many of us found the temple creepy and confusing the first time through, but never said so. I never cease to find that fascinating and perplexing.

Temples are a vanity item, a visible token of success, and a mechanism to convince the membership that all is well in mormondom. Even in the face of declining growth in Western Europe, members can rally around, for example, the new temple in Rome:


"We built a temple in the Pope's backyard! The Prophet met with the Pope! We're going to need a Vatican/Salt Lake hot line! Look at how important we are!"


When you are a dipstick sect from Lower Mordonia, you've got to jazz yourself with expansive fantasy.

“Lower Mordonia”

<giggle>

3X Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Temples are a vanity item, a visible token of
> success, and a mechanism to convince the
> membership that all is well in mormondom. Even in
> the face of declining growth in Western Europe,
> members can rally around, for example, the new
> temple in Rome:
>
>
> "We built a temple in the Pope's backyard! The
> Prophet met with the Pope! We're going to need a
> Vatican/Salt Lake hot line! Look at how important
> we are!"
>
>
> When you are a dipstick sect from Lower Mordonia,
> you've got to jazz yourself with expansive
> fantasy.

Pretty much. The church is making a ton of money off it's commercial real estate and putting some of the money into the church's general fund and building these temples. It's all they can do. It really has become the church of temples but the reality is nobody but church members are going to go to the toaster building. Everyone else is going to check out the old Roman forum. The colosseum and the Vatican.

But soon it will be *yawn* there is a temple in Rome. I can remember the great excitement that having a very visible temple in the Washington DC area generated. Nobody cares now.

I couldn't count the times the words "Adam, awake and arise!" actually did wake me up.