I was BIC but left the church the day I moved out of my parents house at 18, so my experience with temples is limited to doing baptisms for the dead at the Denver temple. Even though the baptismal room had bright lights, I always felt like it was dark in there, like the light wasn't quite enough.


Anyway, I always pictured that the other temple ceremonies were done in dimly lit rooms. But, when I watched the new endowment video, all the temple rooms they show are flooded with natural light. They look like fancy conference rooms. Are temple rooms really that well lit? Over the years my TBM mom has mentioned to me that she "thought she saw so-and-so at the temple" and I assumed it was the dim lighting and crazy costumes that made it so she couldn't recognize an acquaintance. The ceremonies are creepy but doing them in dim light somehow makes them seem more...maybe "fitting" is the word I'm searching for. Doing them in a fancy hotel conference room with bright daylight seems seriously weird.

So...how well lit are temple ceremony rooms? And did the lighting make it more creepy?

Please read my post on the thread, "Nevermo obesrvations from Oakland Temple open house". Probably TMI, and way too long, but all my true experiences.

You're right about the crazy costumes. Especially the hats and veils make everyone look strange. Everyone looks the same, so you can't tell one person for another. People certainly do not look like themselves!

What "natural light?" I have been in only eight of the temples, but none of them had any windows. For me, they seemed dim, and also the air was stale. I couldn't see anything at all, with that heavy veil over my face. .

The men sit across the room from the women, and I could never spot my father or husband, or any of the men I wanted to see. In the older temples, people are herded from room to room as quickly as possible, in lines, and are not allowed to sto, or break their order in line. They must sit where they are origninally assigned. Any talking is forbidden. You wouldn't dare wave at someone across the or say hello. Asking to leave your place in line or get out of your seat to go to the bathroom, results in scolding and snarking from the temple workers. "Can't you wait?" No, I'm not a child, I really must go! When you return from the bathroom, you must go back to your same seat, even though it is in the front, and you must crawl over everyone to reach it.

In the newer temples, the people remain in the same room for the whole session. It's a movie theater, so, yes, it is very dark. Occasionally, they turn on the lights, so people can change their costumes from one shoulder to the other, and put on their aprons, or whatever. Then, the lights go out and the movie resumes. Many people sleep, and even snore, during the movie.

The lights are bright enough in the hallways--they don't want old people falling. The wedding sealing rooms are bright, because of the famous eternally-reflecting mirrors (compliments of Home Depot). It is bright enough for the officiators to read the stock-printed wedding ceremony, and for everyone in the room to see you laugh, when you aren't supposed to be laughing.

Whoever took that video probably used lights to shoot the scene.

I would say that the temple was a very "dark" experience. I swear I felt the spirit of Satan in there, every time.

Exminion -- Perhaps my perception was the "dark" feeling that made the light seem inadequate. As a teenager, I really tried to be TBM, but never had a real testimony. I was definitely faking it, hoping someday I would really believe and LIKE going to church and the temple. Never happened. I left my parents house and left the church. Best decision of my life.


Your experiences are incredible -- you are a survivor!

I did baptisms for the dead at the Seattle temple growing up and took out my endowment there. I've also done endowments at the Provo temple, and have been in one of the sealing rooms in the Salt Lake temple for my brother's wedding.

From what I remember--and the last time I was in a temple was 2003, so take this for what it's worth--the baptismal font area was the worst-lit room in the temples, despite all the mirrors. The sealing room at SLC had plenty of windows and natural light (bright enough, if I remember correctly, that it had no artificial light sources on). Likewise the endowment rooms and celestial rooms at Seattle and Provo were well-lit artificially, except during the movies when they were dimmed a little.

I just can't picture everyone doing the hokey pokey changing their costumes around in a well-lit room!

So there I am, a 20-year-old skinny Mexican kid, pretty far along the 'Brown' spectrum, with black horn-rimmed glasses, staring at my Celestially-garbed self in the infinity mirrors of the Celestial room...

And the light was bright; there wasn't any way to hide my Brown shame...

I never, NEVER enjoyed the temple, other than it being the slap in the face that woke me up to the fact that the organization was entirely man-made.

Just to give you a hint of my alarm: Here's me a year before going to the temple: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19fnS9ZBiQoa_xo6jGuPgC8wFlOqKmUwWLYDY8oFmj0s/edit?usp=sharing

enjoy...

As a child I vaguely knew there was a movie involved in the temple ceremony (and a live performance in SLC), but the rest of it? No wonder they make your family or close friends go through with you the first time so you can't go running out the door.

Yeah, I repeat that that is one sexy Lamanite, enough to give any woman the flutters.

And the kid on the left ain't bad either.

I'm envious, eod. I would have gladly traded your picture for any of my high school photos.

As a freshman, mine was the one that made all the other kids look cool. You're welcome, Class of 1979.

My reaction to the photo now is the same as the jock in the movie "Nerds" yelling, "Nerd!"

You and your Dad are both so handsome.

Wow, EOG, you're much younger than I thought!

Oh, wait a minute... ;-)

Yes, I've become EOG, ElderOldGuard... You're so preceptive!!

It's the fault of this damn Sopwith-Camel I have to type on!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2020 03:41PM by Soft Machine.

I remember most the temple being well lit. The terrestrial room in the Manti temple was a bit dark.

Which temples? Denver always seemed so dark! But that's the only one I was ever in.

It was dark enough during the endowment session to misplace your sash/apron satchel(pouch?). If that wasn't bad enough, the man sitting next to my Dad swiped his sash while he laid it on the shared arm rest. They would raise the lights (dimmer style switch) but it was spotty lighting. I know because I was often looking on floor in the shadows of the seats looking for what had fallen. Maybe they have redone the lighting since the 1990s.

That's exactly how I picture it, varying between dark and dim. Not how the Endowment video portrayed the temple at all. Dark seems much more suiting.

I just asked my "husband" if there were windows in our sealing room and he said, "No." I didn't think so. My "husband" says the celestial room in the Logan temple did have a window or windows. We got married in Logan. There were more windows in Idaho Falls, but that was when they still moved from room to room, live sessions.

I remember when I toured the Brigham City temple with my TBM daughter that the celestial room was bright and I was surprised.

I'd say the feeling of claustrophobia and insanity that goes on in the temple is what makes it seem dark.

And, yes, the baptismal fonts are rather dark.

Even if there are windows, they are well covered by curtains.

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” John 3:19

They don't let you wander around nilly willy. You are watched and encouraged not to linger. After my "WTF" first experience after my endowment, my Dad wanted to impress the bishop by leading the way back to the men's locker room from the CK room. Well he made a turn in the dark back stairs and he walked into a broom closet. Yes, the bishop had a sense of humor and laughed about it. Before we could retrace our steps, a worker appeared from the shadows and rebuked us. "Brethren remember where you are. There is no room for levity or light-mindedness in the house of the lord." It was so funny that my Dad continued to laugh on his way out.

If there's no room levity in the house of the Lord on Earth, just think how depressing the Celestial Kingdom must be.

I never understood the prohibition of loud laughter. What a joyless life.

Laughter is what tyrants fear most. You can't declare to the world that the emperor has no clothes.

Are there any other religions that do the same ritual over and over and over?? Its like going to church and hearing the same sermon every time you attend! What do TBMs think is the reason they have to do it over and over to get to the CK?

It would be totally different if you learned new secret knowledge, insider info, etc.....

I never thought about this before and wondered who could enlighten me?

Afraid of the Boogie Brethren Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are there any other religions that do the same
> ritual over and over and over?? Its like going to
> church and hearing the same sermon every time you
> attend! What do TBMs think is the reason they
> have to do it over and over to get to the CK?
>
> It would be totally different if you learned new
> secret knowledge, insider info, etc.....
>
> I never thought about this before and wondered who
> could enlighten me?

Rosary prayers are the same. One person leads and the congregation repeats it.

It was always the same.

Afraid of the Boogie Brethren Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> It would be totally different if you learned new
> secret knowledge, insider info, etc.....

That's what I was lead to believe.

I was so dumb that I thought there was a room contained WITHIN the celestial room with books for the purpose of greater spiritual learning. Boy was I stupid!