Do they keep changing the Temple Ceremony to keep it fresh so people will be all mixed up at the final veil call? Is that ever changing God that plays tricks to keep people out of Heaven? Odd thought that runs through my crazy mixed up brain.

When you are running a con it is extremely important to keep the mark aka member off balance at all times.
make them dependant upon you and always seeking your approval

God has had 108 Billion children so far on this planet alone. He is dreading a family reunion. Wouldn't you? Even after giving all his favorites the same couple of dozen names so he can keep them straight, there are just too many and he is having visions of those hordes of killer ants that roam South America when he thinks about it. The Big Guy is now searching for any technicality he can find in order to keep as many out as possible.

I must say though, if this Second Anointing thing is for real, God obviously likes to choose company that can bore him to death.

Mormons are always being kept on their heels, off-balance and wondering. Like thedesertrat1 sez, it's important to keep you that way.

‘Throat Slitter’ here. Which means I took out my temple endowment when we were still pantomiming our death in three ways for each of the names and signs. Alas, after doing a randomized survey of members it was found by TSCC that pantomiming slitting your throat, cutting your heart out, and disemboweling oneself was becoming disturbing enough to members that the worry was that it may reduce temple attendance. I recall this was in 1989. The pre-1989 version was actually already ‘toned down’ from prior versions. They’ve changed / streamlined the temple ceremony a couple of times since then. It’s all about keeping tithing revenue coming in as you have to be a full tithe payer to go. We should never let these changes to fade into memory — hence my username for this forum.

‘Throat Slitter’ here. Which means I took out my temple endowment when we were still pantomiming our death in three ways for each of the names and signs. Alas, after doing a randomized survey of members it was found that pantomiming slitting your throat, cutting your heart out, and disemboweling oneself was becoming disturbing enough that the worry was that it may reduce temple attendance. I recall this was in 1989. The pre-1989 version was actually already ‘toned down’ from prior versions. They’ve changed / streamlined the temple ceremony a couple of times since then. It’s all about keeping tithing revenue coming in as you have to be a full tithe payer to go. We should never let these changes to fade into memory — hence my username for this forum.

Some of the older men had done those penalty gestures for such a long time that they couldn't help themselves. They continued to make pantomime gestures even though the session script had changed. Despite the temple workers' best efforts, the older men continued as they had been taught previously.

My husband talked me into going back just after 1990 so I could see the changes. We got married in 1984. As we entered, they pulled me aside to do sealings and sent my husband on. So I got to spend about 40 minutes or so doing sealings to someone I didn't know and I admit that he was odd and he was staring at me like he had just met his one and only. He was not married. That was the most bizarre experience I ever had in the temple. I went to the foyer and finally got to sit and meditate in the temple (never got to sit down in the CR) and I never went back, so I didn't get to see the changes.

I thought the 5 points of fellowship was much worse than the washing and anointing (at least it was women), but my sister had warned me about the washing and anointing as I had heard about it and I told her I'd leave the church if she didn't tell me about it.

The temple is one of the things my dad brought up to me after he realized I was never going back to church. He got married at 19 in the SL temple. He didn't go back until my older sister got married in the SL temple. I saw my sister's face after her day at the temple and I decided then and there I was going to do the endowment before the wedding day.

One of the reasons I still hang out here is you learn so much about what is now going on. I also get bored after typing 10 or 15 reports and I'm doing typing, not speech recognition, so I really need a break now and then. Thank goodness my RA medication works miracles.

I went through in 1958 so I beat all of you to the slashing!!!!!

I went through the mimicking throat-slashing, de-gutting endowment sessions beginning in 1983. That was also the time of the Pay Lay Ale thing.

The first thing that came to my mind was that this must be the closest thing to joining a mafia, or at least becoming a Gadianton Robber.

Like everything else, I put it on my shelf, which didn't collapse until 32 years later.

I was so naive that I just followed along
It wasn't until years later that I woke up

The groping in the anointing. I repressed that experience. Naked. That they like covering. Old gray fingers dabbing on the oil. Shudder.

Covered by a sheet like garment I meant. Damn autocorrect.

They can change the temple ritual all they want but I just wish they would be honest enough about the things they used to do when called on it after the new stuff has taken root.