I've left most mormon trauma behind after 13 years. But a random woodworking thing set a memory bomb off in my head. The woodworking thing made me think of the nice woodwork in the Manti temple. Then the memory bomb went off.

I was invited to a Temple wedding ceremony. I'm never a late person, but I don't like being early either. So I was cutting it close, but on time.

When I was putting the white ghost clothes on, one piece wasn't in my bag. I don't remember which one, but not pants, shirt, or shoes. I hurried to the counter to get one. Seems it was like 60 cents to rent it. But I didn't bring a wallet or anything with me into the temple, as I always had my own clothes.

I was going to be late if I didn't get up there fast, and they wouldn't give it to me and let me bring my 60 cents after. No pleading, begging or explaining helped. God wanted his 60 cents NOW! Not in an hour.

So I had to hold up a ceremony, get dressed, go out to my car which wasn't parked close, go rent a sash or something, get dressed in ghost clothes again, and get up the room. As they all waited, because my wife was already up there. So they knew I was there.

I felt like an idiot holding the ceremony up, all because the temple didn't trust me for 60 cents.

Random mormon bomb going off in my head this morning.

It's embarrassing that dressing up and pretending seemed to be important once. What a bunch of pretentious play acting that all was.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2021 08:33PM by DNA.

Remember hearing about how the temple was the place to learn stuff, to have "sacred things" impressed upon you, and to be one of those people who could say, "I learn something new every time I go to the temple!"

And then you get to the Celestial Room, take a second to admire yourself in the infinity mirror, and then the freaking gray-haired harridan comes over to tell you to get the hell out.

I only went three times, but I never got to sit down . . .

elderolddog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Remember hearing about how the temple was the
> place to learn stuff, to have "sacred things"
> impressed upon you, and to be one of those people
> who could say, "I learn something new every time I
> go to the temple!"
>
> And then you get to the Celestial Room, take a
> second to admire yourself in the infinity mirror,
> and then the freaking gray-haired harridan comes
> over to tell you to get the hell out.
>
> I only went three times, but I never got to sit
> down . . .

Fabulous summary of the whole ghastly temple experience, EOD. They build up your expectations of this ultra holy place where enlightenment awaits you. Then. Nothing but irritations and letdowns.

This is exactly how it went for me in the temple. I think I attended three times as well. Three times was two too many. I got the grey-haired harridan/s too. Every time.

Many members would likely say you shouldn't have expected so much.

But they're the ones who declare over and over and over and over and over and over and over how sublime the temple experience is. I thought I must be so non-spiritual and even wicked because I had negative thoughts about the temple movie, such as how the hell am I going to be able to stand seeing that long boring amateurish film regularly for the rest of my life, as they firmly suggest (as in members should go to temple every month - yuck!). Just a ploy to keep the tithes rolling in.

After I departed the faith soon after my trips to their heaven on earth of course they blamed me. In fact, even my Mormon friend who got me into it, who knew the details of my truly awful brush with a Mormon bishop during my pre-baptism assembly, stabbed me in the heart with his remark about my ultra-negative experiences in his church by yelling "it's your fault". All righty then.

I never got to sit down either, EOD. Harridan is right.

Riddle me this: Why do they have bright white couches littered about the bright white Celestial Room if tithe-payers aren't permitted to sit and commune with God within the pinnacle of Mormonism on earth?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2021 01:58PM by Nightingale.

I got to sit for exactly 12.5 seconds before I was given the Bum's rush. I really needed to sit in my stupor and figure out what had just happened. I think the old gray hair knew it was best if I never figured it out. That's what its for.

I noticed my more experienced parents knew better than to even attempt a sit.

12.5 seconds of Celestial Room White Male privilege denied to me and Nightingale . . .

Without rigid rules to follow, mormons would be unable to function. They are unable to think for themselves.

logged out today Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Without rigid rules to follow, mormons would be
> unable to function. They are unable to think for
> themselves.


Yup, from the workers point of view it probably went like this, "I'm an elite mormon, I was chosen by God to work in his holy place, when I was trained they said don't give pieces out unless they pay, must keep Gods holy rules!"

Followed by a satisfied, "I was probably chosen for this job because God knew that I would be strong and diligent, and wouldn't be swayed by the pleadings of the commoner mormons who aren't worthy to work in Gods house like I am."

Someone swiped the one my father was wearing during the part where you had to undress in order to switch your robe around to "officiate" in the so called higher priesthood. I was helping him and placed it on the back of the chair. I am pretty sure a wiseguy sitting next to him took it and stuffed it into his pocket because I looked everywhere including the floor under seats. He held up the session and a worker brought another one then muttered that my Dad took too long tying the string from the hat to the robe. The temple was always full of assholes. Don't miss it at all.

Lay a buck onto the counter ..
https://youtu.be/-nHNHIDduH4

The last time I was in the temple I thought the whole thing so ludicrous that I almost walked out.

That's a crazy, horrible story, DNA. What a total absence of human values.

DNA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ... set a memory bomb off in my head.

Memory bomb. I like that term. Going to steal it.


> No pleading, begging or
> explaining helped. God wanted his 60 cents NOW!
> Not in an hour.

Yeah. Authoritarian religious leaders breed authoritarian underlings who impose their rigid ways on the rank and file. One day somewhere along the line, after negative experiences in several different churches, I realized this must be the image of God these leaders have. They must see him as a stern unbending heartless fundamentalist and they actually think they're modelling him and imposing his wishes. Newsflash: It's very off-putting.


> I felt like an idiot holding the ceremony up, all
> because the temple didn't trust me for 60 cents.

Trapped inside their own miniscule bubble of authority, they can't think outside of it. If they think a temple-goer is going to stiff them for $0.60 that's just sad. Or. One of them could have problem-solved by offering to cover the cost for a fellow member.

> What a bunch of pretentious play acting that all was.

Yes.

"I realized this must be the image of God these leaders have."

Yes!!! I'd never thought of it like that, Nightingale, but that's exactly what it must be.

Happy Sunday (evening?).

Thanks, Tom. It's still morning here in my corner of Paradise. I haven't even had breakfast yet! Actually, it's 11:00 a.m. I'm just slobbing around but will soon get to my tea and toast. I've got a big day planned this Sunday. Endless cups of tea and a massive new novel to start. A few fleeting guilty feelings for being selfish and lazy swirl around my head but I just say to myself "pandemic". That means I have a very good reason to hunker down for the day and enjoy the time and peace. Counter-intuitive that a murder mystery could be part of a time of peace but Agatha Christie 'n all that. :)

Back atya re enjoying your night. Evening in Paris. Sounds lovely.


PS: I've just read that Agatha Christie has been outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible. Wow. I love her characters Poirot and Miss Marple. I've seen all the English productions many times each. David Suchet is my favourite Poirot and Joan Hickson my favourite Miss Marple, with Julia McKenzie a close second.

Tonight is also going to be a sit around and eat for hours event: It's Grey Cup Sunday! (Canadian football). The opposing teams are Winnipeg/Manitoba (west) and Hamilton/Ontario (east). I don't care who wins so that's a more relaxing way to enjoy the game.

OK, now I've taken this well and truly way off topic. So sorry OP.

I agree with all points of you response Nightingale.

Yeah, DNA. Too bad isn't it. So much effort. Anticipation. Good intentions by many, perhaps. For exactly WHAT?

attitude of the old workers, too. I've told the stories enough times. I also never got to sit down in the CR. I was sure if I could sit down in there and meditate, I'd be able to find answers for my lovely life, answers for "gay." Nope. I have a friend who said I should have asked if I could just go sit in the CR and I was like, "Are you kidding?"

The temple was one of the biggest disappointments of my life. They build it up SO MUCH and then it is hideous. I made it 4 or 5 times. Last time doing sealings to a stranger. That did it. My "husband" is still angry at me for not going to bishopric temple nights with him. I didn't go to even one. Oh, and he was cheating on me and going.

I'm glad I at least went to the temple so I wouldn't live the rest of my life wondering what I was missing out on. I just had a discussion with my younger sister about this. She hasn't been active mormon since 17, but she still falls for some of the idiocy like thinking the temple must be special. She still doesn't completely believe me.

that I chose to not have my wedding guests wear their temple cloths. They were in Sunday best. I didn't see the point of making them put all that ugly stuff on.

It was ridiculous that they wanted 60 cents. I'm sure the church was going to go bankrupt because of that 60 cents.

The leadership must not have much faith in either the protocol for granting temple recommends or in those who conduct it and give the final OK for the recommends if, after all that mumbo jumbo, they cannot even trust T.R. holders to hand over $0.60 after a sealing ceremony. We all know that holding a T.R. is no more of a guarantee of honesty than is holding a Coscto card, but for the Church to openly acknowledge it is another matter entirely.

I also lived many of the experiences listed above. Especially being summarily booted from the celestial room.
One of the first things I wondered about in the temple was why in the Lord's House the changing room lockers had locks. It was explained to me that some of the older temple workers and attendees might get confused and get in your locker by mistake and wear your clothes home. After interacting with some of those people in the temple those locks actually do make a lot of sense.

Embarrassed at the Temple?

My first time....

This experience will expose my identity sure as 'shit.' Pun intended.

My first time through the temple, st George, with mom. Knew it was bunk, lied to bishop and SP, but didn't care, still dont---and ARROGANTLY PROUD of it :)

I was battling a very nasty skin infection that required me to take a combination of powerful antibiotics that had the nasty side effect of gastrointestinal distress and liquefication....

Didn't know what to expect in the house of the lard.

Naked poncho. My guts were audibly rumbling. At one point with my guts gurgling one of those officiators gave me a dirty look and a 'shush' but I kept going forward. I was holding back a deluge with all my body and soul.

The little old man was blessing me that my intellectual would be clean, sinue to my bones, marrow to soul, etc. And pressing firmly to each part.

He reached under to my abdomen, pressing in firmly to give "strength to my bowels" when my containment system suffered catastrophic failure. With nothing between my ass and the floor, it was horrific.

The session was derailed and I was ushered out.

Embarrassed is not a potent enough word.

God himself would apostasize.

You win the worst day at the temple contest.

Best reason to hate the naked touching thing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2021 01:33AM by Nightingale.

Yikes, Zelph!

True story: I always got nausea and diharrea in the temple. The first time was on my wedding day, which was one of the worst days of my life. (The other worst days were the days in which my temple husband beat me and strangled me almost to death.) Wedding Day, I convinced myself it was wedding jitters, no sleep, getting up at 4:00 am, and finding the rituals to be "upsetting".

I went to several different temples, many times, after that, and each time it was like my whole physical body was trying to tell me something. My doctor called it "dumping syndrome" in which the body works to get rid of ingested poisons (or Satan).

Every. Time. I asked the matrons if I could please sit in the back, on the aisle, because I had this problem--but every time, I was lectured that we had to file in, in exact order, and never switch seats, bla-bla. Never once, did they accommodate me, and I had to climb over the knees of sleeping women, and run up the aisle to the bathroom. I asked if it mattered if I missed some of the ritual, if the soul I was representing might not be properly "endowed," and they always reassured me, "It will be all right. It doesn't matter."

This was before I found out that each person had several people taking endowments for them, countless times.

Me in the temple: "I can't pronounce the secret name of the person I'm representing."

Friend: "Go ahead and show me the name. I'll help you prounounce it"

Both of us: "Hey--we both have the same person!"

After that, I stayed home, and enjoyed a day of good health and sanity. Eventually found out it was all a hoax, and resigned.

Zelph, if you ever go to a temple again, be sure to sit on a white couch!

I think you win for worst experience in the temple.

I was supposed to do washing and annointings for the dead when I was pregnant and had horrible morning sickness 24/7. I called up and said I couldn't come. My husband was SO ANGRY at me for cancelling on them. Oh sure, I'll just vomit on them. He used to say, "You must like to vomit." He was a great support during the pregnancy!?!?!?

cl2notloggedin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> He used to say, "You must like to vomit."

Good heavens.

Some men should have to experience pregnancy and childbirth. It would be, as women say, the End of Sex. Forever.

White couch it is, Mother who Knows.

When Zelph the Apostate is involved, Murphys law applies!

Should have expected something good... after all, it was only 5-6 years after ward temple day, baptisms for the dead, Zelph went first into the baptismal tub.....

...where the baptizer, who spoke very fast in Latin, was dunking so fast, my grasp on my nose caused a gushing nose bleed that ended the process.

I got a good talking too as a teenager for that one. After all, it is a sin to bleed in God's temple...

Mormon God is vengeful, punishing my sins with repeated embarresment... but, mormons gods God (who I suspect has a sense of humor) was laughing his ass off.

too. They didn't say anything, but you could tell they were all irritated.

Caution: Language Warning

Whoops, too late!

Mormons do not give advance warnings when B.S. is present!

And "we deeply regret that you have been offended by this."

Well, you must remember that a lot of people just don 't trust mormons in business matters :)

"Never turn your back on a sociopath!"

--Ba'al, describing his issues with the Hebrew ghawd.

god can't be a sociopath because we always have it coming to us for one reason or another.

DNA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was invited to a Temple wedding ceremony.

I didn't think you needed to be in temple clothing for this unless you were officiating or actually getting "sealed."

You have to put slippers or things over your shoes is all I remember.

The couple can choose an "All White" ceremony, and make everyone do the whole getup.

I have had a fair share of abdominal surgeries. Pretty much, I have been cut up like the Christmas goose. The first time through the Temple, 1983, was embarrassing. The washing and anointing, half nude with scars all over me. I could not dig a hole quick enough.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/2021 01:59AM by tensolator.

From a 1987 New Era Q&A article

Question: My parents cannot get a temple recommend. What can they do while the temple ceremony is occurring?

Answer: In the Salt Lake Temple a foyer is available for those who do not have temple recommends or who are nonmembers. Here they can wait for those who are being married. After the marriage is performed, the newlyweds can come and greet their parents and have pictures taken with them on the temple grounds. If the couple to be married will let the temple workers know of the circumstances, in many cases the sealer will be happy to visit with the parents in the foyer after the ceremony to explain some of what has transpired in an effort to make them feel as comfortable as possible.

Messy adds: Like an explanation as to why the child is excluding his/her parent is going to make them feel better.

The 1987 policy of maybe allowing wedding party recipients that are not included in the LDS temple ceremonies because they might lack current temple recommend certificates were revised many years ago.
You are now forbidden from waiting in the lobby.

Although that may have been true 35 years ago.

And, there are not even any chance at even waiting inside the visitor center, those are not even there at almost every location.

They must have grown weary of dealing with impure or unworthy persons in the foyer/waiting area.

I was attending youth temple trips when that article was circulating and temple workers were beyond rude to members; I can only imagine how nasty they were to non members. During one youth trip, we were stuck in a room with Johnny Lingo looping every 20 minutes. The TV volume was INSANELY loud. One sister who was acting as our chaperone had had enough. She went back to the front desk to complain. I happened to hear them in the hallway~ If you don't want to wait in your designated area, then go to your car and go home! We have more than enough groups here to do the work.

Several years later, I had my own run in with a temple worker when sitting in the foyer. My MTC group went to do initiatories and I did not. I was run off and rejoined my group.

I got into the Salt Lake temple without a recommend for my brother's wedding. No waiting room for me.

  
    Yeah, and look what has happened to the temple because of your trespass and defilement!!

    Boy, I bet that shift of guardian angels got a talking-to by their supervisors!

I HATED dressing - up, or down - as a MORMON.

Stupid CLUB dressing code - TR - is segregating, exclusive, demoralizing.

People playing games, saying TSCC doesn't play games.

People's lives - separation - Temple Games...

If MORMONISM is like this on earth, JUST IMAGINE how it is AFTER (MORMONISM) death. DRESS. UP. Play. Dead.

Living, in the moment, is so worthwhile!
Go out and PLAY today. Don't delay!
Unless it's raining/ stormy/ yukky!!!
Then, stay in your temple/ home/ crib.
DRESS yourself up! Or UNdress. Ahhh-

After volunteering/ BEING MADE TO GO to the LDS temple (15 hours away, In Each Direction, wasting 2 day$ - plus lag time - of a three day LDS HOLYday, in the stead of a REAL holiday, or family vacation) to "BAPTISE" {Already DEAD?} someone else, I Myself Being Coerced, pretty much did it for me.

I would have DONE ANYTHING for something normal, natural, beautiful, that wasn't part of the cult.

BUT, as an adult. I can't imagine.....

Lord God is so happy so many of you found their way out of the temple, the crutch, and the 'church'

DNA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I was going to be late if I didn't get up there
> fast, and they wouldn't give it to me and let me
> bring my 60 cents after. No pleading, begging or
> explaining helped. God wanted his 60 cents NOW!
> Not in an hour.

this is the central theme of the MOReMONey religion -MORmON Jesus wants his money RIGHT DAMN NOW!!!! while the people who are obligated to provide that money can wait indefinitely to see what good things that MORmON Jesus might do for them, and a person better not complain in the mean time while waiting or it DQ's them for whatever blessings that might have come along, but a person better pay up to make sure that MORmON Jesus does not incinerate them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xaYMdHNILw

DNA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was going to be late if I didn't get up there
> fast, and they wouldn't give it to me and let me
> bring my 60 cents after. No pleading, begging or
> explaining helped. God wanted his 60 cents NOW!
> Not in an hour.

this is the central theme of the MOReMONey religion -MORmON Jesus wants his money RIGHT DAMN NOW!!!! while the people who are obligated to provide that money can wait indefinitely to see what good things that MORmON Jesus might do for them, and a person better not complain in the mean time while waiting or it DQ's them for whatever blessings that might have come along, but a person better pay up to make sure that MORmON Jesus does not incinerate them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xaYMdHNILw

smirkorama Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DNA Wrote:
> ----------------------------------- God wanted his 60 cents NOW!
> > Not in an hour.

Sorry not sure why now I have a picture of God holding an empty wallet open waiting on those 60 cents. Maybe God doesn't have a cell phone and needed those 60 cents to use a payphone? God needed to make an important phone call and need the 60 cents stat. Lol sorry.