They changed things maybe a year ago. No more witness couple. No more walking about the room giving handshakes, etc. Lots of pictures of Jesus popping up in the slide presentation. There was a lot of excitement. I went about 4 months ago and vowed never to go back. It was not what I covenanted when I went through in 1967. It was not the same presentation or format. It was just plain different. It was weird. I left feeling dark and depressed for weeks.

So wondering how members who are TBM are reacting. Is temple attendance up? Are people talking about the temple more? I know new members who go are but maybe that is because they do not know the previous stuff.

I guess I am offended at all the "Jesus" this and all the "Jesus" that. I grew up in the Church to have reverence for the name Jesus and that it was through the name of Jesus we get to the Father. So I am old school and still hold that concept as very sacred. My last trip to the temple indicated to me I have to do everything Jesus says or I can't get to my Father in Heaven.

Yesterday in the trails in the woods I spent time meditating and in prayer. I felt very close to Heavenly Father and felt it was very scared when I closed in the "name of Jesus Christ." I feel that the Church members no longer feel that connection as its all about Jesus and less about Heavenly Father.

I guess I am a person who just cant get on the covenant path concept.

It's way down. Our local temple doesn't even allow ward trips anymore. Most people came in by bus. And they wonder why attendance is down. The elderly who formed the backbone of attendees and workers are still terrified by the whole Covid narrative.

On a bright note, at least you don't have to mime slashing your bowels anymore. The church-wide emphasis on Jesus is a newer thing. IMO Rusty is trying to mainstream the church to bring it more into line with mainstream Christianity. I always felt that Catholicism puts too much emphasis on Jesus at God's expense as well. I know of Catholics who will pray to Jesus but not God, because Jesus seems more familiar to them.

The pantomiming was were all fun was at... oh, forgot about the naked grouping in it the initiatory... Needed a smoke after that... shudder.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2023 09:47PM by NameSignAndPenalty.

So much of the ChurchCo presentation has been diluted/dumbed down, the changing temple ceremony isn't a surprise.



- they diluted the Honesty requirement for a TR (why?) I thought honesty was / should be a basic, core Christian requirement - value

- they have dumbed down the teachings (teachings are Doctrine) regarding divorce, which again is taught explicitly in scriptures & GA talks as evil.

- Repentance & Forgiving? those make me laugh in Morland. The D&C says that Repentance requires restitution 4 times the value of things wrongfully taken.


All basic, core values of Christ-Like living down the rabbit hole of Mormonism.

Even when I was TBM, I always thought Jesus got extremely short shrift in the LDS Church. Prayers were closed in his name, and there were some pictures here and there, but that was about it. Everything else was Heavenly Father. Jesus did want me for a sunbeam, so I’ll give them that.

In most Christian churches, Easter is far and away the biggest event of the liturgical year. Until recently, Easter barely registered in the Mormon world. If Easter and General Conference fell on the same Sunday, GC was the big event. Traditional Christians found this blasé attitude about Easter weird and off putting.

I guess the Q15 decided having Jesus play second fiddle to HF was poor marketing strategy. I think that is especially true with current and former Catholics, which is LDS Inc’s cash crop these days (Philippines, Mexico, Central and South America).

I find it ironic that at least some Mormons, like Toronto Boy, there is pushback about elevating Jesus. Doubly ironic, if my memory serves correctly, since it seems to me the BoM put more emphasis on Jesus than on HF. The HF emphasis came later.

The irony is that even if Jesus is given more emphasis, the church is still dominated by a small number of astonishingly alive old white bitter old men.

It's their church, not his.

Growing up in the 60s I felt Jesus was my brother and why worship my brother.

Satan was my brother, why fear my brother?

It was the Father that mattered. No one else was "God". Mormons prayed to the father not Jesus. It was the father that answered prayers, not Jesus.

The father created the universe and planets long before Jesus, hence the instruction to create as was created before. That things were done as were done on other worlds.

In my part of mormondom, we all could have the same status as Jesus, he was an example, a possible equal, not a superior.

There was a scripture, one of the Epistles of John, that said when we were resurrected, we'd have a body equal that of Jesus.

D&C says the righteous will be gods.

So my training was that I am potentially the equal of Jesus.

De Emphasis of the Father would have been heresy.

But which Jesus are they elevating? Mormons have several flavors of Jesus to choose from -

1. OT Jesus, who (as Jehovah) was a raging homicidal psychopath;

2. NT Jesus, who was for the most part a decent sort;

3. BOM Jesus, or Split Personality Jesus, who played both roles.

I suppose that, as in everything else, the church wants to have it both ways, and talks up whichever contradictory version of Jesus serves its immediate purpose.

Where do Corporate Jesus, Prosperity Jesus, Buddy Jesus and Nationalist Jesus fit in? There seems to be a Jesus persona for everyone!

I went thru in the 80’s. Is it anything like that anymore. Your post has me curious


ETA: never mind, I went back and did a thread search. The cog dis that older members have must be mind blowing. It’s not the organization they grew up in



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2023 01:36PM by angela.

Interesting changes! Did anything change at the veil?

As I understand it, no more hugs.

And they don't make Certs anymore.

The only reason I ask is that I occupied 2 positions in the local temple. Baptistry and Veil Worker.

It's just interesting to me. Makes me wonder if ex notices all the changes. We've been asked to witness at the altar, I was quickly learning the endowment text (post 2000) and the ex knew the whole thing.

I used to take it so seriously. Everyone I saw took things so seriously. Nothing like being in a stuffed white suit.

Who among us have not redesigned our entire lives because there are no longer Certs!

LOL!

Once I learn Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy were all BS, I stopped believing in anything the adults told me. Jesus was just another fictional character.