Mormons don't just have temple worship, they worship the temple itself. It is their golden calf. The temple has become a man-made replacement for Jesus Christ himself.

This video of giant LDS youth gathering reminds me of Mecca, where Muslims walk around the black box known as the Kaaba. Does anyone know who pops out of the temple towards the end? This is how they want to program the minds of the youth. Not right, but could certainly seem AMAZING to a young person. Singing “Hosanna” to the temple idol?? Bowing to the idol temple??

About five minutes long.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-j7oAdPwdEE

I was reading a novel this past weekend, in which one of the characters laments that she fell in love with the idea of what a man was, not the man himself. And I could relate to that so hard because I did the same back in my college days.

Then I extrapolated. Christians are in love with the idea of Jesus Christ that they've built up in the heads over time. And as you point out, Mormons are in love with the idea of the temple, which has been built up to them over many years of indoctrination. How many people on this board have had a puzzling first time experience in the temple because it did not in any way match up with their expectations?

I think that's a good chunk of what the current temple-building boom is all about. The church is catering to the TBMs who have fallen in love with the idealized view of the temple.

summer Wrote:
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> How many people on this board have
> had a puzzling first time experience in the temple
> because it did not in any way match up with their
> expectations?

Bingo.

My reaction after my first temple session was What the H.E.L.L. was THAT.

I didn't understand it. At all. I didn't know what it was meant to be about.

The strongest signal I got from the missionary who was with me was her extreme apprehension as she watched me set off towards the matrons in the washing/anointing area. It didn't make for a relaxing experience at all - but then the whole thing was out there, as we know - it's just that the missionary's dread vibes were counterproductive, definitely.

It's interesting to have firsthand experience rather than just hearing anecdotes from others but I really could have done just fine without it.

I had one advantage. My sister told me about washing and anointing as I had a friend at work who had been told by other women about being naked in the temple. She and I freaked out. I knew I could ask my older sister and she told me what it was. If I had gone in and ran into THAT without knowing about it, I don't know what I would have done.

I loved that "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!!"

And I especially liked your "It's interesting to have firsthand experience rather than just hearing anecdotes from others but I really could have done just fine without it," statement. I had to see it. I have 3 siblings who haven't been through the temple and my little sister went to the Brigham City open house and she talked about how beautiful it was, etc., and I'm like, BUT I KNOW WHAT GOES ON IN THERE." Told my boyfriend the same thing when he made a comment about the Logan Temple.

Building so many of them makes them so they are not unique anymore. When I was young there weren't very many and people didn't go to the temple all the time. They got married there and then didn't go much. My dad didn't go back until my sister got married some 25 years later.

    As I love to mention any time this subject comes up, I LOVED being a mormon (kinda still do...), but any connection mormonism might have had with Truth was completely and irrevocably severed by the temple experience on Moroni day, June 1965.

    I entered the temple as a believer and walked out as a total PIMO.  Great bunch of people but a total fruitcake of a religion.

    It's likely that I wouldn't mind belonging to an early 1960s ward, but I'd have to be 16 years old again.

Again?

How can anything that is holy but not itself God be anything other than an idol?

The slashing and gutting stuff from the original sessions made me standing there thinking this was odd. The anointing gave me a great desire to punch the guy, and tell him "no touch".

But what do you do at the age of 19 and you want to keep Mom and Dad happy?

Years later when they watered down the ceremony it made me wonder why God suddenly changed his mind about his everlasting unchanging ways.

I would look at people weeping and wailing about the temple in F&T meeting, and I would wonder if they needed a sedative or something.

I can see your point, it sits on a hill all lit up. People spend big bucks to live near a temple, and they wander the grounds with a super pious look.

They also idolize the Book of Mormon in the same way. I am sure that only about 20% of practicing Mormons have read it all the way through, and that includes the missionaries whose job it is to convince everybody that the book is revealed truth. Sad but true.

“I am sure that only about 20% of practicing Mormons have read it all the way through.”

My problem was that I did read it-several times. I first read it as a teenager, and I was middle aged the last time. Each time I read it I thought “this will be the time Moroni’s promise will happen.”

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me over and over again, year after year, decade after decade…I was a fool.

slskipper Wrote:
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> They also idolize the Book of Mormon in the same
> way. I am sure that only about 20% of practicing
> Mormons have read it all the way through, and that
> includes the missionaries whose job it is to
> convince everybody that the book is revealed
> truth. Sad but true.

At least there are storylines and doctrines in the BoM. The temple ceremony is an hour of confusion and little content. You're not even allowed to discuss the temple in the temple.

Photos of temples and temple models litter Mormon homes. The temple is a way of forcing the celestial kingdom into existence. Heaven has its souvenirs (idols).

I actually saw Elder Bednar say members were too obsessed about the temple building and its decor and furnishings than the holy ordinances that take place in the temple.

So I would agree members do worship temples like a golden calf but some church leaders are irritated that they do.

President Nelson canceled such temple celebrations. You won’t see any more of them.

I didn't hear that Nelson got rid of the temple celebrations. Is there a reference or article online about that?

I live a mile away from my town's sewage treatment plant. It's a great thrill to hear the roar of the twin sump pumps fire up to begin the evening's need to bring crap into the retention pool. I am glad that there's no temple nearby to steal the glory of suburban living.

I like your sense of priorities ;-).