I left the church with my formal letter not to long ago. I'm only 20 and left from a tbm family. I left before the convants and endowments. The only thing I did in the temple was the baptisms for the dead as a youth. With the temple ceremonies being so secret I don't know exactly what certain topics are about. I wanted to know if anyone had links or information that I could read so I could get a better understanding of what happens in the temple. Thanks!
Too bad. You missed out on one of the most bewildering experiences of mormonhood. To go your whole life thinking the church is normal and sensible, then in the period of one hour come out saying "what the f___ kind of cult have I gotten myself into?" Then over the next few days go to the effort of convincing yourself that there's nothing wrong with the ceremony after all, and that's it's actually a much needed spiritual boost. Then after going several times you truly believe it, followed by a lifetime of pay lay ales (oh God, hear the words of my mouth).
I don't know of any links, sorry. I experienced it first-hand too many times to care about watching it on video, but I'm sure it's an easy google find.
Yeah its weird to hear about the ceremonies and know my family participated in them. Growing up as a kid it doesn't seem weird with the church. I guess I thought there was enough wrong without the ceremonies to leave. If I didn't leave now I'm sure I would of after experiencing that in the temple.
As if explaining dead dunkings wasn't embarrassing enough to my never-mo friends.
When I decided to resign, I found this site and a few others detailing the endowment and wedding ceremony. And mormon's think pagans are bizarre for their rituals. I didn't know about the freakish baker hats or veils until the last couple of years when I came back to this site.
When my sister married this past summer, I explained the whole ceremony to her fiancee as we were driving up Pikes Peak. My sister had been endowed, as she went on a mission, but didn't know about all the pre-1990 changes. She missed out on the fun of pantomiming her death. Her (never-mo) wife was absolutely aghast at I what I relayed and gasped, "Did you brother and his wife REALLY do that when they married? I mean, SIL seems so smart and NORMAL to do such a thing!!!"
Utah Lighthouse Ministries or the successor sells an inexpensive book that contains the whole thing, word for word. It includes conparisons of various versions.
Could only get partway through before my mind decided to try to unhinge itself. This shit is downright crazy fucked up. Whoever thought this up HAD to have been consuming jimson weed or something, and those mercury vapors from the hat didnt help.
And I thought baptisms for the dead were weird, like why the hell should I baptize for someone who cast their dice at time of death and made whatever choice(s) that will land them with whatever path that they get to take, like it or not? It's. BULLSHIT, is what it is.