It can be what were you hoping to find, or what you wished had gone on.

I wasn't expecting human sacrifice, but I was kind of expecting torches and candles, and revealed truths that would have blown my mind away.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2013 07:30PM by forbiddencokedrinker.

Yeah...there have been a couple of post's recently about the "creepy" nature of the temple, or whether the Church is a "cult", and how these things make the Church an unsavory thing. I don't get it? Quite frankly, what bothered me about the temple was that the whole thing was a big let down! There was all this secrecy, and I was kind of hoping that when people told me that Mormonism was a cult, that I'd go to the temple and find out that there were secrets worth keeping. Instead, it was all this secrecy and mystery, and then just a boring movie. If the Church was a really a sinister cult...I think I'd still be active!!

Took the words right out of my mouth! The same thing happened when I joined the Masons...but at least they lowered the lights and blindfolded you and DID try to impart secrets. When I was TBM I thought that JS had joined the Masons and used that format, in order to help people memorize what they NEEDED to get past those pesky guardians at the gates of the CK.

Now, having been in both camps, I see that the Temple ceremony IS a diluted version of the Masonic Temple ceremonies.

Just think, if all the negative things we've heard about the temple ("Mor-ban Legends" if you will, if just half of them were true...like there are beds attached to the sealing rooms, in order for the wife to become pregnant in the house of the Lord, immediately following the sealing. And, although we didn't sell our souls to Satan like the "gentiles" say, I DID notice that a dashingly handsome Satan is the only supernatural being NOT to lie to me in the Garden of Eden. Ironic much?

I think if the celestial room was filled with little praying alcoves with comfy kneelers, god and jesus pictures and scriptures, and patrons were allowed to pray as long as they needed, it would ensure the church never goes anywhere. At least mormons would have what every other religion has. A place a "good" mormon can enter (any day of the week? I know temples run on a schedule, but open all week?) and go to pray and meditate. Even better if temple workers would offer to pray with the members instead of shoo them out.
Talk about an emotional hook!

Still wouldn't have hooked me, but I probably would have defended something like that, where genuine reflection in the sanctuary is being done? Yeah, I can respect that. I just don't really respect a holy version of Rocky Horror. So sue me.

I grew up with parents telling me it's a little shocking and surprising but mentioned there is anointing’s and a movie and you will learn how to get thorough the guardians of into heaven or whatever, the shocking part i narrowed down to 2 things... getting naked or animal sacrifice (I imagined a long needle through a dove or something *shudder*) imagine my suprise when there was non of that stuff since they removed the naked bit! I actually didn't find it very shocking although the clothes were goofy and the green apron was a big surprise (why green??)

It would have been nice like this: have a wee personal blessing and rising your hand to agree to living a certain way then some kind of secrets are reviled to you - like did you know adam is god (lol), even a new name not that weird as that occurs through the bible and then go through a nice room when you can meditate and pray and relax. also be nice to have discussion rooms where intellectual no bars held discussion about the deeper mystery’s of the gospel.....

I was very disappointed/freaked out by the 1993 endowment (yes, I had to get naked). I hated the costumes. I hated the naked touching. I hated trying to do the clothing changes really fast so I wouldn't be the last one standing. I hated trying to memorize all their secret code words/sayings and then feel like a dumb ass when I got to the veil. I hated that the celestial room was cleared out after 10 minutes. I hated the sexist vows I had to make. I hated putting the veil over my face and almost had a panic attack because I felt like I couldn't breathe one time.

I always felt good about Jesus (and not much else in the church). I was very disappointed that Jesus was only a supporting actor in the movie with a small role. I'm sure Satan had a lot more lines than Jesus. Also Eve was a total idiot. It seemed pretty lame. I liked the part where they said, "Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ." I avoided the temple as much as I could in the next 15 years without raising too much suspicion.

+100 LOL!

Well the new name was fun but I felt we should have at least started off with some drinks. Some strong ones. That's where they made their first mistake.

I'm sure the Catholics could have come up with a more impressive ceremony. That's the advantage of having all those secretly gay priests and cardinals. Even if they are consumed with self hate.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2013 08:21PM by forbiddencokedrinker.

If it was like Hogwarts and you got to learn different magic tricks to do with the priesthood.

Chant "Pay lay ale!" a few times, then kick off on your broom for a few laps around the Quidditch pitch!

That would ROCK!!!

yah!

I guess i thot it'd be like a fireside where you learn really important truths, some scriptures explained- like maybe Revelation. Believe it or not, I already knew the garden of eden story. Like from the bible. So it was NOT new secret information. Figuring out where the lines to Eve's body suit were was more interesting than the garden story.

What i'd really have liked tho, if i could imagine anything i want: learning a skill like 'accio' (where objects fly into your hand just by saying or thinking a secret word) or something else cool and secret. Even if i HAD thot ofsomething like that, i'd have already known that THAT wasn'tgoing to happen because my parents had been there numerous times and i'dnever seen any magic happening in my house.

oops, this should have been under the OP's post.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/2013 12:29AM by karin.

I was really expecting to learn something. During that part where Eve says (I don't remember the exact words) "These are true messengers of Jesus Christ . . . I was thinking "Ok here it is here is where I'm going to learn what the big deal is". But it never came it was just more signs and secret words and marks in a veil. I thought I would learn some profound truth about Jesus Christ.

My least favorite thing is ward temple night. It's like church high school. Go to be seen. I've had more awkward chit chat conversations in the celestial room then anywhere else.

Because what you were supposed to get from Eve's statements by extension is that the current apostles were true messengers of Jesus Christ. Wow, imagine that! A film produced by the apostles of the church says they are true apostles. Sounds legit.

Woulda been cool to see The Holy Ghost in there.

Prolly have a little chat with Jeezus (in person)



Breedum

That reminds me, what happened to all the cool ancestor ghosts that you were supposed to see every time you turned around in the temple?

Nobody ever promises OFFICIALLY that you will run into ancestors who have passed on, but it is so strongly suggested, unofficially, by so many people - I was seriously distracted from a lot of the nonsense by trying to keep a sharp lookout for one or the other of my deceased grandmothers, whom I adored, and had almost dared to believe that I would see there.

Once I realized that they weren't likely to show up, I was so thoroughly disappointed that I couldn't overlook the ambient weirdness of the naked anointing-and-washing, the hugely boring movie, the fussing with the outfit, and having to get the lines letter-perfect at the curtain. By then, I felt so let down that I wanted to deck somebody.

It was way off the mark as spiritual experiences go.

I was hoping to se my grandpa! I actually looked around for him. He didn't show up. :(

I thought the flat, dark glass thing that God and Jesus walked on looked awfully boring. That's the CK? Who in the hell would want to live like that?

HA - That's the funniest part!

I always call it DISCO JESUS! (I'm talking about the dark-haired-adam-and-eve movie, is that the one you mean?)

They look so silly in their glittery white robes standing on that psychedelic glass platform floating in space clouds with Santa Claus beards =).

Real naked people playing Adam and Eve (or.... Adam and Steve).

No wait..... the thought of those old folks really naked.... nope. I changed my mind.

But what about it? Adam & Steve for the gay members?

That'd be super cool.

I thought we would mingle with God, Jesus and the HG and have time to meditate, contemplate, read the scriptures. etc. That would have been so cool. However, I was so unpleasantly shocked after the first time that I never returned.

Some super spicy chicken wings and cold beer. That and a lounge with a big screen TV to watch movies, football and porn.

Could bring in some of the traditional activities of a submarine bar, liven the place up a bit.

Start out with a sweat bath, in a place where the interior looks vaguely like a traditional Swedish or Finnish sauna might have looked a few centuries ago. (The Disneyland version: "authentic"-looking...but CLEAN.") At the end of the sauna, rinse under the adjacent showers and dry off, then dress in the "temple clothes," which are simple cotton or linen shifts (like both male and female ancient Egyptians used to wear in both daily life and in worship).

Now dressed in "temple clothes," participants would exit the sauna-and-dressing area, into an "underground"-looking "tunnel" that looks reminiscent of one you might see in an Indiana Jones adventure film. (Again: authentic looking...but CLEAN.)

At the end of the tunnel: an artfully-constructed "hole" in the "dirt" ground, with a wooden ladder sticking out far enough so it's obvious that everyone is supposed to descend the ladder.

Once participants get down "inside" the hole, they discover a dark kiva area, pleasantly "lighted" with a fire of fragrant pinon logs (with lighted candles in the walls, as needed)--the fire surrounded by pillows and comfy mats to sit on.

"Holy refreshments" are passed around...not NECESSARILY peyote (maybe TOO authentic?), but something that might encourage at least a minimum of buzz. (Wine perhaps?)

And then the drums begin...hypnotic and rhythmic, very pleasantly musical...and they continue, at a relaxing, spiritually-encouraging level for an hour or so. Images begin to form in the minds of the participants...imaginations expand...maybe even some genuine spiritual or meditative insights happen for at least some of the participants.

At some point the "sun" (as if it is rising "outside") beams from overhead, through the opening to the "underground" chamber, signaling that the temple session has concluded.

The drums softly conclude, the participants climb up the hand-crafted wooden ladder, and the chamber is quickly readied for the next group coming down.

but otherwise, this sounds REALLY cool! Very Southwestern in motif! I like it.

How about the dance Betty White does in The Proposal?

something involving hallucinogenic mushrooms