Honestly, my first response to seeing the inside of the temple was disappointment. Maybe it is because of the secretiveness/sacredness, or maybe it is because our tour guide told us to prepare to see something beautiful 5 million times (+/- a million), but I was expecting something....more. It was clean, and new, and obviously thoughtfully designed, but I'm not sure if I would have said beautiful.
It was also very different that I was expecting in it's layout. Since all I knew before hand was that people got married there and went there to do baptisms, I was picturing something more church like and not as subdivided into little rooms. Or even something more like old testament temples with an outer area and an inner "holier" area. But it wasn't like that at all, as Craig's post showed. But that is why I went, because I knew that my thoughts on what it would be like were wrong and I wanted to correct them, it just surprised me how wrong I was.
Another thing that disappointed me was that their was no one around afterwards during the little reception area that could answer questions like we were told their would be. I know that it was quite busy and they were trying to move everything along so logistically maybe that would have been hard but I was frustrated by that. They promised cookies and question-answering people. Craig got his cookies, where were the people?
And while I do know some LDS folks, I feel a bit awkward randomly asking them questions, especially since I know they aren't supposed to talk about many aspects of the temple ceremonies. I don't want them to feel pressured to talk about something they don't want to or have to feel bad if they can't talk about it. So I have decided to ask them here. I'm not going to ask anything I know can't be answered just kinda general stuff but still, no one has to answer if they don't feel like it and they don't have to feel bad about it. But I am curious. [Aren't I such a people pleaser? :-)]
Here they are:
- How often does the "average" person go to the temple? When we lived by the temple I saw quite a few people going there every day but they can't all be going to get married and they don't all come out with wet hair so they aren't doing baptisms, are they? But isn't the ceremony/endowment/instruction - that is what the tour lady called it, whatever that may be, always the same, so why go over and over again? I don't think I would really like going to church much if I always sang the same hymns and heard the same sermon, it would be like that lame groundhog day movie. Am I missing something?
- The tour lady described, in very general terms of course, what occurs in each room. Well, every room except the celestial room. There she talked mostly about the symbolism and left us with the impression that it is a room where you sit and chill. But if that's where you end up after all the instructions you have previously received, then you get there and you just sit and ponder? Is that right?
- I know I had more but it has been almost a week and thoughts about meal planning and work projects have pushed them out of my mind, So here is my last question, via KVNU, If Mitt Romney becomes president, will the secret service be allowed into the temple with him, or will he not be able to go?
The Rexburg temple is a small one. They tend to be a bit more plain.
ReplyDeleteSome of the bigger and older temples would knock your socks off. (When I used to travel a lot I loved to see if there was a temple close enough to go through. So I've seen quite a few)
#1. There isn't a "Set" amount given. Some go once a month. Some go once a year. Some are only ever able to go for their initial endowment and then never again because they live so far away. Others like my mom would live there night and day if they could and go every day. (Although, they usually work in the temple).
2.
You have had "Baptism for the dead" kind of explained? (Baptism by proxy). Well, the temple ceremony is the same thing. The first time that you go through, you take sacred covenants for YOU.
Every other time you go through, you go as a proxy on behalf of someone else to take those same covenants.
Plus, it is a way to remind you of your own vows, etc. And it is just a really spiritual place to be.
As I said in Craig's post. I liked going to the temple.
I could hang out there all day...It has a very nice feeling to it.
It is one of the things I miss about being inactive.
I can probably answer any question you have, and will gladly do so.
ReplyDeleteAbout Mitt Romney... either he will not go, or he will have to go without the secret service. Not going would be fine. Unless the government happens to have a group of secret service people that are also LDS and hold temple recommends. Then they could go with him.
How often people go to the temple varies. Some go every month. Some go hardly at all. Everyone is supposed to go to church every Sunday to take the sacrament. In theory, they only have to go to the Temple to take their endowments, get sealed, and get sealed to their families. They are encouraged to be temple worthy at all times, and to go more often for the reasons I will mention below.
Endowments: This is a ritual that is done in the temple. I won't go into detail, but I will say it involves a bunch of promises they make to God. This step is taken by all missionaries, and is required before they get married in the temple.
Sealing: Hear the saying families are forever? This is it. You are bonded to your family for eternity. When people are married in the temple they are sealed. This will enable them to find each other after what most people call judgment day.
Now you wonder about why so many people go in and out each day? Most are either witnessing a sealing (wedding), or are going to a session. Sessions are when they go through endowments and sealings for the dead. Yes, you heard that right... for dead people. Someday in the far future they might even do them for you in your name. That way your spirit can chose if you want them or not. Baptisms in the temple are also done for the dead. Regular baptisms are done in either the Tabernacle or in Stake Centers (another church building).
Confused? Ask away… I am not putting any of my actual opinions on here to not offend any of my friends who are practicing Mormons. I will answer anything you want to know.
Wow... for some weird reason it left out my spacing...
ReplyDeleteIn between Loralee and I you should have your answer.
Yeah, blogger likes to do weird things like that.
ReplyDeleteBut thanks for the answers guys. I knew that the baptisms they did at the temple were for the dead, but I didn't know they went through the endowment for others too.