NOM

TLDR; screw exclusive temple ceremonies

My nephew is getting married in the temple in a couple weeks. I support him and hope for the best. He and I are pretty close and he knows the general gist of my beliefs. Because we are close he asked me if I wanted to come to the temple ceremony, and I told him no but that I will be there for anything else.

Later his mom/my sister texted me saying she isn't sure what to do because she doesn't know if I want an invite to the temple ceremony even though she assumes I won't be there, and she isn't sure if maybe I do want to go or maybe DW wants to go. I told her thank you for thinking of me, neither of us will be coming to the temple ceremony, go ahead and send the invite cause that's nice, and how are you holding up?

I'm a little annoyed that they keep asking me about coming somewhere that I AM NOT WANTED. They are having an exclusive ceremony, which excludes me. That is on them, not me. They might say that the choice to not come is mine, that I could make the changes needed to attend, that I could change myself to measure up. But that is just rejecting me, saying that they want someone else in my place, that if they could disappear me they would.

It's not quite the same thing, but I've had a well-meaning family member recently suggest that I go to the temple again. And that made me think about how we talk about such things. Kind of funny how "visit the temple" sounds like just taking an evening to go somewhere, but really it's shorthand for so many steps leading up to that (be active again if you're not, pay tithing again if you don't, regain some faith if you've lost it, etc.).

Yeah it’s a weird sentiment isn’t it?

They feel bad for us thinking we’re missing out on something amazing, wonderful, and special. I had a conversation with my dad and finally had the chance to tell him I thought the whole thing was fundamentally nice in principal and that I loved the idea of families forever. Yet procedurally I thought the whole thing was a disaster. We dress up in horribly hot polyester clothes, cram into uncomfortable movie theater chairs, and sit too long and too close to random strangers and watch an extremely boring movie over and over and over again.

I said Dad, I’ve been to the temple a hundred times. I know my new name. I’ve received my endowment. I know the handshakes and passwords to get into heaven. Why do I need to go over and over again when it drives me absolutely batshit crazy.

He had nothing better to say then “Yeah, I guess you do know the passwords.”

I’ve perfectly taken up the response that “the temple no longer works for me, therefore I no longer attend!” That includes weddings and movie reruns.

Mormons seem to love to emphasize their belief in the temple by making us feel like we are missing out.

We ain’t missing out…

Brethren,

Might I remind you of the words of our dearly beloved prophet, even President Russell M. Nelson in a recent General Conference address:

If you don’t yet love to attend the temple, go more often—not less. Let the Lord, through His Spirit, teach and inspire you there. I promise you that over time, the temple will become a place of safety, solace, and revelation.

And to each of you who has made temple covenants, I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently—to understand temple covenants and ordinances. Spiritual doors will open. You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven. Your diligent efforts to do so will reinforce and strengthen your spiritual foundation.

I get it. No amount of going more often is going to make me like it more or feel more spiritually uplifted. Quite the opposite, in fact. I wish I could convince my wife of this.

Mahonri Moriancumer wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 22, 2022 2:00 pm

Brethren,

Might I remind you of the words of our dearly beloved prophet, even President Russell M. Nelson in a recent General Conference address:

If you don’t yet love to attend the temple, go more often—not less. Let the Lord, through His Spirit, teach and inspire you there. I promise you that over time, the temple will become a place of safety, solace, and revelation.

And to each of you who has made temple covenants, I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently—to understand temple covenants and ordinances. Spiritual doors will open. You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven. Your diligent efforts to do so will reinforce and strengthen your spiritual foundation.

I don't like getting hit on the head with a hammer, so I'm going to keep repeatedly hitting myself on the head with a hammer until I learn to like it and I start imagining I'm surrounded by invisible people.

I've become "that person" who, when asked (in person) about attending Polygamist Bricklayer "Wedding" Ceremonies, I reply: "I'm not invited, now am I?" I have seen a bit of confusion in the eyes of some when they actually let it sink in a little bit.

Rusty wrote:...I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently—to understand temple covenants and ordinances.

Well, CEO Nelson, you're Elohim's mouthpiece on earth, why don't you explain to us your "understanding" of the temple covenants and ordinances? What's that, you can't do that because even you yourself don't understand the temple covenants and ordinances, or where they really come from? Really? What good are you then, Russell?


I will never cease to be slightly amazed at how the Polygamy Palace is the absolute pinnacle of MORmON worship, and believers constantly fall all over themselves preaching about how wonderful it is, yet practically none of them have any clue what any of the temple BS means.

wtfluff wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 22, 2022 4:37 pm

... yet practically none of them have any clue what any of the temple BS means.

Yet without it, there is no way of entering Outer Whiteness.