Anyone want to discuss the changes to the temple?

[Red Ryder]

I read through the Reddit posts that described the temple changes that were implemented yesterday.

Here’s a decent write up off Reddit.

https://reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments ... ent_video/

Seems like lipstick on a pig.

However one that seems interesting is they no longer describe the law of chastity within husband and wife terms. It just says to whom lawfully married.

Some are speculating that this sets it up for future gay marriage? I don’t think that’s the case but rather takes away the focus on the heterosexual requirements.

Another change is Adam and Eve are now the witness couple and can be seen wearing the temple costume on screen.

Jesus now plays a more significant character role than before.

They’ve modernized some of the language. “Yonder” has been removed from the creation scene. LOL

[nibbler]

Frequent mentions of symbolic - probably because so many orthodox members in the past dutifully interpreted things literally and that's caused some issues. "Wait, how did Peter, James, and John have a body?" I think most everyone that went through the temple during the literal interpretation period has thought of that question.

Frequent mentions of covenant - because the church in the year 2023 can't go two minutes without saying the word covenant. Maybe that's the only answer that they have for why the church is useful, because they're the gatekeepers to covenants. Gotta really talk up covenants to convince people of the need for them, with the implication that they are then required to engage with the church.

They're still doing a slideshow? How janky is that? Maybe they're waiting until all the changes have been rolled out before going to the trouble, indicating that maybe more changes are coming in the next few years.

[lostinmiddlemormonism]

God wants his people attend the temple to learn of him and commands temple attendance.

God is upset when people change his ordinances

God removes the temple from the earth

God restores the temple ordinances to Joseph Smith. It is absolutely critical that the temple ordinances be communicated in word perfect order

If an individual presenting the endowment messes up the wording it is important that they repeat it until they get it right (think sacrament prayers)

It is SO important that it is word for word correct that it is better to record the Endowment into a video presentation so that it is presented exactly correctly

Church leaders change the endowment to remove penalties

Church leaders change the endowment covenant language

Church leaders change the endowment presentation and remove the video

Church leaders change the endowment as to who presents what

Church leaders change the endowment to include more references to Jesus

Why was it important for God to restore it to Joseph word for word again...I'm lost?

-lost

[lostinmiddlemormonism]

...also PowerPoint....how very 1990!

-lost

[AllieOop]

They're still doing a slideshow?

When did it become just a slideshow? I wasn't aware of that!

[nibbler]

They're still doing a slideshow?

When did it become just a slideshow? I wasn't aware of that!

The internet says it was Jan 1, 2019.

[Just This Guy]

Is the whole thing a slide show?

Wasn't the 2019 change a slideshow into at the start of the endowment and then live action film after that? Did the whole thing go the power point route or am I miss understanding this?

[2bizE]

Does the slideshow make a beep sound when it is time to move to the next slide?

Does the church try to make it sound like a covenant to wear garments 24/7? Remember wearing garments was only an instruction.

[malkie]

Does the slideshow make a beep sound when it is time to move to the next slide?

Does the church try to make it sound like a covenant to wear garments 24/7? Remember wearing garments was only an instruction.

Are you stuck back in the days of the flannelboard?

[RubinHighlander]

Wow, what a joke. I think they went to slides because some bean counter at HQ showed they could save a million on production costs of a new film.
It's the same BS they pulled when they got rid of all the janitorial staff and had the members start scrubbing the toilets in the ward houses.

"I will buy up Florida and Utah and lots of other real-estates, shell corporations, lawyers and policies to oppress, church broke politicians to rule and reign with power on this earth!"

[wtfluff]

...
Seems like lipstick on a pig.
...

This ^ is all the "discussion" necessary.

They're still doing a slideshow?

When did it become just a slideshow? I wasn't aware of that!

The internet says it was Jan 1, 2019.

The slideshow came about after the producer of the last round of "films" got busted for being a child predator.

[nibbler]

Is the whole thing a slide show?

Wasn't the 2019 change a slideshow into at the start of the endowment and then live action film after that? Did the whole thing go the power point route or am I miss understanding this?

I haven't done an endowment session since the change but my understanding is that all the parts that once were a movie are now a slideshow of still images. IIRC, I think that the thing before the session that you're referring to was a disembodied voice telling you not to talk about temple changes, then they started the slideshow.

It's always hard to guess at motivation but at the time mine was that Nelson wanted to fast track some temple changes under his leadership but didn't want to wait around for a new movie to be produced before he could enact them. Now I'm starting to feel like there's a slideshow because it allows them to overhaul the endowment. Like if they shortened up one section by a full 30 seconds there'd be no worries about how they were going to edit the film, they'd just change the recording, shorten the length of time an image was onscreen, and presto. Change enacted.

I'd take the reintroduction of a film to be a signal that they were done tinkering.

Another more charitable explanation I've heard is that it allows for accommodation of more verbose languages. Like in Spanish it may take five extra seconds to say the same thing and rather than bake in a delay of 5 seconds on a film for all languages, the Spanish version of the slideshow pads where it needs to pad.

[moksha]

It made perfect sense to change return and report to Iink enclosed.

[Red Ryder]

When did it become just a slideshow? I wasn't aware of that!

The internet says it was Jan 1, 2019.

The slideshow came about after the producer of the last round of "films" got busted for being a child predator.

Yup. He’s in jail now.

The Director was the founder of the Sundance film festival. Just look up Sundance film festival founder arrested.

[AllieOop]

They're still doing a slideshow?

When did it become just a slideshow? I wasn't aware of that!

The internet says it was Jan 1, 2019.

Wow....I had no idea. I wonder why they stopped using the movies. Seems like a step backwards

[AllieOop]

Yup. He’s in jail now.

The Director was the founder of the Sundance film festival. Just look up Sundance film festival founder arrested.

Ok, I do remember that now. But no one else could direct them? LOL

Is there still music at least?

[sparky]

Yup. He’s in jail now.

The Director was the founder of the Sundance film festival. Just look up Sundance film festival founder arrested.

Ok, I do remember that now. But no one else could direct them? LOL

Is there still music at least?

The church seems to have entered a cost-cutting phase and is doing everything with the goal of maximizing profit. Almost like it's been acquired by one of those private equity firms that buys up brands and businesses and sucks them dry. Almost like the Ensign Peak managers are having a strong influence on decision making.

All that to say, movie making costs a lot of money, and the draw of the temple is not to go see a great film, it's simply to go to the temple. Why spend money on a movie when a cheap slideshow has no negative impact on attendance numbers?

[Hagoth]

Why spend money on a movie when a cheap slideshow has no negative impact on attendance numbers?

I wonder if the temple experience consisted in sitting in an uncomfortable chair in an empty room for an hour, how many people would keep attending regularly and raving about how fulfilling and enlightening it is.

[AllieOop]

All that to say, movie making costs a lot of money, and the draw of the temple is not to go see a great film, it's simply to go to the temple. Why spend money on a movie when a cheap slideshow has no negative impact on attendance numbers?

Yup....I think you're right. I imagine if the director of the movies hadn't been arrested & convicted, they would still be using his movies. (But then, maybe not if there have been changes made to the endowment.)

[Ghost]

I wonder if the temple experience consisted in sitting in an uncomfortable chair in an empty room for an hour, how many people would keep attending regularly and raving about how fulfilling and enlightening it is.

I remember thinking at one point that I might enjoy visiting the temple more if I could just sit in a quiet room and read/think/pray instead of having to always be doing something. I got that chance sometimes when I was a temple worker for a few years, and it was nice. (Nowadays I'd prefer just reading at a park or something.)

I recently had a relative tell me that there are exciting things going on lately at church (clearly suggesting in a roundabout way that I should consider returning to activity). I can only assume that they were referring to changes like this, but I didn't ask.