MORMONS ONLY- what goes on in the temple?

Question

like im lds and always will be, but my good friend dropped the church because she found out more stuff in the temple then just the average mormons can know, i don't expect to hear what goes on from you, just something that explains why we cant tell the world about only some things because its sacred

Answer 1

This article on lds.org may be helpful for you:

http://lds.org/church/temples/why-we-build-temples?lang=eng



Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perform sacred ordinances for the living and for their deceased ancestors in the temples. These ordinances are the same ones mentioned in the Old Testament. So if anyone "drops the church" from the experience, they probably either do not understand the Bible or they are not ready to receive the ordinances as the Bible describes them.



Boyd K. Packer also wrote a good book on the temple, a link to it found here.

http://lds.org/temples/purpose/holy/0,11707,2028-1,00.html

Answer 2

Even though the temple ordinances were revealed to the world by covenant breakers, temple goers are still to keep these things sacred to themselves. This keeps them special to the individual. We actually covenant to not reveal them, even though we know that much of the practices are revealed to the world.



The temple covenants that are received through symbolic ordinances are powerful in their ability to change people. Once you receive your endowment, you will leave the temple feeling like a different person. you will feel much more committed to living the gospel. However, they are different from what you experienced thus far and it may take a couple of days to sink in.



If these ordinances are received without sufficient spiritual maturity, they can seem odd. Thus many people mock them. Christ said that the things of God are foolishness to man because the things of God are spiritually discerned. He also said to not cast your Perls before swine because they will trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you, kind of like some of the comments above.



Your friend who left the church did not have sufficient faith to accept the ordinances and thus was not prepared to receive them.



Anciently, Moses sought to bring the children of Israel into the presence of God but the people were fearful and would not come. So the ordinances of the Melchizedek priesthood were removed. The Israelite s were left with a preparatory gospel and the law of Moses to prepare them for a better day.



When we join the church, we are given the preparatory gospel of repentance and baptism which is administered by the preparatory or Aaronic priesthood. This is the same priesthood that John the baptist and the levites held. Once a member becomes spiritually mature, they are entitled to receive the ordinances of the Melchizedek priesthood which are in the temple and which prepare a person to come into the presence of God.



The Endowment symbolically takes you by the hand and leads you into the presence of God.



In reference to the statement above about Masons, I have read quite a bit about it. The institution of the masons can only be traced back a few hundred years, However, many of the strange practices can be traced back several thousand years. It is clear that the masonic rituals were kept since at least the days of Solomon.



I have compared the masonic rituals to the endowment. Though there are lots of physical similarities, the endowment brings life to the rituals. it is miraculous how the endowment takes the practices and produces powerful results.



Masons were very popular in the 1800's and earlier. Many members of the church were Masons as well as George Washington and many of the signers of the declaration of independence. There are masonic symbols on the dollar bilI. I believe that God introduced Joseph Smith to the masons so that he would understand how to administer the endowment.



By the way, concerning the comment about power hungry church leaders; I was a bishop for 5 years and I can assure you that church leaders are not called because of their hunger for power. I have seen president Monson's home in Hollady Utah. This leader of a many billion dollar organization lives in a modest home in a modest neighborhood. His house is probably worth about 300 thousand dollars. His neighbors call him Tommy Monson.

Answer 3

Because Temple ordinances were revealed by revelation a lot of stuff that people learn in the Temple is guided by revelation. In other words you basically get what you put into it. I suppose your friend put in other people's interpretations into the Temple, people by the way that were probably not Mormon or if they were Mormon, didn't get a good idea of the learning process of it and let it lead her/him astray. Why should you let people who are not Mormon or did not understand things in regards to the ordinances try and tell you what you understand about the Gospel lead you and guide you? Sounds downright stupid if you ask me.



Nephihah brings up a really good point about Christ and his Bread of Life sermon. My flesh is indeed meat and my blood is indeed drink. Plus the symbolism that Christ established with the Last Supper and establishment of the Sacrament. A lot of Mormons put too much of a routine but it's probably one of the main ordinances that is very symbolic. The fact that you have an altar or table covered with bread and water that is covered with a cloth and looks like a dead body should hint to you a good deal of symbolism of Christ's death and his body and blood that is representation of the bread and the water you partake of. The flesh and the blood of Christ indicate that your salvation is through him, Temple ordinances are very much the same. I think the main problems that a lot of Mormons have is that they don't realize that ordinances have a lot of ritual and symbol to them, probably the only ordinance that has a lot of ritual to it is the sacrament and I would have to say that it's ritual-lite in it's procedure.



If you're looking for info that meets under the guidelines of interest of the Temple, as was mentioned their is Temple prep classes.



Here's a couple of websites that don't go into details but might help understand things:

http://www.templestudy.com/

http://www.mormon-temple-ceremony.com/

Answer 4

I just got Baptized so I don't know, I haven't gotten to go to the Temple yet. I can't wait to though.

My friend says when you go there, you change into white clothes. Everyone there will be wearing white clothes. The temple is basically God's house. My friend has been baptized there several times for the dead. (Those spirits who have left their Earthly bodies before they were able to be baptized... also those who wanted to be Baptized but could not be in this life) That way they can be with God again when judgement comes.

Also, ordinances are given there. Missionary ordinances (for the Melchezidek priesthood)

That's what I know. I can't wait to go to the Temple though!

Answer 5

I've got two links for you.



The first has a word for word text of everything that goes on in the temple. I've been dozens of times and as far I as I can tell everything is correct. It doesn't have the temple videos or the audio, but you can basically make everything out through the text.

http://www.ldsendowment.org



The second link is an episode of HBO's Big Love. It has a temple scene that starts at 4:38. It shows the prayer circle, the veil, and the celestial room.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1s9zz3aL-s



Why it's so secret, I mean sacred, I couldn't tell you. Other things are considered sacred and everyone knows about them. Take a look at those things and you can know for yourself what goes on in the temple.



I was a true believer who went to the temple before my mission and I thought the temple was very strange as well. Most honest people will tell you that the temple is nothing that they expected it to be. I've never heard of anyone leaving the church because of the temple but I could see how it could happen.

Answer 6

http:www.mormon.org is one place to get basic information.



You could go to your nearest LDS Temples visitor center, and take a tour.



You could go to your Bishop, Home Teachers, your Priesthood Quorum President.



Additionally there are Temple Preparation classes in many Wards.



If there is some similarity between what Freemasons do, and what Mormons do, then this simply means that Freemasons have some truth to them. Freemasons trace their beginnings to the Temple of Solomon, and the Hebrew Temple in Egypt (something that Josephus wrote about). If you look at many Freemason buildings, there often is Egyptian symbols or architecture on the outside of these buildings.



If two students took a test, and these same two students have an answer that is similar to each other, this is not prima facie evidence that one or the other student is wrong. Nor is it necessarily the case that one student was copying from the other. It might mean that both have done their research, and both are correct.



Many X-Mormons lurch on to Anti-Mormon screed, to justify their own lack of a testimony of the truth. Jesus Christ offended people when He said.. that one must eat His flesh, and drink His blood, to be a true follower of His.



What Jesus Christ was talking about was an ordinance. Jesus Christ was talking about symbols... and this is now known as Sacrament.



The nature of a symbol is this. A symbol is not the thing. A symbol is a representation of the thing. Only those pure in heart can know of things in Heaven. If you are wicked of heart, and you try to understand the things of God, you will most assuredly fail.



God gives wisdom to whom He will. Only one is good, said Jesus Christ, and that is God. To be good, one must be wise. To be wise one must live the commandments of God, and by so doing, bring down the power of God, into your life.



The Power of God, is for the purpose of healing the sick of body, and the sick of spirit, and to make a person whole before the Lord God Of Israel.



With God nothing is impossible, therefor, all wisdom can be yours, if you follow His Commandments, and Obey God's highest virtues, the highest virtue of all being Charity.



Some things you can learn by reading a book. Some things you can go to College and learn. There are other things however, that can only be revealed by almighty God, same as it was in former times, so it is in these the Latter Days.



Just going to the Temple does not guarantee that you will learn anything. Fakers will learn nothing. And they who enter the Lord God's Temple unworthily, will drive themselves from the true Church of Jesus Christ... no one will have to drive them away. They will do that themselves.



If you want wisdom then pursue righteousness with full purpose of heart. And then you will have both wisdom and righteousness. And then anything that ask you will receive, as long as you have faith the size of a mustard seed.



And faith the size of a mustard seed can move Mountains.



Therefor any sin that you may have can be overcome, because God's power is sufficient to overcome all sin in every human that now lives or has lived, or ever will live.



Thus the upward spiral to Eternity is available to all... even to a Prostitute who would have the nerve to wash Jesus's feet with her hair and her tears.



The power of Jesus Christ is infinite. And His Holy House is the Temple, and that is why Mormons build Temples to God, just as the Israelites did.



The Mason's are a fraternal organization and they have their purpose. THE Church Of JESUS CHRIST Of Latter Day Saints has it's purpose.



And what is the grand purpose of the LDS Church?



To perfect imperfect man. Because God is Perfect and Powerful, that is why this can be done.



The LDS Temple was expressly created to help in that upward spiral process.



The stairway to Heaven... is accessible to all who show enough faith to live Jesus Christ's holy and eternally righteous Commandments.

Answer 7

How about an ex-mormon who's been through the temple hundreds of times?



What "goes on" there are a rather lengthy set of rituals, taken from the Freemasons, that involve repetition of "passwords," secret handshakes, some rather odd robes, aprons, and hats, and a few other things. The secret handshakes and passwords used to each have a "death penalty gesture" associated with them (we did them all when I was going through in the 1970's), but the church removed those in the 1990's because they were freaking too many people out.



The whole "it's sacred not secret" thing is more than a little silly, since you can go on the internet and read the entire ceremony (including all of the changes made over the years, and there have been a lot), and even watch a video of it.



Having been raised in the church, going to the temple for the first time was a real shock to me -- it wasn't anything like the "jesus wants me for a sunbeam" church I thought I had grown up in. I tried my best to accept it, but it was just so darned odd, and so obviously made-up, that a few years after going through (and investigating other things), I Ieft the church for good.



Just google "mormon temple ceremony" and you can read about the whole thing.



Peace.

Answer 8

i'm not completely sure what goes on in the temple (i'm not lds) but i have taken lessons from the missionaries just to learn more about the religion. so don't get me wrong here, i'm going to make this as clear as i can so i don't offend. i think the mormon people are absolutely wonderful. every mormon i've met is helpful, polite, respectful, generous....the list could go on. i also believe that the people practicing the religion have very good intentions and mean no harm. but (here it comes!) i do think the people higher up (bishops, profits, etc...) are corrupt. i've learned about many things that the mormons had a part of that they (not the people, just the higher ups) cover up. the mormons are taught to obey the profits without question so sometimes the profits will make an announcement for people to, say, donate money to a candidate they want to win because they say it's 'the will of god'.

Answer 9

Go to these YouTubes under the Church's own YouTube account (Mormon Messages) and they will tell you what is there to be known about the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLXYxmaHWQs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x_-TQivCx8&feature=relmfu



Any other Church-related questions, go to http://www.mormon.org and http://www.lds.org which are the Church's official web sites.

Answer 10

I would encourage you to read "The Holy Temple" by Boyd K Packer - it will help you understand what happens in the temple. Beyond that, talk to your bishop/branch president, etc - they can share some information with you.

This is not a good place to get info - as too much of it has been corrupted by those who mock sacred things.



best wishes

Answer 11

What goes on in the temple? A bunch of Freemason ceremonies ripped off by Joseph Smith.

Answer 12

"then the average mormons can know,".......



I think your friend is feeding you a line, or they've found their excuse they've been looking for to leave.



While Jesus Christ did very few things in secret, there were times when what occurred was so sacred that he didn't want it discussed openly with others—in at least one case, even with other apostles. This is also true today among the Latter-day Saints concerning the temple.

A Biblical case in point is what occurred on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-9). There, God the Father's voice was heard testifying that Jesus was His Beloved Son. Moses and Elias also appeared to the three apostles and Jesus on that occasion. Later, Christ admonished Peter, James and John to "tell the vision to no man, until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead" (Matt. 17:9). Clearly he was telling them that the truths they had been taught in this glorious experience shouldn't be discussed with others.



On other occasions the Lord told his disciples "that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ," (Matt 16:20, Mark 7:36, Luke 9:21). Sometimes, after he performed miraculous healings, Christ required that the event be kept secret. For instance, after healing a leper (Matt. 8:2-4), he said, "see thou tell no man," (Mark 5:43, Mark 7:36). The Lord counseled us in the Sermon on the Mount to pray and fast in secret, promising that "thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly" (Matt. 6:18).



In John 7:10 we have Christ going somewhere in secret, not openly. He made a clandestine journey from Galilee to Jerusalem to attend the feast of tabernacles. John's account tells us that "when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret."



Not all of us are at the same point in our spiritual maturity. That is why Christ said, regarding his parables, that some are ready to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven, but to others "it is not given" (Matt 13:11). The Bible clearly teaches that people need to be prepared for knowledge of greater truth before it is revealed. As the author of Hebrews wrote, some are still babes in Christ and are ready only for milk are not yet ready for meat (Heb. 5:12-14). How are they to receive the "meat"? In sacred places, such as the temple!



Paul, himself, when he was caught up into paradise, heard unspeakable words, which were "not lawful for a man to utter" (2 Cor. 12:4).



Nephi beheld "great things, yea, even too great for man," and he recorded that "I was bidden that I should not write them" (2 Ne. 4:25).



Surely in God's timetable there is a time that all shall be revealed. But for now our spiritual learning still comes to us line upon line, as we are ready.



When people aren't ready for the more sacred things that God has for them, they are instructed to ponder the things which they have already received before being given more (3 Ne. 17:2, 3).



This was true in Old and New Testament times, in Book of Mormon times, and is still true today. After we read and study the Book of Mormon, then we will have the sealed portion, not before.



Christ reveals his word to one when he is ready—not before. Once revealed, it is no longer secret to the one who has received the new knowledge—only to the one not ready.



The sacred instructions Latter-day Saints receive in their temples are given as a preparation for their entry into the heavenly realms of glory, after their death and resurrection. Brigham Young gave this explanation of the purpose of the covenants which Latter-day Saints make in their holy temples:



Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell. (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 2, p. 31.)

Answer 13

I'm Atheist.

Answer 14

Most of it is online now in accurate reproductions by ex Mormons.



There is also a 'Second Anointing' that is very secret even from most Mormons. Only the very top guys - stake/mission presidents and above are eligible. It gives them their 'calling made sure', so they are promised the celestial kingdom regardless of what they do.



http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon508.htm

Answer 15

a lot of hand holding with old people thereby transfering warts to your innocent clean hands.