Jesus said there was nothing else needed. I believe the continued temple emphasis by the Church exists mainly as a way to keep members attending and paying money. Though one may perform more of her operations more closely to the center than the other that is not to say that one is therefore above the other. Callings in the baptistry and ordinance support continue to be made by the temple president. In possessing a land [Canaan], the meat [Shepherds, flocks] go first to traverse and fertilize the land. I truly have no idea where your argument is coming from, and no, you shouldnt be surprised that people who read the text itself interpret it differently than you do. It felt so odd to sit in the same place I remember my dad and father in law sitting at my wedding. (All causes that those do-gooders seem so invested in.) To say otherwise sounds like toxic positivity to me. I just sit in dread the whole time until its over with. I also realized after reading this blog post that I havent talked to any Millennials or Gen Zers about their temple experiences, and I wonder how these modifications have changed the temple experience for them. 3 & 4) no witness couple is fine I guess, although the participatory elements (including the other ones eliminated) will probably make it more likely people will snooze through the whole thing, esp with 13 extra minutes of REM cycle Started Phase 1 June 15, 2020; Phase 2 Aug. 31, 2020; Phase 2-B June 21, 2021; and Phase 3 July 5, 2021. (The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service. Read about the dedication at Church News. I could also say that now where is it proclaimed in our doctrine that only women are to bear children. While attendees see images of the galaxies on screen, they hear the voices of Elohim, Satan and Jesus discussing how to save humanity. All positive changes. November 25, 2022 - Christmas lights are on at LDS Temple Square in SLC despite the ongoing construction November 18, 2022 - Temple Square Offers Christmas Experiences Despite Construction September 26, 2022 - Temple Update: Historic Temple Square Renovation Continues You can see one example with Pilgrims Progress and the main character Christian, which is a stand in for the reader. And that God knew in some things wed choose poorly. With that in mind, when what consider that which is most sacred above all it should be obvious why the woman is at the fulcrum of eternitythe center. So theres that. That means I no longer have to apply the mental gymnastics you just applied to make myself feel a little more equal to my husband and men in the church. (3) D&C 132 is not about monogamous sealings, full-stop. Today's announcement means 12 temples will move from Phase 1 to Phase 2 which includes individuals receiving living child-to-parent sealings and own-endowment ordinances. As we have continued to seek the direction of the Lord on this matter, President Nelson said, we have been impressed to modify our earlier plans for the Manti Utah Temple so that the pioneer craftsmanship, artwork, and character will be preserved, including the painted murals loved by so many. And that someone with failings, like me, through Christ, enters in. Why not work to build something, anything, up, as opposed to dismantling what was not fulfilling for you? Maybe thats true, maybe it isnt, but it really seems to be the case, I just dont think we should be denigrating men for needing training we dont! My interviewees said this happened near the end of the ceremony, and also during the prayer circle. This is their choice. And unifying men and women in an eternal complimentary relationship is the key to eternal life and felicity. In addition to sacred garments worn every day, adult members of the Church wear ceremonial clothing inside temples as part of these sacred ordinances, or ceremonies. @Travis, your post reminds me that Satan now tells Adam and Eve that they are naked, but he no longer tells them to make aprons. Thats part of why I dont really care much either. 3) Im guessing the changes were motivated by our ever-changing society, and their impact will be that people living in said society will better understand the things Father wants us to know. I have not attended in three years and will surrender my recommend after a certain wedding I am waiting for. I was not looking forward to going, and was horrified by the idea of having to wear garments afterward. I have real life experience with this both with my husband and bishops. During October 2021 general conference, the prophet announced 13 temples, bringing the total number of temples announced this year to 34. Kristi, Particularly, the bishops right. True informed consent would be along the lines of yes, youre making these 5 covenants but youre also saying that if you dont live up the the letter of the law in every way youll be in Satans power. Another was the mocking of the Catholic priest. We must live the gospel in order to get it. Thats what covenant making has to do with primarily; its a way of drawing us into living in a manner prescribed by Deity without violating our agency. @lws, that whole series (I think its in 6 parts) is really good and eye-opening. Thats an automatic net negative for me. I also agree with others that its pointless to have the part explaining the covenants at the beginning with the option to leave. I want a re-do on my wedding! But keeping preside in the sealing ceremony keeps women in the one down position regardless of Elder Soares desire to soften and change the meaning of preside. The temple district has been given Phase 3 status as of July 5, 2021. Yea I understand that in theory you can talk about it in sacred settings but nobody does so its a very strong implied and very much enforced contract. As far as I can tell, the temple ceremony is something Joseph Smith came up with, after becoming a Mason, and he used it as a loyalty test for followers and a way to launder his secret plural marriages. Of course not, but we see things as we see them, and his perceptions are every bit as valid as yours. And promise not to tell this secret handshake or forfeit my life.um, shades of the Gadianton Robbers and werent they the bad guys? Even if I had to work so she could stay home with my kids, it would be better than what we have now. The indoctrination to temple worship works very well for keeping people in line and for paying tithing to an organization that no longer needs our money but does need our commitment to keep relevant. Why, then, have changes been made to it several times since it was first revealed? The 2019 slide show was gone and no movie replaced it. Rest assured the Church & temple remain steadfastly sexist , (Tongue in cheek but I do appreciate your comment. . I suppose thats the best outcome we could hope for, short of Church leaders actually admitting that the previous versions were coercive and manipulative. It is something *else* besides faith in Jesus, baptism, and repentance that is needed to return to our Father. A much better framing. Unless you are a male primary teacher, no man in the church has to be accountable to a woman for how he carries out his calling. Ive long complained that in the narrative of the endowment, Christ is at best a minor character who does little more than delegate instructions. It just feels like we are being gaslit with these changes that are inconsequential and seem designed to stir interest in going through again just to see whats new. More sanitized, more sterile, more boring. In a major change, LDS Church . This just feels like Nelson likes tinkering with the temple, because none of these feel impactful enough to bother changing everything. You lost me at 13 minutes longer Elisa. I want to add that the church certainly doesnt treat women as equal, not in final decisions in our ward stakes or in the whole church. So much yes to that. I really dont mean to be rude, but your explanation sounds like metaphysical mumbo jumbo to me. Very cringey. Interesting discussion with linking Jewish symbolism to temple ritual. But a well-meaning elder instructed me, in a Priesthood blessing, not to get married yet. No more waiting. The problem is that people tended to ignore the Prophets teachings: just because we need to support the doctrine of plural marriage doesnt mean every individual has to personally enter into a plural marriage. Even so, I would say that it at least places her at the center of creation inlieu of of anything else that might be said (about the arrangement). The hoped for light and knowledge, even after hundreds of sessions and effort on my part, never really came. (Hey 2019 bloggers, update your posts, THE TEMPLE IS STILL SEXIST.). Were thrilled that the Churchs historic sites will be open to visitors this summer, Church Historian and Recorder Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. of the Seventy told Newsroom. The prayer included a blessing that the attendees would want to return and serve in the temple often. See photos of the missionaries arriving at the Provo MTC at LDS Living. However this story doesnt eliminate the negatives of my other family polygamy story. There is less movement as a whole. Complimentary relationships are nowhere in our doctrine.. LDS Endowment This website provides access to current and historical texts of the endowment, without exposing those few portions of the ceremony that are explicitly reserved for initiates. I dont get how you could read the New Testament and think any of this makes any sense. The biggest improvement Ive read about is the informed consent. The Tribune articlewhich, sorry Trib, I usually love you but that piece reads more like a puff piece than journalismalso says the changes increase gender equity in the temple ceremony, but I have yet to hear anything that supports that conclusion. Youre rightI was conflating the switch to the slide show in 2019 with the (presumed) covid changes in 2020. My recommend lapsed during COVID, and I no longer attend church. By. Informed consent. THE MORMON TEMPLE ENDOWMENT CEREMONY . One full year has passed since their confirmation. In Judaism, the emphasis of covenant is kinship, and the central metaphor is marriage, unity, at-one-ment. Its not all about us, folks! I like learning from you even if we might have a different perspective. A telestial atonement for a terrestrial embodiment. So hearing they went to slide shows sounded like they took out the only interesting thing. President Russell M. Nelson recently celebrated the reopening of every temple that isnt under construction or undergoing renovations. First of all, plural marriage is a *form* of polygamy, but is not exactly the same; and secondly, while it is a *part* of the new and everlasting covenant, it has never been equivalent to it. Photo by Ravell Call, Deseret News. I love a good discussion where every angle of a problem is honestly and openly examined. I dont think its fair to automatically equate new and everlasting covenant with polygamy. Its a scientifically documented technique to control behavior which targets and subordinates the conscience to authoritya manipulating of the mindsomething Jesus would not dobesides its being incongruent. 3) Minimal effect. And the third is assuring that the efforts [and] activities of the Choir align with the mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To me adding pictures of Jesus to the endowment misses the point when correcting the problem that the endowment has nothing to do with Jesus and the atonement. I feel bored, discounted and coerced by those who ask me to sit in silence and believe everything someone in authority says. Still, I did it and felt pressured and hypocritical. The robe, cap, sash and envelope will be made of the same material. I think every person in this organization is just so very much looking forward to being back together. A lot has happened in the Church this past year, and between the announcements, callings, and changes due to COVID its hard to keep track of them all. This can just as easily suggest that he could have scooped these rituals and symbolism from several sources. Does that men the Church is sexist against men? Adam and Eve are coregentsthough obviously different in some of their functions. I remember putting on my veil and trying to tie the bow above my ear per the instructions, when my mom said that was just for the men. @jack, nope, nope, nope, and nope. If everything in the temple werent so very rigid and formalized, this isnt the sort of change that youd even notice. Even at the height of plural marriages in mortality, the men in Utah outnumbered the women, so it would have been physically impossible for that to happen. Maybe you dont experience that as problematic, but I dont think theres an argument that there is equality in the way men and women are represented in the temple. He would occasionally come to dinner but he never spoke to my great grandmother. The Lord responds by giving him the new and everlasting covenant. Missed yours @Glendale. At least the slide show will send fewer missionaries confessing to their mission presidents. I did family history for 40 years and loved it. Other interviews seemed to confirm one presentation or the other, leading me to suspect that there are at least two different versions of this part of the ceremony and that the church is working to depict greater racial diversity. My dad also gave me a completely inadequate overview of the temple the morning of. Nothing in our actual doctrine says women are more sacred than men, except these sort of statements leaders put out to tell us to quit complaining about our status. I do have issue with the men in suits who claim to be the mouthpieces of God when they are in fact simply turning their own opinions into doctrine and dogmaat the expense of those ordinary Mormons (who I love) and my predominantly Mormon community (which I cant escape). @Travis, Im not really on the same page with you about a lot of the temple stuff, but I do love the way you frame covenant. I went to the temple this year for the first time in some years. Tacloban City, Philippines. The temple ceremony changed in 1990 to remove the promise that women were to obey their husbands, and again in early 2019 to jettison the language that they were to hearken to their husbands while their husbands hearkened to God. A prominent place. I guess it helps me have more empathy for how liberals might have felt during the administration of right wing conservative Ezra Taft Benson. Say it.. In the hierarchy of the church we women are only gifted with the choice to submit and consent, or to withhold our consent and be seen as disrespectful (and be destroyed). I feel sad because I loved the idea of eternal family. If you are dissatisfied with your temple experience, do these changes move the needle for you? They will no longer feel special. (Thankfully, the president refused and helped him through it, but thats not really the point.) During his Sunday afternoon remarks in October 2021 general conference, President Nelson spoke about the importance of temples, saying, As I emphasized this morning, please make time for the Lord in His holy house. I also believe that thinking and considering religion in an honest way can help you think in a more grey, flexible way. But I got acclimated to it with time and the elimination of the throat slitting gestures helped. My interviewees said that despite some time-consuming elements being cut, such as the passing of tokens by hand to everyone in the room, the additions mean the endowment is running about the same length it was shortened to in 2019, roughly 90 to 105 minutes. Im sure a lot of people equated them, 150 years agoperhaps even some of the prophetsbut the Doctrine and Covenants make it *extremely* clear that they are different, and Im very surprised that anyone still thinks they arent. The only way to fix the endowment is to accept that it was not what Jesus told us was needed and throw it out as false. Still hasnt happened, and theyve finally stopped trying to get me to come in for an interview. There are too many positive symbolic usages of the fig tree (IMO) for me to let go of its sacred connotations. The letter outlines requirements for mission presidents, stake presidents, district presidents, bishops, and branch presidents officiating in the marriage. Lots of minor changes in language that are interesting and mostly positive, but it was hard to keep track of them all. A TV was added in my temple so they could show the handshake at the appropriate time. 2021, 4:00 p.m. . @Codeye, yep. Elisa, They feel a desire to receive and honor sacred temple covenants throughout their lives. Strikethroughs are used to indicate deleted passages, . https://bycommonconsent.com/2021/10/28/she-shall-believe-or-she-shall-be-destroyed-dc-121-and-132/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints instituted a number of revisions last week to the temple endowment ceremony. I stood in a prayer circle with sister missionaries a couple of times and no one said boo about it. Ward and and stake boundaries are established according to how many priesthood holders pay tithes in the area. Our church leaders clearly intend that or they would not refer to the new & everlasting covenant. But the New and Everlasting covenant of Marriage is a complementary relationship. Elisa, the ordinances of the endowment bestow upon both men and women the same powerstheyre identical. It is exclusively about plural marriage. @Holly: I have had many friends (sadly) leave their religious faiths, but it seems only Latter-Day Saints care enough to stick around and blog, gossip, speculate, comment, rehash, reassign, and reassault those who simply enjoy their religion. Huh. Well, yes. @kristi, those are big topics and I dont have the emotional energy to go into them all, especially because there is so much already written about those topics so I will mostly be sharing links. The Church, as always, will condemn The Worlds evil philosophy of gender equality (because eternal truths), and then when the battle is lost, it will embrace the change (because ongoing restoration). rules, Utes seeing transfer portals impact on college gymnastics, revisions last week to the temple endowment ceremony, David Bednars refreshingly open General Conference talk in 2019, Dialogue article for a history of those shifts, temple building during church President Russell M. Nelson. When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. In the past, a part of the temple ceremony was modeled by a witness couple, usually but not always a husband and wife, who were asked shortly beforehand to step into that role. Learn more about how the Primary General Presidencys service impacted the children of the Church at LDS Living. (Ill add that a half dozen years later, my wife cried on her endowment day prior to our wedding, so upset I knew her new name but she couldnt know minealong with all of the other things. Perhaps the heavy use of symbolism in the temple has for some become a hindrance in a world where blunt, unscripted and in your face "reality" is causing young people to lose the ability to comprehend let alone appreciate the form of teaching found in the temple. He piggy backs on virtue in order to get the job done. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Ive not done a sealing session since that change was made. If the bishop were a woman, would it be sexist for her to release a man that thought differently? In April 2021 general conference, President Nelson announced 20 temples worldwide. That said, I believe that wearing the apron at the adversarys behest is not unlike Eve partaking of the fruit. You make some points that polygamy was used by some families in a positive way. On August 6, Mike Leavitt was called as president of The Tabernacle Choir. Finally, I think you may also have misunderstood my statement about the new and everlasting covenant. But I hope to never endure another endowment session. Sometimes my accent wasnt understood I couldnt even order food alone, just had to point. The sexism piece is if you are saying those differences justify the basic inequity between men and women in final decision making opportunities in the church. But over time with tithing being part of the gatekeeper for a recommend and my ex still going to the temple because she didnt earn any money and me not going because I didnt pay tithing but paid my/her bills instead, I quit going in the early 90s. Senior service missionaries live at home and serve for a minimum of six months for eight to 40 hours a week. I applaud the changes and know they personally helped me gain a better understanding of the purpose of life and the plan for us to be able to return to the presence of the Father. @not a cougar, I thought there was some weird rule that elders and sisters couldnt pair up for the prayer circle. Anyone familiar with LDS doctrine should easily equate Jehovah in the endowment with Jesus, so I dont know what some pictures of Jesus are really going to add. The church immediately switched to the slide show, and then in April 2019, Van Wagenen was charged with sexual abuse of another child. Sorry folks use that stupid down-thumb social-blog-control mechanism, I like your comments. Your sexism across multiple threads is extremely disturbing, disgusting, and out of place. I dont get why you think that evens things out. This couple represents each of you as if you were at the altar . Dont care? The work is truly remarkable and is being guided by the First Presidency. Too much has fallen apart in the interim. The woman is veiled within the stewardship of the man as a matter of protecting and navigating sacred space. I dont know how anyone could take a tour of this temple and not be moved by the presence of God in Christ. Dont we have a Father who knows us as individuals? Thats all well and good as long as men choose well. New book outlines what to expect at a temple ceremony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was not a comfortable experience. Maybe it got throughhence the cover up. He used Masonry as a common fraternal society, necessary for the recruitment of labor and voluntary work, and also to embark on settling sovereign landthats it. The gospel and the temple bring me abundant peace and radiant joy. In my opinion, no amount of Jesus pictures (which I assume would be the Caucasian version) inserted into the presentation, can mask the fact that the Christ the Church claims to follow would have no interest in the opulence of temples or in what takes place there. Of course, Im guessing. 2) No effect. Should the Saints be better? According to a Newsroom press release, FSY conferences include activities, devotionals, and classes that help youth strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ. Why do men relate directly to God but women only in the new and everlasting covenant? And in particular given the context where previously the language was queens and priestesses unto their husbands? These changes may not seem like much, but consider that we are only one generation removed from temple ceremonies that consisted of mock ritual suicide and inappropriate touching. I meant to write meditation, not mediation. That is our choice in the frames of D&C 132, and often that is how our choices are administered in the framework and culture of the church. I went through in 1971, so I did the obey covenant. Listing the 5 covenants made while youre sitting down with your family right before a wedding or mission is not informed consent. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Let me share an example: almost 30 years ago, a man I know was a full-time missionary when President Hinckley gave a General Conference talk about the women of the Church. Just one month later, he announced the Ephraim Utah Temple. True story, my MTC district compared which Eves were hotter and how many wet dreams they caused. Just trust us! I havent been to the temple for over a decade. I bought a wedding dress with sheer sleeves, not knowing it was a little unacceptable. So, no. For me personally, however, the greatest evidence that Joseph was tuned into the ancient Israelite temple, is his tactful coordination of the first temple ordinances, directly with the Hebrew calendar and the ancient Israelite Festivals (King, Calendar, and Covenant: Joseph Smith, Restored Temple Ordinances, and Israelite Temple Festivals https://academia.edu/resource/work/94819636).

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