lds temple ceremony changes 2021

I may have rushed to judgement a bit. The motions of how my life would be taken if I revealed anything was just so cultish. 6) Im not sure which vestiges are in and which are out; personally, Im not bothered by the Masonic roots, but I dont think its great that church leaders have believed that the Masonic stuff was actually from the time of Solomon, or the other elements where we seem to be cosplaying ancient Israel which is a flavor of cultural appropriation that some take far too seriously 4) Is there any plausible argument remaining that the temple ceremony is of ancient, unchanging origin? Very cringey. Always felt the cultural secrecy was silly. Its an interesting acceleration that matches the explosion of Latter-day Saint temple building during church President Russell M. Nelsons administration. Its still manipulative and coercive; these changes feel more like a half hearted concession to advocates for change. It seems to me that everything leads to the ultimate ordinance: sealing of a couple into the new and everlasting covenant, i.e., polygamy. 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. Temple Changes and Trickle Up Revelation - Wheat & Tares We just dont understand that North America, for many, many millions of people, is NOT the center of the universe! I dont want to make this an argument, but I think you may have misunderstood my point about sexism, perhaps because were coming from different foundations. No touching until the end. And so the apron is a symbol of our imperfection. To say otherwise sounds like toxic positivity to me. Latter-day Saints believe that the Temple endowment is an eternal ordinance that Joseph Smith received by revelation from God. Imagine that. The top 10 changes President Russell M. Nelson has made in the LDS church The hoped for light and knowledge, even after hundreds of sessions and effort on my part, never really came. If preferred, members may still continue to use their current ceremonial clothing. The broadcast concluded with a message from President Nelson. As for me, I find it hard to believe that an essential ordinance of salvation and all the vicarious work that Mormons have attached to it did not merit a single mention by a prophet in the Bible. Heres a look at some of the announcements and other events that have taken place in the Church over the past 12 months. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) . Therein, Mormons are instructed that the knowledge, tokens, and signs obtained within the temple will provide passage through the veil into . Thanks for engaging. But I agree with Chadwick. The missionaries received a week of online instruction from home before their in-person training. That would certainly give an incentive for lots of males to go to the temple more often. . 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). Thats how the adversary does his work. In January, the First Presidency and Apostles and their wives over the age of 70 received the COVID-19 vaccine. Ive never felt the Church nor the temple to be sexist, unless one conflates sexism with recognizing that men and women are different (which I would hope we all do). @fred if its any comfort to you, I have asked multiple people and none have any clue what that Trib article is referring to. Its not fun to be out of step. @Elisa I think I read that in the sealing part that husband and wife now give themselves to each other. Superimposing a photo of Jesus on top of a satanic symbol is still a satanic symbol. It is interesting to see how folks on both sides of the Great Woke Divide experience these things.). Unspecified changes underway for Mormon temple ceremony According to a Newsroom press release, FSY conferences include activities, devotionals, and classes that help youth strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ. Find the names of the General Authority Seventies who were released at Newsroom. Multiple reminders that this is symbolic. I stood in a prayer circle with sister missionaries a couple of times and no one said boo about it. Just dont throw the baby out with the bathwater. If your foremothers only focused on the downsides of their husbands having other wives, I can see it would be a net negative; but there are *huge* downsides to monogamy, too! 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. Its been a long 18 months apart. The Mormon temple ceremony is still awesome, even with the changes. If that be the case, Im very sorry to hear that; but Im honestly not sure how that would be possible. Eve, for example, has a new line in which she talks about the blessings Latter-day Saints will receive if they are obedient. Them it just got changed and we werent supposed to even talk about it or ask why. Read more about the temple announcements at LDS Living. Sure, it *could* be, but it shouldnt be the default assumption. Thats ultimately what the apron representsIMO. 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. The whole chapter begins with Joseph asking questions about polygamy. Anyway, long response, but hopefully its helpful. (3) D&C 132 is not about monogamous sealings, full-stop. Study. 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 It was the wrong time for me, but I capitulated. I dont see how any of these changes add time to the endowment, let alone 13 minutes! Mostly, the circle made my arm really tired & it was weird holding hands with a stranger for an extended period of time. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Oh, and this has to be done for dead people also., I didnt really address Elisas questions, but I think Im pretty close to @Annas recommendation: 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.. While an improvement it still keeps women one down. I was more shocked that I had to covenant to OBEY my husband. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Honestly, I missed the richness of the other ceremony and the old movies. Women are irrelevant to whats necessary for church structure. @Elisa. It seems like it took so long, two hours plus. The differences between men and women is what makes the cosmos go around? Even if youre right and its all of the ordinances, the reality is still that the promises given to men and women in the temple are not the same. Thats still there, but it says they are to be companions and helpmeets for each other, one person said, telling me it felt more equal and reciprocal. ), Donate to the newsroom now. On Cain and Abel, yes, something could be said about intent. However, the true reason why the Lord rejects Cains offer is because it is not the correct order. I think that we've noticed that relationships have already been built because they're seeing the members of their district here, said President Benson L. Porter, president of the Provo MTC. You do have a point that some people actually prefer the ritualistic elements, and it does sadden me that those analogies are no longer as apparent. Be honest with yourself. If youre talking about the signs and tokens, I see no reason to believe theyre not of ancient, unchanging origin. But if youre talking about the other 99% of the time spent in an endowment sessioni.e. Its long been said that men hold Priesthood offices because they need that to learn, while we dont. PDF The Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony The Church President, of course, has repeatedly spoken of the vital importance of using the correct name of the Church. Certainly the Prophet Jacob had to deal with that, in the Book of Mormon. https://bycommonconsent.com/2021/10/28/she-shall-believe-or-she-shall-be-destroyed-dc-121-and-132/ Allow yourself to see. Sorry folks use that stupid down-thumb social-blog-control mechanism, I like your comments. THE MORMON TEMPLE ENDOWMENT CEREMONY . Their stake president is their ecclesiastical leader. The many complaints, comments, feedback received, combined with dwindling attendance and availability of ordinance workers. @Toad, I had the same experience re: penalty oaths. They really believed polygamy was a necessary part of salvation. They apparently figure that out on their own now. Because of the eternal nature of the temple and the work that takes place there, it has been decided that time-only marriages in the temple will no longer be performed. Some things go without saying. It represents the potential to bring forth lifeeven eternal lives, if you will. Primary General President Joy D. Jones also shared a message of love and encouraged Primary children to serve others. Heck, even the First Vision falls into that category! Think thats where I am now. @kristi, thanks for your comment. Today I feel like Ive experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I will cherish it for the rest of my life.. I had initially thought some changes were designed to shorten the ceremony to encourage more people to comeif my stake and regional communications are any indication, I think temple attendance is still way down and nowhere near pre-pandemic levelsbut apparently thats not the case as some are reporting it is now 13 minutes longer. I have sough that, most recently when I last went and found a friend to be a temple worker, but she could tell me nothing other than those are not the questions she asks. Some didnt know where my homeland of Canada was. Im fine with folk believing whatever they want to believe but Im not convinced myself at this time. The woman is veiled within the stewardship of the man as a matter of protecting and navigating sacred space. 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. I appreciate President Nelsons efforts, but I hope this is just a beginning to correcting the churchs misogyny. 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. I dont think I ever learnt anything from the film I didnt already know or it has left me equally baffled, I love praying for my sisters and brethren in the circle. My parents have a marriage based on equality and my mother worked for the YWCA at a safe house for battered women and told me all about her job. Its amazing how we condition ourselves to ignore the actual text and context of D&C 132. @jack, nope, nope, nope, and nope. That said, I believe that wearing the apron at the adversarys behest is not unlike Eve partaking of the fruit. I never saw them at church again. Why would Jesus care about that stuff? But aside from being weird in a high church way, Im not sure its fundamentally objectionable in other ways (e.g. 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). You cant take something that denies the atonement, add a few pictures of Jesus, and suddenly it becomes Christ centered. Isnt it great when can disagree without being disagreeable? I came home in shock. (2) It is not unusual that my ancestresses experience pain in polygamy. If youre automatically updated to the current version, does that mean I have to trust that no future leaders will ever change it to something I am not comfortable with? The church wants to believe women are equal to men in our faith. At one point our bishop saw fit to take away our recommends when our daughter was potentially dying, we had a new baby and he felt we were not being obedient in forcing our other errant daughter into his office on a weekly basis. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Temple Open Houses and Dedications - The Church of Jesus Christ of When I served in positions where I was signing recommends, for own endowments, I followed my Dads approach. However, I am saying that we, as a church are responsible for how our teachings and church structure can effect peoples actions, even if the over all culture is misogynist, the same as we are. That depends: what do you consider the temple ceremony? On the subject of the fig treewell have to agree to disagree. Why not work to build something, anything, up, as opposed to dismantling what was not fulfilling for you? It is a manmade construct. Im interested to see how they increase Christs role in the endowment. We give consent to this, not only because we cant see it (its just the air we breathe) but also because from a young age we are taught to consent to it. My wife knows of my profound respect for her. They werent huge changes; the overall tone was still male-centric (ex the demonstration at the veil was still only Adam), but it was an improvement. As I have been thinking more about Heavenly Mother, I longed to see Her included in the ceremony. I think the Church is trying to make the endowment more understandable, meaningful and applicable to our everyday lives and the struggles we face in our efforts to become more Christlike. That delay meant we married six months later, and due to health problems that came on shortly after our marriage, our childbearing was delayed by some 7 years. If youll bother to look at my other posts, youll see that the vast majority of them are about Jesus and God and, in fact, aimed at building something upi.e., resurrecting a Christianity and theology that for many burned to ashes when they lost faith in the LDS Church because of its boneheaded leaders, judgmental members, and twisted theology. These safety protocols are temporary, based on COVID-19 conditions, and will be rescinded as soon as circumstances permit, a letter from the First Presidency reads. Really appreciate the honesty here as well as the respect for what others find sacred and meaningful. But I havent been since pre-Covid so I dont know. Required fields are marked *. The satanic green apron should be removed by the terrestrial stage of the presentation, or removed altogether from the endowment. Theyve been announced in General Conference. Also, I dont think its improper for a covenant to require the reception of ordinances in order to live up to it. All temples had live actors then. And most recently, the changes from this week. I dont actually think they do anything to advance gender or racial equality so wondering what Im missing. Ive long complained that in the narrative of the endowment, Christ is at best a minor character who does little more than delegate instructions. Setting aside that the changes were actually not changes, without apology and explanation there can be no healing. Enjoy! It felt about the same. This is their choice. That way when you encounter something you didnt know, you dont have to say Oh no the church isnt true! and leave the church. Following that talk, this man became suicidal and begged his mission president to release him. Started Phase 1 June 15, 2020; Phase 2 Aug. 31, 2020; Phase 2-B June 21, 2021; and Phase 3 July 5, 2021. So hearing they went to slide shows sounded like they took out the only interesting thing. I went through the temple first in 1988 before my mission and then again when I married in 1991. So much yes to that. By the way, many of us (myself included) have in fact spent a lot of time in other countries wheee temple attendance is more difficult. Amber Scorah wrote a book about leaving Jehovahs Witness. It would also allow for more sessions to be held each day. This couple represents each of you as if you were at the altar . If anything, I anticipate this being weird, as it will make Adam and Eve look even more modern (or at least 19th century). Another said there were still four ordinance workers in the session, but that most of them didnt have much to do until the veil portion at the end. Ditto to the changes they had already made to the initiatory. Congregations in the US and Canada will be able to participate every other year. And mimicking slitting my throat and disemboweling myself, this is worse than creepy. They do need their free labor, though, so the sexism gets repackaged every once in awhile to make everyone feel better. Your sexism across multiple threads is extremely disturbing, disgusting, and out of place. Also, it's worth remembering the original purpose of the temple ceremony. Some of the changes that impacted children during their service included a revision to the Childrens Songbook, adjustments to Primary Sunday meeting schedule, and youth entering Young Men and Young Women classes at the beginning of the year they turn 12. As cases of COVID-19 increase in many areas, we want to do everything possible to allow temples to remain open. I work hard every week and at home to build something wonderful. Read more about the Ephraim Utah Temple and the Manti Utah Temple at Newsroom. Adam and Eve in temple clothing is about as consequential as learning that the new Adam parts his hair on the other side. New book outlines what to expect at a temple ceremony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Even then many members there sacrifice greatly just to buy (then eventually replace) their own temple garments, buy food for the trip, etc. Remember how the Pharisees were perfectly obedient, but widows and orphans were neglected, so Jesus condemned them (the Pharisees operated by commandment, not covenant). A May 24, 2021, letter announced that time-only marriages in the temple will no longer be performed. The symbol does not lie. The Church officer is legally authorized to perform a civil marriage in the jurisdiction where the marriage will take place. Read about the dedication at Church News. Everyone should know what they are before they go to the temple. Some plausible explanations are (1) minimize germ-spread (consistent with the 2020 changes); (2) reduce the number of workers required to run a session; (3) attempt to address issues of informed consent by explaining the covenants prior to beginning (temple prep seems a better option for this, because it would still be really awkward to get up and leave in front of friends and family your first time); and (4) trying to seem more Christian (ok that was snarky, I imagine it is a sincere effort to make Christ more central to the ceremony). To download all photos or videos related to this article, select the links at the bottom of each section. Sorry! It appears that Leah Remini has written a book and produced a show on leaving Scientology. I am the descendant of Matilda and John Douglas. 2) I havent been to the temple recently enough to have experienced these changes, but it doesnt sound like a net negative. 3) Minimal effect. That first experience is seared on my memory. I felt so happy. Find out more about senior missionary opportunities at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. For many of us, not feeling free to talk about these things for so long (I even felt weird about writing this post, even though I think thats totally irrational) has been damaging and its so nice for that burden to be lifted. Recognizing the fundamental differences between men and women is not sexism. It isnt obvious to me. While the Lord does most of the work involved with the creation of life in this sphere he allows us to participate in the process in such a way that we feel a deep sense of stewardship and kinship even ownership if you will with those whom we birth and nurture. For both of us, attending the temple was not something we ever enjoyed or made a priority.). (1) The LDS version of covenant is contractual, obligatoryinfantilized into a model of promises. I thought it was a nice comment on the beauty of our flawed humanity. . Questioning the terms of this discussion. 2) No effect. Cant remember what happened last week, let alone in January 2021?

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