Temple prep

[TheBYUGuy]

I have never heard of a temple prep class that was particularly useful. I went to one once and the only thing I remember was that there was a long discussion about the Holy Spirit of Promise sealing people together. Honestly, I don't really know what that means or how it is different from being sealed in the temple, and I also have no idea how it applied to receiving my endowment.

In my experience, growing up in the Church will give you an idea of things that happen in the temple, despite not knowing a lot of detail. Before I went to the temple, I knew that there would be some kind of washing and anointing thing, a veil, a celestial room, a prayer circle, etc. I just didn't understand how it would all fit together.

I think the most valuable thing that happened for me, which I would recommend for everyone, is that when my SP interviewed me for my recommend, he told me about the covenants that I would be making. He specifically went through each one (Law of Sacrifice, Law of Chastity, etc.) and let me know what the general expectation was so that I knew what I was committing to. There is not a good reason why that stuff shouldn't be spelled out to every person beforehand. It doesn't make sense that a person should get inside the temple, be told "You are going to commit to some things if you stay, and if you commit to them and screw up you are going to hell", and not have any idea what those commitments are.

My SP also suggested that I go home and have my dad show me his temple clothes before I went. My dad did so, although it wasn't revelatory to me personally because I had seen the clothing several times at the funerals of relatives. But I can definitely see how that would be a value-added pre-temple activity for many people.

[pellegrino]

When I taught temple prep I talked about it in fair amount of detail. Also, before my little BIL went through I also walked him through the entire thing after his folks had told him next to nothing other than "you take out your endowments," a phrase which basically has zero meaning to anyone that has not been to the temple.

This was what I did when I taught it long ago. I actually really enjoyed teaching that class because it was in a ward in UT and neither the parents of the soon to be missionaries nor the assigned priesthood attended regularly and on it was a given that on those days when it was just me and my proteges we'd delve into details that would have made those missing uncomfortable.

My favorite experience was seeing one of them the Sunday after he had gone through. He pulled me aside and said, somewhat concerned "Bro. pellegrino, we weren't supposed to talk about this and this and this outside of the temple." I smiled and "Maybe not, but aren't you glad we did?"

[Moliere]

I had no idea about anything. I hadn't even been in temple prep. My stake only required us to read "The Holy Temple" by BKP and frankly that was of no help at all.

Needless to say I was shocked with initiatories (the old way). No one gave me a heads up on that. Not even a little hint. Nothing. I was lost and distraught the first time. It helped that my dad was my escort and I fully trust him but I still remember very little about the first time in the temple because I was trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

As for ways to improve the first endowment session, here is my submission:

http://www.cougaruteforum.com/showpo...&postcount=179

[pellegrino]

Very interesting, PU.

Better prep would be nice, but a major overhaul and simplification would be even better.

We were talking with some catholic friends the other day. He's from Ireland and apparently there, they have shortened the mass to make sure it only lasts about 20-25 minutes. This encourages people to attend each week. Our friend's father-in-law came in over Thanksgiving and they attended mass. He was very disappointed to have to endure a full hour and a half for the local mass. About halfway through it he leaned over to his son and said "Well now I see why you don't go every week."

Funny as it may be, I couldn't help but think of this, your opinion, from past conversations about the endowment ceremony.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I had zero temple prep, not even from my devout and loving parents. I went through the temple for the first time after I had entered the Salt Lake mission home (one spent a few days there before going to the LTM/MTC). We went through twice that day, and I was rather unenthused about doing it the second time. During each session, I was troubled by the weird and inappropriate thought that my high school pals (all nonmembers) would look in through the windows (they're up high in the session rooms) and call out to me, "What the h___ are you doing?" I really didn't know. Fortunately, they were all in the Bay Area so this didn't happen.

I feel much, much better about the temple now, and when I've been called upon to teach the prep class, I'm much more explicit than what the written materials provide. The ceremony really isn't all that strange or different when compared with other religious rituals, and better prep would make it so much better for the first timers.

[creekster]

I have always thought that a ward temple prep class shjold culminate with a temple trip for baptisms for the dead, before or after which they should have some in-the-temple instruciton abotu the endowment and get into great detail.

[Moliere]

I have always thought that a ward temple prep class shjold culminate with a temple trip for baptisms for the dead, before or after which they should have some in-the-temple instruciton abotu the endowment and get into great detail.

They don't even let you discuss it in the celestial room so why would they let you discuss it down there? Try to have a discussion with three or four friends in teh CR and I guarantee the little old lady will break it up sooner rather than later.

[creekster]

They don't even let you discuss it in the celestial room so why would they let you discuss it down there? Try to have a discussion with three or four friends in teh CR and I guarantee the little old lady will break it up sooner rather than later.

That has not been my experience. Moreover, we have had chapel sessions on ward temple nights where we were taught temple issues in great detail with the obvious encouragement of the temple presidency, one of whom was present.

[Uncle Ted]

We fellowshipped some of neighbors, they took the missionary discussions, and got baptized. A year later they wanted to go to the temple so they took the temple prep class. We were busy with our callings so we didn't get to sit in with them. The day came and I was asked to escort the husband through his endowment session. Another lady in the ward, beside my wife, was the escort the wife.

We got to the temple and I took the husband into the locker room. I sat him down in the corner and then told him everything that was going to happen going in pretty good detail and, if he asked, I gave him more. I told him that when I went to the temple for the first time I nearly got and walked out of the session and how my brother had to talk me out of it. I told him that if he wanted to walk out for any reason I would be with him and I wouldn't be disappointed in any way. I explained that our friendship was deeper than that.

The husband was awesome in both the session and the sealing that followed after. The wife, however, was crying the entire time. After their temple trip I found out the wife was totally freaked out about the entire experience. Apparently she had told some of her baptist friends that they were going to the temple beforehand. These friends brought her all kinds of anti-mormon pamphlets, books, and videos from the local "christian" book store. She didn't believe any of the crap in the anti-mormon stuff until she went the temple. The "weirdness" of the entire experience was enough to push her into believing it was true. She never came back to church. The husband comes to church now and then but out of respect to his wife he doesn't attend much.

The husband and I are still very good friends. We get together at least once a month (and because of that, I was assigned to be the family's home teacher) and chat nearly every week. We watch football and go shooting down to the range together. He has expressed to me more than once that he misses the church but loves his wife so much that he respects her wishes. I have to wonder if she was better prepared for the temple if things would have been different.

[pellegrino]

We fellowshipped some of neighbors, they took the missionary discussions, and got baptized. A year later they wanted to go to the temple so they took the temple prep class. We were busy with our callings so we didn't get to sit in with them. The day came and I was asked to escort the husband through his endowment session. Another lady in the ward, beside my wife, was the escort the wife.

We got to the temple and I took the husband into the locker room. I sat him down in the corner and then told him everything that was going to happen going in pretty good detail and, if he asked, I gave him more. I told him that when I went to the temple for the first time I nearly got and walked out of the session and how my brother had to talk me out of it. I told him that if he wanted to walk out for any reason I would be with him and I wouldn't be disappointed in any way. I explained that our friendship was deeper than that.

The husband was awesome in both the session and the sealing that followed after. The wife, however, was crying the entire time. After their temple trip I found out the wife was totally freaked out about the entire experience. Apparently she had told some of her baptist friends that they were going to the temple beforehand. These friends brought her all kinds of anti-mormon pamphlets, books, and videos from the local "christian" book store. She didn't believe any of the crap in the anti-mormon stuff until she went the temple. The "weirdness" of the entire experience was enough to push her into believing it was true. She never came back to church. The husband comes to church now and then but out of respect to his wife he doesn't attend much.

The husband and I are still very good friends. We get together at least once a month (and because of that, I was assigned to be the family's home teacher) and chat nearly every week. We watch football and go shooting down to the range together. He has expressed to me more than once that he misses the church but loves his wife so much that he respects her wishes. I have to wonder if she was better prepared for the temple if things would have been different.

I'll bet had someone done for her something similar to what you did for her husband she might have made it through.

[Jeff Lebowski]

We fellowshipped some of neighbors, they took the missionary discussions, and got baptized. A year later they wanted to go to the temple so they took the temple prep class. We were busy with our callings so we didn't get to sit in with them. The day came and I was asked to escort the husband through his endowment session. Another lady in the ward, beside my wife, was the escort the wife.

We got to the temple and I took the husband into the locker room. I sat him down in the corner and then told him everything that was going to happen going in pretty good detail and, if he asked, I gave him more. I told him that when I went to the temple for the first time I nearly got and walked out of the session and how my brother had to talk me out of it. I told him that if he wanted to walk out for any reason I would be with him and I wouldn't be disappointed in any way. I explained that our friendship was deeper than that.

The husband was awesome in both the session and the sealing that followed after. The wife, however, was crying the entire time. After their temple trip I found out the wife was totally freaked out about the entire experience. Apparently she had told some of her baptist friends that they were going to the temple beforehand. These friends brought her all kinds of anti-mormon pamphlets, books, and videos from the local "christian" book store. She didn't believe any of the crap in the anti-mormon stuff until she went the temple. The "weirdness" of the entire experience was enough to push her into believing it was true. She never came back to church. The husband comes to church now and then but out of respect to his wife he doesn't attend much.

The husband and I are still very good friends. We get together at least once a month (and because of that, I was assigned to be the family's home teacher) and chat nearly every week. We watch football and go shooting down to the range together. He has expressed to me more than once that he misses the church but loves his wife so much that he respects her wishes. I have to wonder if she was better prepared for the temple if things would have been different.

Wow. What a sad story.

How ironic that the ultimate form of LDS worship is problematic for so many people. I am continually amazed at how many stories like this I hear.

[statman]

I know SLC still does live sessions. Does Manti? Or anywhere else?

I've done live sessions in Manti, Logan & SLC. I know SLC still does them. I'm pretty sure Manti still does. Not sure about Logan (it's been ~20 years). And for some reason, I think that St George may still sometimes do them - like one day a week or somesuch...

[Paperback Writer]

Wow. What a sad story.

How ironic that the ultimate form of LDS worship is problematic for so many people. I am continually amazed at how many stories like this I hear.

It is...what it is. For some, it doesn't get any better with age. And acknowledging the origins and roots of temple ceremonies doesn't help some people. I realize worship is deeply personal and don't discount spiritual experiences of others that are related to me. However, the "weirdness" factor for some can be overwhelm the spiritual factor.

It probably won't happen, but I would prefer a total "rewrite" of the entire endowment ceremony. Now that would certainly qualify as a significant revelation as has been mentioned in another thread. IMO, up there with the 2-piece.

[Moliere]

This thread makes me wonder how many people actually misinterpret the instruction during the endowment. I know many people that take the video and the players in the video literally. I guess I also wonder how many people just give up and figure they'll do the temple thing for the dead person without trying to understand the instruction that is being presented.

For years I was the type fo member that just snored through the endowment. I didn't understand it even though I tried and tried. I'm a very analytical person and don't deal well with symbolism and allegories. Lately I've been trying to change that. I know find more symbolism and allegories in the movies that I watch. I find underlying themes that I never noticed before. I tend to reflect more on what I watch. I've taken this approach to the temple instructino and ever since I've enjoyed the endowment much, much more than I ever did before.

[BigFatMeanie]

I know SLC still does live sessions. Does Manti? Or anywhere else?

Live sessions are too long, the acting is awful, and I dont want to see an 80 year old eve. It is cool to get up and walk room to room, though. I enjoy that. I find the inside of the SLC temple to be enjoyable. Lots of stuff to look at, things to count on the walls and ceilings, when the show gets kind of slow.

I don't think I would have made it in the early days when the whole thing took the entire day. Although some of the zany stuff they used to do might have made the time go by in a more interesting manner.

SLC and Manti do live sessions.

The newer temples (Oquirrh Mountain and Draper) combine the best of both worlds - you see the film in the telestial rooms then you get up and go into the terrestrial rooms.