Washington Post: Five myths about Mormonsim

[NorthwestUteFan]

You have referenced "blessings" several times in this thread, esp in reference to specific point in time. In other words, one minute you have these blessings, the next you don't. Could you please clarify? What blessings?

well, my inner Seminary student would try to find something temporal in the ordinance, specifically the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob plus the line about all the blessings appertaining to the new and everlasting covenant. Maybe some reading between the lines is in order.

Officiator: Brother ______, [acting as proxy for ______, who is dead,] do you take Sister ______ [acting as proxy for ______, who is dead] by the right hand and receive her unto yourself to be your lawful and wedded wife for time and all eternity, with a covenant and promise that you will observe and keep all the laws, rites, and ordinances pertaining to this Holy Order of Matrimony in the New and Everlasting Covenant, and this you do in the presence of God, angels, and these witnesses of your own free will and choice?
Groom: Yes.
Officiator: Sister ______ [acting as proxy for ______, who is dead,] do you take brother ______ [acting as proxy for ______, who is dead,] by the right hand and give yourself to him to be his lawful and wedded wife, and for him to be your lawful and wedded husband, for time and all eternity, with a covenant and promise that you will observe and keep all the laws, rites and ordinances pertaining to this Holy Order of Matrimony in the New and Everlasting Covenant, and this you do in the presence of God, angels, and these witnesses of your own free will and choice?
Bride: Yes.

Officiator: By virtue of the Holy Priesthood and the authority vested in me, I pronounce you ______, and ______, legally and lawfully husband and wife for time and all eternity, and I seal upon you the blessings of the holy resurrection with power to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection clothed in glory, immortality and eternal lives, and I seal upon you the blessings of kingdoms, thrones, principalities, powers, dominions and exaltations, with all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob [if living, he adds: and say unto you: be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth] that you may have joy and rejoicing in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. All these blessings, together with all the blessings appertaining unto the New and Everlasting Covenant, I seal upon you by virtue of the Holy Priesthood, through your faithfulness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.

But maybe it is all just a bunch of happy words to force people to pay tithing and to run the church without getting paid.

[NorthwestUteFan]

It gets creepier. The one person I know who went through this had to list all "serious" sins she had committed on her cancellation form. The wording stated even sins that had been resolved with a bishop still need to be listed. She was incredulous, but went through with it anyways. She felt she didn't have a choice.

That actually is very disturbing, particularly if she otherwise had a valid temple recommend and in light of multiple scriptures to the effect of "I the Lord will remember your sins no more".

I would be very tempted to say, "I am working on my swearing problem, but the rest of it is none of
your f-ing business ".

[byu71]

It gets creepier. The one person I know who went through this had to list all "serious" sins she had committed on her cancellation form. The wording stated even sins that had been resolved with a bishop still need to be listed. She was incredulous, but went through with it anyways. She felt she didn't have a choice.

I respect her faith in follwing the authorities.

Me, not so much faith. I would list the obvious. I drank in college. I would list all the girls whose boobs I had touched. That would be it. Well, I would pray about it first and then when I got the answer to my prayers, I would answer those and not any of the others.

[Northwestcoug]

That actually is very disturbing, particularly if she otherwise had a valid temple recommend and in light of multiple scriptures to the effect of "I the Lord will remember your sins no more".

I would be very tempted to say, "I am working on my swearing problem, but the rest of it is none of
your f-ing business ".

You're telling me. If I were in her place, that would be a "shelf breaker".

[NorthwestUteFan]

Was this a local thing, or a requirement from the first presidency? I never asked my SIL about the paperwork.

[Northwestcoug]

I'm pretty sure it was the paperwork from the First Presidency. I doubt her SP would feel the need to delve into that.

[Jackrabbit]

Be careful inferring personality correlations to anything internet related. I've seen this before in a couple forums. They do a Myers-Briggs poll and everyone's NT's. And people start saying isn't that interesting people interested in BYU sports, Star Wars movies, golf, furry animal fetishes, whatever you fill in the blank, are 80% INT's. Then someone pipes up and says 80% of everyone that spends significant on any internet forum is INT.

So if the study correlates to involvement in an internet forum, I would discuss the results.

The 90% introverted figure was not taken online, however. It was taken in person at an ex-Mormon conference. And unlike the other 3 letters, a person's introversion/extroversion is readily detectable.

In any case, if INTs go on the internet more frequently, they are more likely to encounter anti stuff anyway.

[LA Ute]

Regarding the possible reasons why the church authorities like to keep sealings intact as long as possible, I've heard it stated, rather vaguely, that being sealed and honoring the related covenants gives us spiritual blessings and prerogatives. Exactly what those are thought to be I do not know. I think I have heard the sealing covenants mentioned in the context of parents who need help reaching out to their children who have become less faithful. That's about as specifically as I can recall anything.