2012 Temple Recommend Question Survey

In 2012, members of the StayLDS forum responded to a survey about Temple Recommend questions. As this survey provides a wide variety of approaches to each of the temple recommend questions, it may be helpful in those who are struggling with faith and “worthiness” in the LDS church.

This message summarizes the comments in that survey, outlining a process to follow about the Temple Recommend, with links to all the threads with answers.

About the Temple Recommend Interview

The Temple Recommend interview is not the time to discuss faith issues before the Priesthood. The questions are simple, and should be answered “yes” or “no” as appropriate. Because many of us are in a faith transition or hold unorthodox beliefs, our answers are often more complex and nuanced than the typical true believing, white-or-black response. As well, we often think we need to answer the question according to what we impute the intent of the question to be according to the interviewer or standard church definition of things. This is not the case.

There are multiple approaches to finding a faithful way within the church — one does not have to be orthodox or to believe standard doctrines in order to be worthy for a temple recommend.

– If you want to have a temple recommend and be authentic and honest, then basic observance to the behavior norms is in order.

– If you do not feel that basic observance (chastity, WoW, Tithing…) is in the stars for you, then perhaps it might be a good idea not seek a temple recommend.

– Faithfulness requires integrity — no one surveyed would recommend outright lying.

Before the interview, preparation is in order.

1. Determine what you personally believe regarding each point–not yet how you would answer the question, nor what the church’s intent is with the question, but what do you really think and feel about it.

2. Determine whose rules you live by and reconcile yourself to your eternal judge’s standards.

a. If you believe that the church determines your worthiness before god, then you should reconcile the areas of difference between your level of compliance to the questions and the church’s standards, by repenting of any area of noncompliance – If you’re not sure whether the church would agree with your level of compliance, then you can ask your bishop about whether your sins have risen to the level of church discipline. This involves something called “Priesthood Roulette”, in that Bishops do not uniformly treat faith questions from ward to ward.

b. if you believe that only the Lord determines your worthiness, then you should reconcile yourself before the god of your understanding, and repentance/reconciliation may also be necessary.

3. once you have reconciled yourself to whose rules you live by, then prepare to confidently and authentically answer the questions as asked.

With this preparation complete, you are ready for the interview, should you freely decide that you want a TR.

During the interview, consider the model of accountability used in the temple, where the interviewer represents the Lord. Answer the questions as asked authentically and confidently as if your own personal judge were at the other side of the table. There is no deception or subterfuge: answer truthfully according to your judge’s expectations and definitions of terms.

This may not work for everybody. We recognize that many of us have unorthodox views, and there are many who may believe that we are unworthy of holding a TR. But we have to believe, firmly, that we have squared our worthiness with the god of our understanding, and that our judge fully accepts each one of us, warts and all.

The outcome may or may not be temple recommend. The process is very useful in helping us determine our priorities and our individual position vis-a-vis church and god.

In working through these questions, we can find a new freedom: once we anchor our practice and understanding in what we truly believe, then we can move forward unapologetically with authenticity. In spight of our seeming lack of orthodoxy and orthopraxy, we can be completely square with our personal judge, and that is all that matters.

on StayLDS, we proposed a Temple Recommend survey, allowing participants to express how they address each question.

Here are the responses to each question:

1a. God

1b. Jesus Christ

1c. The Holy Ghost

2. Atonement

3. Restoration

4. Sustaining LDS Leadership

5. Law of Chastity

6. Family Conduct

7. Affiliating with Apostates

8. Keeping Covenants

9. Honesty

10a. Tithing

10b. Word of Wisdom

11. Divorce Obligations

12. Temple Covenants

13. Unresolved Sins

14. Worthiness

Summary

I hope this helps.