My Perspective on the Temple Just Evolved a Little

I found it interesting that not one single thing I mentioned is doctrinal in nature. There are a few doctrinal things I love about the temple, but my take-aways at this point in my life are not those things. It’s different for me, in that way, than it is for many traditional, orthodox members.

I know it’s hard to remove the doctrinal element, but I really don’t go to learn doctrine. I go to experience fellowship and be part of a participatory play. I got to see that play from a different role, and it was a cool experience.

Thanks Ray.

You have made me think about my feelings about the temple in a way I have not in a while. I’m still on the once a year plan, but I’ll think about this the next time I am there.

Great insight Ray. I found too, that some things become routine, and it’s nice to have a fresh perspective and experience to keep us learning. There is a saying in zen that the more you seek after it, the faster it Flys away, then as you do not seek it, there it is. I have found myself searching so hard to feel and experience wholly, that it ends up being a detriment. I look forward to experiencing the temple again.

I was the officiator, for the first time, during one of the endowment sessions last Saturday, and I had a cool impression as I began that role.

The preceding couple of days had been difficult in some ways, and I wasn’t feeling all that good about myself at the time. I stood up to start the session and had the fleeting thought that I wasn’t comfortable representing God at that moment. Immediately, I had the thought that it didn’t matter – that nobody is “worthy” to do it – that God doesn’t care about who represents him from among a group of people who are trying their best to enter into his presence in the future – that the gap between where I was and where I want to be is okay.

It also was cool that the witness couple was chosen specifically to include someone who is an experienced officiator, so any prompting or correction could be done subtly. I made a few mistakes, but, as the temple president told me afterward,

“That’s the only way to learn. If we didn’t allow mistakes, nobody would ever do it and the whole thing would end.”

There is a powerful message in that statement, and it goes far beyond the location and specific context.

I was involved in three “sessions” today as a worker, and my day was full of interesting and cool things I want to share in this thread.

1) There was a man in the first endowment session without a right hand. He had a metal prosthetic device instead, and he used his left hand for everything that normally requires the right hand. It was no big deal; apparently he attends periodically, and the workers overseeing the ordinances knew how to make it run smoothly for him. He used his right arm when directed, but everything that required his hand was done with his left hand.

2) I got to spend the entire second session in the baptisry, and I love the slower pace of the small temples on days like today.

3) There was a young woman who was doing an endowment session for the first time – going through for herself. She is 23 years old and is NOT going on a mission or getting married. She simply wanted to go to the temple now. That is happening more and more now (single, non-missionary women being allowed to go much earlier than in the past), and I think it is a good thing.

4) Her grandparents were able to be the officiators for the session, and it was heartwarming to see – especially at the veil, as her grandmother helped her on one side and her grandfather helped her on the other side. It really was touching.

5) Her grandfather is quite hard of hearing, so the Temple President stood next to him at the veil, listened, and motioned to him each time his granddaughter said her part on the other side of the veil. He couldn’t hear what his granddaughter was whispering, but he was able to be involved in an intimate way that would not have been possible otherwise. Watching that was the highlight of the day for me.

There are times I wondered if it would be worthwhile to have a room in the house that is decorated sparsely and in white to simulate the peace of the temple. For me, that would be enough. And it would pay for itself many times over compared to tithing

I call that the Man cave! :eh: j/k I have heard of some individuals building temple like altars in their home to enjoy the temple like prayer formula. I imagine most modern LDS would not be supportive of this idea.

There are times I wondered if it would be worthwhile to have a room in the house that is decorated sparsely and in white to simulate the peace of the temple. For me, that would be enough. And it would pay for itself many times over compared to tithing

I think anything we do to set apart space for this is good.

Don’t laugh, but it’s one reason we (try to 🙂 ) keep our bedroom uncluttered, bed made, no TV, etc. Everybody prays at their bedside, but I like that I’ve become more conscious of why I clean it. It’s interesting to me, though, that everyone needs another place, a place to “flee” to when especially weighed down. When my husband was going through a terrible time at work, he and I talked and prayed together, but at some point I realized that he was closing the bathroom door every morning and night and praying on the hard tile in front of the bathtub. It’s just a tub, but I look at it and remember the time it became an altar.