Priests to be able to perform baptisms for the dead

[Anonymous]

They read it today. The gasp was crazy. I forget I am on the “knowledge” side of the fence. So while I am rolling my eyes, everyone else is all “oh, ah, wow.”

But then when the meeting broke no one was talking about it.

[Anonymous]

Quote:

It almost seems like reverse ladies night at the club. The guys receive a carrot to come or to stay. The women have to pay their own way.

With a ten drink minimum!

Great analogy.

My top observations on this change:

1) it sounds like they don’t have enough elderly workers on hand in all the temples

2) some are worried about the YM making the YW uncomfortable or there being too much hormonal awkwardness, and maybe that’s true, although we had pool parties when I was that age, so I don’t think it’s a huge risk. It would take a nuclear holocaust to render those double knit polyester jumpsuits immodest.

3) this doesn’t actually create new sexist distinctions, just brings to light that women could literally disappear from the church and things would merrily roll along without us.

4) it was interesting to read that eliminating women as witnesses was a relatively recent change, mid-20th century under Joseph F Smith who felt that pretty much anything “important” or “necessary” needed to be done by men to avoid grody girl cooties.

[Anonymous]

Definitely a good analogy of “ladies night” – and for the same reasons. The clubs want more women to come. The church is clearly having issues with men dropping out of the church (go visit almost any singles ward). Just in this case they are not trying to get someone drunk, but get someone to dunk. (OK, bad bad pun).

I have heard grumblings that a lot of temples are closing longer than normal for “cleaning/maintenance”. Not sure if I have visibility if that is true or not.

The jumpsuits in the local temple where I am at certainly has the thick jumpsuits that could make the 3 breasted lady in Total Recall seem normal (and they hold about 10 pounds of water when fully wet. But I have heard some comments that this isn’t the case everywhere.

And I too found it interesting that it was in my parent’s lifetime that women where witnesses. I did see someone mentioned that we are all baptized to be “witnesses in all places and at all times” (except the temple).

[Anonymous]

LookingHard wrote:

I have heard grumblings that a lot of temples are closing longer than normal for “cleaning/maintenance”. Not sure if I have visibility if that is true or not.

I read somewhere that several temples that were built around the same time were closed or closing for extensive maintenance (1+ years). I can’t remember where I read it, and as always, grain of salt. It could be that a bad batch of the cookie-cutter temples were built, making structural issues (or whatever) a problem across multiple temples.

And the church being the church I can’t help but wonder whether investing X million dollars in renovations was worth it to:

1) Get the members to flood the temple in the months leading up to closure.

2) An opportunity to have another open house missionary opportunity. Once the temple is well established in an area it’s forever closed to the public, which generates curiosity. Renovations that are extensive enough to require rededication can serve as a once in a generation or two opportunity to open the temple to the public. Missionary opportunities aplenty.

3) Once the temple opens after a long closure temple starved members keep it busy for a while. Or members come out to see the “new” temple. Kinda like the new temple videos. Something new to check out to spark some interest among the members.

So how much is all that worth? $50 million in renovations to reignite interest in the temple among members in an area and to have a missionary opportunity? $100 million? I guess it depends on how much disposable income you have.

But those are my guesses. There likely may be some structural issue with the cookie-cutter temples and absence makes the heart grow fonder so taking a temple off the table for a few years may make a poorly attended temple be more appreciated (attended) in the future.

[Anonymous]

Wouldn’t it be cheaper to allow a few dollar deduction from your tithing each time you attend the temple?

[Anonymous]

I was very excited about this change.

I wonder if it means we’re one step closer to women getting the priesthood… (if that happens ) We might have to wait for Nelson and Oaks to die for that… It was the same sort of thing for blacks and the priesthood BTW.

[Anonymous]

Nelson? Yep, probably.

Oaks? I’m not sure. He is complicated.

[Author]

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