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Yeah, the embalming is what gets me – and I will be buried in my temple clothing, simply as a recognition of the tradition and the wishes of my family. I think it’s a lovely tradition for those who believe, even though I don’t attach any literal meaning to it. I can’t see anyone putting me in them. I don’t own any, and I don’t know who would put me in some. Tower of silence for me then.
I have heard individuals reason against organ donation for the same reasons that are usually given against cremation, tattoos, or vasectamies – that it is disrespectful to our bodies. I wouls like to be buried in my temple clothing – seems like a nice tradition.
Curtis wrote:I think it’s a lovely tradition for those who believe, even though I don’t attach any literal meaning to it.
Is there a literal interpretation to it? I had never heard of any supposed advantages to being buried in them.
I suppose the other option would be to go naked.
😳 I came with nothin’ and I might leave with nothin’!
hawkgrrrl wrote:I think being embalmed is what we should be against.
If my body can’t be reasonably handled
withoutembalming, I’m leaving instructions to cremate! I don’t think my family will care too much either way, and I really don’t want to be embalmed. Curtis, my mother in law once told me that to be resurrected all Jesus needed was a single cell with intact DNA. She was taking an institute class in SLC from a famous LDS author. She was entranced with everything this teacher said. I – on the other hand was surprised that Jesus would be so limited to need a cell. I also felt sorry for all those people who died being completely incinerated. I was amazed at the intimate relationship he had with the Lord, how else could he know that! 🙄 Sambee – thanks for enlightening me that cremation isn’t green. I had for some reason assumed it was more environmentally friendly than typical burials.
I want to be buried in a coffin that looks like the batmobile.
Roy, I know people who believe that resurrected people will be dressed in their temple clothing in order to perform the necessary rituals to get into heaven. I guess they believe that being buried in the clothing will make it easier or faster to get dressed properly – so they’ll be further ahead in the line – or something. I think, like most things, they simply take everything literally and don’t stop to think critically about things like this – but that definitely is my own bias showing.
SamBee wrote:Thoreau, what about all those bits falling off us all the time? Do our skin flakes, loose hairs and nail clippings come back? What about our gut fauna and flora? Or the blood, mucus and saliva that’s leaked out of our body from time to time?
I think this is the problem if we’re too literal. I have no problem with the bodily resurrection, but I see it as our idealized body… however when it says “every hair shall be restored”, I think it means one will have a full head of hair, not a monstrous impossible Afro.
ps Great title, Curtis.
That’s why I don’t believe in the literal. We are all made of star stuff. We have atoms in us that used to be in someone or something else.
Curtis wrote:Roy, I know people who believe that resurrected people will be dressed in their temple clothing in order to perform the necessary rituals to get into heaven. I guess they believe that being buried in the clothing will make it easier or faster to get dressed properly – so they’ll be further ahead in the line – or something.
I think, like most things, they simply take everything literally and don’t stop to think critically about things like this – but that definitely is my own bias showing.
That’s the gist of it as I understand it as well, but like so many things, it really breaks down as something literal. Personally, I think it’s a prefectly fine custom, to show, symbolically, that a person has reached the end of their days in faith, and that they are prepared to meet God at the veil. Beyond that gesture, it has no doctrinal meaning. I knew a guy that was a sharp dresser his whole life. Even though he was a fully faithful and all-in member of the Church, he made it clear that he wanted to be buried in a black suit and tie… with no temple clothes… And so he was… may he continue to rest in peace.I read an article recently about how in the US cremations are becoming more common because it is cheaper. It also talked about a chemical version that uses water that is suppose to be more environmentally friendly. hawkgrrrl wrote:It’s not like decay is lovely either. I think being embalmed is what we should be against. When we are dead it’s time to let it go. We want to look alive but we are dead.
Yes embalming seems much worse to me. Bury me in a cardboard box and let me decay.
My daughter, who is studying to be an anthropologist, and I were discussing cemeteries the other day. We were imaging the unearthing of our hermetically sealed coffins. There everyone would be, all make up still in place, clothes pressed and tidy. A book of scripture in hand – and the Mormons in their funny ritual clothes. It made for a great laugh. Wow, we really mulled this cremation thing over! I’ve always thought it really doesn’t matter what you do and that it is a cultural thing, but cremation is definitely less expensive. I was always bothered by how much it simply costs to die and leave this earth — very big business and a shame to hit a grieving family with this massive expense. Getting back to the shark thing though — I gave that lesson and was very amused by the quote. I figured we all now knew one of President Smith’s deepest, darkest fears n
Back in the 1970’s, cremation was seen as outside the cultural norm in the US. I had always assumed that the church was just trying to avoid any burial practice that was seen as odd. But that cremation was acceptable in areas where is was seen as a norm.
The Church tries so hard to herd us all into the area under the curve. I have always wanted to see a GA stand up and counsel, “No member is allowed to be more than ONE standard deviation from the mean. Exceptions are ONLY allowed in athletic success, financial success, academic achievement, and musical ability”
When our oldest daughter died, there were members who were shocked that we chose to bury her in her favorite dress and hat. Her outfit was not white. Apparently, white is the cultural norm .. But the outfit we chose was the norm for our daughter. We both spoke at her funeral. We had non-LDS friends ask if the church MADE us speak. They thought maybe it was a church requirement. WHAT??
.. And we had a patriarch’s wife tell us that our daughter wasn’t being healed because we didn’t have anyone with the right kind of faith to pray over her. That the right person could DEMAND healing from God. She had her husband show up in ICU to give our daughter a “more correct and righteous” blessing. Our daughter still died, and years later, I am still insulted that she thought our prayers were not worthy enough. To have someone state that they doubted my worthiness before God because my daughter wasn’t healed was so offensive. There aren’t even words to describe the depth of that offense.
And our daughter would’ve LOVED the idea of sharks
Yeah, some people’s self-righteousness knows no bounds – and their lack of awareness only heightens their ignorance.
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