lagarthaaz

I am pleased to report that I went thru the Nauvoo Temple today while visiting here this weekend and I never got into trouble while in the Temple. That is all !!

I saw a facebook post a couple of months ago where someone had recorded a storm that was going on outside our local temple. The recording was taken from inside the temple, looking out through a window at the wind and chaos going on outdoors.
 
I also wonder if the phone ban in temples might be a reaction to the social media obsessed generation we have become. So many people now feel the need to record absolutely everything, even what should be the most private and sacred moments of their lives (eg. births, precious moments with children, intimate moments with lovers and friends or sick relatives, funerals, etc). If there wasn't a specific prohibition on speaking of sacred things outside of the temple (let alone recording them), I imagine we'd be seeing 'my first endowment session' recorded in glorious technicolour detail on facebook the second it happened.

The phone ban has been in place for a long time. It was already firmly in place when I worked at my local temple for a period of time in 2007 - eight years ago. It was drilled into me at the time by multiple members of staff and the temple presidency and I witnessed several people being told politely but firmly to not use their phone at all while in the temple, including one instance in the cafeteria. I personally was instructed not only not use my phone, but to never physically carry it past the lockers - that was just before my endowment.
There was never any exception given to this rule, such as what the phone is actually being used for. It doesn't matter unfortunately, they are quite strict about it.
So it's not a new rule by any means. The temple worker should have been a little more diplomatic, but they were right.

I saw a facebook post a couple of months ago where someone had recorded a storm that was going on outside our local temple. The recording was taken from inside the temple, looking out through a window at the wind and chaos going on outdoors.
 
I also wonder if the phone ban in temples might be a reaction to the social media obsessed generation we have become. So many people now feel the need to record absolutely everything, even what should be the most private and sacred moments of their lives (eg. births, precious moments with children, intimate moments with lovers and friends or sick relatives, funerals, etc). If there wasn't a specific prohibition on speaking of sacred things outside of the temple (let alone recording them), I imagine we'd be seeing 'my first endowment session' recorded in glorious technicolour detail on facebook the second it happened.

I would tend to think that in those "unwise" areas, the only wise decision is to move.  If a ten year old can't safely walk to the park alone, then I wouldn't want them to be in the neighborhood at all.

depends where you live some areas its fine, in others its definitely unwise.

By 10, my radius was pretty much wherever I could hear grandma yell.  That woman had good enough lungs that I could hear her from inside a friend's house a mile and a half away.

I'm fairly certain that the likelihood of a child being abducted from their bedroom versus from the street is much lower. But I'm no expert on statistics. I won't begin to invest energy in how other parents choose to parent, but what it boils down to, is what can you live with knowing? Was everything done that could have been done to prevent an unfortunate outcome?

I think a lot of what is found at lds.org, etc is periphery. It's not bad at all, just a whole lot of extensions of what the church is about. In my humble and earnest opinion, read the Book of Mormon. This is the keystone of our faith and who and what we are about. It was so important to the Lord that the Book of Mormon come forth, that He had Joseph Smith translate and publish the record before restoring the fullness of the gospel, for the very fullness is contained in the book. I am also impatient and I have found that listening to the Book of Mormon on mp3 at work allows me to get through it in three days. I can get through all the scriptures in about three to four weeks (Bible, Book of Mormon, D&C, PoGP) and then start over. This repetitive pattern of reading over and over again has opened up my mind to the deeper layers found in the scriptures. If you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon in this manner, I am confident that you will not only begin to understand what we believe, but you will also be filled with the Holy Spirit as you do so. 
 
Just the first two books (1st and 2nd Nephi) are enough to teach you because Nephi's own life can be viewed as an allegory to the path that each of us must take to come unto Christ. LDS members will be able to relate Nephi's life as "Adam" who is cast out from his home in Eden, goes into the wilderness and after having been true and faithful is brought back into God's presence. Nephi's inclusion of Isaiah is very specific and purposeful. 
 
The many other prophets/kings/judges are chronicled to give us more examples of the doctrines that we believe in while weaving some of the deeper mysteries of God. Jesus Christ's visit to this people also gives us important information concerning their relevance as part of the House of Israel. The wars, contentions and secret combinations (conspiracies) teach us, the readers, what to avoid in our lives as we struggle in our own world to live in a society where Satan is constantly battling for control. 
 
Read the Book of Mormon. You truly cannot read it enough times. Trust me. :)

Now the truth comes out !!?

If I see something or someone too  many times in one session, I've spent too much time of Facebook. 

If people's efforts to raise awareness about something, do not interfere with my ability to do my thing on Sunday, then more power to 'em.
 
The deal with awareness campaigns, is (if they're genuine) they're about raising awareness.  "Here's stuff you maybe didn't know, that maybe will cause you to think a little, maybe."  I like learning new things, even at church in the hallway.  But I don't necessarily agree with every new thing I hear.  

I don't see it as putting them on a pedestal so much as recognizing their sacrifice for their Christian faith and the example they provide for the rest of us as truly holding to their faith in the face of extreme consequences.  That's something a lot of us could learn from, myself included.

I wear orange shirts to church sometimes because it's also the leukemia awareness color.  This seems a good reason to double up.

Remembering and showing empathy for Christians executed by wearing orange is so different than wearing purple as a form of protest.

No one is making him or any other young man go. The choice is up to each young man.

As another thought, I have observed that converts usually make AWESOME missionaries because they know what it's like to be in the investigator's seat.

I know other people will disagree with me here, but--
 
I really object to the language you "have" to go on a mission.  A mission should always be a choice, convert or not, male or female.  Going should be highly encouraged, especially for the guys, but not mandatory.

Of course, "everyone else is doing it", is not a reason in and of itself. But nor is it a reason not to do something.
If all things spiritual were to be for charity only, we would need to close religious shops and inspirational artists and writers would be forbidden from work.

Thanks again for your responses everyone - there's obviously several ways to approach the subject and appreciate the alternative perspectives (although I'm still in disagreement with some views expressed here) :)

My ward has 4. If we don't sit up front we have trouble hearing the speakers in sacrament meeting.

My ward has 3 nurseries.  
 
I've gotten so used to the racket, silence actually creeped me out at an adults-only activity we had recently.

If the goal is to have the movie reach the broadest audience possible, it makes sense to use Amazon, Walmart, and other mainstream venues.  Besides reaching non-members, it's also nice for us members whom live many hours away from Desert Book or other LDS stores.   But in order to sell things at Amazon or other secular venues, you have to let those stores recoup their cost-of-doing-buincess.
 
And while I would say that the film is mostly going to be viewed by members, that doesn't mean no non-members would see it.  I took three non-member friends to see it in theaters, and can think of a dozen more friends to give copies to.  I would LOVE it if I could convince my mother-in-law to see it (not likely, but would be nice).  An non-Mormons do see it: just the other day my non-LDS husband was watch stuff online, and a commercial for the movie came on.  He excitedly came to get me, saying "we saw that movie!  It was very good, I'd like to see it again."
 
My aim in sharing this movie is not directly to preach, but to share a nice feel-good-movie that I really enjoy.  And then there's the added bonus of maybe convincing people that Mormons don't have horns :).  

If it looks like fun .. I might consider it ..... Lol

If every other religion jumped off a bridge would you want LDS members to jump off that bridge too?  :)
 
I'm just teasing, I couldn't help myself. :)
 
M.