What's the attraction of going to Temple?

[prisonchaplain]

As an outsider, it's clear to me that one of the advantages (joys) of being LDS is gaining access to Temple. I know that rituals important to the faith take place there...baptisms for the dead, marriage and family sealings, etc. Realizing the details are sacred, my impression is that there's more to it than sucessfully completing rituals. There must be a sense of God's presence there. So, what is it that draws you to Temple? Do you go for intensive prayer, for a time of spiritual rest, to get answers from God? What's the attraction of going to Temple? Also, are there active LDS who don't go to Temple, or not much? Why not?

[beefche]

I love these questions, PC. Helps me remember why I go and think at that time, "I need to get here more often!"

For me, it's a combination of things. In no particular order:

1. I feel it is a commandment from God. An easy one to fulfill--go the temple as often as I can.

2. It is extremely peaceful there--absolutely no distractions, so I'm able to pray and meditate more fully than I can anywhere else. Even at home, I can be distracted by thoughts of "I forgot to get this at the store, I need to get that done at work, etc." In the temple, that is MY time and I've made such a sacrifice (ok, it's little in the big scheme of things), that I use that time for me.

3. I am able to learn something deeper when I go with the right attitude. Sometimes I go and not learn anything new. Sometimes I go and I really feel as if all I'm doing is completing a commandment. But, when I'm doing the right things in my life, and I pay attention, I can gain a deeper understanding of this life and my role in it. I've gained understanding of scriptures that perhaps I may not have learned for a very long time if ever.

I find it difficult to attend as often as I'd like. It takes a whole Saturday for me to go. I have to drive 2.5 hrs to get to the temple, it takes about 1.5-2 hrs or so to do a session, then 2.5 hrs back. I usually stop to eat as well. So, I may leave at 8 am and not get home until 6 pm or so. That's difficult to do when so many other things are done on Saturdays--family time, house cleaning, church activities, playing, etc.

[Canuck Mormon]

2. It is extremely peaceful there--absolutely no distractions, so I'm able to pray and meditate more fully than I can anywhere else. Even at home, I can be distracted by thoughts of "I forgot to get this at the store, I need to get that done at work, etc." In the temple, that is MY time and I've made such a sacrifice (ok, it's little in the big scheme of things), that I use that time for me.

This is one of the main reasons why I go. It helps me to focus on what I need to do, both spiritually and temporally. If I have a particular question, I find it easier to get clarity of thought there.

I must admit however, that it has been a while since we last went. We keep planning on going, but something usually comes up, recommends expired, etc.

[Hemidakota]

As an outsider, it's clear to me that one of the advantages (joys) of being LDS is gaining access to Temple. I know that rituals important to the faith take place there...baptisms for the dead, marriage and family sealings, etc. Realizing the details are sacred, my impression is that there's more to it than sucessfully completing rituals. There must be a sense of God's presence there. So, what is it that draws you to Temple? Do you go for intensive prayer, for a time of spiritual rest, to get answers from God? What's the attraction of going to Temple? Also, are there active LDS who don't go to Temple, or not much? Why not?

Yes and plus some...for me, it is a holy building which is filled with both mortal and spiritual beings at the same time. I do find hard to visit this place for a special reasons since the veil is very thin.

Edited August 10, 2009 by Hemidakota

[Misshalfway]

Yeah, I do think it is a great place for spiritual rest and also a great place to spiritually renew. It is something I really can't recreate anywhere else. Everyone wears simple white clothing which is a nice break from all the vanity in the world. And everyong one at temple speaks in kind whispers if they speak at all. The atmosphere is reverent and full of love and you can go inside yourself or open your heart to God without distractions. And I do often go with some concern in my heart and have received answers to prayers and spontaneous impressions that have an impact on my life. There is lots of praying that goes on there and if someone in you know is sick or in need, you can put their name on the prayer rolls and so then hundreds of prayers go up to God every session for that person.

The temple is also a place of learning and so even though we perform the same ordinances each time you go, it is often that you learn something new each time. And there is a sense that God's presence is near. A good reference point might be the Holy of Holies in the OT.

Sometimes, as Hemi said, you do feel closer to those who have left this life. You may feel close to an ancestor/relative or to the person you are doing work for that day. I have heard very spiritual sacred stories about these things.

I think there are lots of reasons people don't go which range from not having a recommend or getting too busy, all the way to people who have sincere concerns about the temple or who may have a worthiness issue that keeps them from going. Some of us are lucky to have a temple within a close proximity to our homes so frequent worship there makes sense. Others may only get a chance to go to the temple once in their lives and they save every penny to go. The church is working to build more temples so that more and more of the worlds saints can enjoy the blessings. And local leaders work to help everyone realize the importance of the temple and to make themselves worthy and available to go often. The goal being that every member has a temple recommend too.

Going to the temple means that a person is living a higher way. It requires preparation before you go and continued devotion to keep you worthy to go, but the blessings are incredible. They can help heal marriages or give solace to those in mourning. I know my husband and I feel closer to each other when we go together. But I also love it that I can go alone and get what I need too.

You oughtta go sometime, PC. :) A course you'd have to get dunked first.

[Lilac]

Do you go by yourself or with your spouse or friend?

Do you sit with that person or stand next to that person? Or is it a more solitary experience?

[Gwen]

for me it's peaceful....but more importantly it's one place i have a very valid excuse to go and the kids CAN'T come. lol ... don't know if it's true for others but i usually feel more amorous after a temple visit..... my husband finds that a good reason to go.

[Misshalfway]

Do you go by yourself or with your spouse or friend?

Either or. Doesn't matter. Sometimes whole families go at once.

Do you sit with that person or stand next to that person? Or is it a more solitary experience?

Well, both. There are parts when you sit or stand together and other parts that are solitary. It is not really a social experience though. It's more like being together while doing the work.

[Guest missingsomething]

For me prison...

Have you ever been so burdened by the weight of some concern, only to suddenly have it removed and to feel that burden really and truly lifted? That high that you get.. that warmth that you get. To feel the presence of Christ. To be surrounded by people who arent criticizing you or judging you on any level but who are accepting you and loving you. To know and feel you are doing what is right.

To feel unconditional love - I mean feel it deep within the depths of your soul. When you pass through the doors of the temple, not only are the sounds of the outside world blocked but so are all the temptations, fears, struggles, and pains. For me, it is a place where I can communicate with my Heavenly Father and more clearly and easily receive answers. Where I can feel His presence and know for certain of His love and KNOW I am a daughter of God.

I wouldnt trade those feelings for anything.

That combined with knowing I am doing as I have been asked to do - and knowing that I have served others, well that is what attracts me. Thank you for asking this question and reminding me just why I love the temple so much.

[Guest missingsomething]

It is not really a social experience though. It's more like being together while doing the work.

Actually I believe married couples should attend the temple together and do the work together. I have seen couples going thru and you can tell that their marriage is very strong.

I have gone with friends and these are girlfriends that I am now extremely close to ... so maybe for some it is not "social" but for me, and I believe for others as well, it is a way we bond as well.

[prisonchaplain]

You oughtta go sometime, PC. :) A course you'd have to get dunked first.

Funny, that's what the sister missionary said said, when I visited Temple Square. "Look, we can get you in . . . "

[prisonchaplain]

A few have mentioned instruction. Are spiritual lessons given, or is it the instruction that goes along with performing the rituals? I understand that there used to be short dramas that demonstrated a point of religious instruction. Is this true?

[Palerider]

This is my opinion on what its like attending the temple....you go inside and you can feel the Lord's spirit there like no other place on earth. Its quiet and peacefull. You can't even hear the outside noise. One nice thing is....everyone is the same inside....doesn't matter what you have attained in the outside world, everyone is the same, dressed in white clothing.

[beefche]

A few have mentioned instruction. Are spiritual lessons given, or is it the instruction that goes along with performing the rituals? I understand that there used to be short dramas that demonstrated a point of religious instruction. Is this true?

Without going into specifics, there is still a short drama presented. The instructions really are more along the lines of scriptures given but done in such a way that additional information is obvious. However, EVERYTHING in the temple is symbolic. It's the same thing each time you go. Even if you do 3 sessions in one day, it's the same exact thing. However, because everything is symbolic, one tends to learn line upon line. Typically, I find that one or two scriptures stand out to me while doing a session. As I meditate upon these particular points and the symbolic way they were presented, I come to a deeper understanding.

[beefche]

BTW PC, if you want to sound like a Mormon, then we would say your OP as "What's the attraction of going to the Temple?" My experience shows that Jewish people say "Temple" without an article.

[bytebear]

I think the closest equivalent to the temple experience is that of a high and holy mass. When you go, you know what is expected. There is some interaction, but you are for the most part passive in the presentation. It really is less about the specifics of the words or lesson but more about how the lesson is presented. In other words, it isn't like a Sunday school lesson or even a sermon or a church talk. It is a presentation, with very specific symbolic meaning. To the passive participant, going once is not enough to understand the full meaning of the experience. You attend many times, and soon you know what to expect, and you can easily fall into the passive role, and just let the experience pass without much contemplation or meaning. But, even though the experience is essentially the same, you gain wisdom by repeating the experience. It takes on different meanings depending on what is going on in your life. It takes on new meaning as you mature, as you progress in life. You literally gain hidden knowledge that you could not experience in any other way, and it can only be gained over time and by taking your own personal experiences outside the temple and incorporate them into your understanding the symbolic lessons being experienced within the temple. I think that is something that also exists in high liturgy in other churches, but is often lost in many protestant churches who have rejected ritual for a more direct or even entertaining way to teach eternal truths.

Edited August 11, 2009 by bytebear

[prisonchaplain]

BTW PC, if you want to sound like a Mormon, then we would say your OP as "What's the attraction of going to the Temple?" My experience shows that Jewish people say "Temple" without an article.

I was four years in Miami, worked extensively with an Orthodox rabbi, and, in order to accommodate his limitations, had my going-away party at a Kosher Dairy restaurant (no meat). Maybe I should start a Messianic-Jewish-LDS movement? Bwahahahaha!

[Hemidakota]

Actually I believe married couples should attend the temple together and do the work together. I have seen couples going thru and you can tell that their marriage is very strong.

I have gone with friends and these are girlfriends that I am now extremely close to ... so maybe for some it is not "social" but for me, and I believe for others as well, it is a way we bond as well.

I do agree, I go with my beloved companion and we usually ask the patrons, what is needed for that day and was not accomplish. For us, it is not for mere knowledge now but to support those spirits who are their, having the works being perform.

[Misshalfway]

I was four years in Miami, worked extensively with an Orthodox rabbi, and, in order to accommodate his limitations, had my going-away party at a Kosher Dairy restaurant (no meat). Maybe I should start a Messianic-Jewish-LDS movement? Bwahahahaha!

Man! You have had the coolest experiences!! I am green! Being a stay at home mom is rewarding, don't get me wrong......but I would love to have had such experience. Oh well. I know how to get grass stains out of church pants! That's something.....

[glow_inthe_dark_girl]

I went to the temple three weeks ago, after two years of not being able to go.. this period of time that I had to wait to go again, made me think or re-think , analyze about the importance of the temple. to me it's the House of the Lord, so I can feel the Spirit much more than in any other place.. We had to wait nearly 5 hours inside the temple for our turn to baptise which is unusual, most of the time we just go and do the work and leave within 1 or 2 hours, but there was a lot of people, during this time I enjoyed every single minute that I was there, in fact, I didn't want to leave!! and yeah, I guess I was able to meditate more and be in harmony with the spirit =)

when I finally got out, I came as a different person, determined to keep myself worthy of entering into the house of the Lord. and when Iam tempted to do something that is not right, I remember the temple, and the memories of that peaceful and holy place make me choose the right easier!

I'm going again this saturday, I can't wait 2 go.

[HelenMarKimball]

If you live in Utah and are looking for work, going to the temple helps your resume not end up in the trash.

[HiJolly]

As an outsider, it's clear to me that one of the advantages (joys) of being LDS is gaining access to Temple. I know that rituals important to the faith take place there...baptisms for the dead, marriage and family sealings, etc. Realizing the details are sacred, my impression is that there's more to it than sucessfully completing rituals. There must be a sense of God's presence there. So, what is it that draws you to Temple? Do you go for intensive prayer, for a time of spiritual rest, to get answers from God? What's the attraction of going to Temple? Also, are there active LDS who don't go to Temple, or not much? Why not?

Excellent comments - but I would like to add this. Part of the instruction given in the temple involves giving us the keys of asking and receiving. And showing us how to use them. I think that's really important.

HiJolly

[Islander]

Since I am a convert, most of the time I go to the temple in order to perform ordinances for my kindred dead. I take with me insights about these people, stories, family accounts and other information that allows me to feel a tremendous connection with them.

I also relish in the Spirit of the Lord that is felt in His Holy Mountain. The certainty, the reality and power of the ordinances burns inside me in a way that I can not easily describe. It is for me a very powerful experience.

[Bini]

I have never been inside the temple, apart from doing baptisms for the dead as a youth, which was a long time ago.

For me, I've never had this overwhelming feeling of needing or wanting to go to the temple. This I'm certain is due to my lack of knowledge and understanding of the full importance of the temple. If my husband and I changed our lifestyle and became active church members, going to the temple would definitely be a priority, I'm sure. Having said that, my parents are very active church members and they do temple work whenever they can. I know my father especially finds joy in this and has on numerous occasions expressed to me the blessings reaped from being worthy of and going to the temple.

[unityinduality]

I was four years in Miami, worked extensively with an Orthodox rabbi, and, in order to accommodate his limitations, had my going-away party at a Kosher Dairy restaurant (no meat). Maybe I should start a Messianic-Jewish-LDS movement? Bwahahahaha!

Hi

I went to a Jewish passover dinner at the Orem Institute of religion. I enjoy multi-religious activities. I ministered to families who where having problems and about to get divorces with a Catholic sponsored group. I had the opportunity to participate in a catholic communion which the priest said was unusual for non-catholics. I would enjoy the opportunity to learn from an Orthodox rabbi.

I've been to the temple and was sealed to my wife there. You should go to a temple dedication sometime. When a new temple is built, it is opened to the public for a short time.