Modern Temples

[Urlaubulusprime]

Question from a non-member friend of mine

Temples were done away with Christ. Paul says our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. Baptism for the Dead and Eternal Marriage are not in the Bible. So why do we still build Temples?

[pam]

This is a tough question to answer with someone that is a non member.

With the blessing of latter day revelation we've learned that Elijah was the last Prophet to hold the sealing power of the Melchezidek Priesthood before the time of Christ. He conferred these keys to Peter, James and John. After them, these keys were lost until he appeared with Christ and others in the Kirtland temple and once again conferred these keys to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. This once again provided the means to do sealings in the temple.

Unless someone can believe in continuing revelation it's hard to explain to them why we still build temples. It's because of these keys that we do. Therefore the turning of the hearts from the fathers to the children and hearts of the children to the fathers.

Edited January 8, 2011 by pam

[NeuroTypical]

Answers for your non-member friend:

Temples were done away with Christ.

No they weren't. Cite chapter and verse please?

Paul says our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit.

Paul is correct. Paul is also not saying anything like "no more temples".

Baptism for the Dead and Eternal Marriage are not in the Bible.

Setting aside the vague and inconclusive 1 Cor 15:29, correct. Mormons believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly. We do not believe it is the final or complete word of God. We're not innerentists, and we don't worship the Bible as part of the trinity like some Christians do. We believe the way God deals with his children over time and cultures can change, as his children are different over time and cultures. You already acknowledge the set of practices and ordinances changed once due to Christ's arrival - so who's to say God wouldn't change them again at some point in the future? We say they have - Christ has restored his true church to the earth - and yes indeed, it comes with inspired leaders who recieve direction from Christ. Temples and what goes on in them are some of that modern direction. Edited January 8, 2011 by Loudmouth_Mormon

[mnn727]

Temples were done away with Christ.

Make him prove that statement.

Hint: 'rending the veil' does not mean they were done away with.

Yes, our bodies are temples, but not the only Temple.

Lots of things the Bible doesn't mention, like: the trinity, election, pre-destination, popes, once saved always saved, trans-substantiation, etc that many Christians believe in. We have firther revelation, just like the Bible claims we would.

Besides, it was Christ Himself who commanded Mormons to build Temples.

Edited January 8, 2011 by mnn727

[tubaloth]

There would have to be three things that LDS church understand, the I guess you would have to get from your non-member friend.

1. The sealing power.

Matt 16:19

19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

We believe that this power is still around today!

2. We believe that marriage does not end at death.

Mark 10:9

9What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Mostly Adam and Eve were married when there wasn't death! They were married by the power of God. Marriage is for eternity.

3. The same thing holds true for Baptism for the dead.

1 Corin 15

29Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

The idea not to even think about Baptism for the dead is a complete rejection of the Atonement.

We know the Atonement reaches farther then just during Christ time, or none of us would have access to the power. We know one of the missions of the Atonement was break the bands of death. To say the Atonement doesn't reach beyond this life is probably the biggest way Satan has people limit the power of the Atonement!

I would try to figure out what your non member friend feels about these ideas. This is why temples are still used today. To have the power of the Atonement reach all. We can also go into spirit prison and how Christ taught those. Good luck.

[Wingnut]

Answers for your non-member friend:

Temples were done away with Christ.

No they weren't. Cite chapter and verse please?

Yeah, I've never heard anything like that before.

[Maureen]

...and we don't worship the Bible as part of the trinity like some Christians do...

Loudmouth, can you offer a source that says some Christians worship the Bible as part of the trinity?

M.

[Dravin]

Loudmouth, can you offer a source that says some Christians worship the Bible as part of the trinity?

M.

I'm fairly sure he's being snarky about Bible inerrantists and the like.

[rameumptom]

The Book of Revelation, Ezekiel, and other prophecy foresee the day when the Jerusalem temple will be rebuilt. Why rebuild it if there are no more temples? Also, archaeology and ancient writings show that there were also Jewish temples in Elephantium Egypt, and the Samarians had one, as well.

The only thing the Bible teaches is that the Jews had desecrated the temple of God by rejecting their Messiah, and so he took the temple and its blessings away from them until the last days.

1 Corinthians 15:29 mentions baptism for the dead. Some early Christians, including the Marcionites, did baptize for the dead. While the Bible does not mention eternal marriage, it is included in other ancient texts, such as the Gospel of Phillip.

I suggest you have your friend read the following online book by my friend Barry Bickmore regarding how the ancient beliefs of early Jews and Christians have been restored:

Restoring the Ancient Church, Table of Contents

[NeuroTypical]

Loudmouth, can you offer a source that says some Christians worship the Bible as part of the trinity?

I've long since forgotten the thread name, or even forum I was on. But various Christians were arguing against Mormonism, using their interpretation of John 1:1 to prove that the Bible was God, and therefore perfect and infallible and deserving of reverence and worship. Other discussions over the decades has led me to believe that the more extreme a Christian becomes in their inerrantist belief, the more likely they are to assign qualities of deity to the Holy Bible.

I don't know what percentage of Christianity holds to that particular understanding, but it sure the heck ain't zero. And, since whenever I've encountered one of them, they're usually asking a "question" like we heard in the OP (proceeded by a bunch of things stated as fact, that really are interpretations and guesses), I thought the OP might get lucky and identify one of their core beliefs and specifically call out that LDS don't share it.

No snark intended.

Edited January 9, 2011 by Loudmouth_Mormon

[volgadon]

Make him prove that statement.

Hint: 'rending the veil' does not mean they were done away with.

Indeed, rending the veil had to do with mourning customs.

[JohnnyRudick]

I've long since forgotten the thread name, or even forum I was on. But various Christians were arguing against Mormonism, using their interpretation of John 1:1 to prove that the Bible was God, and therefore perfect and infallible and deserving of reverence and worship. Other discussions over the decades has led me to believe that the more extreme a Christian becomes in their inerrantist belief, the more likely they are to assign qualities of deity to the Holy Bible.

I don't know what percentage of Christianity holds to that particular understanding, but it sure the heck ain't zero. And, since whenever I've encountered one of them, they're usually asking a "question" like we heard in the OP (proceeded by a bunch of things stated as fact, that really are interpretations and guesses), I thought the OP might get lucky and identify one of their core beliefs and specifically call out that LDS don't share it.

No snark intended.

While I have never met a Christian who believes the Bible to be a member of the Godhead, I have met plenty who ascribe the "words"

[John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth

nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and

they are life.] of the bible in it's arrangement of the TR to be a representation of the Holy Ghost.

[GeneC]

Temples weren't done away with per se. The chain of Priesthood authority was taken from the Earth and it was not restored until the 1800's. Thus there was no reason to build Temples if no work could be done during that time. No Priesthood authority meant no Temple work could be accomplished.

[HEthePrimate]

My good friend the Institute teacher would say something like this: The temple is a house of learning. We go there to learn how to better serve God and our fellow beings, thereby becoming holier ourselves. We're supposed to take what we learn there and make the rest of the world, including our homes, our communities, and our lives, holy like the temple.

[spamlds]

Just ask your friend about Acts chapter 21, where Paul and his brethren go to the temple in Jerusalem.

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

Paul underwent the traditional purification ritual and made an offering for his party. A riot erupted because Jews though Paul had brought a Greek into the temple confines.

Why would an apostle go to the temple? If your friend can answer that, he'll have his answer to his own question.

[bert10]

OSAS...not. OSAS is totally false doctrine and it comes from Satan. It is Satan last chance to deceive those who have received the promises into thinking that they can do no harm spiritually. The Sons of GOD who left their habitation in Genesis became perdition.

bert10

Make him prove that statement.

Hint: 'rending the veil' does not mean they were done away with.

Yes, our bodies are temples, but not the only Temple.

Lots of things the Bible doesn't mention, like: the trinity, election, pre-destination, popes, once saved always saved, trans-substantiation, etc that many Christians believe in. We have firther revelation, just like the Bible claims we would.

Besides, it was Christ Himself who commanded Mormons to build Temples.

[LDSChristian]

Just ask your friend about Acts chapter 21, where Paul and his brethren go to the temple in Jerusalem.

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

Paul underwent the traditional purification ritual and made an offering for his party. A riot erupted because Jews though Paul had brought a Greek into the temple confines.

Why would an apostle go to the temple? If your friend can answer that, he'll have his answer to his own question.

Saw something about this on National Geographic the week of Christmas. It was interesting. To purify themselves they would go into a little pool of water and would go under so many times. I want to say it was 50. I'm 90% sure. After they went under X amount of times they were considered purified and was then able to enter the temple. It was interesting.

[jperry]

Another question I often get asked: Why are the ordinances of the temple similar to Masonic rituals?

[bytebear]

Another question I often get asked: Why are the ordinances of the temple similar to Masonic rituals?

Because masonic rituals are similar to God's true rituals.

[JohnnyRudick]

Because masonic rituals are similar to God's true rituals.

Ha, Haaaaaaaaa:lol:

Good answer;)

Thanks:cool:

[bert10]

The Answer to them that say there is no need for temple is this...Jesus said that He came to call sinners into repentance...He did not come to cleanse and restore temple rule. Also He is not the Restitution of all things as prophesied.

In the times of the restitution of all things which we are in now...we are required to build temples. And the LDS alone have been given the burden of the temple. And Restitution of all things means all things.

In Revelation we have a temple in heaven and it is being used. Even now. Ordinances are being performed in it...such as cleansing the lips of Isaiah and John and all those who went there. The tribulations are also ordinances being performed in heaven. And there shall be ordinances being performed on the earth...For all works of salvation must voluntarily be done by men of flesh and blood while they are on the Earth.

If they do not believe this nor the multitude bible verses concerning end times prophecies and revelations..they shall not believe it even when destruction comes for them. For these there is nothing to be done.

bert10

This is a tough question to answer with someone that is a non member.

With the blessing of latter day revelation we've learned that Elijah was the last Prophet to hold the sealing power of the Melchezidek Priesthood before the time of Christ. He conferred these keys to Peter, James and John. After them, these keys were lost until he appeared with Christ and others in the Kirtland temple and once again conferred these keys to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. This once again provided the means to do sealings in the temple.

Unless someone can believe in continuing revelation it's hard to explain to them why we still build temples. It's because of these keys that we do. Therefore the turning of the hearts from the fathers to the children and hearts of the children to the fathers.