Inspiration & The Complementary Nature Of Marriage

[Guest]

My wife just pointed out an interesting difference between the two of us.  When I go to the temple, I tend to look for inspiration in the ceremony itself.  I've had many lessons taught by little bits and pieces of the ceremony.  When I get to the Celestial Room, I find it to be a nice and peaceful place.  But I really don't get much by way of revelation there.

My wife, on the other hand, feels that the ceremony itself is a precursor or a preparatory ceremony.  The REAL ceremony is praying and pondering while in the Celestial Room.  She has gained wonderful insights while in the Celestial room.

And while we have discussed things, she is able to bring to the discussion things that are fairly random, but might fit into the discussion.  I tend to get inspired about what is on my mind at the time.  Between the two of us, we have a very fruitful discussion about where we ought to be going as a couple and as a family.

[The Folk Prophet]

1 minute ago, Carborendum said:

My wife just pointed out an interesting difference between the two of us.  When I go to the temple, I tend to look for inspiration in the ceremony itself.  I've had many lessons taught by little bits and pieces of the ceremony.  When I get to the Celestial Room, I find it to be a nice and peaceful place.  But I really don't get much by way of revelation there.

My wife, on the other hand, feels that the ceremony itself is a precursor or a preparatory ceremony.  The REAL ceremony is praying and pondering while in the Celestial Room.  She has gained wonderful insights while in the Celestial room.

And while we have discussed things, she is able to bring to the discussion things that are fairly random, but might fit into the discussion.  I tend to get inspired about what is on my mind at the time.  Between the two of us, we have a very fruitful discussion about where we ought to be going as a couple and as a family.

I have a bit of a different take re inspiration: The primary point of the temple is ordinances and covenants -- not inspiration, per se. Inspiration is a result of obedience. From that perspective your wife's view wouldn't be correct as to what is the "real" ceremony (except in that the Celestial Room is certainly a part of the ordinance and part of the "real" ceremony).

As to your not getting revelation in the Celestial room, perhaps it's just that you don't seek revelation there? Or maybe it's just the way your thinking works, etc. I think the Lord gives us revelation in a variety of situations and places. The temple is a place where the Spirit can speak, for sure, and the Celestial Room is one of the most sacred and peaceful places in the temple, so it makes sense that inspiration and revelation might occur there with potentially more frequency. But I would think it inaccurate to presume that everyone gets more revelation there, as indicated by your post.

I tend to trust my thoughts more in the Celestial Room than I do elsewhere without as much "feeling" from the Spirit. So if I'm seeking whether I should take a job or not, for example, if I kind of feel I should/shouldn't take it elsewhere I wonder if that's the Spirit, but if I kind of feel I should/shouldn't take it after praying in the Celestial Room I chalk it up as an answer and move forward.

That being said, I think we even then need to be careful. For example, I know an couple who claims they received "inspiration" in the Celestial Room that they should leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Well, maybe that's unfair. Maybe they just didn't feel inspired to stay and so concluded they should leave. But the point remains. I don't think it wise to carte blanc accept any thought one has in the Celestial Room as inspiration.

[mikbone]

I thought this discourse would be different based solely upon the title.  

For me and my wife (and adult children), we love to read the scriptures in the chapel prior to the session.  For some reason revelation seems to come much easier from scripture when it is bound in white leather (perhaps it is the setting).  Another thing that we have noticed is occasionally, we will go to the temple with a yes or no type question that we have not received an answer to yet.  On a number of instances, upon presenting our desire to attend an ordinance, will be asked if we would like to be the witness couple.  Every time this happens, we look at each other and recognize that the answer is a resounding yes, to both questions!  And during the endowment revelation comes here or there.  In the celestial room we share our discoveries with our loved ones.  

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, mikbone said:

I thought this discourse would be different based solely upon the title.

Actually, it was.  But one thing I've found is that when I provide a preamble (e.g. what preceded the development of my thoughts) people tend to focus on the preamble rather than the message.  And the message itself gets lost.

So, I guess I'm supposed to omit the preamble.  And I have.  Then people criticize me for not having anything to back up what I was saying.  Seems like I'm doomed to be misunderstood no matter what I do.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, The Folk Prophet said:

I have a bit of a different take re inspiration: The primary point of the temple is ordinances and covenants -- not inspiration, per se. Inspiration is a result of obedience. From that perspective your wife's view wouldn't be correct as to what is the "real" ceremony (except in that the Celestial Room is certainly a part of the ordinance and part of the "real" ceremony).

As to your not getting revelation in the Celestial room, perhaps it's just that you don't seek revelation there? Or maybe it's just the way your thinking works, etc. I think the Lord gives us revelation in a variety of situations and places. The temple is a place where the Spirit can speak, for sure, and the Celestial Room is one of the most sacred and peaceful places in the temple, so it makes sense that inspiration and revelation might occur there with potentially more frequency. But I would think it inaccurate to presume that everyone gets more revelation there, as indicated by your post.

I tend to trust my thoughts more in the Celestial Room than I do elsewhere without as much "feeling" from the Spirit. So if I'm seeking whether I should take a job or not, for example, if I kind of feel I should/shouldn't take it elsewhere I wonder if that's the Spirit, but if I kind of feel I should/shouldn't take it after praying in the Celestial Room I chalk it up as an answer and move forward.

That being said, I think we even then need to be careful. For example, I know an couple who claims they received "inspiration" in the Celestial Room that they should leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Well, maybe that's unfair. Maybe they just didn't feel inspired to stay and so concluded they should leave. But the point remains. I don't think it wise to carte blanc accept any thought one has in the Celestial Room as inspiration.

I was greatly simplifying our positions on the overall ceremony to focus on the overall point I was trying to make, which apparently went over some people's heads.

[zil]

I assume the point you were trying to make is that your wife is not a slob.

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, zil said:

I assume the point you were trying to make is that your wife is not a slob.

That and how eating spaghetti pretty much makes anyone a slob.

[The Folk Prophet]

53 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

which apparently went over some people's heads.

Why did you need to make this confrontational, argumentative, and rude?

I was just trying to discuss and expand on some ideas.

At best I'd expect "good thought" and at worst I'd expect, "I don't think I agree with this perspective." But of course it has to be a personal, you're-an-idiot type response.