Abbie-I’ve toured two different temples, the Spokane and the Tri-Cities growing up and they are both experiences I will never forget.

kaymarie-That last quote was my favorite as well.

Kate-I’m glad you are turning to credible sources when reading about the temple and the ceremonies found therein. There are many many terrible things written about the temple online and it makes me sad to hear about them.

Amanda-I prayed about this post multiple times as I was writing it. And I made a rule that I would not write it unless I found the photos on lds.org, not through google image search. I talked about your comment with TH and we both agree, it is not the walls, chandeliers, sconces, or couches that make the temple sacred. It’s not the window dressings or the color of paint, or any of those other wordly things. It’s the ordinances that take place therein. We put so much time, care, and money into the temple because of what it means to us, but the actual construction itself does not make it what it is. The church has released photos of the inside of the temples multiple times in the ensign and for other publications, and I feel like if the church has done it, it’s nothing I, as a member can’t do either. We can’t keep that information to ourselves. Rather than withdrawing from the world, I believe the best way to fight against attacks is to be as open as possible in spreading correct information.

mhb-Thank you for sticking up for me. Amanda is my friend, and I don’t think she was attacking me, but I do think she has the same attitude as many members. I’ll do some research into what has been said about the endowment ceremony and write a post about that as well. It’s difficult to explain though, as I didn’t understand it very well until I actually experienced it myself.

I’m not sure who Amanda is, but don’t worry. People see the same thing when they go through the Temple Open houses. I think it’s important to show people how absolutely beautiful it is. That there is nothing secret, that we just hold it sacred. With everything that is going on, I think people need to know why we are so upset about people protesting outside of the Temples. How could so much hate be going on outside something so peaceful and beautiful.

I appreciated the pictures of the SL Temple. I went through there first and was sealed there. It was the most magnificent thing. I go to the Rexburg Temple and Idaho Falls now and there is just something extra special to me about the SL temple. I know that that is mostly because it was where I was sealed to my husband. But non-the-less, I can’t wait for you to go through. It’s absolutley amazing.

Also, just to comment on Amanda’s comment above, I have never seen the inside of an LDS temple before, and I probably never will in real life, so I appreciated the pictures. I understand that these pictures were taken before the temple was dedicated, and I think that’s about the same as taking a tour of the building before its dedication. It might not be as clear to folks who grew up in an LDS tradition, but there are some pretty crazy rumors about what happens in those temples. Showing some pictures of the pre-dedicated rooms and giving this general explanation can do a lot to stave off rumors and to give non-LDS folks some perspective.

As a Catholic, though, I understand bristling at the idea of people being overly casual about sacred places/traditions. I think what matters here is how respectful the posts and the comments are, and how this site is acting as a place of learning.

Just my two cents. Thanks again, TW!

I’m going through being accepted into the Catholic faith and all the stuff I had questions and doubts are being answered through asking questions, reading, having counselors so I totally understand the frustration of trying to get people to understand your perspective. And actually, I’m going to show this my husband who is really interested about LDS.

Reading your blogs have been enlightening and educational. It gives a perspective of LDS life that honestly, I don’t get to interact with. So please continue being an advocate.

Thanks.

I actually did some research when I was reading your posts on WeddingBee because I was really curious about what happens in the temple. There’s a lot of good information available from the Church itself, and from members like you who are willing to share (some of the related posts that wordpress has recommended are actually great too). And I’m glad that you decided to share this with us because it is a very important distinction to make between secret and sacred.

I look forward to these posts every week, just so you know. And I’m looking for an excuse to make cheesecake enchiladas.