Doctrine and Covenants
101:1 - VERILY I say unto you, concerning your brethren who have been afflicted, and persecuted, and cast out from the land of their inheritance--
101:2 - I, the Lord, have suffered the affliction to come upon them, wherewith they have been afflicted, in consequence of their transgressions;
101:3 - Yet I will own them, and they shall be mine in that day when I shall come to make up my jewels.
101:4 - Therefore, they must needs be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son.
101:5 - For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified.
101:6 - Behold, I say unto you, there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among them; therefore by these things they polluted their inheritances.
101:7 - They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble.
101:8 - In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me.
101:9 - Verily I say unto you, notwithstanding their sins, my bowels are filled with compassion towards them. I will not utterly cast them off; and in the day of wrath I will remember mercy.
101:10 - I have sworn, and the decree hath gone forth by a former commandment which I have given unto you, that I would let fall the sword of mine indignation in behalf of my people; and even as I have said, it shall come to pass.
101:11 - Mine indignation is soon to be poured out without measure upon all nations; and this will I do when the cup of their iniquity is full.
101:12 - And in that day all who are found upon the watch-tower, or in other words, all mine Israel, shall be saved.
101:13 - And they that have been scattered shall be gathered.
101:14 - And all they who have mourned shall be comforted.
101:15 - And all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned.
101:16 - Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God.
101:17 - Zion shall not be moved out of her place, notwithstanding her children are scattered.
101:18 - They that remain, and are pure in heart, shall return, and come to their inheritances, they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy, to build up the waste places of Zion--
101:19 - And all these things that the prophets might be fulfilled.
101:20 - And, behold, there is none other place appointed than that which I have appointed; neither shall there be any other place appointed than that which I have appointed, for the work of the gathering of my saints--
101:21 - Until the day cometh when there is found no more room for them; and then I have other places which I will appoint unto them, and they shall be called stakes, for the curtains or the strength of Zion.
101:22 - Behold, it is my will, that all they who call on my name, and worship me according to mine everlasting gospel, should gather together, and stand in holy places;
101:23 - And prepare for the revelation which is to come, when the veil of the covering of my temple, in my tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken off, and all flesh shall see me together.
101:24 - And every corruptible thing, both of man, or of the beasts of the field, or of the fowls of the heavens, or of the fish of the sea, that dwells upon all the face of the earth, shall be consumed;
101:25 - And also that of element shall melt with fervent heat; and all things shall become new, that my knowledge and glory may dwell upon all the earth.
101:26 - And in that day the enmity of man, and the enmity of beasts, yea, the enmity of all flesh, shall cease from before my face.
101:27 - And in that day whatsoever any man shall ask, it shall be given unto him.
101:28 - And in that day Satan shall not have power to tempt any man.
101:29 - And there shall be no sorrow because there is no death.
101:30 - In that day an infant shall not die until he is old; and his life shall be as the age of a tree;
101:31 - And when he dies he shall not sleep, that is to say in the earth, but shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and shall be caught up, and his rest shall be glorious.
101:32 - Yea, verily I say unto you, in that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things--
101:33 - Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof--
101:34 - Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven.
101:35 - And all they who suffer persecution for my name, and endure in faith, though they are called to lay down their lives for my sake yet shall they partake of all this glory.
101:36 - Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full.
101:37 - Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the soul, and for the life of the soul.
101:38 - And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life.
101:39 - When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men;
101:40 - They are called to be the savor of men; therefore, if that salt of the earth lose its savor, behold, it is thenceforth good for nothing only to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.
101:41 - Behold, here is wisdom concerning the children of Zion, even many, but not all; they were found transgressors, therefore they must needs be chastened--
101:42 - He that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that abaseth himself shall be exalted.
101:43 - And now, I will show unto you a parable, that you may know my will concerning the redemption of Zion.
101:44 - A certain nobleman had a spot of land, very choice; and he said unto his servants: Go ye unto my vineyard, even upon this very choice piece of land, and plant twelve olive-trees;
101:45 - And set watchmen round about them, and build a tower, that one may overlook the land round about, to be a watchman upon the tower, that mine olive-trees may not be broken down when the enemy shall come to spoil and take upon themselves the fruit of my vineyard.
101:46 - Now, the servants of the nobleman went and did as their lord commanded them, and planted the olive-trees, and built a hedge round about, and set watchmen, and began to build a tower.
101:47 - And while they were yet laying the foundation thereof, they began to say among themselves: And what need hath my lord of this tower?
101:48 - And consulted for a long time, saying among themselves: What need hath my lord of this tower, seeing this is a time of peace?
101:49 - Might not this money be given to the exchangers? For there is no need of these things.
101:50 - And while they were at variance one with another they became very slothful, and they hearkened not unto the commandments of their lord.
101:51 - And the enemy came by night, and broke down the hedge; and the servants of the nobleman arose and were affrighted, and fled; and the enemy destroyed their works, and broke down the olive-trees.
101:52 - Now, behold, the nobleman, the lord of the vineyard, called upon his servants, and said unto them, Why! what is the cause of this great evil?
101:53 - Ought ye not to have done even as I commanded you, and--after ye had planted the vineyard, and built the hedge round about, and set watchmen upon the walls thereof--built the tower also, and set a watchman upon the tower, and watched for my vineyard, and not have fallen asleep, lest the enemy should come upon you?
101:54 - And behold, the watchman upon the tower would have seen the enemy while he was yet afar off; and then ye could have made ready and kept the enemy from breaking down the hedge thereof, and saved my vineyard from the hands of the destroyer.
101:55 - And the lord of the vineyard said unto one of his servants: Go and gather together the residue of my servants, and take all the strength of mine house, which are my warriors, my young men, and they that are of middle age also among all my servants, who are the strength of mine house, save those only whom I have appointed to tarry;
101:56 - And go ye straightway unto the land of my vineyard, and redeem my vineyard; for it is mine; I have bought it with money.
101:57 - Therefore, get ye straightway unto my land; break down the walls of mine enemies; throw down their tower, and scatter their watchmen.
101:58 - And inasmuch as they gather together against you, avenge me of mine enemies, that by and by I may come with the residue of mine house and possess the land.
101:59 - And the servant said unto his lord: When shall these things be?
101:60 - And he said unto his servant: When I will; go ye straightway, and do all things whatsoever I have commanded you;
101:61 - And this shall be my seal and blessing upon you--a faithful and wise steward in the midst of mine house, a ruler in my kingdom.
101:62 - And his servant went straightway, and did all things whatsoever his lord commanded him; and after many days all things were fulfilled.
101:63 - Again, verily I say unto you, I will show unto you wisdom in me concerning all the churches, inasmuch as they are willing to be guided in a right and proper way for their salvation--
101:64 - That the work of the gathering together of my saints may continue, that I may build them up unto my name upon holy places; for the time of harvest is come, and my word must needs be fulfilled.
101:65 - Therefore, I must gather together my people, according to the parable of the wheat and the tares, that the wheat may be secured in the garners to possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory, when I shall come in the kingdom of my Father to reward every man according as his work shall be;
101:66 - While the tares shall be bound in bundles, and their bands made strong, that they may be burned with unquenchable fire.
101:67 - Therefore, a commandment I give unto all the churches, that they shall continue to gather together unto the places which I have appointed.
101:68 - Nevertheless, as I have said unto you in a former commandment, let not your gathering be in haste, nor by flight; but let all things be prepared before you.
101:69 - And in order that all things be prepared before you, observe the commandment which I have given concerning these things--
101:70 - Which saith, or teacheth, to purchase all the lands with money, which can be purchased for money, in the region round about the land which I have appointed to be the land of Zion, for the beginning of the gathering of my saints;
101:71 - All the land which can be purchased in Jackson county, and the counties round about, and leave the residue in mine hand.
101:72 - Now, verily I say unto you, let all the churches gather together all their moneys; let these things be done in their time, but not in haste; and observe to have all things prepared before you.
101:73 - And let honorable men be appointed, even wise men, and send them to purchase these lands.
101:74 - And the churches in the eastern countries, when they are built up, if they will hearken unto this counsel they may buy lands and gather together upon them; and in this way they may establish Zion.
101:75 - There is even now already in store sufficient, yea, even an abundance, to redeem Zion, and establish her waste places, no more to be thrown down, were the churches, who call themselves after my name, willing to hearken to my voice.
101:76 - And again I say unto you, those who have been scattered by their enemies, it is my will that they should continue to importune for redress, and redemption, by the hands of those who are placed as rulers and are in authority over you--
101:77 - According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles;
101:78 - That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment.
101:79 - Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.
101:80 - And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.
101:81 - Now, unto what shall I liken the children of Zion? I will liken them unto the parable of the woman and the unjust judge, for men ought always to pray and not to faint, which saith--
101:82 - There was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man.
101:83 - And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying: Avenge me of mine adversary.
101:84 - And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself: Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
101:85 - Thus will I liken the children of Zion.
101:86 - Let them importune at the feet of the judge;
101:87 - And if he heed them not, let them importune at the feet of the governor;
101:88 - And if the governor heed them not, let them importune at the feet of the president;
101:89 - And if the president heed them not, then will the Lord arise and come forth out of his hiding place, and in his fury vex the nation;
101:90 - And in his hot displeasure, and in his fierce anger, in his time, will cut off those wicked, unfaithful, and unjust stewards, and appoint them their portion among hypocrites, and unbelievers;
101:91 - Even in outer darkness, where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
101:92 - Pray ye, therefore, that their ears may be opened unto your cries, that I may be merciful unto them, that these things may not come upon them.
101:93 - What I have said unto you must needs be, that all men may be left without excuse;
101:94 - That wise men and rulers may hear and know that which they have never considered;
101:95 - That I may proceed to bring to pass my act, my strange act, and perform my work, my strange work, that men may discern between the righteous and the wicked, saith your God.
101:96 - And again, I say unto you, it is contrary to my commandment and my will that my servant Sidney Gilbert should sell my storehouse, which I have appointed unto my people, into the hands of mine enemies.
101:97 - Let not that which I have appointed be polluted by mine enemies, by the consent of those who call themselves after my name;
101:98 - For this is a very sore and grievous sin against me, and against my people, in consequence of those things which I have decreed and which are soon to befall the nations.
101:99 - Therefore, it is my will that my people should claim, and hold claim upon that which I have appointed unto them, though they should not be permitted to dwell thereon.
101:100 - Nevertheless, I do not say they shall not dwell thereon; for inasmuch as they bring forth fruit and works meet for my kingdom they shall dwell thereon.
101:101 - They shall build, and another shall not inherit it; they shall plant vineyards, and they shall eat the fruit thereof. Even so. Amen.
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38 Comments
Amen, Bryce!
I simply must chuckle that polygamy doesn’t hold the attention of the viewers as “shock” value in and of itself anymore. Really, I must question what that says about polygamy? Ponder that one! lol
I simply loved the statement the LDS Newsroom made in addressing “The Publicity Dilemma”. As always it was done with such respect and reverence, while still asserting a solemn rebuke. When I read statements such as this one, my testimony just seems to enlarge.
Your points and advice concerning the HBO production of Big Love and our reactions to it are “spot on” and hopefully will be followed by all LDS members. Thank you.
Great post, Bryce. Thanks.
Well said, Bryce. Deprive the issue of the oxygen of publicity and it too will pass.
Thanks for your comments about this. I found this article just minutes after I heard about this upcoming episode of HBO, and I was really comforted by the quotes you refer to and your statements. Our Church is true, and it will not be stopped by things like this. Thank you.
I heard a NPR segment about one month ago interviewing one of the creators and writers for Big Love. He (the writer) was raised in the Church and during his adolescence turned to homosexuality. As I listened to the segment, it was obvious that the writer (sorry, I forgot his name) obviously has quite a bit of emotional issues that he had to deal with as a child. It seems that Big Love is his platform to ‘get back’ at church. It’s sad, very sad. When the show was first announced a couple of years ago I thought it wouldn’t last long; but curiously, it has a solid audience base. Although it is negative advertising, it’s still advertising and the Church continues to grow and the work is still being accomplished.
Thank you for this thought provoking article. You have calmed my emotions, set my heart at ease, and helped me to remember that we have nothing to fear.
Well said, and in keeping with the Spirit. We shouldn’t fuss about it. Let us carry on, calmly step back, and watch the Lord fight our battles, for he has promised it.
Lots of good points, Bryce. Well said.
Yeah, the Standard of Truth quote was the first thing to come to mind when I read about this issue. I also found your uplifting website too. Bonus. Keep up the good work. (D&C 101:16)
Thank you all for your comments. Here is another good quote by President Heber J. Grant:
Thank you for your insights and thoughts on this subject. If we didn’t have opposition in this life, how would we grow and get stronger? We have to take a stand now; we cannot sit back any longer and be “Sunday Mormons.” If we are not doing something significant during the week toward sharing the gospel, we are not helping the work to move along. I know I can do much more. I appreciate the message of peace that surrounded your comments.
I am continually saddened by the stories and subjects this TV series feel they need to “explore”. Why did they need to hire an ex-member if their show is supposedly about a man and his family who are not members of the church. Why did they need to recreate the temple ceremonies of the LDS church if the show is not supposedly about that church.
In case you didn’t know, Tom Hanks is one of the producers of this show. My repect for him just plummeted to new lows.
While I agree we shouldn’t let these things drive us to madness, I do think that we can make our voice heard. I think it is appropriate for us to let others know this is inappropriate. If we feel we need to take actions to let our voice be heard, I think we should do so in a controlled fashion. The Church’s statement on the issue underscores that members are free to respond as they see fit. I think it is appropriate for us to let the sponsors of this show know that we don’t support this show.
Thank you for your article here. It is refreshing to learn again about the statements made by our prophets on the destiny of our Church. And it is a blessing to read the comments following. It seems like we are a support and an encouragement to each other. Thanks for this forum to express our opinions on values and doctrines we cherish in a positive upbeat way. So much is negative and destructive out there, HBO case in point.
Some might be interested to know that Tom Hanks, executive producer of Big Love, was a member of LDS Church at one point in his childhood, or at least went to church often with his stepmother, who was an active member for a time. It’s uncertain whether he was baptized. His stepmother said that Tom “enjoyed going to church.” His father and stepmother seem to have divorced at least partly on account of their religious differences, she being a Mormon and he being agnostic (or perhaps Catholic), which caused conflict in the family. See some of his religious history here.
So is Tom Hanks’ recent encounters with the Church related to that experience years ago? Possibly. It certainly gave him an impression of the Church.
You’re kidding! Apparently Tom has a bone to pick with the church now, too. Really sad. Apparently the ex-member forgot that God will not be mocked. I wouldn’t want to be with the Big Love bunch when they go before the Eternal Bar!
Any idea which version of the ceremony they are going to use? As far as I know, Big Love tends to mirror mainly the FLDS rather than mainstream. I am not sure what the FLDS use for a Temple Ceremony but am sure that it would not be what is current in the LDS Temple. If it is the FLDS temple ceremony, then it will be interesting to see the differences.
The TV Guide says that they hired an ex-Mormon consultant, so my guess is they will try to make it like the LDS, even though the main characters aren’t supposed to be LDS, which is even more confusing and blurs the lines between the LDS and FLDS even more. I’m certain the FLDS temple is not like the LDS, so why portray it as such. Doesn’t make sense…
The episode apparently features a flash back to back before the characters were living an FLDS lifestyle, and were in good standing with the LDS Church. Thus, it will attempt to be a representation of the LDS version.
We’ve little in common doctrinally and are hardly on the same page. But we do have the common attribute (Latter Day Saints and Jehovah’s Witnesses) of getting slammed in the popular media, and for much the same reason. I enjoyed your post.
HBO released a statement today:
Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, the creators/writers/producers of Big Love, also released a statement:
HBO, Olsen, and Scheffer are missing the elephant in the room. How accurately do you need to portray desecration for it to be inappropriate for TV? How explicit does profanity and insult have to be to a story before it is considered wrong?
Clearly they didn’t research the temple enough because they missed one of our most important beliefs in connection to the temple, which we repeat time and time again, namely, that since we hold our temple worship so exceptionally sacred, we don’t talk about it specifically, discuss it, show it, portray it, repeat it, put it on display, photograph it, or otherwise perform it outside of the temple. That is part of what makes it so sacred. It is only meant for those who have properly prepared themselves to receive it. To portray it in any fashion is immediately taboo. Hiring an ex-Mormon “adviser” should have been their first clue that what they were doing was wrong. Of course, I don’t think they missed this in their research, but entirely ignored it. They knew this perfectly, and did it anyway, for reasons they are not willing to express.
In President Boyd K. Packer’s book The Holy Temple, which is probably near the top of every member’s reading list about the temple, he wrote:
Along these same lines I was watching last week “Law and Order” where some LDS offshot group is investigated, it repeatedly shows garments sewn in black thread, and mocked by the police and attorneys.
I think we are getting a little blow-back from Prop.8.
-Littlefield
I think we are getting a LOT of blow-back from Prop 8. (and retribution, hate, etc) We apparently got the attention of the adversary…
The x-Mormon writer for Big Love is Dustin Lance Black, the same guy who wrote the screenplay for Milk and, from his speech at the Academy Awards, has an axe to grind with the Church. I agree with the previous posts…don’t give this controvery oxygen and it will die a quick death.
“clearly have a vindictive attitude towards the Church, making it out to be something it is not, and perpetuating misconceptions such as Mormons as polygamists”
I came across your article while looking up Big Love on the internet and read the above quote. I am not a member of the LDS Church, but wanted offer my opinion, for what it’s worth. I am a viewer of Big Love, and I have to say that first of all I don’t think any intelligent person thinks mormons are polygamists, especially if they do watch Big Love. It has actually made it very clear there are huge differences between the church beliefs and those of the polygamists. I also don’t believe the show is vindictive towards your religion at all. I can obviously only speak for myself, but I watch because it shows a different kind of family in our world today, yet a lot of the issues they go through are similar to any family (communication, morals, etc). It’s just a TV show, entertainment pure and simple. However, since the main characters have evolved from an LDS background obviously reference must be made to the LDS religion, and I think the show has done a great job of showing the difference between the crazy compound religion and the regular LDS religion. I understand that whatever they are about to show on next weeks episode is something you hold sacred, and perhaps it should be given the respect you ask, but please know that most of the world aren’t going to know the difference anyway. I think the fact that so much is a secret in your religion is more of a factor of people not trusting your church and all the misbeliefs, not a TV show. I don’t want to offend you with my opinions, but simply to say that as someone not involved in your religion, it doesn’t make sense to me why you are so offended by something that most of us are going to forget about the day after watching the show anyway. I really don’t think the world will be buzzing the next day about what ‘those crazy mormons do in their temples’. Again, I believe everyone deserves respect, and I’m not trying to offend at all, just to say it’s really no big deal to the rest of the world.
Hi Kristin,
Thanks for your kind comments and thoughts. I appreciate them very much, and am not offended at all.
Unfortunately, most people I believe are not like you. They see a show like Big Love, and, if they are not a regular viewer, immediately make a connection between the Mormons and polygamists. This is a misconception that we’ve had to deal with for over 100 years, even though polygamists are immediately excommunicated from our church. Even after everything we’ve done to dispel the misconception, it is still one of the most prevalent descriptors for our religion and church in societal thought according to recent studies. So that is why we are offended by shows and other things like this that help perpetuate myths.
The fact that the show was not supposed to be about the LDS Church, but about the FLDS Church, strikes us as odd when even more and more LDS themes and characters are being strung into the story, and most particularly this episode. Also, since the creators and producers of the show have had ties with the LDS Church in the past, it makes us even more suspect of their real intentions in doing these things.
Another misconception that we are trying to quell is that we are extremely secretive in the LDS Church. It appears that you may also hold this belief. The only part of our church that is secretive is the details of temple ordinances, and that is because we hold it so sacred. If you think about something that is very sacred in your life, you probably also hold it secretly to yourself, and would be offended by it being put on display for the public without regard to you. These things aren’t secret because we don’t want people to know about them, they are held secret because we deem them very sacred, and only meant for those that have properly prepared themselves to receive them, including having faith in Jesus Christ, repenting of past sins, being baptized, receiving the Holy Ghost, and having a worthiness and maturity appropriate to receive such sacred and holy things. You could compare our temple to a convent, or the sanctuary of the Eastern Orthodox churches. Not everyone is allowed in, or allowed to see everything, and it is blasphemous and highly offensive to do so.
One example that shows that we are not a secretive people at all is the Church’s current involvement with producing the Joseph Smith Papers. This is a project which is endorsed by the National Archives’ National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), and will serve to publish every document ever written by Joseph Smith, or any others connected to him. We are truly puzzled by the common belief that we are so secretive.
I’m glad that you believe that most will forget about this the day after watching it. Indeed, that is what we hope and believe will happen. But it still doesn’t excuse the act which is so insensitive and disrespectful to us and our sacred beliefs.
Thanks again for your comments.
Orson Scott Card commented about the Big Love story at the National Review Online. See his comments entitled “Big Love? Big Deal.” He also commented on it at Mormon Times. Terrance Olson has also written a great article on the subject over at Meridian Magazine.
When I first heard about this upcoming episode on HBO, I was shocked that the line was crossed and deeply concerned that the show would riducle our sacred vows.
I really appreciated this post, and the comments from Joseph Smith. I felt the spirit very strong when I read what he had prophesied.
I feel that this show will be used for good. I hope that this encourages investigators to ask questions about what they may see and the purposes behind the endowment session.
I share my tetsimony to the world that the church is true and that it has been restored to glory once again upon the face of the earth. I invite all you read this post to search out Christ and come unto him.
Dwayne Roberts
Mount Juliet, TN
This television show won’t hinder the work of the Lord. However, for those who have not been to the temple it will make things confusing. I cringe to think that something so holy will be displayed before an unprepared world in the name of entertainment. These ceremonies are sacred for a reason. I don’t condemn the world because they simply don’t understand what is involved here. However, the producers and writers of this show will have to answer for their actions one day and specifically how it influenced those not of our faith. We don’t need to mount any type of defense of the temple except to say that everything involved symbolizes the Savior and His atonement through parable style teaching.
Bryce:
You might find some interest in my post:
“Exposing sacred temple practices violates professional standards.”
All religious rites, sacraments are considered sacred to those who hold them. I’ve seen a great many marriage ceremony traditions depicted on film and television. I don’t share them, understand them, but neither do I think they are strange or weird, and better yet, I understand that they are sacred to those who practice them.
Many non-Christian religions have traditions that seem odd from viewed from an outsider’s vantage point. If an aboriginal marriage ceremony is shown on television, where is the outrage? There is none. I once watched on a show titled something like “strange and amazing videos” the marriage rituals for some group in India. It was fascinating to think that if done in another context the rituals could even be called immoral, but they weren’t under the rules of that society.
Let’s be fair and show outrage at any artistic portrayals of all sacred religious ceremony. But I don’t think even LDS would go that far, because the classic romance comedy often ends with a marriage ceremony – I’m thinking “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” here
– and marriage is a good thing right?
One other quick thought is that we need to distinguish more clearly between the terms secret and sacred. Most if not all the definitions of the word sacred do NOT include an element of secrecy. I think that is because sacredness has everything to do with how one holds or esteems a particular subject. What is sacred to me isn’t sacred to another, and that is okay. We must not demand that others hold our beliefs as sacred as we do, which sacredness just happens to include and element of secrecy for those of us who have actually taken the covenant upon ourselves – all others are exempt from the expectation of keeping the secret.
I will never watch the Big Love episode because I won’t subscribe to HBO because most of the programming there is unsuitable for my home.
I agree with the non-LDS poster that says most people will forget the ceremony the next day.
Which leads to a much greater point, most LDS are afraid of our history. We are constantly trying to distance ourselves from practices of the past which have brought about persecution, and polygamy is a biggie in this regard. We need to get over ourselves. Most of the world’s religions have pasts that they would like to forget, but the LDS tendency to take such a hard stance in trying to eliminate it from the public consciousness is only fueling the fire. It is times like this that a little humility would do us all some good.
bman,
Thanks for your thoughts. I’d just like to say a couple things about your comments. Yes, there are many religious rites and sacraments that are considered sacred to those who hold them. The question we should ask ourselves is if we’d feel comfortable broadcasting it on TV or film if doing so was blasphemous or extremely offensive to those who practice those rites. That is when it becomes a moral question of right and wrong. Will we do something with someone else’s sacred things that they would not want us to do, or that was highly disrespectful to them? Would we tromp all over someone else’s pearls? There is an element of respect and reverence that all people should have towards those things that others hold sacred, whether or not they hold them sacred themself. It is a matter of brotherly kindness, goodwill, respect for others, and common sense. As Terrance Olson wrote in his article on Meridian Magazine, if we do not respect the sacred of others, it probably means that we don’t hold much sacred ourselves.
About others’ marriage rituals, many such ceremonies are not closed to the public, and anyone is invited to view them upon certain conditions. I was just in Ukraine a couple years ago with a group, and several in our party walked into a church and witnessed an Eastern Orthodox marriage ceremony. It was a sacred rite, but was not inappropriate for others to participate in it or see it, as long as they kept quiet, respectful during the rite, and the women covered their head with a scarf. Many such ceremonies are videotaped by friends and family and posted on YouTube. To them, such representations are not outside the scope of propriety, although many probably are. What was sacred about it was that it was performed in a sacred place, the church, and only those who entered the church could participate in it. It was secret from all others outside the church, the profane space.
Another experience I had while on that trip in Ukraine was that we were told to be very reverent and discreet about taking photos inside the Eastern Orthodox churches, and if told not to take them that we should stop. While it is not strictly prohibited to do so, with our large group it would have been highly offensive to barge into the churches with our flashes a’blazing. We didn’t necessarily hold those churches sacred as the worshippers themselves did, but we respected their right to hold it sacred, and we reverenced their space. What if we had disregarded that right, and took tons of flash pictures anyways, believing we were “exempt” from the request to hold reverence for something deemed sacred by someone else? We probably would have been thrown out on our ear.
I disagree with your view on the terms secret and sacred. Most definitions of sacred DO include an element of secrecy. Sacred means something that is set apart, not profane or common, private, and as such is not to be profaned or violated. Hence, it is held apart from typical or common experience. In other words, it is held secret in some form. Even the form of the words themselves, sacred/secret, come from similar Latin roots for something “set apart” or “separate.” Even if something that is sacred to another is not sacred to me doesn’t give me license to profane it according to my will. Again, it comes back to a moral question, and our amount of charity towards others. If you think about something that you hold sacred in your personal life, you would probably be very put out if someone else took it and pasted it in public view without regard to you or your beliefs.
I don’t believe most LDS are afraid of our history. I think we are much more concerned with being perceived truthfully. When someone believes that I live a religion that includes those who practice modern-day polygamy, it concerns me because it is not true. It is a false image, a misconception. This is why we distance ourselves from the polygamists. The fact that we lived a form of polygamy over 100 years ago is not something that we try to hide, or cover up, or eliminate from our past. Indeed, information about that time can be found in any church history book. But it is not the life we lead today, albeit many out there still believe Mormons are polygamists, and lead the kind of lifestyle of modern polygamists. It is not true.
The best type of revenge, we are told, is the kind of revenge does not appear to be one.
If you ask me, it is 100% obvious that there is a hidden issue why Big Love had that episode: because the person/s behind it has/have an axe to grind at the LDS Church. And it was either induced, heightened or exacerbated by Proposition 8.
I never believed in their statement that they had to do it for the sake of the story—it’s just a piece of p.r. and a feel-good formality. Honesty in Hollywood? That’s a myth.
The writer who is part of the production is a lapsed member who publicly expressed his hate for his LDS family background because of his sexual orientation. The actor-producer came from a part-member family and did not have a good experience about it either. And the timing–so fresh, right after the Prop 8 saga! It is so, so, so hard to believe that these things are not related to the issue.
Wow, thank you so much for all of this information. Bryce, I especially appreciate your comments and also believe that we should just let it die. I did not watch the episode of Big Love on TV, but I saw a small news clip from their portrayal of the endowment. I do have one question. As an endowed and sealed member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, how should we respond when a nonmember, family member or friend asks us if this portrayal is accurate? I know that the Mormon/Polygamist thing of course is not accurate, but what do I say about the portrayal of the endowment?
Thanks K.
I would suggest taking the road that the apostles do when asked specifics about the temple ceremony. I would tell them we don’t discuss the details of the temple outside the temple. That is the very issue at heart here. The TV show is “discussing” the temple ceremony in an inappropriate and disrespectful fashion. Whether it is accurate or not is really not the issue, or even relevant really.
Then I would suggest you take the opportunity to explain what the temple is, what the endowement, covenants, promises, blessings, and other parts of the temple are, how families are sealed, and the other wonderful aspects of the temple. You might even go as far as to explain that we make promises in the temple to keep the temple endowment to ourselves.
You could also point out that we don’t talk about the temple ceremony with other people that are endowed either outside the temple. I don’t know if all the people wondering about this issue realize we don’t talk about temple ceremonies with anyone outside the temple, even other endowed members!
Thanks K. I think if anyone asks that you can say that we are not at liberty to discuss those details because we hold these things very sacred, and they are only meant for those who properly prepare themselves to receive them.
As Brad noted, it is largely irrelevant. Overall, it was inaccurate, given the fact that it was taken completely out of the context of the sacred environs of a dedicated temple, and only a very small portion (a few minutes) of the ceremony was even attempted of an ordinance that is about 2 hours long. How much of a book could we understand if we read only a couple paragraphs?
As I noted in my post, when these sacred things are profaned outside of the temple, they lose their power, they lose their meaning, they lose their Spirit, they lose their authority, they lose their ability to communicate truth, and therefore they are usually grossly misunderstood and even boring. In that sense, it was completely false and inaccurate, and anyone trying to gain any kind of proper understanding of the temple by extracurricular sources such as these will be left wanting. President Boyd K. Packer once wrote:
Fortunately, as Brad also noted, this should also give you the opportunity to share your testimony about the temple in a proper way, and there is much that we can talk about with others without going into inappropriate details. You can share how temples bind families together through sealings, how we make covenants with God of morality and Christian living, and that we give an opportunity to our ancestors to receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A glance through this website might give you some ideas (such as here). Books such as the one I just quoted from, The Holy Temple, are also excellent resources of information for sharing what the temple means to us.
Daniel Peterson made a great comment about the “accuracy” issue:
Bryce, thank you so very much for your diligence in maintaining your site, it’s so refreshing. I appreciate your insights and how you defend and sustain the temple.
When I first read your post, I immediately remembered a quote by Hugh Nibley. However, I couldn’t locate it until today. I apoligize that it’s late but I hope your readers will read it and benefit therefrom.
“Even though everyone may discover what goes on in the temple, and many have already revealed it, the important thing is that I do not reveal these things; they must remain sacred to me. I must preserve a zone of sanctity which cannot be violated whether or not anyone else in the room has the remotest idea what the situation really is…. No matter what happens, it will, then, always remain secret; only I know exactly the weight and force of the covenants I have made--I and the Lord with whom I have made them--unless I choose to reveal them. If I do not, then they are secret and sacred no matter what others may say or do. Anyone who would reveal these things has not understood them, and therefore that person has not given them away. You cannot reveal what you do not know!”
--Hugh Nibley, The Temple and the Cosmos, p. 64.
Thanks, Bryce
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