Temples Today

New FamilySearch to Advance Temple Work

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New FamilySearch.org websiteFor those who may not know, for the past few years the Church has been overhauling and rebuilding FamilySearch, one of the world’s premiere family history and genealogy websites, to expand its features and functionality significantly. It has been several years in the making, and is slowly being rolled out to members in selected temple districts across the world. From what I have been able to gather, the new FamilySearch will enable members to do much more family history and temple ordinance preparation work from home online. Some of the new features will include:

  • Add, correct, and manage family histories online
  • See what temple work needs to be done for ancestors
  • Prepare names for temple ordinance work at home over the internet
  • Easily see ordinance information and status of work in progress
  • Significantly reduce duplication of research and ordinance work
  • Correct personal submissions/data in real time
  • Dispute the submissions of others
  • Work collaboratively with family members and relatives
  • Find living relatives not known to exist
  • Print temple ordinance cards at home ((http://www.beyondproject.org/2006/06/12/the-new-familysearch/))

The new FamilySearch has not been rolled out to [Read more…]

Interview with Professor Andrew Skinner on “Temple Worship”

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Temple Worship

Temple Worship

This morning I heard an excellent 50-minute interview on KSL News Radio on the program “People of Faith with Carole Mikita.” Today, Mikita interviewed Professor Andrew Skinner, Excecutive Director of The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, on his recent publication of the book entitled Temple Worship: 20 Truths That Will Bless Your Life available at Deseret Book.

The interview spanned a wide range of subjects relating to Skinner’s new book, including what temples are, their purpose, ancient temples throughout the world, the restoration of temples in the latter days, temples in Church history, and many other points of interest from his new book. While I have not yet read the book, this interview has peaked my interest substantially. There is a great introduction to the book at this link.

I highly recommend this interview. You can listen to it here on the website (you’ll have to scroll to about the 8 minute mark to get to the beginning of the program):

http://pandora.bonnint.net/audio/2008_02_24_people_of_faith.mp3

Talking about the Mormon Garment

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There was an article published yesterday on Beehive Standard Weekly by Emerson Chase on the subject of “The Sacred Garment of Mormon Theology.” I think that the author is generally sincere in his object of attempting to combat the barrage of criticism and ridicule that the members of the LDS Church receive for what the world has nicknamed “Mormon underwear.” Chase gives an overview of the process by which a member of the Church becomes converted to the gospel, a process by which one continues to receive higher ordinances of the gospel until they come to the temple where they partake of the most solemn and binding covenants that man can make with God. These highest and most sacred covenants are symbolized by the wearing of the garment.  As Chase says:

In essence, the garment reflects the promise to each other [husband and wife] and to God to obey God’s laws for their own benefit, for the benefit of their marriage and ultimately for their families. . . .

The Mormon Garment is not worn in such a manner as to display the covenants made by the individual to the world. Where a pastor or preacher might wear a white collar or robe to indicate authority and covenants to God, Mormons are very personal with their commitments and wear the garment under their clothing. In short, it is a statement that the covenants established are between that person and God and the opinions of others don’t count. There is no show-and-tell because the covenants are sacred, and because of their personal nature, secret. It is somewhat like medical records or financial information. It is not something that is considered appropriate for public discourse or disclosure.

However, referring to his own counsel, where much direct discussion of the garment is not considered appropriate, and where the object of the address was to combat the criticism members receive because of it, I believe Chase may have been somewhat overzealous in explaining and describing the culture and idiosyncrasies which surround this sacred symbol of our worship.

We are told to “Trifle not with sacred things” (D&C 6:12). While it is entirely appropriate to talk generally about what the garment is for and what it means as a symbol of our promises to God, we must always maintain the utmost respect in our dialogue of such sacred subjects and not bring it to the level of humor, dating games, and how to spot a Mormon. Indeed, such talk can unknowingly fuel the fire of scoff from our detractors, instead of helping to extinguish it.

As Chase points out, the garment is used by Latter-day Saints similarly to the way other religious traditions have clergy that wear special robes or other unique identification as symbols of their solemn obligations to God. As these things are not treated lightly by other faiths, so should we be very careful and considerate in our discussions about the garment.

A Doorkeeper in the House of the Lord

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Stone lions that flank the entrance of the New York Public Library

Stone lions that flank the entrance of the New York Public Library

I attended an endowment session in the Mount Timpanogos temple early this morning. It was a marvelous experience. I loved walking into the temple while it was dark outside, lights illuminating the angel Moroni, and then later walking out in the early light of the morning, a haze blanketing the ground. In fact, I think it was my first visit to the temple in the morning hours. The dawn light that begins to stream through the windows into those hallowed halls from the rising sun, reflecting off mirrors and chandeliers, is inspiring and beautiful.

I love the temple workers, many of whom sit or stand in the hallways or doorways, kindly directing temple patrons in the right direction. It seems like a menial task, one that they attend to for hours at a time, but it is an important one. They help get things done, keep things in order, protect the sanctity of the temple, and allow the temple patrons to enjoy their experience in the temple. They remind me of something Hugh Nibley once said:

I have always been furiously active in the Church, but I have also be a nonconformist and have never held any office of rank in anything. I have undertaken many assignments given me by the leaders, and much of the work has been anonymous: no rank, recognition, no anything. While I have been commended for some things, they were never things which I considered most important. That was entirely a little understanding between me and my Heavenly Father which I have thoroughly enjoyed, though no one else knows anything about it. . . . I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of the Lord than mingle with the top brass in the tents of the wicked. ((John Welch, A Doorkeeper in the House of the Lord, <http://farms.byu.edu/publications/nibleywelch.php>))

Nibley clearly knew where he held his priorities and focus in life. He didn’t care about the fads, fashions, trends, and popularity of the day. There were greater things to attend to. However small a task may seem of attending to a door or hallway in the temple is, it is a job which has been commissioned by the Lord for service in His holy house. I can’t think of many more worthy ways to spend one’s time than in the Lord’s service.

In another reference to doorkeepers, Nibley once described a figure in an ancient Egyptian papyrus (Herweben) thus:

A lion-headed figure, designated as “Doorkeeper of the House of Truth” (lions still guard the doors of our courthouses), conducts Herweben to a door or screen that is opened. ((Hugh Nibley, The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri, 2005, p. 93))

Indeed, you can still see large stone-sculpted lions, or doorkeepers, in front of many government, financial, or intellectual buildings today, which symbolically guard the entrances from those who are not permitted to enter, and to protect that which is held sacred inside.