From a purely human perspective, the building was beautiful. It was adorned with marble throughout. In the "Celestial Room" hung a huge crystal chandelier. Beautiful new furniture was displayed throughout the temple along with what seemed like endless paintings. From a human standpoint this had beauty to it. However from a spiritual perspective this building truly lacked beauty in any form. I would even call it dark from a Spiritual Perspective.
From the moment I entered the temple, and even before when we were watching a video about the temple, I felt this heaviness come over me. It was a feeling that stayed with me throughout the entire tour and until I was finally able to exit the temple. The feeling even altered my mood. Prior to entering my mood was up and I was having a good day, but upon entering the temple I felt my mood swing downward to the point that I almost felt depressed to be there.
Mormons believe that the temple is the place where they can go to "feel the presence of the Heavenly Father." They believe that God's presence is actually in the temple. It is sad to me to think that these people feel like they have to enter a building to experience God's presence. Scripture tells us that when we put our faith in Jesus Christ that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
2 Corinthians 6:16 For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
As I said, it saddens me to think that these people have been so deceived to think that they have to enter into a building to feel the presence of God. I believe that we can experience God wherever we are. We don't have to enter a temple or be in any certain place - we just need to reach out to God.
James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Throughout the tour, the guides described some of the ordinances that were performed in the temple. They took us to the "Baptismal Room" and described the Baptismal font that rested on 12 oxen (which were supposed to symbolize the 12 tribes of Israel). In this room was also where they performed the Baptism for the dead. This act is supposed to be a way to redeem ancestors that never had the opportunity to hear the Mormon message. This particular practice is only mentioned in scripture once in 1 Corinthians 15:29 where it is used to illustrate a point, and there is no description of what this practice actually was. There is no place in scripture where this is shown to be an accepted practice in the early church.
They also took us to the "Sealing Room" where husbands and wives are sealed together along with their children for eternity. Their belief is that a husband and wife who are sealed together will be together for all eternity in heaven along with their kids. While this seems, from a human perspective, to be something that we would like. Our guide even told us that "It wouldn't be heaven to me without my wife."
Luke 20:34-35 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage
I think that the Mormon church, and it's adherents don't quite understand Heaven. Heaven isn't about having everything we want here on earth; it isn't about whether it would be heaven "to you" - it is about being in the very presence of God.
The guides repeated time and time again that the ordinances and covenants made in the Mormon Temple are the same that were performed in the temple in the Old Testament. As I read through scripture, none of these were performed at the Temple. The Temple in the Old Testament was God's Dwelling Place in the Holy of Holies - but beyond that it was a place of Sacrifice and Worship. Not a place to be baptized for your dead loved ones, or to seal your marriage in heaven, nor any other ceremonies that are performed in the Mormon Temple.
Another observation I made during my tour was the words that were used by the tour guides. I didn't get a count, but I am sure that it was upwards of over 100 times that they invoked the name of Jesus either directly or by referring to him as "Our Savior". They seemed to be hard pressed to make the Mormon beliefs seem as though they were Orthodox, which they are actually quite far from.
They also used the phrase, "have this knowledge" on a regular basis, such as, "I am glad I have this knowledge." This consistent use of the the word knowledge, and it's seemingly secretiveness reminds me of the Gnostics from the early church who claimed to provide salvation through special knowledge.
From Wikipedia: The gnÅsis referred to in the term is a form of mystic, revealed, esoteric knowledge through which the spiritual elements of humanity are reminded of their true origins within the superior Godhead, being thus permitted to escape materiality.
Gnosticism has widely been considered to be a heretical belief system, and it seems to have continued throughout the ages even to today in the form of Mormonism.
There is so much more I could write about Mormonism and my experience visiting the Temple. In all it was an even greater realization at the deception that is being perpetuated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is a deception that has and is leading many people away from the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ.
A couple books I would recommend to anyone wanting to know more about the deception of Mormon beliefs are:
Mormonism Unmasked by R. Phillip Roberts
I Love Mormons by David L. Rowe
6 comments:
In 1 Corinthians 15:29 - Paul is actually using this un-scriptural baptism to ask why the Corinthians are baptizing for the dead if they don't believe in the resurrection of the dead.
It would seem pointless to be baptizing for the dead without a belief in the resurrection (1 Cor. 15 is about the resurrection).
He certainly wasn't condoning the practice, but he was using it to illustrate the futility in a faith in Christ without belief in a resurrection.
Very good point Paul. I was trying to be a little bit brief for the sake of reading the blog. My point was basically what you referred to, however I may not have been as clear. Thanks for the input.
I agree with the post Tim, but I have to admit I did enjoy those cookies.
Thank you Pastor for the insight. I to experienced the "heavyness" feeling as I was driving into New Orleans LA. It was almost like a pressure. I reached behind the seat and grabbed a cassete tape of I Corinthians and proceeded to listen to scripture as I drove.
I was raised Mormon since I was 6 years old. At age 8 my sisters and I were "sealed" in the temple to my mother and step father who had adopted us, and it wasn't what I thought and had many questions as a 8 year old. When I was 12 I was so excitted to get to go into the temple to perform baptisms for the dead. Once I was inside and in the water, I was overcome with a heavyness, and starying crying. They told me it was the "Holy Spirt". I went to the temple several times as a youth and experinced the same feelings. I was taught this is what God's pressence felt like. When i was 18, my family traveled to Las Vegas to tour the new temple and the same heavyness was with me at age 12. When I was 20, I experienced God, felt his love and forgivness at an Amway seminar, not at the morman temple! 20 years later as I toured the Gila Valley temple the same heavyness over came me. This is God's way to let us know that the temple is NOT a place of God. More of a place to hinder the Holy Spirt, and keep mormans in the dark as to what the Bible says about God, heaven and eternity. I am so greatful that I was able to see the light and leave the morman church. Please continue to pray for my parents they one day they will see through the opression that being morman brings.
Becky Stinson
Post a Comment