Big Love, a show featuring a contemporary polygamist family, will entertain its viewers with a ceremony that is sacred to Mormons. Specifically, they intend to show an endowment session inside a temple.
Last night I watched a news clip in which a woman said perfectly what I feel--there is plenty of information to be found on the Internet about the temple and what goes on there. The temple ceremonies are not secret--they are sacred.
Recently we had the opportunity to take our boys to the Draper temple open house. Charlie didn't want to go. He had to get dressed up in his suit on a Friday afternoon when he would have preferred to stay home and play with his friends.
By the time we had finished walking through the Celestial Room and through to a sealing room, Charlie was saying that this was the best day of his life and he wished that he didn't ever have to leave. The temple is a sacred place, but you have to have an open heart and a willingness to be touched by the Spirit.
I love the temple and it saddens me that the things that I hold most sacred in this life will be twisted and mocked by its' television portrayal. How do I know that such will be the case despite the producer's efforts to the subject with respect?
Because the temple and what goes on there cannot be taken out of context. Gospel study, and an education by the spirit are necessary education for one's attendance in the temple. It is not a place to intellectualize. It is a place to feel.
What goes on inside the temple walls is not secret--you can find the details blasted across a number of web sites. What you will likely not find there is the meaning, the true depth of significance that such ceremonies hold for a faithful Latter Day Saint.
The Church issued a statement regarding the upcoming episode of Big Love. As ever, they handle it with class and aplomb. I have much respect and admiration for the leaders of the Church and the example they set for us.
I am grateful that my children had the opportunity to attend a temple open house and that they felt the very special feeling that can only be found there. I wish that everyone who has an interest or curiosity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and their temples, would have such an opportunity.
Furthermore, if you have any questions about the Mormons, get your answers from the source, rather than relying on those biased Internet sites. We have the answers you seek--you only need to ask.
