The Draw of the Temple

[Linked]

The temple has become a beacon of oppression to me since my worldview changed from TBM to not TBM. It is a key piece of a racket that pushes tithing, church activity, and letting the church control your life in exchange for eternal salvation.

For TBMs this is obviously not the case. A major draw of the temple is that in the TBM mind it is an opportunity to do pure good without much pain. If the narrative is true then you are providing a soul eternal salvation, and what greater good could you possibly do? And all it costs is some of your time. Assuming you would pay tithing either way, it doesn't cost any money. You don't have to talk to anyone that makes you uncomfortable. Everyone there agrees that you are doing a great service. You can brag about it in church talks or conversation with fellow TBMs, or you can keep quiet and feel great for serving and not tooting your own horn about it. It reinforces a self-view that you are a good person and very charitable.

If you believe temple service is just a huge, expensive LARPing setup then all that changes. From pure good it turns into something no better than an afternoon of video games. Worse than that, those who participate gain a sense of goodness and accomplishment that is undeserved. This sense is gained without actually helping anyone, which can keep those who perform temple service from feeling the need to perform as much other service.

These same arguments apply to any sort of missionary work, or family history research (with an aim for temple work), or home/visit teaching, or even lesson preparations of a lesson aimed at deepening the class member's testimony of the LDS church. Basically, if you are pushing forward the 3-fold mission of the church.

[lostinmiddlemormonism]

Linked:
Interesting thoughts. I don't know if I would to so far as to say that "A major draw of the temple is that in the TBM mind it is an opportunity to do pure good without much pain. "

In fact, I'm not sure that there is much of a draw for most TBM's. Sure there are a few that go all the time, but for the majority, I think they go out of some sense of duty or obligation, not because they actually enjoy it. I grew up in an area of the country that was pretty temple sparse. The nearest temple was at least 8 hours away as a youth. I can remember the adults getting excited to go. It was an adventure. You would plan it for months, then there was the road trip, staying in the hotels, going out to dinner. They usually even budgeted some time and $ for seeing some of the sights in Washington D.C. It was like a mini vacation with temple work thrown in. For some of the families it was the only vacation they went on. The only one that they could justify because it was for the church.

Fast forward 30 years and now there are 3 temples within 4 hours and one temple within 2. How often does the typical member go? Maybe once a year. About the same as before. Because contrary to what they say in sacrament meeting, they don't really get much out of it. These same people will invest numerous Saturday's in youth sports, craft parties, hunting or fishing trips, etc. The temple is an afterthought. It is guilt inducing. The vast majority go because they sense that they are expected to, not because they want to.

-Lost

[Meilingkie]

Well, Holland used to be renowned in Europe as being very templeminded.
We did load of work in Switzerland, London and Frankfurt.
Many took up virtually most, if not all of their holidays to visit.
My inlaws spent 5 weeks at the temple each year, and went on holiday with their kids for 2.
FIL worked in shifts so he was pretty flexible and had many days off.

They would start the first session at 0700 right after a quick breakfast, hrs, then 0900, 1100. Have a break from 1300-1400 for lunch
Then do a session at 1400 and 1600, then have dinner from 1800-1930.
Last session at 2000, go to bed at 2230.
Rinse and repeat the next morning, from Tuesday till Saturday.
6 Sessions, 5 Days. 30 in a week. And 5 weeks, making 150 sessions/year.
It was a way of being out-of-the-world.
And it was relaxing, something to look forward to.

We did it ourselves, my DW and I, and it really was special !!

Then we got our own temple.
Templeattendance is down, way down.
Because there is no hostel, and traffic is atrocious.
People arrive stressed out because of it.
The holiday-atmosphere is gone as well, doing 3 sessions is the max, then having to go back home is for many too much of a stretch.
From the far-flung parts of the Temple-district eve more so.

But on the upside, amount of TR-holders has more than doubled.
Amount of ordinances per holder went down almost 80%.

You are not going to tell me it´s about ordinances, it´s all about the money.

[wtfluff]

I'm one of those who thinks the temple is a huge useless LARPing session. It angers me greatly...

Think about how much money is spent to construct temples. Think about how much money is spent to maintain temples. Think about how much money the 10% entry fee people pay ads up to. Think about the amount of time all those temple-goers are wasting. Now think about what that amount of resources could to for living humans here on earth who are in need.

In fact, I'm not sure that there is much of a draw for most TBM's.

Here in the MorCor amoungst my relatives I see the opposite. Many of my close relatives who are of retirement age are spending too much of their retirement years volunteering in "the temple".


Saviors on Mount Zion my @$$... I agree with Meili: It's all about the money.

[Linked]

Linked:
Interesting thoughts. I don't know if I would to so far as to say that "A major draw of the temple is that in the TBM mind it is an opportunity to do pure good without much pain. "

In fact, I'm not sure that there is much of a draw for most TBM's. Sure there are a few that go all the time, but for the majority, I think they go out of some sense of duty or obligation, not because they actually enjoy it. I grew up in an area of the country that was pretty temple sparse. The nearest temple was at least 8 hours away as a youth. I can remember the adults getting excited to go. It was an adventure. You would plan it for months, then there was the road trip, staying in the hotels, going out to dinner. They usually even budgeted some time and $ for seeing some of the sights in Washington D.C. It was like a mini vacation with temple work thrown in. For some of the families it was the only vacation they went on. The only one that they could justify because it was for the church.

Fast forward 30 years and now there are 3 temples within 4 hours and one temple within 2. How often does the typical member go? Maybe once a year. About the same as before. Because contrary to what they say in sacrament meeting, they don't really get much out of it. These same people will invest numerous Saturday's in youth sports, craft parties, hunting or fishing trips, etc. The temple is an afterthought. It is guilt inducing. The vast majority go because they sense that they are expected to, not because they want to.

-Lost

You make a good point. Perhaps I could have said it differently, something like, "One benefit of temple service for a TBM is that it is an opportunity to do pure good without much pain." This post came from my current struggle to feel like I am doing good. Many of the activities that used to be an automatic good aren't anymore, temple service being one of them. Even if I didn't go much, when I did I felt like I was doing something good. And I have always lived within 20 minutes of a temple, so that colors my experiences.

They would start the first session at 0700 right after a quick breakfast, hrs, then 0900, 1100. Have a break from 1300-1400 for lunch
Then do a session at 1400 and 1600, then have dinner from 1800-1930.
Last session at 2000, go to bed at 2230.
Rinse and repeat the next morning, from Tuesday till Saturday.
6 Sessions, 5 Days. 30 in a week. And 5 weeks, making 150 sessions/year.
It was a way of being out-of-the-world.
And it was relaxing, something to look forward to.

...

You are not going to tell me it´s about ordinances, it´s all about the money.

Wow. That is some serious temple attendance.

I think the exmo community makes more of the money angle than there is, just my opinion. The money is important, but I think that it is considered one of the means to the end of salvation. That was the vibe I got from the local leaders that I knew well. Unless somewhere between Stake President and Apostle there is some serious change in focus.

I'm one of those who thinks the temple is a huge useless LARPing session. It angers me greatly...

Think about how much money is spent to construct temples. Think about how much money is spent to maintain temples. Think about how much money the 10% entry fee people pay ads up to. Think about the amount of time all those temple-goers are wasting. Now think about what that amount of resources could to for living humans here on earth who are in need.

I agree. This stuff is what gets me going, but if I really express it to a TBM then they think I have totally lost my marbles. TBM: "Only someone really led astray could think something as good as the temple is bad. And so angry!"

But I try to give those in my life who still believe a pass because they really think they are doing good, and telling them they aren't hurts relationships.