Recently, the sacred practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have come under fire. HBO has chosen to air an episode dipicting the endowment ceremony, a very sacred ceremony only performed in our temples. This has outraged many members of the church. Personally, I feel saddend by this experience. To take our sacred practices, and to use them for entertainment purposes, is indeed a sad thing. To do so to any religion is not only disrespectful, but hurtful. Our temple ceremonies are not secretive, they are sacred. We do not talk about them outside of the temples because of that sacredness. There is nothing strange about them, unfamiliar to some, but not strange. They are symbolic, and when in the right place and coupled with the Spirit of the Lord, it can be a sacred, powerful experience. But when showed on tv, amidst the filth of the media, and portrayed in such a way, there can be nothing gained.

Elder Boyd K. Packer once said, “There are some things just too sacred to discuss: not secret, but sacred; not to be discussed, but to be harbored and protected and regarded with the deepest of reverence.” (Teach Ye Diligently, 1991, p. 87)

Despite the clamor for boycotts and protesting to end this issue, things will end as they always have. There will be an uproar for a time, and then things will die down, and only be another chapter in the persecution of the Mormon Church. The Church’s newsroom has issued a article that lists the many times that these experiences have happened in recent years:

• During the Mitt Romney election campaign for the presidency of the United States, commentator Lawrence O’Donnell hurled abuse at the Church in a television moment that became known among many Church members as “the O’Donnell rant.” Today, his statements are remembered only as a testament to intolerance and ignorance. They had no effect on the Church that can be measured.
• When the comedy writers for South Park produced a gross portrayal of Church history, individual Church members no doubt felt uncomfortable. But once again it inflicted no perceptible or lasting damage to a church that is growing by at least a quarter of a million new members every year.
• When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions.
• In recent months, some gay activists have barraged the media with accusations about “hateful” attitudes of Latter-day Saints in supporting Proposition 8 in California, which maintained the traditional definition of marriage. They even organized a protest march around the Salt Lake Temple. Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful. Meanwhile, missionary work and Church members in California remain as robust and vibrant as ever, and support for the Church has come from many unexpected quarters — including some former critics and other churches.

 (http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-publicity-dilemma)

My purpose in writing this blog entry is not to focus on what is going on right now with HBO, but to get to the real issue-What do Mormons use their temples for? The following is a wonderful video about the purpose of temples:

From the Church’s website on temples ( http://www.lds.org/temples/home/0,11273,1896-1,00.html ), this frequently asked question covers briefly the purpose of a Mormon Temple.

What is the purpose of the temple?
To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the temple is the “House of the Lord.” It is a sacred building, and after its dedication only faithful members of the Church may enter. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to serve Jesus Christ and their fellow man. In addition, they participate in religious ceremonies that reach beyond mortality, such as baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors and eternal marriage.

Temples are beautiful places where we make covenants with God. They are sweet, sacred places where we perform ordinances for the dead as well. I would hope that all would respect this.