simply_disappear wrote:It's interesting you are considering to continue to wear the temple garment outside of your membership in the true Church. What I'm wondering is why you left the Church.....most people have problems with the temple and apparently that is not the case with you. Care to share?
Sure. I feel that God slowly lead me out of the LDS church personally. Not because the LDS church is bad or anything of the like - in my blogs - which I had both here on Mormon Discussions and here (this one started my documented journey out of the LDS church) I state the LDS church was and is a stepping stone. I believe it is something God is using. I still hold the temple in high respect. I have been going back and forth on my temple garments because to me they symbolize the whole covenants that I made to God - that I plan on keeping. I don't think just because God lead me out of the LDS church that I should just be like, "Oh okay, let's just go wild and forget everything I've learned there then and everything I promised there." I feel very much convicted that I need to keep those covenants because I made them - seriously - with God. Regardless of anything else - I made them with Him and I can still very well keep them.
Selah wrote:Sure. I feel that God slowly lead me out of the LDS church personally. Not because the LDS church is bad or anything of the like - in my blogs - which I had both here on Mormon Discussions and here (this one started my documented journey out of the LDS church) I state the LDS church was and is a stepping stone. I believe it is something God is using. I still hold the temple in high respect. I have been going back and forth on my temple garments because to me they symbolize the whole covenants that I made to God - that I plan on keeping. I don't think just because God lead me out of the LDS church that I should just be like, "Oh okay, let's just go wild and forget everything I've learned there then and everything I promised there." I feel very much convicted that I need to keep those covenants because I made them - seriously - with God. Regardless of anything else - I made them with Him and I can still very well keep them.
Wow what a generalization. Just so you know, most folks who leave the Mormon cult are well adjusted, socially responsible productive members of society.
The "good" you learned there is just that, good. Mormons did not invent good.
My own experience with garments was a battle for me and still is. I would get done reading something very yucky on the endowment connection to polygamy and to even look at them made me sick. For the first time they represented secrecy, and adultery/polygamy after learning church history. Those were the times I couldn't wear them. Then I would see my DH in his and feel guilty for not wearing mine, so they would come back on. Even though I know that covenants were made in which I was deceived, it is very tough to suddenly stop wearing them when they had meant something different as a Chapel Mormon. I can very much relate to why you would still want to wear them because they symbolize covenants you made with God.
The unattractive look of garments would make people think that it would be so easy and great to get rid of them, but when you have worn them for years and years you feel naked without them. In the winter time I remember feeling so cold without the extra layer under my clothes. Now that it's summer though, I can't imagine how I ever wore them. I never had any weird things happen to my physical body while I was wearing the garments during my inactivity. I did have some fear when not wearing them for a short time but am over that now.
As a Chapel Mo. I always felt unattractive and embarrassed for my DH to see me in garments. Did any of you ladies also feel like that? When you are trying to have foreplay and your spouse sees that under your clothes, it's not exactly a turn on. If I was predicting a fun night, I would put lingerie under my clothes but that was kind of like telling my DH I was expecting something. Not easy to be spontaneous with love making as a Mormon. Not wearing them always felt so great in the summer, but it was always done with a guilty cloud hanging over my head. I would stay in my swimsuit as long as possible sometimes.
I got off garments completely once I became pregnant and couldn't fit in them. I didn't renew my temple recommend so I can't buy new ones that fit. I also had my TBM DH ask me one day why I even bothered wearing them with my feelings about the church. I realized there was no point in continuing to wear them for our marriage because he was losing respect for me by doing so.
The absolute hardest part for me in not wearing garments is that they still represent something very special between me and God despite the betrayal I feel, and so I wore them for almost 2 years after learning about polygamy. I made God a promise and I never break promises. It was very hard to convince myself that it was justified for me to break a covenant, even though it was based on half truths/milk. One of my strongest personality traits is loyalty so I believe that is why I struggled more than others to stop wearing them.
"Happiness is the object and design of our existence... That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another." Joseph Smith
Seven wrote: The absolute hardest part for me in not wearing garments is that they still represent something very special between me and God despite the betrayal I feel, and so I wore them for almost 2 years after learning about polygamy. I made God a promise and I never break promises. It was very hard to convince myself that it was justified for me to break a covenant, even though it was based on half truths/milk. One of my strongest personality traits is loyalty so I believe that is why I struggled more than others to stop wearing them.
Huh, so you made a promise to Santa Claus? Same diff.
liz3564 wrote:Loyalty is also often driven by responsibility, and the value of keeping your word once you've made a commitment to do so.
But the temple is a two-way contract. You agree to abide by the temple covenants, and in return God agrees that the Mormon church is true.
If God doesn't hold up his end of the contract, you are freed from it, too.
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"
liz3564 wrote:Loyalty is also often driven by responsibility, and the value of keeping your word once you've made a commitment to do so.
But the temple is a two-way contract. You agree to abide by the temple covenants, and in return God agrees that the Mormon church is true.
If God doesn't hold up his end of the contract, you are freed from it, too.
I'm not sure how Seven views this - but I'm viewing my covenants outside the LDS church - so I'm not even considering for a moment that God is agreeing that the LDS church is true but rather I feel this responsibltly and loyality to God to keep these covenants that I made with Him. Regardless of the third party involved in the making of the promises - I still wish to uphold them to the best of my abililty.
Thanks to a friend of mine who took my through a Bible study that showed me that covenants need blood and sacrifice I know that the temple covenants are not binding. However, I still love my Heavenly Father and wish to deal honorably with Him. Make sense?
Seven wrote:My own experience with garments was a battle for me and still is. I would get done reading something very yucky on the endowment connection to polygamy and to even look at them made me sick. For the first time they represented secrecy, and adultery/polygamy after learning church history. Those were the times I couldn't wear them. Then I would see my DH in his and feel guilty for not wearing mine, so they would come back on. Even though I know that covenants were made in which I was deceived, it is very tough to suddenly stop wearing them when they had meant something different as a Chapel Mormon. I can very much relate to why you would still want to wear them because they symbolize covenants you made with God.
The unattractive look of garments would make people think that it would be so easy and great to get rid of them, but when you have worn them for years and years you feel naked without them. In the winter time I remember feeling so cold without the extra layer under my clothes. Now that it's summer though, I can't imagine how I ever wore them. I never had any weird things happen to my physical body while I was wearing the garments during my inactivity. I did have some fear when not wearing them for a short time but am over that now.
As a Chapel Mo. I always felt unattractive and embarrassed for my DH to see me in garments. Did any of you ladies also feel like that? When you are trying to have foreplay and your spouse sees that under your clothes, it's not exactly a turn on. If I was predicting a fun night, I would put lingerie under my clothes but that was kind of like telling my DH I was expecting something. Not easy to be spontaneous with love making as a Mormon. Not wearing them always felt so great in the summer, but it was always done with a guilty cloud hanging over my head. I would stay in my swimsuit as long as possible sometimes.
I got off garments completely once I became pregnant and couldn't fit in them. I didn't renew my temple recommend so I can't buy new ones that fit. I also had my TBM DH ask me one day why I even bothered wearing them with my feelings about the church. I realized there was no point in continuing to wear them for our marriage because he was losing respect for me by doing so.
The absolute hardest part for me in not wearing garments is that they still represent something very special between me and God despite the betrayal I feel, and so I wore them for almost 2 years after learning about polygamy. I made God a promise and I never break promises. It was very hard to convince myself that it was justified for me to break a covenant, even though it was based on half truths/milk. One of my strongest personality traits is loyalty so I believe that is why I struggled more than others to stop wearing them.
I feel very blessed that my husband is going through this with me but I can totally relate with everything else you stated here. :)
The Nibley links I posted are there because he draws from numerous sources outside of Mormonism. Each reference is footnoted for source. Please read them and don't simply dismiss them because they're FARMS.
Blixa what about the Garden of Eden in the South American Temple? The Rainbow is obviously a room for the teaching of the Flood, and the lightning room may of been a room to teach the creation. Its all there.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. - Plato
