Temple stories - good, bad, funny?

[Dr. Shades]

Unfortunately, the LDS Church has mishandled the temple in some important respects, and I am in agreement with the late Hugh Nibley in thinking that the endowment has been bowdlerized. Where I differ from Nibley is in the diagnosis of where the problem and responsibility for it reside. Nibley felt it was the apostasy of rank and file members that was to blame.

So Hugh, and presumably yourself, feel that the Oath of Vengeance against the United States should never have been bowdlerized, and it was only due to apostasy that it was so?

[Kishkumen]

So Hugh, and presumably yourself, feel that the Oath of Vengeance against the United States should never have been bowdlerized, and it was only due to apostasy that it was so?

Dr. Nibley was referring to the changes that occurred in 1990.

[Xenophon]

I will go much further than Xenophon and state that the temple is one of the handful of (important to me) reasons why I continue to identify with Mormonism and as a Mormon despite my disaffiliation with the LDS Church.

I could certainly understand this and perhaps had I been born in the covenant or come to the church sooner I might feel the same way. Instead it is mostly just a fond memory that made my brief passing through Mormonism much more tolerable than it might otherwise have been.

I never got to experience the pre-1990 temple so I don't have much opinion there. That said, I do know plenty of folks that cringe when they find out an Anglican church is opting for Rite 2 over 1 so I think I at least understand the sentiment. For the temple specifically, I think leaning in to its esoteric nature makes much more sense to me than trying to "normalize" it. Personally I prefer the brand of Mormonism that embraces the idea that they are a peculiar people.

[Kishkumen]

I could certainly understand this and perhaps had I been born in the covenant or come to the church sooner I might feel the same way. Instead it is mostly just a fond memory that made my brief passing through Mormonism much more tolerable than it might otherwise have been.

I never got to experience the pre-1990 temple so I don't have much opinion there. That said, I do know plenty of folks that cringe when they find out an Anglican church is opting for Rite 2 over 1 so I think I at least understand the sentiment. For the temple specifically, I think leaning in to its esoteric nature makes much more sense to me than trying to "normalize" it. Personally I prefer the brand of Mormonism that embraces the idea that they are a peculiar people.

Understood. I agree with you on the peculiar people sentiment. Leaning on its esoteric nature is exactly was interests me, if only it did more.