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Can Someone Defile The Temple? - Page 2

Hmm, FarSeer, I wouldn't be offended if metal detectors were used. Especially if we had been told by the First Presidency that this is what the Church is now going to do to try and prevent those unscrupulous members from tape recording the sessions, and to also keep the cell phones OUT of the Temple. There is nothing more upsetting to me than to be sitting in the Chapel of the Temple and to *hear* a cell phone ringing! Yes, it has happened.

Also at the Portland Temple there was a group of people getting their lunches, dressed in temple clothes, and they complained that there was no coffee or tea. The cashier took their money, gave them time to sit and start eating, then notified the Temple Presidency. As they left the cafeteria after eating they were met by security and then were escorted to the security offices. Here they were asked for their recommends,& their street clothes were brought to them and then they were asked for ID. They were non-members whose member friends had given them their recommends so that they could come to the Temple and eat the inexpensive and delicious foods.

Needless to say the member friends had their recommends revoked, they were not excommunicated but they were disciplined.

Temple Defile Can

Somebody put a temple recommend up for sale on E Bay once. Also, I heard of someone on an anti mormon board say he could forge a recommend for anyone who needed one to attend a wedding or something. so, I'm sure there are those out there who enter the temple under false pretences, although i assume it is very rare.

One of my old missionary companions confided in me once that he committed adultery while married to his 1st wife. He never confessed to his wife or a church authority until it somehow came out in the open 10 years later. He kept his reccomend for the entire 10 years and continued to attend the temple regularly. He rationalized his behaviour by telling himself he repented to the Lord and never repeated the sin. He now has gone through the correct process and has remarried and doing fine. But what a waste of 10 years.

Can Someone Defile The Temple? Studies Doctrine Mormon

Well, I am not so concerned about all of this because if people don't take it seriously they will be held accountable for it by the Lord. I am not saying I don't care about it, because I do. However, I am not concerned that the Church doesn't do more to ensure that only the truly worthy enter the Temple. A very big and very important part of the gospel is agency. We are free to choose. If we choose to lie about our worthiness to enter the Temple, either in our own interviews or by acquiring a recommend in some other dishonest manner, I believe we will be held to task for it one day. So, to me the recommend procedure is good enough for now. If the Lord decides it is an issue that needs to be addressed in a stricter manner, he will let the leaders know.

As far as cell phones in the Temple. The recommend desk is supposed to ensure you don't bring them. There are signs, but no one really asks you when entering or points out the sign. If a particular Temple has trouble with members bringing them past the desk maybe they should make a point of reminding members of the policy as they enter the Temple. It is quite possible this is just a matter of a member forgetting unintentionally. This has happened to me. I had my pager in my coat pocket and forgot about it. I left the coat hanging in the dressing room. It never was paged while I was in the Temple (fortunately), but it could have. When I put my coat on to leave and put my hand in my pocket I discovered the pager and felt just awful about it. I did not intentionally ignore the rule.

Edited: tenaheff on 24th May, 2004 - 10:53am