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To: sevenbak

You do understand that in OT times there was ONE Temple at a time and not the myriad McTemples of todays Mormonism. The book of Hebrews tells us that since the time of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice the veil has been rent in two giving us all access to God. Hebrews does have a very distinctive way of viewing the Christ event. It is seen as the fulfillment of the ritual law. The Jews had a magnificent religious ritual centered in the temple service. They were very proud of it, not the least reason being that God Himself had given it to them. Hebrews shows that the Person and work of Jesus Christ is the reality of the entire sacrificial system - the need for Temple is finished.

Ceremonies in modern Mormon Temples are not related in any way to the ancient ceremonies of blood sacrifice that were performed in the OT Temple.

Your comparison to “sanctification” and sacredness are in no way equivalent unless you have preists who are taking in sacrifices and making burnt offerings....lol..


29 posted on 07/02/2008 10:10:49 AM PDT by colorcountry (To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: colorcountry
You do understand that Paul and the other apostles went to the temple often after the Death and Resurrection of Christ? The veil of the temple was rent, not as an abandonment of the temple, but as a fulfillment of the Law of Moses.


If Temples were supposed to be done away with after the death of Christ, why does Isaiah prophesy of of the Lords House being built in the last days?

Isaiah 2:2-3

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us ago up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the flaw, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And it was important enough for the Lord to have the Prophet Micah also testify of it.

Micah 4:1-2
1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the claw shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Now one could reasonably argue that it's only referencing the Temple to be built in Jerusalem. One could also reasonably argue that the Law would go froth from Zion AND the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. But either way, there is no repudiation of temples in the last days. The Lord himself has had his ancient servants prophesy of his holy house.

49 posted on 07/02/2008 11:23:12 AM PDT by sevenbak (Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on. - Job 21:3)
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To: colorcountry; All
Further, the relationship of ancient Christian and Jewish rites have much in common with LDS temple worship.

Here's an excellent work on the comparisons. I'll quote a snip, but it goes in to great detail about the similarities.

“A number of early Jewish and Christian documents deal with elements found in modern LDS temples. As such, they are confirmation of the antiquity of our temple rites.1 The volume of information is such that it will not be possible to discuss all aspects in this brief paper. In addition to some of the articles I have written, I would refer you to the temple research written by such LDS researchers as Hugh Nibley, John M. Lundquist, Donald W. Parry, Stephen D. Ricks, and Matthew B. Brown.

Just as an example, let me note that I have, to date, found fifteen early Christian documents that speak of baptism for the dead, along with several Mandaean and Jewish texts. This information will be included in my article “Baptism for the Dead in Early Christianity,” scheduled for publication later this year in another FARMS temples volume.

The article goes on to examine the relationship and similarities with ancient Christian handclasps, initiation, secret words, prayer circles, passing the angels, being admitted into God's presence, etc.

For those thinking that we are merely copying Masonic rituals, this is a must read.

http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/1999_Early_Christian_and_Jewish_Rituals_Related_to_Temple_Practices.html

51 posted on 07/02/2008 11:29:26 AM PDT by sevenbak (Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on. - Job 21:3)
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To: colorcountry
Here is a prophecy from President Joseph F. Smith. He was visiting Europe in 1906 and said
During his visit to Europe, President Smith made an important prophetic statement. At a 1906 conference in Bern, Switzerland, he stretched out his hands and declared: “The time will come when this land will be dotted with temples, where you can go and redeem your dead.” He also explained that “Temples of God . . . will be reared in diverse countries of the world.” The first Latter-day Saint temple in Europe was dedicated nearly a half century later in a suburb of the city where President Smith had made his prophecy. President Smith recognized the need for temples to bless Church members living outside of Utah: “They need the same privileges that we do, and that we enjoy, but these are out of their power. They are poor, and they can’t gather means to come up here to be endowed, and sealed for time and eternity, for their living and their dead.”19 The first of these new temples was located in Cardston, Alberta, Canada. President Joseph F. Smith dedicated the site in 1913. In 1915 he dedicated a site for a temple in Laie, Hawaii, where he had served as a missionary many years before. Both temples were dedicated following his death.
You live in the Salt Lake valley. I can see 2 temples driving home every night from work (Draper and the Oquirrh temple, both still under construction.) After I drive over the Point of the Mountain, I can see the American Fork temple and since I live in Provo, I can see the temple from my house. Temples are dotting the earth. And the pace of building the temples is accelerating.
The year 2000 saw 34 dedications, the most temple dedications in one year in history.

Dedications of the first 50 currently operating temples spanned 120 years. The next 50 dedications spanned 3 years.

There are now 140 temples, either operating or under construction. Isn't it wonderful that people around the world have the opportunity to go to the temple, instead of having just one temple. During Christ's day and Jewish history, the Jews weren't scattered over a large geographical area.

And why did the Apostles and members of the early church continue to worship in the temple after Christ's death and resurrection?

And Christ's death on the cross was the final blood sacrifice. It did do away with the blood sacrifices in the temple.

The second way in which Mormon temples help to perfect the Saints is through the holy ordinances only offered in temples. Temple ordinances are nothing but ritualistic ceremonies performed as a way to signify covenants made between the member and God.

Ordinances, or sacred rituals, were common in Old Testament temples. One such ordinance was the sacrificing of animals to God. The animal sacrifice itself did nothing for the people; it served as a symbolic reminder of the sacrifice that would one day come through the Lord Jesus Christ. While the need for animal sacrifice was removed after the resurrection of Christ (the Eternal Sacrifice), the New Testament indicates that ordinances and the covenants they represented did not cease. The Gospel of Matthew provides the following account:

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:26-28).
The apostles ate bread and drank wine as a symbol of the sacrifice Christ was about to make on their behalf. This same ritual, or ordinance, is practiced by many Christians to this day. The ordinance goes by many names, such as the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper, or (in the Mormon church) the Sacrament, but it is essentially the same ordinance instituted by Christ in New Testament times.

Not only do ordinances remind us of an event (such as the sacrifice made by the Savior), but they are a sign of covenants made with the Lord. In religious terms, a covenant is a two-way promise between God and an individual. When a person is baptized, that person makes a covenant with the Lord to strive to follow the example of Christ and to repent of their sins. When the person keeps their part of the covenant, the Lord promises He will forgive that person of their sins when he or she confesses those sins and approaches the Lord with a sincere heart and a real desire to change.

From the scriptures:
Psalms 34:18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Isiah 66:1&2: 1 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

3 Nephi 12:19 And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Behold, ye have the commandments before you, and the law is fulfilled.


110 posted on 07/02/2008 7:37:08 PM PDT by Utah Girl (John 15:12, Matthew 5:44)
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