Posted on 03/11/2009 8:17:57 AM PDT by Colofornian
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — HBO...defended its plans to depict a sacred Mormon temple ceremony in an upcoming episode of "Big Love."
The drama about a Utah polygamous family will show an endowment ceremony Sunday.
...
...the ceremony is an important part of the "Big Love" story line, HBO said.
In the scene, actress Jeanne Tripplehorn's character, Barb, goes through the endowment ceremony as she faces losing her membership in the Mormon church...
...
Only church members in good standing can enter temples to perform or witness sacred ceremonies. The ceremonies are centered on religious teachings and re-enactments of Bible stories to help Mormons prepare an eternal place for themselves — and others by proxy — in heaven.
Members take a vow not to discuss the rituals outside temple walls, although details of the ceremonies are widely available on the Internet.
The dramatization of the ceremony was vetted for accuracy by an adviser familiar with temple ceremonies who was on set during filming, said series creators and executives producers Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer.
"In approaching the dramatization of the endowment ceremony, we knew we had a responsibility to be completely accurate and to show the ceremony in the proper context and with respect," Olsen and Scheffer said in a separate statement issued through HBO...
...
"Big Love" is in its third season on HBO and a fourth is in the works. The program tells the story of Bill Hendrickson, a fundamentalist...
Like Utah's real-life fundamentalists, the Hendricksons' beliefs are tied to the early teachings of Mormon church founder Joseph Smith, who said polygamy was an essential doctrine for exaltation in the afterlife. The church ultimately abandoned the practice in 1890 as a condition of Utah's statehood...
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
The rest of the paragraph says LDS "abandoned" polygamy in 1890 -- that was really only a key jumpstart in abandoning it -- temporarily!
Between 220 and 250 LDS plural unions were solemnized by church leaders between 1890 and 1910. LDS leaders, in most cases, didn't break up already-existing polygamous unions that were established. Some of these that were done in the early 1900s went on to become 50+ year dual anniversaries into the 1950s! The fundamentalist Mormons took over the polygamy bandwagon in the 1930s and 1940s.
But the biggest misemphasis about LDS and polygamy is to treat it only as a yester-year historical lesson.
LDS apostle Bruce R. McConkie wrote in his late-20th century book, Mormon Doctrine, that polygamy was a "holy practice" and said it would be re-instituted at the coming of the Mormon jesus.
Beyond that, LDS believe "families are forever" -- hence every LDS person who either was a "traditional" polygamist in history or a "serial" polygamist in time -- one spouse at a time...if they were sealed to multiple spouses in these ceremonies "for eternity" -- then guess, what? (That's right. Polygamy in the celestial kingdom for temple-worthy Mormons).
Disclaimer: Some estimates are that only 20% of all LDS are "temple" Mormons. So the reality is most LDS don't expect to even attain the celestial kingdom -- and even among "temple" LDS, many are upstanding in being faithful to one partner all their life -- and many don't remarry upon the death of their spouse. (So this celestial "expectation" would not apply to them)
Ping to the sacred ceremony
My wife watches that silly show. I refuse to watch it, unless my wife invites two of her single friends over. My wife so far hasn’t granted my request.
I was “forced” into watching the first one or two shows by my (one and only) wife. Ended up, I like it as much, if not more than she does. It’s one of the few shows we make sure to watch each week.
The odd thing about “Big Love” is that its creators are gay. I don’t know if their original intent was to portray polygamy as a “different” kind of marriage that we may be repulsed by but has merit, you know, like GAY marriage, or to say “stop comparing gay marriage to polygamy - it’s not the same.”
Unfortunately, I watch it for the train wreck that the polygamous practitioners have become, I could care less about the gay marriage comparisons.
The biggest eye opener is that they “baptize” people into marriage or polygamy, not into Jesus Christ. Jesus said “There is no marriage in Heaven” so wonder where these folks are planning on going?
LOL...
Yes, well there are “rules”...
I absolutely draw the line at Polygamous, Gay Marriage!
Utah?
Why am I having visions of a reality show called “Strange Love” with Richard Simmons, George Michael, and Elton John...
For example:
Secret Mormon Temple Ceremony: HEREAll of this information has been available online in written documents for more than a decade, and available in paper copy for several decades before then.Secret Sacred Mormon Beliefs: HERE
I’m a faithful viewer every Sunday night. I will continue to watch it unless it turns left and starts preaching liberal claptrap.
Don’t worry - I’m sure HBO has it in the works....
Red Flag. Any religion that insists that it’s ceremonies remain secret isn’t a religion, it’s a cult.
HMmmmm....hadn't heard that. Got a link to substantiate that? I had no idea that Tom Hanks was gay, coulda fooled me....Tom Hanks .... executive producer (27 episodes, 2006-2009)..... IMBD
Ping a ling-a-ding.
I had a wonderful time with three beautiful women on Monday night. And yes it was sacred.
Did you partake of the wine of communion?
Richard Simmons, George Michael, and Elton John are recruiting actively from the BYU RM calendar. Imagine their ecstasy dreaming about the sacred possibilities.
Oh yes, the wine of communion,.... and we did break bread.
I had a revelation of the truth of Maynard Dixon and his disciple Utah Binger, that all was of good report and praiseworthy.
Afterwhich, I fell into a stupor of thought and did dream a marvelous dream of contentment and peace. And all was exceedingly fine and good.
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