Can a person be tempted in the temple? Can a person have unclean thoughts in the temple? Can someone act inappropriately in the temple?
Do all evil influences, or tendency to unwholesome behaviour, stop at the front door of the temple?
Satan in the Temple
Interesting question. I have thought about this, because I was taught somewhere that Satan couldn’t tempt someone in the temple. Funny thing is, I was thinking about this in the temple one time, and then had an unclean thought. Nothing major, but I guess the temple is only as holy as the people who enter it, to some degree. Jesus chased the moneychangers out of the temple, so I would think that the temple is a vunerable ediface. I believe Brigham Young once said, in reference to the destruction of the Nauvoo temple, “It’s only a building”
I tend to think that the vast bulk of our temptation is result of “the flesh”. And as we bring that into the temple with us, we can be tempted.
Having worked inside the temple as both a temple worker and a security guard, I can say with certainty that temptation occurs inside the Temple. Does that mean it is Satan inside? Not sure. I tend to agree with what J wrote.
I concur with Bro. Stapley, although there are certainly evil forces tempting us, we are also subject to the promptings of the natural man (or woman). I’m also afraid that we let our temptations form groves in our mind that it may then travel down at the most inappropriate times. I found the peace that I felt in the temple to be important in the healing process after my son’s death. The noise would stop as I entered the temple and I could feel the spirit again.
All kinds of normal worldly thoughts and deeds can occur in the temple. It is just that the surroundings, to a certain extent, and the people entering therein, to a greater extent, determine the atmosphere. Just like a sacrament meeting talk can be deadly boring to one person and highly inspirational to another.
We may not be directly temptable in the temple, but we bring the world with us when we enter, to a certain extent.
I saw the devil in the temple, not just once, but over and over and over again.
I think this is somewhat like asking whether all personal agency ends when one enters the temple. You’re just as capable of choosing good or evil within the temple as without it.
But I do find it easier to think only righteous thoughts when I am in the temple. I have experienced a sense of relief that certain temptations don’t seem to vex me there, as they do outside.
I believe the term for that is conditioned response, no?
No.
There’s a diffrence between the influence of the Holy Ghost and a conditioned response.
to you.
Satan most certainly can get in the Our “Physical Body Temple” as well as the “Material Building Temple” Just as in Job Satan was found in Heaven before God “The Heavenly Temple” asking to Tempt Job and also the Money Changers that Jesus cast out.! we are told in Hosea 8:11and 14 that Ephraim would have many altars to sin and would also build many temples and then disobey God. We as latter-day saints know that the Temple ceremony has been changed and in many respects violated particularly in Light if D&C 82:1-6 and D&C 105:1-6 We must know what the Priesthood of God is and rebuke him with the Priesthood every chance we get..Just like we take a shower after a good hard day of Work.
Elijah
Have you ever wondered why there are locks on the lockers in the dressing rooms?
I know a sister whose husband worked (fulltime) at one of the temples and he had a love affair with the TP’s secretary.
Why would Satan and his angels want/need to attend a Temple session?
The Temple is a place for us to learn to cleanse and purify our own temple (body, mind and spirit). The Temple is also a place where the ancient theatre of salvation history is enacted and the cosmic plan is unfolded. We are there to participate in the “dry run” of that which will one day take place in reality. All we do in all ordinances and in all holy places (sacrament meeting, baptisms, The Temple, etc. is to learn how we can be more holy and to actually put these principles to the test in our own lives and live them.
Satan, we learn, is obviously the arch enemy of God and what is good but he is also necessary (we learn) to the entire plan. So I think that each of us as we enter the Temple come in as sinners who have had Satan’s influence (as we allow) over us from one degree or another (it is habitual) and as we go through the Temple experience we gradually rid ourselves of unholiness and put on holiness by degree. Each of us is in a different place on our progress. Also the Temple is a magnificent testament to the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is grace in action.
I’ve heard stories about thefts occurring in the Temple, and the provision of lockers in the changing rooms seem to back that up.
Not to mention the whole ‘moneychangers in the temple’ concept…
I recall a story about Jesus and some money changers in a temple, now how did that one go? …
Rick
Well yes, but that was because people had desecrated the purpose of the temple, selling items, cheating people with substandard stuff. Temples are much better regulated these days and the work that goes on in the temple is properly organised and under the direction of the Lord. Of course there might be some dishonest people who come into the temple (obviously that periodically happens) but the temple itself is not being desecrated (well perhaps to a minute degree when thefts and dishonesty occur).
Now it sounds like you’re describing the church bookstores… =)
well i wouldn’t call everything in the Church bookstores substandard. :) But uh, yeah…overpriced usually. Of course they don’t have a huge market do they, hmmm…. another reason I get most through the distribution centre.
I am not aware of anything that is sold in the Temple with the exception that some of the larger older temples have a cafeteria in them. In those temples, I thought you got way more and better food than most restaurants.
Are you talking about Beehive Clothing? They have locations at or near a Temple. In Dallas, for example, Beehive Clothing shares the foyer with the Temple but is not in the Temple. Many Temple locations it is in a different building.
I actually like them there. It is hard to find white trousers and white shoes.
Many temples also charge for the use of clothing.
So are the lockers free or coin-op?
Come on guys, the lockers are to prevent the old guys from making a mistake and puting on someone else’s clothes. And I’m a cynic and a half!
They have been free everywhere I have gone.
The lockers require TOKENS and KEYS.
The temple in Isreal was never used for the ceremonies that go on the LDS temples.
They just charge for cleaning the clothes. Oh and then there is the cafeteria, but the prices are SO cheap there!
Kim K. Well, the temple was set up for ceremonial purposes even in ancient Israel and there was sacred work that occured, and was supposed to occur. The Temple has always been created for doing the Lord’s work.
Would you place The Ark of the Covenant in the same category as a Temple?
The temple and church are just buildings. Any thing brought into the building can be full of evil. It is up to all who enter the building to leave all evil at the door before entering. You already knew that, right?
If a temple, church or house is just a building, why is the temple considered a sacred place and your house is not?
Dear Kim Siever: Here is an excellent comparison of the LDS temple rituals and the rituals that were actually performed in Temple in Israel in the past. http://www.irr.org/mit/Are-Mormon-Temples-Christian.html
And your point is? And you are addressing me because?
A temple or a church is just a building. They are only considered sacred by men who ascribe meaning to inanimate objects. Its idol worship really, to say this or that is sacred is to place it on a level of holiness tantamount to Holy Spirit.
In short a temple is just a building, its the people who go there that make it great (or obversely terrible). Just as a church is just a building; but the congregation attending there are the real church.
Despite the warnings in the Holy Bible, mankind has a knack for ascribing meaning to objects we hold dear in our thoughts. We really can’t help it! Some of you will not even be capable of perceiving it this way because its human nature to sin.
Yet accepting Idols/temples/churchs as sacred is another example of our sinful selves.
mi dios
Kim if your post in comment box #33 is directed at me, then I reply – Why do you have such difficulty in seeing my point? I write legibly and my thoughts are cohesive. Others, on this site, seem to be getting what my point is!
Regardless, I was not addressing you Kim. I was addressing the comments left by Anonymous and Pewsitter!
…or in our imaginations, for that matter.
My comment in #32 was directed at Kim K, since s/he directed #31 at me.
Well put said Rick!
John, you are very easy to understand. Kim (my husband), of all people understands you very well.
As a professional student, I would hope he would at least try to understand.
Doesn’t a professional student need to take classes? I haven’t taken any classes in two years and the last time I took any, it was a single class. Rick’s taken more classes more recently than I have.
My mistake! In the “our history” link there is detailed information which cites the various programs of study you entered and left without completing. The time frame shows you’ve been a student at a number of institutions between the years 1998 – 2004.
This list ends with the entry; “In September 2001, armed with free tuition as a U of L employee, Kim enrolled as a full-time university student. He started as a new media major in the Bachelor’s of Fine Arts programme. In January 2004, he switched to a drama major in the Bachelor’s of Arts programme.”
A bachelor of Arts program requires 4 years to complete. If you started in January 2004, I wouldn’t expect you to have completed until January 2008. That would be a total of 10 years without completing a single field of study – hence a professional student!
This is why I concluded (apparently wrongly) that you were still attending classes. Did you ever complete your Bachelors? I also do some work for the U of L from time to time. Mostly contract work in the research end of things for arts programs.
Here’s my education history:
The year I spent in college in Vancouver, the year I spent at the U of L after moving to Lethbridge, and the classes I took since 2004 all count toward my bachelor’s. I have completed 24 out of 40 classes.
Anyhow, that really off topic now.
Ahh, I see . . .so despite the different programs (french major, multi-media program, etc.), of study, all of your courses will eventually amount to a bachelor degree in Arts?!
Thats an amazing journey through the educational system, and one that has been ongoing (still not complete) for more than 8 years. That is why I said you were a “professional student”. Not entirely accurate though . . .is it?! After all you also are employed . . .as I am aware that many full-time students are. Good on ya’ mate!