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| Liberty Missouri LDS Temple |
As I stood in front of the new Mormon Temple
in Liberty, Mo., it struck me as ironic that close to 175 years ago,
Mormons were forced out of this same state.
Whereas the Missouri public once urged their governor to force Joseph Smith
and his followers out of the area surrounding Kansas City, Mormons began to
return to the region in the 1900s, eventually gathering in such large numbers
that the Church organization decided the region needed a temple.
Which is why I came to visit.
Latter Day Saints restrict temple access to members of their denomination
who have proven themselves to be faithful and dedicated adherents. Because
Mormons believe temples are the most sacred places on earth, one needs to be
prepared to enter them by being an active member of the Church. (In contrast, chapels, where Mormons hold Sunday worship, are open to
everyone. Temples are used only for certain rituals and are not open on Sunday
so that Mormons can be at their chapel services.)
When a new temple is built, anyone may enter prior to its dedication. So,
always curious to learn about the faith of others, I didn't want to miss an
opportunity to see a site normally closed off to an Episcopal priest like
myself.
My visit seemed all the more timely because Mormons have been in the news a
lot lately, and so have their temples. Elizabeth
Smart recently married her husband in a temple in Hawaii during a
ceremony called a sealing, in which the couple and close Mormon friends and
family gather together to witness God joining the couple together for time and
all eternity. In less complimentary news, Elie Wiesel took Mitt Romney to task for his faith's practice of baptisms
of the dead, which also take places within temple walls.
These headlines, in addition to my own curiosity, motivated my visit to the
new temple in Kansas City, and with my curiosity came some questions:
What does a Mormon temple look like, and what happens inside it?
Would I feel God's presence in this space, even though it's not a space
that's sacred for me?
Before I go any further -- and because I know it's the question at the
front of your mind, dear reader -- no one tried to convert me. In fact,
everyone was very welcoming. Members volunteered en masse, clad in pressed
suits and dresses. They offered guided tours, bent down to put protective boots
onto my feet so my shoes wouldn't dirty the carpeting, and offered me a chewy
snickerdoodle at the end of the tour. They showed me every space from changing
rooms to sealing rooms where marriages take place and answered every question I
asked, no matter how challenging or controversial.
And in the end, yes, I did have a God moment.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Mormons go to temples to be close to God. Much like the ancient Jewish
people believed God lived at the heart of the temple in Jerusalem, Mormons
believe that followers can meet God most intimately in the temple. The reasons
they visit temples vary: In addition to having their marriages sealed in the
temple, Mormons also have sealing ceremonies that unite parents and children
for time and all eternity. Others come to participate in baptisms of the dead,
which are intended to be used only for deceased family members of active
Mormons, though the Church acknowledged in the wake of Elie Wiesel's comments
that others -- such as Anne Frank -- have had baptisms performed on their
behalf. These baptisms are not intended to convert the deceased but rather to
give them a choice in the afterlife to embrace the revelation of Mormonism:
Assuming an afterlife exists, the baptized deceased are free to say yes or no
as they please. Finally, Mormons come to the temple to receive their endowment,
a ritual ceremony where followers make promises to God and receive knowledge
about God.
Unlike a cathedral, which is primarily composed of one large worship space,
a Mormon temple has a variety of smaller rooms that serve different purposes.
There are sealing rooms and rooms for men and women to change into white
clothes (every male or female Mormon who enters a dedicated temple wears the
same white clothing) and instruction rooms where individuals learn about God in
preparation for receiving their endowments.
It was in these rooms, and the final Celestial Room, where I caught a
glimpse of God.
You see, as part of our final stop on the tour, our guide took us to a room
with a mural of the Missouri countryside painted by a local artist. The room
had earthy colors, browns and greens and rows of cushioned seats. This was the
first instruction room. From there, we took a step up -- as if ascending closer
to heaven -- and entered a second room, similar to the first in shape and size
but all white. This was the second instruction room. When we left that room, we
took another step up and entered the Celestial Room, a space designed to give
those who sit in it a foretaste of heaven.
It was a simple room yet ornate at the same time, all white with sparkling
crystal chandeliers, large mirrors, and plump sofas and chairs reminiscent of
those that must have existed in Joseph Smith's day. Our guide asked us to be
silent and said we were welcome to sit wherever we liked and take a moment to
pray. So I sat down on a sofa that seemed to envelop me, folded my hands on my
lap and closed my eyes.
Like Dante, who saw God face to face but had no words to describe the
encounter, I have few words to describe what I felt in that moment. But I can
say this: While it did not convert me, nor did it make me want to be a Mormon,
the silence and peace I felt reminded me of the many other times I've felt
close to God, whether in an Episcopal cathedral, in a clear, warm ocean or in
my ratty old car. And because of that, I came to understand why temples exist
and why they are so important to Mormons across the world.
And along the lines of Mormons being across the world: As I wrote earlier,
Mormons were ironically driven out of Liberty, Missouri and the surrounding
region nearly 175 years ago. It cannot be lost on those who visit the new
temple that almost two centuries later, Mormons are often still held in
suspicion by society, but they are far from being as vulnerable as they were in
their early years. They are building stronger foundations every day, and
striving, as they do so, to catch a glimpse of heaven.
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| Danielle Tumminio is an Episcopal priest, life coach, and writer. She wrote this piece for the Huffington Post on 4/22/12. |
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