If you had the opportunity to step inside a temple of the Church of Latter Day Saints, would you?
Last month two LDS missionaries came inside a little bookstore I was taking care of for the day. Delightful conversation about theology, anarchy, and adventure ensued. I told them about my church hopping days. Before they left they handed me a little brochure, "I think you'll appreciate this."
It was information about a temple just built in Helena... and it would be open for visitations until dedicated! Yes, I was interested. I finally made it out yesterday, the last day before being closed to non church members.
Really, it was a fascinating, thought provoking experience. There were many pieces of art throughout the entire building, some of it original paintings others quality prints. One of the most unusual and loveliest was of God hugging Jesus.
There was texturized carpet and embroidered chairs and large chandeliers. So many mirrors, and I badly wanted to get a mirror selfies, but no pictures were allowed.
The temple is just many rooms for their different rituals of commitment and services: a room where you may be baptized for those who have died, a room for pondering, a room for performing vows, dressing rooms with white clothing (gowns with lace for the women and simple pants and shirts for the the men). It is such a rich place, and I'm beginning to feel that a church is deeply better off with such a place that might point back to Solomon's temple.
Of course there were things that felt disjointed and jarring. The plants inside and throughout were all fake. The tour guides were sweet but bland... somehow they managed to reveal bits of INTRIGUING fascinating things about marriage and heaven, and yet in such a drab, non intellectual way. The railings about the temple were ugly, the exit signs disruptive, numerous small things about and inside the temple just brought it from a place of wondrous to "this feels fake and corporate."
This world is so full of amazing stories... that's what I love about mormonism. It's so creative, and has model-worthy family views for earth and heaven. And the temple, despite the occasional grating aesthetisism, was charming.
If ever you have the opportunity to see such a place, do go, and let yourself be open to seeing something different, so that your own life might be enriched with some wholesome inspiration... because there will be some takeaway for you that may intensity your personal walk
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