A look inside the Temple

I went with my bad Mormon friend and her husband to the Mormon Temple yesterday. My Teacher and his wife got "sealed" . It was explained to me that being "sealed" is a religious marriage ceremony not a civil marriage ceremony. If you are sealed you can stay married after your dead. This thought must sound very appealing to some people. Not me.

The temple is a beautiful building made out of light gray granite, with well manicured gardens and a water fountain. As you walk in your "greeted" by temple workers. Inside the doors two or three men in their white suites sat behind this big desk thing. Obviously, representing their interpretation of heavens gates. The women sat to the side behind the big desk.

In the temple all workers all had blinding white clothes on. The Mormon's refer to this as their "whites" Good Mormon's could put on their "whites" too. The women had white dresses/skirts blouse or white muumuus on, white socks/stockings and white shoes. The men had on white suits and ties, socks and shoes. I noticed many of the temple workers did not pay attention to the souls of their shoes. They were dark gray from ware. With all the white the gray stood out as the workers walked to and fro on the marble floor.

The men in white at the big desk would check and see if you had your "recommend" card. If you did not have a "recommend" you did not step one foot past the station where the men were sitting. I couldn't go in cause I did not have a recommend card. My bad Mormon friend's card was revoked. But her husband's card was good so he could go in past the big desk.

I had to wonder what would happen if you ran past those men into the temple? Would they send the women to run after you? Would they have to scrub the temple with bleach?

Anyways, The temple workers escorted the bad Mormons and non Mormons to a waiting room almost like a mother hen, making sure her chicks didn't wonder off. The good Mormons went and took off their shoes and put on white socks or put on white shoes then joined us in the waiting room while they waited for the "session" or "sealing" (two different things) to start.

One temple worker came in to the waiting room, where everyone was waiting. It was a no brainer to see the good Mormons from the bad Mormons (or others like me) because we had our shoes on or our shoes were not white. The temple worker shook peoples hands and said welcome with a smile to everyone that had their socks on or white shoes. Me and my bad Mormon friend where passed up.

When it was time the card holders where escorted away. Me and my bad Mormon friend decided it was time to to get some coffee. So we left the temple got some coffee, came back and drank it in the parking lot.

At this point I realized I had left my black cardigan inside. So I went back in the temple and told the old men in the white suits that I had misplaced my black sweater. This one temple worker was kind of intimidating. He and his cohorts where sitting behind that big desk and literally looking down at me. They said I would have to go back to the office, but first I needed to show my recommend card. I said I don't have one. They said I could not go in. I said well, I have alot of friends who have a recommend card so there. So I had my teacher go look for it when he was done getting "sealed." Anyways I never did find my black sweater.

I studied a little bit with the Mormons when I was a young lady. I had a crush on a missionary who came knocking at my door one night. At that point I did not care about religion. I cared about the cute young blond headed guy from Idaho who stopped by. So it did not work out.

This is definitely a system of hierarchy. It seems as though Mormons are shamed based. Many other world religions are shamed based. Based on my teacher, Mormons do many good things to help people. All the rituals, male domination and white muumuus just would not work for me.