I’m envious that you’ve actually had positive experiences there. I’ve only been about 5 times, but I felt nothing remotely spiritual there. If I had, I might, like you, make more of an effort to attend every once in a while.

I really believe that those elements that we both dislike will be changed in time. And when they are, I’ll be first in line to go back.

That aside, I agree that I think that while the temple is a place of peace, it also has other functions, one of them being, as you put it “a place of truth.” I’m just not sure how to reconcile thinking about the temple as “a place of truth” with the difficulties I have with the ceremonies (if it truly is a place of truth, isn’t it possible to assume that these ceremonies are revealing a specific truth about our gendered relations?). This is not necessarily what I believe, but I think one could easily come to this conclusion. Still, I do like your idea of being honest about our pain so as to increase awareness and possibly influence change.

Larry, I agree that “equality” doesn’t necessarily have to mean “sameness.” I encourage you to look at my recent posts on thinking about “equality” and “sameness” in church practices when it comes to gender.

If you listen carefully to what is being said in the endowment session, she is correct and not off base. The whole temple experience is based the principal of worthiness in this lifetime. Maybe we don’t have to prove we are worthy but just maintain our worthiness.

As for the feminist concerns in the Temple, if you read Moses 3:18 and then look up the meaning of help meet you will find that Adam and Eve where equal partners in the creation as all men and women are ordained to be by God. Although, it may not look that way right now in a world under the influence of the Advesary. Just because men and women are equal does not mean thay are the same and I thank God for those wonderful differences.

Seraphine, I feel so much the way you do in the temple. One thing that a friend and I have discussed is that the temple is not necessarily supposed to be a place of peace, but rather a place of truth. Truth is often painful and difficult. When you confront the fact that you belong to a Church that perpetuates the vows that it does, it is painful. I think when you feel pain in the temple, perhaps it is God telling you to do something about it! I think if all the women that felt such pain about the endowment ceremony would pray for a change, instead of having guilt about feeling that it is wrong, God would grant us our desires. Maybe that’s too optimistic of me.

Another interesting thing: I was often worried because I would always get very sexual thoughts while I was in the temple (I’m single)and I thought “Hey! This isn’t supposed to happen here! Satan isn’t supposed to be able to be here! I must have brought him! I’m evil!” Then I realized that duh, these are good desires, and why wouldn’t God want me to think about and sort them out there in that place of truth?

And jessawhy, I’m glad that you had an uplifting day at the temple today.

I guess there are two sides to every coin because that difference in wording has always bothered me, but for entirely different reasons. The difference was explained to me shortly after I had been reading about polygamy and some of the explanations about why more women than men would be in the Celestial Kingdom. The most common explanation was that women aren’t as smart, or advanced as men are and therefore cannot be held to as high a standard as men are held to. The idea that women already are ready to meet God, but men have to prove themselves went right along with some of the old explanations.

I will concede that MarkIV’s reading of the difference makes the most sense within today’s culture, and that the vast majority of men (and women) probably interpret it that same way. In fact the man who pointed out the difference to me made it clear that he thought of it the same way MarkIV does.

Mark IV, my understanding of the ceremony was that the blessing of being prepared to meet God was contingent for both men and women (on their righteousness)–I’m remembering something similar to AmyB. But it’s been long enough since I’ve been in attendance that I am not remembering the specific words. I’ll have to pay attention to this next time I attend. More generally, though, I think you’re right to point out that both men and women can have conflicted relationships with the temple and other aspects of gospel workshop, so thanks for sharing.