Deseret News | Temple worship has ancient roots, FAIR speaker says

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Temple worship has ancient roots, FAIR speaker says

Anonymous | 9:55 p.m. Aug. 7, 2009

The traces in ancient Chinese civilization sound particularly interesting as it was a culture largely distinct from and uninfluenced by civilizaiton in and around Mesopotomia.

knowing | 10:03 p.m. Aug. 7, 2009

Whether one is inside or outside of a temple while worshiping God is irrelevant. God is not a place.

Anonymous | 10:14 p.m. Aug. 7, 2009

Didn't Jesus say, "Your body is a Temple."

Comments continue below

apostle paul | 10:29 p.m. Aug. 7, 2009

"God dwelleth not in temples made with hands"

Chris | 6:59 a.m. Aug. 8, 2009

The verse about God not dwelling in temples made of hands is from Acts 17:24. It refers to the pagan idols on Mars' hill in Athens. Even when Christians build churches or temples with their hands, God will not dwell there unless we invite God's spirit with our hearts and minds. This does not mean we do not need to build sacred places. The next verse says "Neither is worshipped with men’s hands ...". This does not mean we should not raise our hands in Hallelujah, fold them in prayer, or extend them in service. It does mean we need to have the spirit guiding our hands.

LDS temples provide a way to remember that our bodies are sacred gifts from God that can be temples through the atonement of Christ.

Fredd | 9:13 a.m. Aug. 8, 2009

What does a common belief have to do with verifying Mormonism? It was well known thhat these beliefs existed. It could be an intersting history social lesson but no more.

Don | 11:32 a.m. Aug. 8, 2009

Fredd, I don't think the point of the lecture was to "prove" Mormonism by showing that ancient temples were identical to the modern ones. In fact, we know that that was not the case.

In Nibley's "Temple and Cosmos", there are quite a few interesting parallels between ancient and modern temples. Some of the similarities are rather ordinary. Others are quite exceptional. It seems highly unlikely that Joseph Smith would have had the resources to be able to make the connection. But early Christian, Mandaean and Jewish texts, do in fact, contain interesting comparisons.

As far as Paul's reference in Acts 17:24, the interpretation that temples were no longer necessary doesn't quite make sense, since the apostles and Jesus Himself spent much of their time in the Jewish temples. Some early Christians built them (Armenia, Africa, etc.).

I don't want to discuss any particular details, but others like Tvedtness and Nibley have documented similarities that are just too close to be coincidental in my opinion.

Fredd | 12:11 p.m. Aug. 8, 2009

Don,
Since it was a FAIR symposium I assumed the talk was an apologetic talk! But how can you say Joseph Smith had no resources to know of ancient temples? Aren't they all over the bible? And wasn't his father a teacher?

WASP | 1:00 p.m. Aug. 8, 2009

There is much more similarity between LDS Temple ritual and Masonry than any other such distinctions.
Comparison between 'Jewish' temples and any other temples anywhere ignores Christ's disdain for the pompous Semitic ritual that eventually lead to his death.

SHARON | 2:31 p.m. Aug. 8, 2009

WASP, where do you get the idea that Jesus felt disdain for the Semitic ritual? It was what the Jews had made of the rituals themselves and the buying and selling of sacrificial animals and coinage which caused his disdain.

RE: 659 am | 5:26 p.m. Aug. 8, 2009

"neither is worshipped with men's hands ..." means that the true followers of Jesus Christ are not to sculpt, paint, or cast any image of God the Eternal Father (JEHOVAH) or of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. That is the plain and true meaning of that verse.

Our bodies are the temples - are houses of worship are just that - houses. When the Spirit-filled followers of Jesus Christ gather together and fill the houses of worship (or assembly) to capacity for those brief 3 hours, then and only then does the house become a temple. When the meetings are concluded the temples go their separate ways to their respective homes.

A.R. Colvin | 5:38 p.m. Aug. 8, 2009

My, my, my ... isn't it amazing how much we really don't seem to know but have an opinion about.
As I remember from reading the “King James Bible” & I paraphrase..

1.Christ went into the Temple in Jerusalem and drove the money changers out of His-Fathers-House.

2.Moses went upon Mount Sinai and came upon the Burning Bush and was commanded by a Voice/God — to remove his shoes because he was standing upon Hallowed/Gods Ground. He was then given the Ten Commandants.

In both of these instances we are referring to a Temple which is God House or a place of abode while here on earth.

RWH | 1:02 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

It's always interesting to note that God has always had His dwelling place. It could be on top of a mountain or a portable tabernacle as God directed Moses. Or a lavish "Solomans" temple. His method of opperation is always consistant even to the end when He returns again as Malachi states (Ch.3,V.1)"...the Lord shall suddenly come to his temple..." God has clearly shown He has a dwelling place, a temple and not just an ordinary building where people buy and sell or practice "feel-goodism", a Holy Place which only God can reveal to his children.

Gery PR | 2:20 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

I agree with A. R. Colvin. If you are going to post an opinion make sure that you know EVERYTHING about the subject that you are talking about. Otherwise the rest of us, the readers will know that you are just an IGNORANT!

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