Welcome to the Virtual Tour of a Mormon Temple.

Open houses and dedications of temples for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been in the news lately. The most reported about was the one in Kansas City, but others are planned for the public to visit. This includes Manaus Brazil, Brigham City Utah, and a re-dedication in Atlanta Georgia. Once a short period of time has passed, only members in good standing with a recommend from a Mormon leader are allowed inside. It is a rare opportunity that relatively few people can attend.

Started in the early temple building days of the church, public tours have become traditional for any finished building project. Mass media has made it possible for even more people to experience a temple tour. It may not be the same, but pictures and text can be combined for those who can’t physically enter one to get an idea of what a temple is like.  Some are surprised there isn’t a large cathedral like space, but smaller rooms. Each has a specific purpose to help the members learn by the Holy Spirit and draw closer to the Lord. This virtual tour is to increase understanding and opportunity for those who would like to know more about an LDS Temple.

Entering the House of the Lord

A Covenant People

The Sacred Space

Family is Eternal

The news burst open about a political Super PAC who supports Romney considering using Obama’s history with the controversial Rev. Wright. No specifics were revealed in what way the relationship would be used. Despite existing in a planning stage, most of the mainstream media went ballistic over the possibility. Romney denounced its use and the PAC scrapped the project.

The reason for this turn around was because a few very loud and usual suspects issued a fatwa . . . I mean, a warning against Mormons. They proclaimed in big bold letters like CNN political analyst Roland Martin that bringing up Rev. Wright would mean, “putting Mormonism on the table… putting on the table how African Americans were treated by the Mormon religion.” Some said similarly other aspects of the faith became fair game. In other words, attacking Obama’s critical 20 year history with a fanatic racialist merits launching an assault on a whole religion.

Go for it! Never mind that Harry Reid and a few other Obama supporters belong to that religion too. Let them get equally hit in the crossfire. It is past time that the Rev. Wright story gets told in more than periphery terms. We Mormons can handle the blowback (throwback?). After all, we survived the 19th Century extermination order, mobs, a hot cold war with the U.S. Government, and a previously intense scrutiny in the early 20th Century that will rival what can happen today. Besides, it appears the discussion meant to harm Romney might help if not be negligible. Continue reading →

Flowers blooming and grass turning green is once more a reminder that the season of Mother’s Day has arrived. Men will sing to the women in their lives and children hand out small gifts in token of those who gave them life. It would seem remiss to forget the unique Mormon teaching of a Heavenly Mother that should grace the day. The world talks of a Mother Earth, while knowing little or nothing about the Mother of our spirits.

To be perfectly honest, She inhabits a silent corner of theological abstraction. Her existence more conjectured shadow than substantive talk. Only the deep pondering of eternal truths can coax Her from hiding. She is in Scripture and doctrine the trace present absence.

Despite the little said and even less known, Her influence is like all motherhood. There is a quiet dignity that should be approached with reverence. Whatever role inhabited in the eternities, Her place of importance is assured. As the poet and lady of prophetic insight Eliza R. Snow put into words:

In the heavens are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare.
Truth is reason: truth eternal
tells me I’ve a mother there.

When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
in your royal courts on high?

Continue reading →

This is an updated copy from one of the most popular Straight and Narrow Blog posts written at my personal blog. It has more views and heated responses than any other. Considering topics here converge on its subject, I thought it would be good to reprint.

The news at one time brought up the idea that, despite the large number of Mormons that support the current war conflicts, the members and LDS Church itself are skipping out on serving in the military. The implication is that Mormon are cowards, or worse. With so many of the recent commentaries on war and the military, they often start with Vietnam and ignore all other wars. To be fair, like most subjects the history of Mormons and the military is a complicated subject that can’t be examined in a sound bite. There are religious and cultural reasons for the diverse approach to military involvement.

Much of the attention on Mormonism these days comes from the media, hyped by Mitt Romney’s entrance into the presidential race. The focus on military matters had short attention with Mitt Romney portrayed as a Vietnam draft dodger. This would be a simple political attack if it weren’t for the way Mormons were used to create this image. He, like so many Mormons before and after him, passed on the draft for religious reasons. A mission to France kept him out of the draft and later he drew a high number at his return. Others have picked up on this and pointed to the whole idea of missions replacing military services as a way to get out of harms way.

It didn’t end with him, but has continued unabashedly by attacking his mission serving sons who some believe at least one of them should have gone to Iraq. Despite the rather badly worded way he explained it by saying his children are supporting the war by participating in his presidential run, Romney has expanded military support to include serving in a non-combat capacity at home or abroad. Many, including some conservatives, have rejected this idea believing that if you support a war then you or your children should join the military. For Mormons, that kind of a call to duty has never been clear. Continue reading →

The anger at what is happening to the United States is palpable. Debt rising, gas prices rising, bailouts to banks “too big to fail” who then have employees earning ten times more than middle-class houses cost, getting taxed to pay for out of control boondoggle waste and “entitlement” spending, caring more for illegal aliens than the safety of citizens. Can this craziness be stopped or is Egypt the new normal?

All of these problems ignited a firestorm. A large group of the voting public gathered together to form the un-organized Tea Party (Taxed Enough Already) movement. In 2010 the fruits of this tireless venture came in the form of taking over the House and coming close to doing the same in the Senate. Critics call them “obstructionists,” and true followers wouldn’t doubt that for a minute. They are proud of blocking the government from doing anything more at every possible turn. If it can be slowed down to a crawl, or outright stopped, then the next step would be turning back the economic doomsday clock.

Then something happened during the Republican fight for the right to run for the Presidency. They imploded and became insufferable. Instead of fielding the best and brightest, all the good ones stayed out of the fray. What remained was the B team. Instead of turning inward and asking why no one of respectable stature wanted in (a question that is hard to answer), they fought like Berserkers against the shadow enemy of Romney and the Republican establishment. Early claims aside, Obama and the Democrats became a second thought. They seemed to have lost their minds and in the process me as well. Continue reading →