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I don't understand how Mormonism could have gained the popularity that it has if traditional Christianity had been perfect. Look at the major differences between the two, and then take those things and try to look at them from a new perspective.
Thread moved to the Christianity forum since the question is about the similarities/differences between Mormonism and mainstream Christianity, and having nothing to do with any other religions.
I think the LDS church is great and much more interesting than many other Christian movements. It certainly has character and tradition.
I will never understand why other Christians are so unaccepting. Perhaps these Christians never read The Sermon on the Mount which is the central theme of Christianity.
I have always been intrigued by the wedding ritual held in the Mormon Temple. Is it possible to share on this to clarify any errors I might have about the ceremony?
I have heard from friends and others, but I would love to have an accurate understanding.
I think the LDS church is great and much more interesting than many other Christian movements. It certainly has character and tradition.
I will never understand why other Christians are so unaccepting. Perhaps these Christians never read The Sermon on the Mount which is the central theme of Christianity.
Was that paraphrased in the D & C? I love that passage and find it so enlightening.
Also on this note, just what role does the Doctrines and Covenants play in the church and the lives of Mormons?
Per another thread, everyone's favorite Mormon poster suggested I start a new thread. I am asking her...in her own views, or the views of any other Mormons...what doctrines does your religion have that differ from traditional mainstream Christianity?
I do not want to be accused of knowing more about Mormonism than Mormons do....so this is your chance, folks: I want to see your own comments about it. Please educate us....what is different, or special about your beliefs?
I haven't see one thought on "the human condition" that has not been said by our fathers. And some of them were crazy. well, mine was anyway.
Its not about "knowing more" its about being outside of the church and being able to walk around the building to better describe it. All views, all models, are better than a few. That means the ones "stuck out side", like me, have to go in and have a "look-a-about".
I think the LDS church is great and much more interesting than many other Christian movements. It certainly has character and tradition.
I will never understand why other Christians are so unaccepting. Perhaps these Christians never read The Sermon on the Mount which is the central theme of Christianity.
Perhaps the answer is more simple than that .... we know the truth and thus aren't fooled
I have always been intrigued by the wedding ritual held in the Mormon Temple. Is it possible to share on this to clarify any errors I might have about the ceremony?
I have heard from friends and others, but I would love to have an accurate understanding.
In the Mormon Church, if a couple has a temple wedding, it is likely a very small affair with only family and close friends in attendance. At my wedding, there were only about a dozen people! The wedding reception, held in the evening of the same day, is another matter. There may be hundreds of guests.
Anyway, with respect to the ceremony itself, the guests gather in what is called a "sealing room." There is an altar in the center of the room andulhostered chairs around the perimeter or in few rows, depending on the size of the room. They all face the altar. The altar is generally upholstered in velvet, sometimes with a lace covering over it. There are almost always two very large mirrors in the room, hanging on opposite walls so as to be facing each other. There is generally a large, beautiful chandelier hanging over the altar. The room is carpeted and is decorated entirely in soft, muted colors.
When the guests are all seated and the officiator has arrived, the couple comes in the room. They are dressed in their ceremonial temple clothing, which is white. The officiator is also dressed in a white suit. There is no processional, no music, no flowers, no attendants. The officiator asks the couple to come to the altar. They kneel on opposite sides of the altar, facing one another. The officiator stands at one end of the altar. He typically welcomes the guests, comments on the happy occasion and proceeds to give a few words of counsel to the couple. This can take anywhere from two or three minutes to as many as ten minutes. When he is ready to begin the actual ceremony, he asks the couple to hold hands across the altar, which they do. He then begins to recite the formal vows, which are pretty much the same as you'd expect to hear in any Christian ceremony -- things dealing with love, respect, faithfulness, etc. They couple also exchange rings at this point. But, in pronouncing the couple husband and wife, he does not use the words, "until death do you part" or "for as long as you both shall live." Instead, he tells the couple that their marriage is "for time and all eternity."
He then tells them that they may kiss over the altar, which they do. He asks them to stand and to look into either of the two large mirrors. If you have ever looked into a mirror which reflects the image of another mirror, the effect is that the reflection goes on literally forever. He tells the couple that what they are seeing represents what their married life together will be like. Their union will not be dissolved at death, but will continue throughout eternity. It's quite a beautiful sight to stand in front of those mirrors and see yourself and your spouse for as far in the distance as you can possibly make out the images. That is the end of the ceremony. After that, there's a whole lot more kissing, hugging, and greeting the few guests that are there. After a few minutes, the room clears and the couple returns to the dressing rooms to change into their street clothes. (There is a special, very beautiful bride's dressing room in each temple where the bride dresses for the ceremony; forgot to mention that.)
(I finally spotted the little paper clip! Duh!) Here's a picture of a sealing room in the Ogden, Utah temple: I didn't realize it would be so small, but if you click on it, you'll see a room that looks exactly like the one I described. (Is there any way to make it show up larger initially?)
Also on this note, just what role does the Doctrines and Covenants play in the church and the lives of Mormons?
While the Book of Mormon is believed to be the translation of an ancient record, the Doctrine and Covenants contains the revelations given directly to Joseph Smith (for the most part) and later Presidents of the Church. It is not divided into chapter and verse, but into section and verse. Basically, it contains the doctrines we believe were lost during the early centuries of Christianity and then restored, plus a few new doctrines. For instance, our health code, "The Word of Wisdom," is found in Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
We have an adult Sunday School class each Sunday. For each of four years, we rotate the material that is studied in Sunday School (and then repeat the process). One year out of every four, we study the Doctrine and Covenants.
Last edited by Katzpur; 03-18-2015 at 10:25 AM..
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