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Can Someone Defile The Temple?

I once heard a story where a man with a gun entered the temple, I do not want to go through the whole story, but I can say that he was later arrested (it happened in the London Temple I believe). The prophet at the time said something along the lines of... if God did not want that man to enter the Temple he could not have, but something was not right. Now if anyone knows this story, please reference it. Regardless to that let me propose this topic of discussion. Is it possible for the unworthy to enter the temple, to falsify recommends, to seek to do evil and so forth? If so, how come?

Temple Defile Can

I think it is possible. I think it is because we have agency. Heavenly Father has committed to not interfering with our agency. So, he might help a worthy Temple worker to be aware something isn't right with this individual who is trying to enter the Temple, but it will still be up to the Temple worker to recognize this spirit and then have the courage to act upon it.

I am not critizing the Temple worker who lets someone in who isn't worthy either. We are taught repeatedly that the Temple is a place where all should feel welcome and feel the Savior's love for them. We are to do nothing which would detract from that. So, if we feel weird about someone, but can see no explanation for it, what should we do? In most cases nothing would be done because we are human, not because the Spirit isn't present, but because we are not confident of the Spirit and what it is telling us.

Can Someone Defile The Temple? Studies Doctrine Mormon

Yes it is possible for somebody who is unworthy to enter the Temple, it happens all the time, not with cases like the one described, but there are many members who are not worthy to enter and they still have a Temple Recommend. In the example given of this thread, the Temple workers are doing what they can, most of them are Elderly people who may be cannot even see properly and they trust the members of the Church who and visit the House of the Lord, also we need to be aware that some people just look 'normal' even though they are not. Do you all remember the case of this brother who I believe was also a Bishop who forced himself and his family into the Temple. They went straight to the Celestial room and went the workers follow them there, the guy was telling his family he had received a revelation from God to do that, the workers found them kneeling, praying and all of them naked.

Temple Defile Can

The question then comes up, if you are not going to truly try and discern who comes in, then why even bother to check? Is it that they hope the presence of someone at the front will deter an evil mind? What about the Lord's protection over His Holy House? We read many times in the Old Testament of God's swift and deadly punishment to those that defiled the temple. Some thoughts to consider...

Temple Defile Can

I don't think it is a matter of not truly trying to discern. I think we do what we can without causing distress to the members or doing anything to prevent a member who truly is worthy from entering. Everything we do must be in love and this includes when checking names at the Temple. If person at the desk feels something is wrong or just feels uncomfortable, they are supposed to get the Temple presidency member who is on that shift to come out. They then explain the situation to the presidency member who then will talk with the person who is trying to enter and hopefully use the spirit to make the correct decision. I think the trouble comes because the worker just doesn't recognize what they are feeling or trust in it enough to call the Temple presidency down to investigate. I think this is a similar to why people die at home of heart attacks thinking it is indigestion.

Also, remember that non-members don't always know the procedure or even that they aren't allowed in. So by having recommends it helps keep honest people honest.

Remember this, the Church doesn't really do anything to discover when we are being less than honest in any situation. It isn't for men to judge in that regard. What do I mean? Well, tithing settlement. We are asked if it represents a full tithe, but we are not asked to prove how much we made.

Another case, if someone cheats on their wife, isn't actually caught in the act, and then denies that any sexual activity takes place, are they excommunicated? No. If there is no real proof and they deny it, the Church doesn't dig deeper by hiring a detective to find out the truth. That person will be held accountable, but maybe not before they depart this world.

Can Someone Defile The Temple?

It is well known that just by having an appearance of vigilance reduces problems, especially when related to security.

Thus, in WWII, we hear stories about how GIs learned to put a chain around the steering wheels of trucks, so that casual observers thought the truck was secure, thus reducing the theft of the trucks.

So, just having someone at the door checking recommends helps reduce the number of people trying to get in who shouldn't.

But again, we have agency. There are those who join the church under false pretences, just so they can then have some type of credibility as anti-Mormon crusaders. Some of these people have taken tape recorders through the temple ordinances. Others have just done it so that they can then claim to be "temple Mormons", and make a lot of money with their deceit. And, of course, there are those who are mentally unbalanced, or just plain weird.

All of these cases will not profit from their temple experiences (eternally). They may suffer for their deceit.

I think we really only need to worry about ourselves being worthy and prepared.

Can Defile Temple

There are those who have something in their pasts that would perhaps delay or prevent their becoming members, which they need to repent of. If they are deceitful and do not come forth with this information, it is possible for our leaders to be deceived. There is a case in my old ward right now, where a brother was suddenly gone, leaving his then pregnant wife and 3 children with no resources whatsoever. I later found out that he had been arrested and is in prison for 25 years for something from his past (I do not know what it was). I'm not sure if he had been to the temple or not, but he had successfully deceived the leaders in our ward. Very sad for that sweet sister and her children.

Having bouncers at the temple entrance would be really quite scary, don't you think? Metal detectors, body searches. Might discourage even the faithful from attending.

IMO
Roz

Can Defile Temple Mormon Doctrine Studies

The Temple are for those worthy brothers and sisters in the Church . It is not meant for the criminal, the unworthy, etc. Therefore, everything we do is for those good members in good standing not for the few who are not in harmony with God and his teachings. To make the Temple as an Airport in security issues, will make the House of the Lord to be defiled. We learnt long ago that it is the choices we made on this Earth that will make us accountable in the next life.