Carol, sweetheart, if you’re going to leave comments on my blog, you could at least identify yourself so others can know more about you. Blogging is all about connecting. The background behind the comments, getting to know the person, is almost as important as the comments themselves. Log in to Blogger first when leaving a comment. That way people can link to your blog and get to know you better.

Yes, our wedding day was a very special day even though I was tired because my best man kept me up talking past midnight the night before. It has been 26 years but I remember the counsel of the sealer as he taught us about marriage in front of our family and friends. The most important advice – to be unselfish and serve one another.

He also invited us to return to the temple often, which we have. I tried to count the other day but I am confident it is over 1,000 visits in the last 32 years for me. That is indeed the secret to feeling more comfortable and appreciative of the sacredness and holiness of the temple.

I’ll say it again – the work you are doing on your blog is a marvelous help to anyone wanting to get a better feel for what is appropriate to discuss about the temple outside the temple. I especially liked your listing of the points that might have helped the missionary who was asked by the reporter about the temple and said something like, “I don’t know if I can talk about that.” I’m sure he was nervous but he probably regrets that he was not better prepared.

Here is a summary of the list from Educating the Media that is just excellent:

We can mention the names of the ordinances performed in the temple: baptisms for the dead, confirmation, ordination, washings and anointings, endowment, and sealing

We can share our understanding of the purpose of each ordinance and how they point us to Christ and are uplifting and strengthening to families and individuals.

We can state why we perform each of these ordinances vicariously for our kindred dead (they are not a “second chance”).

We can share that ritual worship, ordinances, rites, and sacred liturgy permeate the texts of both the Old and New Testaments.

We can teach that marriage and families were instituted by God in the beginning, and are meant to be eternal, not “till death do you part.”

We can also emphasize that through the sealing ordinance of the temple, we are promised that we can be with our loved ones for the rest of eternity.

We can say that the temple represents a connecting point between earth and heaven, between mortals and God, between dark and light.

We can state that everything in the temple is symbolic of our journey back to God, and teaches us the purpose of life.

We can remind others that the finer details, descriptions, and language of the temple is not shared with others because of its sanctity and its holiness.

We can point out that the covenant people of God have been building sanctuaries, temples, sacred structures since the world began, by commandment of God

We can say that the temple is a place of sacrifice, of offerings, of giving our self-will to God in obedience to his commandments

We can inform others that the ordinances performed were instituted by God for the salvation and exaltation of the human family, all children of loving Heavenly Parents.

About the garments we can teach that they are sacred clothing that serve as a reminder of covenants and ordinances that we have entered into in the House of the Lord.

We can also remind others that the temple is a place where men and women can make covenants with God that are rewarded with immeasurable blessings.

The list goes on and on. It just takes a little practice to feel confident and prepared to share appropriate statements like these.

“However, we do ourselves a disservice by not taking time to regularly ponder what the temple means to us and how it can bless our lives.”

Too too true! Not only do we do ourselves a disservice – but our children/grandchildren as well.

Thank you for taking the time to write and to share.

Annonymous

I go to great lengths to make sure that everything I write, and the comments that are posted, are absolutely respectful to the sacred subject matter, and that they follow well-established precedents set by Hugh Nibley, General Authorities, prophets, and other LDS scholars, in tone and manner in which the temple is addressed, which is often not by talking about the temple directly, but by indirect references from historical studies and sources.

A glance at the large body of writing that has been given by the brethren and trusted scholars shows that there is a lot that is OK to talk about, study, and discuss in reference to the temple. Unfortunately, many of us are unaware of this appropriate manner of “temple-talk,” and so we don’t say anything at all, fearful of broken covenants, let alone have a desire to study the temple outside of its walls. The temple has so much to offer, if we are willing to search deeper for it.

I’ve written a couple posts about “temple-talk” that might be interesting for your readers.
Elder Christopherson on the Sacred
Educating the Media
Bushman on the Temple
Talking about the Temple
About Temple Study

I also wrote one over at Millennial Star:
The Temple Stigma

Thanks again for your positive review and comments on the temple!