Sacred Light

In 1 Peter 2:9 it says, “But, ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people …” Mormons believe that they are this ‘chosen generation’ spoken of in the bible. And, Mormons often are referred to as a ‘peculiar people’ for good reasons. Typically, Mormons wear this title as a badge of honor. In their eyes, they are surely God’s chosen people so it’s all right that they are strange and atypical; being in the world, but not of it. However, nothing is more peculiar about the Mormons than their underwear; except for, maybe, the reasons they wear this unusual underwear in the first place. The initiatory ceremony is the first ritual done in the LDS temple. It is literally an initiation into the greater secrets of the Mormon Church. By going through the temple in general, you are being initiated into a deeper, holier level of Mormonism. During this initiatory ritual, you are washed and anointed, ‘initiated’, so that you can wear the special protec...

Knowing  about what was going to happen in the temple and experiencing it are two completely different things. This was supposed to be a happy day for me. Yet, I felt grim inside as the day wore on. This is what I had been told my whole life had to happen if I wanted my family to be together forever in the next life. Yet, as I did everything that first time through the temple, I had this unsettling feeling of how insane it all was, unusual underwear, crazy clothes, women with veiled faces, men in foolish hats, obsessive rituals, extreme covenants, odd signs, peculiar tokens, bizarre handshakes, and ‘new names’ all just to get into Heaven?! Plus, it was being drilled into me that if I didn’t live up to everything that I was promising to do that day, I would absolutely be under Satan’s influence and power. Those thoughts were overshadowing my joy at finally being a ‘forever family’. First, I participated in the 'washing and anointing' ceremony. You have to have on their sp...