Temples & Freemasonry
The temple ceremony and the symbols/signs/handshakes used in it have striking similarities to those found in the Freemasons, which is a fraternal organization that Joseph Smith was a part of. It’s curious that so many similarities exist, considering the temple ceremony was supposedly revealed to Joseph Smith by God. (Mom Note: when I was starting to research all this stuff, I saw a documentary on the Freemasons, and I was shocked by how many similarities there were between the Masons and the Mormon temple ceremony).
The temple ceremony has changed throughout the years – it has even undergone changes since I last attended. While these changes are positive in my opinion (i.e., removing creepy blood oath penalties and making it a little less sexist), it does call into question the claim that the ceremony was revealed by God. Why didn’t God get it right when he originally revealed it, especially since the church teaches that it’s necessary for salvation?
Why is the temple ceremony necessary for salvation in the first place? Will God really keep people out of heaven and away from their families after they die if they don’t participate in the temple ordinances or get married in the temple? That doesn’t seem right to me. It’s also a big bummer for anyone who lived on the earth before Mormonism came around in the 1800s. There is just no way that doing temple work for the dead now can possibly make up for all the billions of people who lived on the earth prior to the temple ceremony’s existence (not to mention all the currently living people, more than 99.8% of whom are not Mormon). That seems like a very inefficient system if God is really going to require it for exaltation and for being together with your families in heaven.
Want more detail? See https://read.cesletter.org/temples/, https://www.ldsdiscussions.com/temple and http://www.mormonthink.com/temple.htm