From my experience being raised Mormon (I still have my immediate family practicing the Mormon religion to this day)i can attest that this religion is very male chaveunist and really wants their followers to live every rule to the inth degree. My experience growing up in the church was a very positive one. Then I married someone who joined the church in his 20′s and my marriage was a complete disaster. I begged for help and support from the church leaders and was basically shunned or ignored. This experience changed the way that I felt about the church. I can relate to Barb’s character as she struggles with her beliefs and is trying to find her way in this world. It is tough being in the Mormon church as women just are not treated the same as men and we are taught to be subsurvient to our priesthood leaders. I’ve had mixed emotions while watching the show as it has brought up a ton of painful memories but I also enjoy the characters and appreciate how they all stick together and support one another in the end. I think these values are sorely missed in the world. I appreciate many of the principles that I was taught however I struggle with some of the things the leaders ask of us or who they support so I cannot and will not ever get involved in the church again. I believe that anyone should have a right to practice whatever religion they want. I did go to the temple often but I also had a hard time understanding the ceremonies and thought they were weird. I personally think that is the way that the Mormons keep their members in line by dangling their “worthiness to go to the temple” to all the members so they can always have another level of spirituality to go. I know every religion is full of symbols and particular ceremonies. I think the Mormons have more than a few. Religion is a very personal matter and I think you should be able to practice in it in what ever way you choose. I look forward to seeing what path these characters will be going next. I think it has been good to get this topic out in the open.

By law all religious activities that are practiced in the US are kept in the Library of Congress…you can read about all of our sacred practices there.

BIG LOVE is a mockery of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Mormons are NOT pologymist anymore and haven’t been for 200 years. FYI. if you want information on something you should probably seek the source and not a false TV show.

go to http://www.lds.org for real information about LDS people and their beliefs.

Just wanted to add another emphasis that it isn’t “secret”, but sacred.

Yeah…noted…for the XXth time.

the kind of people who don’t get the concept of sacred things not being broadcast for anyone to see.

I don’t get why you fail to see that your “sacred” was actually harmful to me and others I know. Had I actually known what would go on there, then I would not have gone. You can keep your pearls.

P.S. when did Joe Smith become a mason? When did he roll out the endowment? The two are more than coincidentally linked. Moreover, J. Smith Sr. and Hyrum Smith were masons as well.

P.S.S. (bonus questions) how many versions of the First Vision are there? Why do they differ? How could Joe Smith confuse an angel with God or not even be clear on how many beings appeared to him?

How good are you at spin doctoring? What does cognitive dissonance taste like?

I’ve been on both sides of the Mormon persecution reality. Once, as an avid Mormon basher, and now on the receiving end, as a faithful member, having learned many great life lessons that matured me.

It is real.

The points made by beezle, about religion discriminating against non-religion amount to pissing in the wind. Non-religion discriminates against religion too. In fact, male discriminates against female, and female to male. Vegans discriminate against meat eaters, and meat eaters to vegans. Druggies discriminate against non-druggies. Such is the nature of opposites.

Mitt Romney may have struck a wrong cord with you, but you obviously have some easy to push button that you wait to whine about getting pushed –this is what your posts tell of you– but he in no way violated any etiquette as pertaining to political campaigning, keeping his religion separate from the office he was running for. The media did all the “exclusions” and “discrimination” on him, as there was an attempt from them, and from Huckster and the “born again” world to discredit him because of his religion. Outright hypocrisy.

The “none of your business” attitude about the temple is to protect those who are not ready for such information. Some people won’t get it and it will be more of a stumbling block for them than a blessing of knowledge, and so should not have access to make the covenants. Especially if there is some huge, unresolved sin there, to help block the spirituality of it all -which is the only way to really “get it”. Besides, it really is not anybodies business, except those who prepare for and respect it. At least respect others beliefs and leave them alone about it.

P.S. this is not just to you, beezle, but to the kind of people who don’t get the concept of sacred things not being broadcast for anyone to see. The whole, “casting pearls before swine” concept.

Yes, I read some posts, but there are too many here to waste time on reading all of them. That said, I believe in the constitutional right of others to create whatever content they want -as long as that content doesn’t take breaking the law to create, and this doesn’t- but I have no respect for someone who uses that right to exploit that which is sacred to certain people.

Oh well, I don’t watch HBO anyway, and I am not going to call for a boycott or ban on their free speech, though the first one would be well within my own constitutional rights.

I’m actually surprised it hasn’t happened earlier. The ceremony has never been “secret”; it is on record, by law, with the library of congress, for anyone who has the motivation to check it out. There have been several attempts of people trying to record and publish the temple rites, most of which cannot get past their bias enough to not try and smear it to make it seem more “creepy” and “cultish”.

The show has some big problems, according to my limited knowledge of it -I say that because I have only seen bits and pieces of the show in previews, and have not watched their rendition of the temple ceremony, so I don’t know if it is accurate or smearing- anyway, I understand that the show is about polygamists, but it is fact that once the church stopped practicing polygamy, members who refused to comply would be excommunicated, and therefore cannot go through the temple ceremony. I know a man from Africa who had to give up two of his wives to get baptized. That’s dedication.

The show cannot be about “Mormons”, but possibly some offshoot, polygamist branch that has their own temple -which would most likely have had its ceremonies adapted in some way, and differ from the LDS temple ceremonies (endowment, eternal marriage, baptism for the dead), as well as be in a cheaper built building. The creators of the show are dishonest in the fact that they don’t make this distinction, and rely on society’s ignorance to keep the controversial atmosphere about it all, which acquires them ratings. Oh well, it is obvious that dishonesty is also covered by our first amendment, or we wouldn’t have a media.

About Masonry, what is the proof that the similarities are significant? Many religions borrow symbols from other cultures and religions, look at Christmas and Easter! And if it is a religion that is “from God”, if you understand or accept that concept, it would be more likely to borrow such things as God is trying to relate grand information to people in terms that they would understand, which would be things that are already established, both symbolic and literal.

If the Mason temple rites can be traced back to Solomon’s temple –even though Masonry itself can’t be, the ceremonial aspect that started in Masonry was inspired (or copied) from that which did trace back- then it makes sense that ancient and modern day temple rites have similarities. The teachings, as pointed out by someone else, are vastly different, as well as the purpose of the rites. Smith was probably instructed to learn of the Masons, to help him understand the structure of what the Lord would bring about. That is just speculation though. I’m just saying there are multiple variables that prove there are multiple probabilities, and people shouldn’t pretend they know the whole of it by putting forth their theories as fact.

you just can’t argue with stupidity.

You hit the nail right on the head!

Thanks for regurgitating what every other mormon said. Did you even take the time to read any of the posts????

P.S. the ties between Masonry and mormon temple ritual are well documented and the signs, tokens, and symbols are almost identical. Even the iconic beehive was a Masonic symbol before a Utah one. If you want a mormon-approved source, then here it is:
http://www.fairlds.org/Misc/Similarities_between_Masonic_and_Mormon_Temple_Ritual.html

That will get you to the FAIR website where they attempt to defend the mormon faith. Check it out…you’ll learn a thing or two.