Satan, The Logan Temple, and Today's low temple attendance

[Zowieink]

Last night, the recorder was musing about the very, very low numbers of patrons coming to the temple. He mentioned the occurrence where Satan appeared to the temple president of the Logan Temple in 1890. He told the president that he didn't like the work being done and (paraphrasing) said he was going to shut it down. So Satan distracted the people, caused obstructions to prevent people from going to the temple, and probably helped them gain prosperity. This worked for about 12 years where hardly anyone came to the temple until satan was cast out.

So I wonder if the members of the church are having the same thing happening. Last night, Sat.,we had only 160 endowments, and Friday night only 150. Even last year we were having 200-300 per evening and 4 years ago, easily 800-1000 on Fri and Sat. So, what is up? Do not understand. Have people become so insensitive that when they hear the news, they think everyone is happily and all is well (in Zion)?

[Stacy Oliver]

I assume part of it is the Brigham City temple.

[BroJones]

The Kansas City, MO, temple is having good attendance from my experiences there the last year or so. Often the chapel is filled before a session, and many are doing initiatories also.

[boo]

Z's comments are about the Mesa temple .I work at the Gilbert Temple on Tuesdays. Last Tuesday night we had multiple sessions with 2 or 3 men and 4 or 5 women . When I work the veil I have one or two patrons every 45 min. Initiatory is worse. We all are routinely let go early . Often half way through our shift. I spoke with a friend who works Wed night and the principal comment he makes is "crickets'. We can only assume when the Phoenix temple is opened in a month it will get worse. Some return on a $25 million dollar investment

[Obrien]

for some reason I thought the temple in the OP was the Manti temple. or, alternatively Satan slowed the work at both Logan and Manti in the 1890's. or alternatively, I'm wrong. it's happened before...

fwiw - I went to the Gilbert Temple a few Saturdays ago and it was packed. we did initiatory work from 8-9 and it was steady. caught a 9:30 session that was wall to wall. celestial room very full after.

[boo]

for some reason I thought the temple in the OP was the Manti temple. or, alternatively Satan slowed the work at both Logan and Manti in the 1890's. or alternatively, I'm wrong. it's happened before...

fwiw - I went to the Gilbert Temple a few Saturdays ago and it was packed. we did initiatory work from 8-9 and it was steady. caught a 9:30 session that was wall to wall. celestial room very full after.

Maybe I should with to working Sat nights. Good to hear though

[Obrien]

I should have been more clear - AM in all times listed in my earlier post.

[jdawg1012]

I try to attend the temple several times a week, but it's not always possible. When I go, my pattern is usually that I generally do iniatories, then an endowment or two, then some sealings. I am usually there between 3 and a half and 9 hours, and so I get to see a little of the differences in day and night, and ordinance type to ordinance type.

This last week, one day I went to three morning endowment sessions, in succession (back to back), followed by some sealings. The first endowment was packed, the room was nearly full (the males overflowed to the female side, it was the same two weeks ago, in the early AM session). The second one at 8:00A had about 5 men and 5 women. The next session had 7 men and about 15 women. Most of the people in the second and third sessions (8:00 AM and 10:00 AM) were the exact same people. They were a senior group I've seen before, and I think they regularly attend on that day and those times, from what I could tell. (I've seen them before).

I attend randomly (I don't have a regular time or day of the week), so I bounce around all over the place. I have noticed that for endowments, only the very early AM session (5:30AM), is anywhere near full/at capacity, and the sessions for the Spanish speakers (I think it's one or two Thursday nights). I'd say a typical daytime session (at least when I attend), has between 5-8 males and 8-15 females. Night time (after 4:00PM) has more patrons (maybe 15 or so males and 20-25 females). I've seen more college aged guys, and a few college aged girls in early mornings. The rest are usually seniors, all day long, with a few middle aged couples at night time, and a few college aged students then, too.

When I go to sealings, it's almost always the same few people, about 5 or so couples, and 5 males that come alone and 5 females. So, about the same 20 people, and then there's a random few people here and there, and couples that attend regularly, but not weekly+. I can't say for sure how all of the patronages are, just who's there when I go, which, like I said varies. Iniatories, when I go are generally more stable, but I think they're just run different. Usually only one or two of the four booths are open, and usually there is a wait. I'd say there's between 3-5 patrons, normally, though sometimes it's just me, in the booth I'm at, for a half hour to an hour, during midday, but that's rare, though.

Anyway, that's my experience, but I don't have numbers or figures. I know a lot of people who say that when they decide to go to the temple, everything gets in the way. One friend told me, she just writes a "T" in her calendar, because it seems like if she schedules "Temple," something always gets in the way of her going. I think there's some truth to the adversary putting up roadblocks. I'm just happy I can attend, when I can. I know some people cannot. But I decided that if I lived close, I'd go as often as I reasonably can (which for now is generally one or two days a week for several hours). The day will come when I have to move, or when the temple is closed, so, I figure it's best to keep going and doing the best I can to go while it's available. If it's always available, then I haven't lost anything by continued attendance!

It is sad that more people can't find time to go, but I'd like to hope/think that while some of us are redeeming the dead, others are perfecting the saints and proclaiming the gospel. May God bless everyone in their continued efforts to do their part to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, that is my prayer, in the Sacred Name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[JohnnyL]

Smaller temple, but packed all day on Saturdays, when most people can go.

I'm sure S does all he can to stop people from attending.

[Desert Roses]

I'm in St.George and we find evening and very early morning as well as Saturday very full. Daytime is workday for most. When we are not working, ww prefer daytime so it's not crowded. Most daytime sessions are 15 to 20, usually elderly folks.

[Zowieink]

Yes, most Sat. Are better, except in Mesa. I am speaking mainly about the mid and evening shifts. Still as an aggregate, last Sat. We had only 356 endowments for the day. The work of The Lord can't be done at that slow speed. Look back 4 years...Sat. Night typically did 1,500 endowments on the low wnd. When you add up the temple totals for all the temples in AZ for any given day, they are lower, much lower than a few years ago when compared to the base number of 1500 endowment average on a Sat. They should at least add up to the same number but don't.

[samizdat]

Many Saints are abandoning principle for madness. Precisely because they don't go to the temple. Precisely because they forget to do other basic things.

The Mexico City temple is "once again" under renovation. Our temple is Oaxaca. When we go next month I will be able to say more about what is going on.

[Zowieink]

Most members that go to the temple often, have a regular session they attend and may not see the big picture slow down in temple work. However, as reported by our new Temple President, this is concerning to President Monson and the 12, because it shows a lack of understanding of the importance of temple work and how much of it needs to get done. The amount of temple work for ancestors is still hovering about 2.7/3.0% of members submitting names for temple work.

When we look at D & C 128 v. 15 it talks about this work being essential to our "salvation". Inversely, if we do not do this work (fam. hist. & temple work) is our salvation in peril? If this is taken at face value, then 97% of the church membership has their salvation in peril, mitigated by at least going to the temple for "temple names". At least that gives us "brownie points" on the salvation side and is a vital service, but gains only half the blessings.

So, the question, are the Saints choosing good in the good, better, best items needed for our salvation or being lead astray with apathy, calendar overscheduling (and then picking the less important stuff), or feelings of unworthiness with Satan convincing people they are bad and unworthy to enter the temple, when really they aren't, just normal people working at getting better.

The temple is NOT for the perfect, it's to help perfect us. There are hidden gems in the temple ordinances if we just go often enough to listen and let the spirit teach us.

[boo]

It is a continuing problem.Tuesday night we had 2 endowment sessions with less than 14 people in each. About like the week before as I mentioned above. During my hour in initiatory we had one patron with 5 family names. Some were suggesting that half of the 1800 temple workers should be released and called to be patrons instead. At least thousands of man hours a week would not be spent just sitting

[Zowieink]

You would think that with a beautiful new building, that is breathtaking, that the Saints would be waiting in line! Well, maybe the Lord's finally going to throw in the towel and start chastising us, like he did in the BoM. Ebola might be one of those tools He uses to bring the Saints back. The news is filled with shootings, ebola, natural disasters....but the US hasn't felt many of them. Perhaps its time....

[kathyn]

I know that when I served as a temple ordinance worker, if we were ever short of patrons, we workers either did a session or initiatory as patrons.

[JohnnyL]

It is a continuing problem.Tuesday night we had 2 endowment sessions with less than 14 people in each. About like the week before as I mentioned above. During my hour in initiatory we had one patron with 5 family names. Some were suggesting that half of the 1800 temple workers should be released and called to be patrons instead. At least thousands of man hours a week would not be spent just sitting

That's how it's kind of done in our temple here. The majority of veil workers go through sessions, then go through the veil first, then help the rest.

Often, the stake provides the workers for their sessions.

[Goonerboy]

In the UK we have Two Temples which are 250 miles apart. Since the Preston Temple opened attendance at the London Temple has been greatly reduced and the cost of Fuel in getting there is a big factor. I live in South Wales and it takes us about 4 hours to get there compared to just 15 minutes when I lived near the Ogden Temple.
When the Preston Temple was about to open many Saints moved in to the area saying they would go more often as they live close by but this has not happened and complacency has crept in and there attendances are down too. My Family and I do go as often as we can but do want to go more if we had the finances so what we lack in Temple attendance we make up for in doing Indexing and helping the older members of our ward with their Family Histories. We would love to have a Temple in Wales but that will never happen while the London and Preston Temples are under used. Attending the Temple has to be planned like doing Home Teaching, if you don't plan you won't go! My Wife and I love being in the Temple and wish we did live closer as we have so much work to do.

[Zowieink]

Last night only 120 endowments. A year ago it was 10 times or 1200 endowments. This week also brought individuals trying to take pictures during an endowment session...

[Goonerboy]

Taking Pictures??? Thats all kind of Wrong! :-\

[jbalm]

Last night only 120 endowments. A year ago it was 10 times or 1200 endowments. This week also brought individuals trying to take pictures during an endowment session...

Just out of curiosity, what happens to those people? I assume they are asked to leave.

[rewcox]

Last night only 120 endowments. A year ago it was 10 times or 1200 endowments. This week also brought individuals trying to take pictures during an endowment session...

Just out of curiosity, what happens to those people? I assume they are asked to leave.

Remember "a man called horse?"

[jbalm]

No, I don't. Is it on Netflix?

[Obrien]

they are taken to the baptistry and held under.

[Zowieink]

The session is stopped and they are escorted out where security is there to meet them. They then visit with the temple president, their recommend is taken, and their bishop and stake president are notified. Security also sends the info to SLC. They are then guarded as they change clothes and are remove from the temple.