Last week I noted that many temples have a policy that visitors to a wedding take off their shoes. This week I wanted to ask about a certain part of the endowment ceremony. While getting ready to dress in the robes of the Aaronic Priesthood, we are asked to remove our shoes and put them on again. Yet when we switch to the Melchizedek Priesthood robes, we leave our shoes on. Why do you think there is a difference? Why do you think we need to take them off? Is this similar to Moses on holy ground?
Church Policy, LDS, Mormon, Mormon Belief, spirituality, Temple, theology
No Shoes Endowment
Wheat & Tares 
Assuming your inquiry is an honest inquiry, you will want to direct it to your temple president.
My take on that is that the first robing is symbolic of going from an impure state to a pure state. Therefore, we take off our shoes as part of the transition from unholy to holy. The second robing is a transition in degree but not in kind. We gain greater light and authority, but are not radically changed. So it makes sense that we keep on our shoes.
JI,
You don’t need to comment on every post, especially if you’re going to use a passive-aggressive insinuation that the question is not an “honest inquiry.” Stop judging. It’s unbecoming of a so-called Christian you pretend to be.
In short, if you have nothing to add to the conversation, stop the insulting insinuations and don’t comment.
Great comment Daniel.
I detect some hostility and bitterness from MH. Although he desperately wants to be, in the long run he is not the judge of my Christian life. MH, I forgive you for your kindness.
I’m in a bishopric and we are advised to refer Temple related questions to a member of the Temple Presidency. I’m glad I follow that advice. I once accompanied a member to visit with a Counselor in the Manhattan Temple Presidency. The member had some very good Temple related questions.I felt that I knew the answers to the member’s questions but the Counselor answered the questions in a way that were far beyond my expectations. Beside being a spiritual and humbling experience, it was a learning experience. I learned that the temple really is “a house of learning.” BTW, I believe that Guy Templeton’s question is legitimate and sincere. I also believe he would gain much by asking a member of the Temple Presidency for their insight on the matter.
Do people here really seek out and find meaningful one on one with the Temple President? I see them usher him in to speak to our youth groups at the baptistry, then off he goes to his next place and I would feel like trying to take away his time to discuss something like shoes would be inconsiderate. Comments?
As a woman, I would ask the matron rather than the president. And a member of the presidency rather than the president per se is who I have ever met with.
But this is their full-time job so I would not hesitate to ask to speak to one of them.
More likely, though, our stake regularly has days when we meet an hour before a session with the temple president in one of the downstairs training rooms. He and the matron speak, then anyone can ask questions. That query would fit right in.
Though I appreciate that different temples have different patron loads and priorities.
I thought ji’s comment was spot on; do not understand the angst.
Hawthorne–I had a member of the temple presidency catch me in the hallway and talk for about 15 minutes. He asked about my time in the temple, if I were a veil worker, and if there was anything he could do for me and my wife. Have been often, and it only happened once, but I hope that all would stop and give you their time if you needed.
DO, I love it when someone honestly attempts to answer temple related questions in a Spirit of enlightenment rather than criticism. Thankyou, I’d like more such exchanges between those who are more comfortable with the temple and those less so.
Years ago I had a roommate who would ask the temple president to come speak to her in the celestial room so she could ask questions. The problem she ran into was that different Temple presidents answered the same question in vastly different ways. She decided they were voicing their opinions rather than any actual greater truth than she could figure out on her own. It was really disheartening to her.
The one time I asked a temple presidency member a question about the temple (I asked about the endowment changes from the early 90s) he told me the question was inappropriate and that I should take it on faith that my version of the endowment was for me. He was abrasive and condescending.
My takeaway was that I never should ask questions in the temple and do my own research outside the temple.
I never take my shoes off as my disability would mean someone would have to bend down and put them on for me – i was instructed not too.
“they were voicing their opinions rather than any actual greater truth than she could figure out on her own”
That! There is not a manual available to Temple Presidency that gives all the answers that I know of. If there was, it probably would have been leaked out by now.