I was at doing some sealings at the temple recently, and the sealer reminded everyone that the temple is the “university of the Lord.” But it just seems like repetition to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love the temple sealing, but with all temple ceremonies, they simply repeat the same words over and over and over. It is not like a college class. It is simple repetition. I find that it often feels like “vain repetitions” that Jesus warned us about, and while I do try to listen intently, when I do try to think about something profound, it more often than not brings me more questions than answers. I know questions are good, but I don’t feel like I’m learning. (I don’t think the witnesses were learning or witnessing. They both were asleep.)
I did look up the word “Learn” at Dictionary.com. Here’s what it said
- to acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience: as in, “to learn French; to learn to ski.”
- to become informed of or acquainted with; ascertain: as in, “to learn the truth.”
- to memorize: as in, “He learned the poem so he could recite it at the dinner.”
I don’t think memorize is what “university of the Lord” means, but I have heard some of these ceremonies so many times, I am starting to memorize some of them. What do you learn through repetition? What am I missing?
Wheat & Tares 
You’re not missing anything. The Church has changed the temple ordinances from what Joseph Smith introduced. See here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1885588
Temple worship has devolved into rote repetition.
Besides, we aren’t saved by sealing ourselves to our dead ancestors, rather by getting sealed to “the fathers,” meaning Abraham, and the other patriarchs.
I *think* that people who say that they learn something new every time they go to the temple are referring to the rich symbolism and also perhaps the different things learned from the spirit during each visit. But yes, I agree with you. After several years as an ordinance worker, I had the ordinances memorized and I felt like I wasn’t really learning new stuff anymore. I went to the temple for other reasons.
I think university is the wrong word for the reasons sighted above. I’ve always understood temple work to be an ordnance and as such ordinances must use the same words.
So to say that the temple is a university is like saying baptism and the sacrament are like high school and middle school. It just doesn’t equate.
It’s probably the best he could come up with since we have no equivalent learning institution… where you sit and watch the same movie over and over again trying to get new things out of it.
This post actually prompted me to think about my experiences in performance, choir and theater for example. Beyond memorization, the increased familiarity repetition produces can enable a person to make new connections between different parts of a song, a script, or a ceremony. Granted, repetition has limits and can also create fatigue and disinterest. Still, getting something down pat also frees up your mind. It gives you the potential to become more thoughtful about the material while performing it, and more cognizant of other participants. In my experience, a lot of what I learn about a piece comes once I move beyond merely trying to remember what comes next.
Guy this is a great question. But if you think you have it bad how about all those temple workers who have to sit through session after session. The way I make sense of the Temple is to break it into two parts. And President Hinckley made this easy when he divided the session into the film and the live parts. So my first piece of advice is to ignore the live parts, unless you going through a totally live session. Then pick a specific part of the film and compare it with the same story in the Scriptures. When I do this I find lots of things to think about. Take this part for example.
In the film version of the story you will note that Satan picks the fruit off the tree and offers it first to Adam and then to Eve. Now compare this part with the same part from the Scriptures. You can read the whole story but I want to focus on one part which is in the Scripture.
“But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Genesis 3:3
What you will discover is the in the film version Satan picks the fruit and hands it toe Adam and Eve while in the Scriptures this part isn’t there. Note consider the following questions. If God said that anyone who touches the fruit would die how come the serpent didn’t die? Or an even better question. When Adam or Eve touches the fruit how come they didn’t die? And if nobody dies then who is lying about touching and dying? I hope your answer isn’t God because that wouldn’t be good. My answer is that the phrase “neither shall ye touch it” was added by Adam when he passed on the commandment from God to Eve. And I’m assuming that Adam did this because he loved Eve. Or at least he was fearful what might happen if she did eat of the fruit and so he added the part about touching. And maybe he did this because he didn’t trust Eve. Or maybe he added this part because it is difficult to eat something without handling it.
Anyway you get my point but if you are interested you could try this next step. The next time you go home teaching, or ministering tell your families this story and ask this question. Given the fact that Adam added this phrase to the commandment, who do you think is responsible for Eve eating the forbidden fruit? Was it Adam? Or was he at least partly responsible because when Eve saw that the serpent didn’t die when he handled the fruit that this lead her to doubt everything Adam told her about not eating the fruit? Of do you think that Eve was totally responsible for her actions regardless of what Adam told her? When I have done this lots of good discussion are evoked. (Note: What I find from this exercise is that people tend to align themselves along personality lines. In other words this little exercise is a good psychological test for determining personality. Those that are high on Conscientiousness and Neuroticism or if you prefer the MBTI scales, highly judgmental types, tend to put the blame solely on Eve while those on the other end of the scale tend to have Adam share some of the blame. All of which makes me think that personality is a factor in how we as individuals understand the Scriptures.)
If you can train yourself along these lines then you might find the temple experience a rich tapestry of learning. In fact in my experience, the experience is almost university like in learning and application.
All the best,
Bob
I’m afraid the only thing I learn from that Bob is that different people see things in different ways. A useful lesson, but one I knew already.