tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post3009152945951482497..comments2023-05-25T06:06:11.381-06:00Comments on for posterity...: Big Love/ Temple ceremonyDavid and Debbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397313447137818213noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-89632034581996691722009-03-14T14:08:00.000-06:002009-03-14T14:08:00.000-06:00one final thought from me (mom). i really dislike...one final thought from me (mom). i really dislike all this that is going on, but i was thinking lasdt night that we have all been commanded to love our enemies, whoever they might be, and to do good to others who are very unkind to us. times like this make it hard, but heavenly father still continuously loves ALL of us.David and Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18397313447137818213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-90379496029946050892009-03-14T12:16:00.000-06:002009-03-14T12:16:00.000-06:00I say go for it, dad! Send them a letter!I say go for it, dad! Send them a letter!Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05564884205946902993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-40854842250724012642009-03-14T00:06:00.000-06:002009-03-14T00:06:00.000-06:00Thanks Becky. The original comment you referred t...Thanks Becky. The original comment you referred to was laid out weird because I had applied it from my office computer. So I edited and reposted it and then erased the old one. I'm considering commenting directly to HBO with some of this. What do you all think - too harsh, or OK?<BR/>DadDavid and Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18397313447137818213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-60303373422458533542009-03-13T22:41:00.000-06:002009-03-13T22:41:00.000-06:00We hold the temple ceremonies to be sacred because...We hold the temple ceremonies to be sacred because our God said so. Therefore, we deem them to be private, reserved only for those spiritually prepared to receive them, and thereby, to be shielded from the ridicule of the world, again, all because God said so. We cannot expect outsiders to buy our claim to God’s involvement, but we can expect them to honor one of Society’s most revered norms, i.e. to have common respect for others' religious beliefs. Accordingly, we should be able to expect HBO to hold our ceremonies to be sacred and reserved, simply because we (the Church) said so. HBO implies acceptance of that norm and that concept when they say they wanted to "depict [our] ceremony with the dignity and respect it is due." <BR/><BR/>Their claim is disingenuous. If dignity and respect for our ceremony was truly their objective, then maybe they should have started by asking our opinion of their plan to depict OUR ceremony in any way at all. Wouldn’t respect include seeking out and honoring the wishes of those who own the religious belief? Also, knowing our belief that the ceremony’s dignity is maintained by its exclusivity, the moment they decide to reveal it to the world, they insult its dignity. They didn’t seek the Church’s opinion because they really didn’t want it. They knew they would not get our blessing on the matter. It would appear that the dignity and respect they applied "great pains” to achieve, were no real consideration at all. Either that, or they believe that respecting others’ private religious ceremonies requires only that you be “completely accurate” when you disclose them to the world, when you otherwise choose to ignore their wishes and cast their pearls before swine.<BR/><BR/>How paradoxical, that they with no authority in the matter, assume it on their mere presumption of “complete accuracy” in their self-proclaimed effort to show the ceremony in “the proper context and with respect." Since they produced this depiction without consultation from the real authority, i.e. the Church, who are they to claim complete accuracy or proper context? That would be like a job applicant claiming a right to the job simply on the basis of his mother’s high opinion of his qualifications.<BR/><BR/>It is difficult to believe that HBO cannot see the glaring discrepancies in their claims. Their “ex-Mormon consultant” for instance, has certainly disqualified himself as a trustworthy authority by his recent anti-Mormon statements and by his reneging on the covenant he once made with God to never reveal these things. Who knows if his disgruntled opinion and recollection of the ceremony is accurate? Even if his recollection of tangible details was precise, he certainly cannot claim qualification to address the spiritual aspect. Oh, you mean there’s a spiritual aspect? See, once a person abandons the Spirit, he tends to doubt it ever existed, if it did at all for him.<BR/><BR/>Also, HBO’s claim of “proper context,” is absurd. The real ceremony is authorized by God to be performed only in His holy temple, and only by proper priesthood authority for a specific eternal purpose. Depiction therefore, of that ceremony by non-members in a film studio, for the purpose of improving television ratings, is not proper context.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, what’s done is done, and we are powerless to stop it. We can only hope that all who are aware of these circumstances will recognize the audacity and the discrepancies. I believe we can be confident that God will hold us faultless in this matter, and will in His due time, deal with the perpetrators of disrespect. <BR/><BR/>DadDavid and Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18397313447137818213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-78453245289340924472009-03-13T21:21:00.000-06:002009-03-13T21:21:00.000-06:00Very well said, dad!!Very well said, dad!!rebeccaVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16870068611053451930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-49164657024506782842009-03-12T19:39:00.000-06:002009-03-12T19:39:00.000-06:00I would not want to be whoever it is that has reve...I would not want to be whoever it is that has revealed what he once covenanted not to.David and Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18397313447137818213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-20058506324056591942009-03-11T16:29:00.000-06:002009-03-11T16:29:00.000-06:00I saw his acceptance speech at the Oscars, He is ...I saw his acceptance speech at the Oscars, He is BIT. TER. about the church, that is for sure... again, a shame. I wanted to see that movie until then.Crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15260117428119041785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-77957574292670773442009-03-11T16:19:00.000-06:002009-03-11T16:19:00.000-06:00I did read that the guy who wrote the movie "...I did read that the guy who wrote the movie "Milk" is a writer for Big Love. He was raised Mormon but is openly & actively gay now and a big proponent for gay marriage. <BR/><BR/>If he's still writing for the show, I have no doubt this is a direct result of the church's involvement in Prop 8.Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05564884205946902993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-40343657945228311512009-03-11T14:46:00.000-06:002009-03-11T14:46:00.000-06:00That was a really surprising thing for me. I just ...That was a really surprising thing for me. I just thought it was like the many "anti" things I have read about a show that is truly not about the LDS church. I actually watch (and like) the show and never has it "shown" anything at all about the Temple or anything like it. The family that is portrayed is overtly not LDS, it is a fundamentalist cult. <BR/><BR/>I was thinking about this and I bet that one of the wives who was raised LDS gets confronted with excommunication and remembers back to her own endowments and that it what will be portrayed... That makes me sad. I feel like the person who gave this information and the people who made this show have no idea what kind of trouble they are asking for! <BR/><BR/>I loved reading the "newsroom" release and was like "whhhoooa" I had no idea about most of the productions that were mentioned there. One thing I DO worry about is that with all this press, people will be more-likey to watch the newest episode. As for me, I think I will skip it.<BR/><BR/>Anyway. It is a shame, it really was an excellent show. <BR/><BR/>Sigh.Crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15260117428119041785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-3062592885632052132009-03-11T13:29:00.000-06:002009-03-11T13:29:00.000-06:00that statement by the Church is wonderful. just r...that statement by the Church is wonderful. just read a response from hbo. hbo said: "In approaching the dramatization of the endowment ceremony, we knew we had a responsibility to be completely accurate and to show the ceremony in the proper context and with respect," isn't that so thoughtful of them--to be completely accurate. also "We therefore took great pains to depict the ceremony with the dignity and reverence it is due." dignity and reverence in front of millions. hmmmDavid and Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18397313447137818213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-43597247763659210762009-03-11T12:59:00.000-06:002009-03-11T12:59:00.000-06:00That's exactly what I was thinking as I read the c...That's exactly what I was thinking as I read the church's statement. There have been other things that have made us all cringe, but in the grand scheme of things their significance is minimal and in time no one remembers them (just like King Nebuchadnezzar's image in his dream was destroyed and turned to chaff carried away by the wind). The church continues to grow, "filling the whole earth...never to be destroyed... and it shall stand forever".<BR/><BR/>If you haven't read Daniel 2 lately, you should. It's pretty powerful stuff.Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05564884205946902993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113767935196076705.post-11316662501803642712009-03-11T12:38:00.000-06:002009-03-11T12:38:00.000-06:00I know, it's pretty unreal that that is about to h...I know, it's pretty unreal that that is about to happen. But doesn't it just make you love the leadership of the church that much more when you read that statement? Nothing will bring us down.Jason and Danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05815949433202011419noreply@blogger.com