Accelerated Temple Building

One is examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective viewpoint when warming is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism hoping you're having a very pleasant Friday.

Welcome to this additional viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM this week we been talking about Latter Day Saints and their need to stay on the covenant path and its connection to temple worship D Todd Christopherson in his stock started off with a comment made by the 17th president of the LDS church, Russell M. Nelson where he said your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with him and then keeping these covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women and children everywhere. Well, it's really more important than just the typical everyday blessings. It's also contingent on you receiving Celestia elect exultation if you hope to get into the celestial kingdom. The highest level of Mormon heaven where he will dwell as they believe in the presence of heavenly father you must stay on the covenant path and you must keep all of those covenants that you make in the temple as well is when you were baptized, and again when you partake of the sacrament. Every Sunday, but there was an article on page 135 of the May 2021. Addition of the Leo homeowner magazine. It was titled Temple progress continues.

So what we see is a very strong emphasis not only on keeping temple covenants but for the church itself to be building these temples and as I said earlier in this week as long as the LDS church is placing emphasis on the temple and on temple covenants.

They are not embracing the New Testament gospel of grace. But what is it say in this article, Temple progress continues found on page 135.

In his closing comments at Gen. conference president Russell M. Nelson announced plans to build 20 new temples throughout the world.

The previous high number for specific temples announced at one time was the 12 temples announced by Pres. Nelson on October 7, 2018 Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley announced plans to construct as many as 32 new temples at the April 1998 Gen. conference, but did not list specific locations. Since becoming president of the church in 2018 Pres. Nelson has announced construction of 69 temples.

He announced 19 temples that year. 16 in 2019 and 14 and 2020. There are 43 temples currently under construction or renovation and despite the pandemic ground was broken for 21 new temples in 2020. The church now has 251 temples announced under construction or operating in Bill Wyman essay. Since that time, there is another temple that has actually been added to this and it's the temple that's going to be built in E from Utah which is in Sanpete County that was done and on March 12 at a special session in anti-to announce that this new temple would be built to supplement the man tie temple 7 miles away.

So I find it interesting bill that Nelson holds the record and we thought Gordon B. Hinckley was big and he did announce that what one time he announced 32 new temples at the April 1998 Gen. conference, but he didn't name those anybody can say I'm in a build 30 or 40 or 50 temples, but money temples and one conference is almost double what he did a few years before when he announced 12 when we heard about the announcement for the temple in E from you and I both were very puzzled by that because Ephraim is just north of man tie as you said, it's about 7 miles north maybe 10 the most and were wondering why would you need another temple so close to the man tie temple.

Furthermore, their building one in Smithfield Smithfield is just north of Logan. There's been a temple there for years, a pioneer temple very similar. You might say to the man tie temple. Why would they need something so close and if you were to drive up the I 15 you're going to see as you go through Orem on the west side of the freeway. There's another temple being built very few go on the 215 in Utah.

You'll also see on the west side another temple. The Taylorsville temple on these things are going up all over the place and they do as you say have quite a list of planned temples to be built in the near future. You mentioned Smithfield the mayor of Smithville didn't even know he was skiing apparently received a phone call to tell him they were going to build the temple and he seemed very surprised the church had purchased the property. There he didn't realize that that purchase was for a temple and just so you know Smithfield only has 12,000 people in it.

When you go to Sanpete County were talking around 30,000 people. Not very many to have a second Temple be built there. I'm going to suggest you pill.

There was not a lot of foresight in making this decision because the reason they're supposed to be building. This is they didn't have enough room in the man tie temple which is been around for over 100 years this temple was being overused so they needed to relieve the stress. Okay fine except during COBIT, they never really started the remodel of the man tie temple like they were supposed to and they've now reopened it but it's gonna close in October. So what you have you had one sample that was working.

You're now going to have zero and it will take two or three years for them to be able to get both temples back up again. So for for the next two years after October the people in Sanpete County will have nowhere to go. Why wouldn't you have just kept the man tie temple open for those two years until you had a new temple and then you could've remodeled the man tie temple will in the remodeling of the man tie temple. There was also a controversy over the murals that are in that building and they were going to destroy those murals during the remodeling and apparently a lot of members were up in arms over that and made a very vehement complaint in the church later came out and said well were going to spare the murals now, but it really I guess you're supposed to assume it didn't have anything to do with all the complaints because it was supposed to be some kind of prophetic revelation on the part of Russell and Nelson that they were going to keep the murals and not destroy them during the remodeling process. In fact that's what apostle Ronald a Raz man said. He denied that day. That was they announce the the E from temple would be built and he denied that the members many petitions and phone calls as well. Is there was a protest march in Provo to save the mural that it played any role in the reverse decision and this is what he says. He says it was the result of prayer, and he even use the R word. It was a divine revelation. Raz man speaks about Nelson, who talked on a zoom conference call and uses what we have just heard from our loving profit is the mind and will in the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a great announcement for the whole kingdom of God on earth and Raz man claimed that he was in the room when Nelson received an impression upon the 96-year-old prophet to have the church build a new temple in E from I just find that to be a little bit.

I don't know. It seems like a fictional tell that he was there to see how God impressed upon him to build this new temple on page 127 there was an article in the same addition of the lienholder magazine. It was titled COBIT 19 and temples and the subheading said keep your temple covenants and blessings foremost in your minds and hearts stay true to the covenants you have made. Why was such an announcement necessary.

Encouraging the membership to make sure they stay true to the covenants for much of last year and much of the early part of this year. Mormon temples were open and you know what even their chapels were not being utilized fully, that's for sure.

I know when driving to church on Sunday, I noticed all the various chapels that I drive by there were very few cars parked in the parking lot, certainly not as many as I am used to seeing any other time of the year, but a lot of people were going to church and I wonder are they going to get a lot of those people back once they've had over a year of a which you could say a layoff from going to church. I've heard stories of those who live next to Mormons and have talked to them about that in many of these Latter Day Saints saying they aren't going to go back to the church. Unfortunately, I'm afraid. Many of them are going to slip off into agnosticism or atheism.

If someone doesn't get to them with the gospel and show them the need to put their trust in the Jesus of the New Testament. What are your thoughts, I agree with you and you been saying all week bill that the purpose of the temple and the reason they have it really does show the importance of obedience. They are not moving to a grace that Christianity has taught for 2000 years that the Bible teaches. I think the building of so many temples in the last few years is almost a desperate move to try to get the faithful to remain faithful and especially if they have a temple built in their area, even a town like Smithfield with only 12,000 people will lease at least. Let's keep those people and when you get a temple there's a lot of peer pressure for you to if you don't have a temple recommend to go get one.

Or if you have it to keep it because there's no prestige to have that recommend that you will be able to go when it does open so you can do the work necessary for you to be able to go to the celestial kingdom and to be with your family forever in this article, COBIT 19 and temples Russell and Nelson makes the statement, he says, meanwhile, keep your temple covenants and blessings foremost in your minds and hearts stay true to the covenants you have made. And as we've been discussing this week.

Those covenants have to do with keeping all, not some, but keeping all of the commandments. I guess you could say that the reason why the church feels compelled to build so many of these buildings is because I guess you could say it's showing the Mormon people the importance of these buildings and the fact is you better participate in what those buildings have the inside because if you don't, your future is at stake do not think for a minute basically is what I think Nelson is saying here.

Don't think for a minute that you neglect your temple covenants you neglect going to the temple that somehow you're going to end up in the celestial kingdom. And if you don't end up in the celestial kingdom you forfeit being with your families and if you've talked to any amount of Latter Day Saints and you asked them what is it you hope for in the next life, first and foremost, you will hear to be with my family. If that desire is first and foremost in the hearts of many Latter Day Saints you can see why it's important to keep encouraging them to do with a better do in going to those buildings.

One of the outreaches that we have done over the years is started in 1993 is actually doing evangelism at Temple open house events are first one was in 1993 almost 30 years ago, Bill. I don't know if you remember that far back, but we covered the San Diego temple for six weeks and handed out thousands and thousands of newspapers but let me just tell you, give you a little perspective, fewer than 30 years ago that was number 45 in the next few years they're going to have more than 255 times more in probably about 35 years. This is an amazing statistic and the church certainly is emphasizing the temples for people to work at so they can go to the celestial kingdom it makes you wonder though if these buildings are going to have the power to bring back those who have been disillusioned only time I guess will tell on that matter. Thank you for listening you would like more information regarding his research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you will join us again as we look at another viewpoint is