So we're moving to a new ward (from BYU, no diploma for a few months unfortunately), and this ward never noticed that my temple recommend expired last July.

I'm guessing when I get to this new ward they're going to notice my temple recommend isn't current and offer to renew it, to which I'll say of course because I don't want to rock the boat and not get my degree.

Did any of you ever lie through a temple recommend interview?

I did the last couple of times I had mine renewed. It wasn't intended as deceit, but I was still questioning things like tithing (why in the heck pay tithing instead of buy food and pay bills? surely people do starve that way) and the "do you affiliate with any group whose teachings are contrary to those of the church" question.

I was still pretty tbm the last time it expired but I couldn't renew it with a clear conscious, so I didn't. No one has said anything, though, and my bishop and sp still approved my endorsement to attend BYUI even though my recommend had been expired for almost a year.

That is good to know. Our Provo ward gets so much turnover, I hope we can go unnoticed in the new ward for the next few months.

Luckily DW's temple recommend expires well after I could possibly be graduated. I don't think she would bring me up in the interview, but sometimes I don't know.

When you attach it to school, and make it so you have to have the thing, then yes, people will lie. Same for those working for church HQ. Out here in the mission field, we don't have to lie as much, since telling the truth gets you out of really long car trips.

When you force people to go to church, they become cynical. When you make advancement based on shows of piety, you reward hypocrisy and denigrate personal integrity.

Going through the temple recommend interview process helped me to become a good liar.

Nobody can answer ALL the questions the way they expect.

I never felt fully worthy. It just made me compartmentalize my life a little bit and that is not healthy.

I don't remember the exact wording but as I remember there is a long and rambling sentence in the interview something to the effect of "do you associate with anyone who is anti-Mormon?" The wording of the sentence is so confusing that I never really understood it completely. I did think it basically meant to ask if I had any close ties to anyone who was trying to get me out of TSCC. I always lied and said "No" because my family on both sides was not only never LDS but had very negative attitudes, very anti, towards LDS, Inc. My father tried endlessly to get me to see how horrible LDS, Inc. was. If I disassociated from my father, who would pay my BYU tuition? Kind of put me in a bind. Guess I was lying for the Lord. Not any more. Dad won the battle. : )

Does anyone remember that sentence? And do they really expect you to separate yourself from your entire family for the sake of a temple recommend?

HAHAHAHA! You make me laugh :) would they expect you to separate from your entire family? DUH!!! The church is the most important thing in the world!

"Do you support, affiliate with, or agree with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?"

Like all things LDS Inc, it's vague and open to the interpretation of the bishop/BP.

I've learned that there is a huge range of interpretations for this question. On one extreme there's the ones who cut off contact with anyone not tbm, and on the other there are the people who are like "that question really just means if we are polygamists or support polygamists."

That Temple question is not meant to trip people up or to be used to drum someone out of the church. It is asking if you agree with groups that teach things that are contrary to doctrine of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you have those fundamental disagreements then maybe the Temple in not the right place for you to be working out those disagreements. It doesn't make you less of a member or person, just one that is struggling with one of its teachings.

Wow this is an old thread now. I get what you were saying, but when my career is at stake... I'll gladly take the interview. Anyways, I've been home free for several years now.

Back in 1953 there was a law enforcement sweep in the state to wipe out secret polygamous groups and marriages. The church president added this question to appease the feds and indicate that the church would police its own. They believed him and left. The question is still on the list of what everyone must answer but they don't know the context and can read it as they see fit.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2017 04:21AM by Cheryl.

Could it be that this is why some bishops insist that the active spouse divorce the spouse that left the church?

you mean besides the instances when some particular bishoprick is getting a huge personal hard on over the power trip of jacking some other (apostate) guy out of a marriage .....in the name of restored Gospel of course.

Even though he saw the church for the farce that it is, he loved you, and he knew that you wanted to attend BYU, so he continued to help you financially while you were there.

Ironic that your dad's family values eclipsed any "family values" that I've ever witnessed by the morg-official-hive.

(You owe your dad a hug for that one, says I. Being an underappreciated dad sometimes myself, I frequently project. Apologies.)

Cali Sally Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>And do they
> really expect you to separate yourself from your
> entire family for the sake of a temple recommend?

Absolutely yes.

I know an RM whose father is RLDS. He told me that he was expected NOT to write his father or in contact with his father in any way - even when he was on his mission.

So, yes. LDS Inc. trumps all if you want to keep that temple recommend.

As soon as you get your diploma (make sure you are fully graduated by getting OFFICIAL copy of your transcripts) you can fling the thing back in the bishop's face or do what I did...

My temple recommend had expired but I still got into the temple. I dressed and went into the session. When it came to the point where they asked if anyone did not want to continue on with the ordinance I got up and said I was taking back all the covenants I made in the temple earlier. I was doing it "this day before God, Angles, and the witnesses in this temple today." The presenter was so mad he started chasing me to shut me up and someone in the room told him to just let me finish what I had to say. It was my finest hour bar none.

If you must do it, make it count for something. Please!!

You make me proud :)

Wow, how did you get in w/o a recommend? Everytime I went, they checked people pretty close as they walked past the desk.

I had an expired TR and the old guy at the desk didn't notice the date.

Man, wouldn't that be the way to go :). If my wife figures out things aren't true I'd love to go out like that, but as long as she is still in I don't want to embarrass her.

Wow, that must have taken some courage to do. Good for you! You got at least a bit of your money's worth with that action. I hope the session was at least half full. LOL

Did it for years. I figured it they were a scam I didn't owe them anything and keeping my family together was more important. In the end I think I lied about something like 8 questions - honestly obviously being one of them.

No way Pooped...seriously?

No wonder my father hasn't called or contacted me much lately. I didn't know that the question existed. He can't stand the fact that I won't baptize my 8 yo daugher nor will my nevermo dh get baptized, and I have no desire to return to the fold. Oh well, it stings a bit but I'd rather be true to myself than have to live a lie and make my father happy. My mom on the other hand is awesome. She has always been supportive of me even when she didn't like my decisions.

If you get called on it Steven, I would lie and fake it till you make it out of there. Good luck.

Thanks, that's the plan. It just feels ironic that I have to lie to finish out BYU :).

Do you follow all the commandments of the Lord?????


I remember whenever they got to this question, I'd think Really? Are you serious?

How is there anybody in the temple?

They all lie, they lie every single time.

They'd never get in the temple otherwise.

You can send tithing payments directly to SLC. The ward get a notice saying you paid tithing, but not how much. The church lies, why not you?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2017 12:58AM by canary21.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2017 12:59AM by canary21.

I fudged. As for the question of "having a testimony of the restored gospel", I answered "yes". Luckily, the bisp never asked what that testimony was. I would have been forced to admit my testimony was: "I believe it is a fraud, that the restoration was false and, indeed, Christ's Church didn't need to be restored, that is never ceased to exist". Similarly with some other questions. I had some difficulty with the question of sustaining the "prophet" and so forth and decided that as for TSCC, I had no problem sustaining because TSCC wasn't true anyway and it didn't really matter. Got it down to indicating some issues which were dismissed such as admitting I had to drink coffee sometimes to avoid having an accident, that otherwise I might die or kill someone. Pled poverty - low income - re tithing. Once I told a bish that I had some "problems" with the BoA. He said: "I understand" and signed the TR. Fortunately, he didn't force me to admit the "problem" was that I knew positively that the BoA was baloney.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2013 05:49PM by rhgc.

If my education were on the line, I would tell them whatever they wanted to hear, and I do it very convincingly.

To hold your education over your head over a recommend interview (especially right before graduation) is sick.

Don't renew it

That includes every priesthood guy asking the questions and every poor fool answering them.

Anyone caught in a system of institutional lies must lie to survive.

Where can I get a scale model of an LDS temple that will fit in a urinal?

dk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You can send tithing payments directly to SLC. The
> ward get a notice saying you paid tithing, but not
> how much. The church lies, why not you?


You know, I've always had trouble trying to find a woman leaving TSCC with an active temple recommend so that I can borrow hers. So, I can get away with paying $25 a month in tithing for a whole year and still get a temple recommend, dk?

Pooped, you made my day with your exit story. What else did you say in the room and what happened on your way out?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2017 01:17AM by canary21.

canary21 -
> You know, I've always had trouble trying to find a woman leaving TSCC with an active temple recommend
> so that I can borrow hers. So, I can get away with paying $25 a month in tithing for a whole year and
> still get a temple recommend, dk?
>

canary21, I thought you never joined so do you know (we think not) what you're getting into? Plus, why pay 25 a month when you can pay nothing?

moremany, I am a no-mo. I am also an investigator of TSCC for the past 8 months and I've reached out to ex-mos for answers and insight into TSCC and its culture.

The paying $25/month was just an example. I'm thinking $15/month when I actually do it. But tell me, how can I go about getting it for free?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2017 04:55PM by canary21.

I lied to get a Temple recommend Wasn't a full tithe payer and knew it was a scam. The only reason I got a Recommend was to see what the inside of the Temple looked like

I lied to get a Temple recommend Wasn't a full tithe payer and knew it was a scam. The only reason I got a Recommend was to see what the inside of the Temple looked like

So, you sat inside the bishop's office and lied through it all? How much were tithing then? This may seem much easier to pull off than I originally imagined. Did he ask any questions that you had to fabricate answers to regarding tithing? I'm doing it for the same reason as you, and I also wanted to try going through the endowment ceremony.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2017 02:43AM by canary21.

I almost tried to do what you guys are doing but watching it on YouTube was more than good enough for me.

badassadam, I was under the impression you left the church. If you could cheat the church's systems withut paying thousands, why not do it?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2017 05:03PM by canary21.

Not officially with a resignation yet just 10 months inactive.

And what do you want to cheat it for to what end?

I just wanted to see the celestial room and sit in for an endowment ceremony. I'm going to be polite and respectful, of course. After I get the TR, I'll just go "inactive" and use my TR for the 2 years it is good for before it expires.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2017 01:41PM by canary21.

Haha you are doing exactly what I wanted to do because they are so damn secretive but I just didn't have the patience or the will to keep paying tithing to do it when I could see see the process pretty well on YouTube including the celestial room and I could see it was all a pretty stupid con to swindle people's money.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2017 04:44PM by badassadam.

so you never served a mission then. did your parents ever try to push it on you?

They did but I went to college instead I left the church twice I came back when I was twenty nine and thats when I wanted to go through the steps to go through the temple just to see what the hell actually went on in there my curiosity was killing me but YouTube showed it to be nothing more than Masonic rituals and chanting it was such a ripoff to the people that actually believed it to be legit and paying money but its smart as hell to keep it a secret because its a con and a waste.

just think, you will never know the MORmON splendor of having some seedy old bastard temple ordinance worker probe your groin area and mumble sacred BS while you are disrobed..... or of being clad in those awesome temple robes and making the gesture of slashing your own throat .....

But they don't do that anymore.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2017 01:39PM by canary21.

Yes. I had not yet emotionally processed things enough to come forward with my disbelief, but my brother was getting his endowment before going on a mission.

I lied and went to the endowment, and never went inside the temple again.

At the time, I reasoned that they had lied to me since birth and put me in that awkward situation in the first place. I still think that's largely valid reasoning. On the balance of the scales of justice, they had taken two years of my life on a mission, put me through crazy amounts of guilt and cognitive dissonance, and forced me (through my parents) to listen to countless hours of boring talks. They are a big powerful organization, and can take me giving things a little time to get out on my own terms while I bring my unworthy little spirit into the temple one last time.

But eventually, I do think it is important to get off the fence, repudiate Mormonism, resign, and get on with building a new life outside the Mormon bubble. If I had only known, that last bit about building your own life was the best part of leaving Mormonism.

I agree with other posters that if you can just keep your endorsement without the temple recommend, then that would be great.

Hell, if you want to lie why not just make a forgery of it/ change the date. Make it for, say, 2024 or something.

It's not like a barcode. If it was, drink up!

M@t

moremany, how could I go about getting a TR without paying a cent?

Everyone seems to be missing the more basic point that you do not need a TR to graduate. Ever. You just need to not be disfellowshipped or excommunicated. You don't even need an ecclesiastical endorsement once you have finished coursework and are waiting for the graduation ceremony.

If LDS Inc started disfellowshipping people who didn't have TRs, the church would dry up and blow away. Not going to happen. Stop worrying.

how does end of the year tithing settlement work for members who pay tithing directly to the slc hq if they opt not to disclose the amount of tithing to their ward and bishopric?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2017 08:24AM by canary21.