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Detractors At Temple Open Houses-How To Deal With


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Posted

With the advent of many new temples and the public being allowed to tour them before they are dedicated how do tour guides deal with people who are asking, sometimes knowingly, inappropriate questions?

Posted

Have a few Tongans and Samoans on retainer.

will ex convicts turned members from a province named Alberta in the land of Canada do if the Polynesian patrol is unavailable?

Posted

Make sure any representative knows what is appropriate to discuss and what is not; absolute clarity is needed. Questions can be pointed, but not inappropriate where the temple is concerned. If these types of questions are asked they should be answered as plainly and as reverently as possible. This will require some training on the part of those answering.

Using scriptures in answering would be very helpful for they reveal much of the beauty and sacredness of the temple ordinances. The objective would be to answer and demonstrate that the temple is about bring man closer to God, providing a sure path, if walked, will lead all to the very presence of the Father.

Posted

We had a few protesters at the Vancouver temple - a few of us went out and chatted with them and asked them to go on a tour to find out for themselves what they are protesting. One agreed much to the frustration of the others in the group. After the tour he expressed embarrassment at what his church members were doing and was deeply moved by the experience. He never showed up again with the protesters. By day 4 or 5, there was just on protester left. To my knowledge, there were no problems on the tours but then I was just one of hundreds of volunteers and I certainly was not in the know. All I can say is, if you can, volunteer. It was a remarkable experience and further fortified my testimony of personal revelation, temple service, and the power the spirit has to convert.

Posted

Duncan,there are no ex-cons from Alberta,just cons on sabbatical.

" a soft answer turneth away wrath" so speak softly.... and carry a large print quad.

Posted

We had a few protesters at the Vancouver temple - a few of us went out and chatted with them and asked them to go on a tour to find out for themselves what they are protesting. One agreed much to the frustration of the others in the group. After the tour he expressed embarrassment at what his church members were doing and was deeply moved by the experience. He never showed up again with the protesters. By day 4 or 5, there was just on protester left. To my knowledge, there were no problems on the tours but then I was just one of hundreds of volunteers and I certainly was not in the know. All I can say is, if you can, volunteer. It was a remarkable experience and further fortified my testimony of personal revelation, temple service, and the power the spirit has to convert.

I am anticipating people coming out of the woodwork and voicing their opinion and trying to get an audience wherever they can, it's good to know though in the Vancouver Temple experience that good is came out of it!

Posted (edited)

We lived through the Sonya Johnson spectacle in Seattle.

The hoopla ws outside the building.

The guides were calm and composed and the tours were

pretty much uneventful.

Edited by Bernard Gui
Posted

With the advent of many new temples and the public being allowed to tour them before they are dedicated how do tour guides deal with people who are asking, sometimes knowingly, inappropriate questions?

Now more than ever...
Posted

With the advent of many new temples and the public being allowed to tour them before they are dedicated how do tour guides deal with people who are asking, sometimes knowingly, inappropriate questions?

If I recall correctly, we were asked to refer them to a booth where more knowledgeable representives could give their question full attention.

Posted (edited)

When I ushered at the Draper Temple open house, we were instructed to defer any doctrinal questions until the end of the tour, where there would be people available to answer questions in the adjacent stake center where refreshments were being served. This, I'm guessing, had the purpose of preserving reverence on the tour while leaving the heavy lifting to those prepared and designated to respond to questions.

Edited by Scott Lloyd
Posted (edited)

When I ushered at the Draper Temple open house, we were instructed to defer any doctrinal questions until the end of the tour, where there would be people available to answer questions in the adjacent stake center where refreshments were being served. This, I'm guessing, had the purpose of preserving reverence on the tour while leaving the heavy lifting to those prepared and designated to respond to questions.

That's why they had the refreshments at the end? I was there. I guess I didn't understand it was for those with questions, I should have of course. I didn't see any demonstrators or discontentment anywhere. It was a very nice experience.

Edited by Tacenda
Posted (edited)

will ex convicts turned members from a province named Alberta in the land of Canada do if the Polynesian patrol is unavailable?

:good:

For the little group that camps at the corner of the temple grounds and hands out literature take them a cup of coffee and hand it to them on the way in and ask if you can get them anything else.

Edited by ERayR
Posted

When I ushered at the Draper Temple open house, we were instructed to defer any doctrinal questions until the end of the tour, where there would be people available to answer questions in the adjacent stake center where refreshments were being served. This, I'm guessing, had the purpose of preserving reverence on the tour while leaving the heavy lifting to those prepared and designated to respond to questions.

very interesting!

Posted

Someone should invite Brian Williams at the next Open House.

"In this modern world, some old-school rules still govern the Mormon Church, and that means no non-Mormons allowed inside their temples." He then suspiciously asked Huntsman: "I can't get into the Mormon temple. Will that ever change?...What goes on in there?"

Posted

That's why they had the refreshments at the end? I was there. I guess I didn't understand it was for those with questions, I should have of course. I didn't see any demonstrators or discontentment anywhere. It was a very nice experience.

I would assume the refreshments where there for those who just needed to be refreshed as well. It was just convenient to do it all in the same place at the same time.
Posted

Critics of the church don't attend temple open houses to go on tour. I would not attend an open house for a Hells Angels club house, nor would I attend one for an evangelical 'outreach' ministry. I led quite a few tours, though not more than 10, and all were filled with awe. Most were members, but the non-members were easy to pick out. They were often afraid to ask questions but once they received straight answers they opened up and were very gracious.

Posted

Duncan,there are no ex-cons from Alberta,just cons on sabbatical.

" a soft answer turneth away wrath" so speak softly.... and carry a large print quad.

I thought everyone in Canada was an ex-con.

Oh no- wait- that's Australia

;)

Posted

I thought everyone in Canada was an ex-con.

Oh no- wait- that's Australia

;)

oh! that's rich! real rich!

Posted

oh! that's rich! real rich!

;)

Posted

I would assume the refreshments where there for those who just needed to be refreshed as well. It was just convenient to do it all in the same place at the same time.

That's correct.

Posted

"I would smash in their skulls, suck their brains out through a straw and then invest in South American zinc."

"Well they can't help it....so I saw we just kill them."

-Monty Python

Posted

When I was part of a.security detail at an open house we were told to never make even the slightest physical contact with an unruly person as such was grounds for assault lawsuits.

I say just ignore them.

Posted

I was mildly surprised and more than a little pleased that an anti-Mormon hotbed like Brigham City produced no visible protests.

Over anything beyond how many sycamores would remain along the park strip Main Street side of the temple, that is.

What's the world coming to?

Posted

I was mildly surprised and more than a little pleased that an anti-Mormon hotbed like Brigham City produced no visible protests.

Over anything beyond how many sycamores would remain along the park strip Main Street side of the temple, that is.

What's the world coming to?

It is surprising that Rocky Hulse hasn't been out and about.

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