A Sin That Takes You Out Of The Temple

[thesometimesaint]

I think a bigger sin than breaking the WoW, is not paying a full tithe. That will keep you from the temple more, imo. But I don't consider either one a sin.

 

We don't have to be perfect to go to the Temple, but not following the Wow will keep you out every bit as much as not paying tithing that is owed.

 

God considered not paying tithing owed as theft, and not following the WoW after you have made that covenant with God is also as sin.

http://www.lds4u.com/Discussions/Interview.htm

[AndyDnom]

WoW is just the one that is cared about more. when i was at byu , every guy i knew admited they had seen porn, or gone to the petting zoo with a lady. very few said they had ever tried cigarettes alcohol or drugs. but the church teaches that sexual sin is worse than WoW, but for whatever reason, culturally WoW has proven to be of bigger import to many.

[CV75]

This isn't about me entering the temple, it's a general question.

 

What sins does anyone defeat? Aren't we all repeat offenders to some sort of sin or another? Far worse ones than drinking or smoking? 

 

I guess if someone is truly following the ideas of God, this really doesn't matter, because they will be worried about all of their sins and know if they are blowing it off or not. I guess it's just my main concern is that it allows people to get a false sense of being righteousness. You know what I mean? Like someone who makes "good appearances" in all facets but whose heart really isn't very cool?

Christ defeated sin, and we defeat sin only in Christ, through His merits. We are all sinners but have to start somewhere. Christ the “physician” does not make the spiritually “sick” 100% whole (translated, for example) in an instant; it is a progressive healing. Though it may feel like we are 100% healed when we first receive the very first principles and ordinances of the Gospel, we soon realize there is further work to be done.

 

As far as sins that would prevent us from entering the temple, the last question on the temple recommend interview takes care of any of the “far worse ones” than breaking the Word of Wisdom. But that doesn’t mean the Word of Wisdom shouldn’t be on there, or is too lenient a standard.

 

Those who get a false sense of being righteous because they “pass” the interview or who are hypocritical about it would be doing the same no matter what the interview questions are. The same with those who lie to get a temple recommend. We are taught true principles and govern ourselves. The system only works for those who have enough of a conscience to sustain their interviewers and the process. While I suppose there are many ways to abuse it or act in bad faith, my life hasn’t been negatively impacted by however often that might occur.

 

Here’s a good article:

 

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/08/being-worthy-to-enter-the-temple

[CV75]

Now before we turn this into a entirely a Word of Wisdom thing, I just want to go back to the idea that why not following the WoW will get you kicked out of the temple, but holding on the so many other sins in our lives is ok?

Isn't this the same as asking, "Why is the Word of Wisdom a standard temple recommend interview question and other sins not?"

 

What other sins do you think are not covered in the questions?

 

The sin of pride, for example, leads us to think that we have to be sinless to enter the temple just as much as it leads us to excusing ourselves as an exception to keeping the Word of Wisdom. In the first case, the person self-selects himself out of the temple until he gets a better perspective; in the second case, he earns the wages of sin and will hopefully repent before it is too late.

[AndyDnom]

What other sins do you think are not covered in the questions?

 

Gossiping. being angry. having a temper. not helping the poor. greed. gluttony. not taking care of your body. envy. wrath. slothfulness. kevin spacey. brad pitt. morgan freeman. the usual suspects.

[thesometimesaint]

What other sins do you think are not covered in the questions?

 

Gossiping. being angry. having a temper. not helping the poor. greed. gluttony. not taking care of your body. envy. wrath. slothfulness. kevin spacey. brad pitt. morgan freeman. the usual suspects.

 

Here is but one of the Temple Recommend Questions.

 

Do you strive to keep the covenants you have made, to attend your sacrament and other meetings, and to keep your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel?

[JAHS]

The degree to which one breaks the word of wisdom enough to keep them out of the temple can be a relative thing.  For many years my grandmother was not too active in the church and drank coffee most of her life.  She later decided that she wanted to have a goal to be able to go to the temple, but of course could not because of her coffee drinking. She was otherwise in all other things worthy to go. She worked with the Bishop to help her overcome the addition but the withdrawel of going without coffee alltogether was just too hard on her body at her age. So the Bishop told her that if she could just cut down to a half cup of coffee per day he would give her the recommend. She did that and he gave her the recommend.

[BlueDreams]

Now before we turn this into a entirely a Word of Wisdom thing, I just want to go back to the idea that why not following the WoW will get you kicked out of the temple, but holding on the so many other sins in our lives is ok?

 

I don't think that this has been mentioned before, but i've only scanned the thread. My thought is that it's probably because the blessings associated with it are directly somewhere in the blessings received in the temple and/or the entire purpose of the endowment as well.

 18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, ^ashall receive ^bhealth in their navel and marrow to their bones;

 19 And shall ^afind ^bwisdom and great ^ctreasures of ^dknowledge, even hidden treasures;

 20 And shall ^arun and not be ^bweary, and shall walk and not faint.

 21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the ^adestroying angel shall ^bpass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

 

 

Without going into specifics, one of the beautiful things that I love about the temple is that it is a symbol of the beauty, power, and capacity that we, as embodied beings, are given. Our bodies are intrinsic to the blessings and become walking symbols of God's work. You come into the temple of God and leave endowed and sanctified as a living temple of God. The temple is cleaned and cared for in a way that no other edifice in the church is...it stands out from the standards of the world. Likewise our bodies should be cared, loved, and cleansed as the Lord sees fit. The WoW is apart of this sanctifying process. 

 

You're right, the WoW with a cup of coffee every once and a while isn't a "serious" sin by any stretch of the imagination (though more serious addictions that are also possible, would be IMO). But it is a minor covenant we agree to follow as apart of our baptismal covenant. If we can't follow it, the blessings associated with it are also hindered. If we cannot access these blessings before entering the temple, there's not much purpose in having those promises and blessings further magnified when we haven't received them for ourselves as much as we could. It's about as powerful as waxing a dirty floor.

 

It reminds me of Naaman who found it ridiculous that he wash in the river. We should definitely keep the "bigger" commandments, but often the depth of our faith can equally be found in those small things the Lord asks of us.

 

With luv,

BD  

Edited November 25, 2013 by BlueDreams

[BlueDreams]

I think a bigger sin than breaking the WoW, is not paying a full tithe. That will keep you from the temple more, imo. But I don't consider either one a sin.

 

From the BD under Atonement: Sin is lawlessness (1 Jn. 3:4); it is a refusal on men’s part to submit to the law of God (Rom. 8:7).

 

It's one of my favorite definitions of it. It also talks about how sin is anything that estranges us from God. The rich young ruler, for example, was loathe to give up all his possessions and follow Christ. That was a sin because it kept him away from further knowing God. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. If God asks us to do something and we are unwilling it is sin. It may seem like a no biggie....but it is what we've covenanted with God to do and follow.

 

With luv,

BD

[Tacenda]

The degree to which one breaks the word of wisdom enough to keep them out of the temple can be a relative thing. For many years my grandmother was not too active in the church and drank coffee most of her life. She later decided that she wanted to have a goal to be able to go to the temple, but of course could not because of her coffee drinking. She was otherwise in all other things worthy to go. She worked with the Bishop to help her overcome the addition but the withdrawel of going without coffee alltogether was just too hard on her body at her age. So the Bishop told her that if she could just cut down to a half cup of coffee per day he would give her the recommend. She did that and he gave her the recommend.

I knew an older lady in the same circumstance but drank tea, not herbal and got a TR.

[Calm]

WoW is just the one that is cared about more. when i was at byu , every guy i knew admited they had seen porn, or gone to the petting zoo with a lady. very few said they had ever tried cigarettes alcohol or drugs. but the church teaches that sexual sin is worse than WoW, but for whatever reason, culturally WoW has proven to be of bigger import to many.

I highly doubt that. It is easier to be kept as all or nothing situations tend to be, but chastity is certainly taught much more about in my experience and given much greater attention in interviews as well.

[thesometimesaint]

The degree to which one breaks the word of wisdom enough to keep them out of the temple can be a relative thing.  For many years my grandmother was not too active in the church and drank coffee most of her life.  She later decided that she wanted to have a goal to be able to go to the temple, but of course could not because of her coffee drinking. She was otherwise in all other things worthy to go. She worked with the Bishop to help her overcome the addition but the withdrawel of going without coffee alltogether was just too hard on her body at her age. So the Bishop told her that if she could just cut down to a half cup of coffee per day he would give her the recommend. She did that and he gave her the recommend.

 

Sounds like a very compassionate Bishop.