My response to "Big Love"

This actually isn't MY response, it's my little brother's, but I think it's extremely well written, and therefore I want to share it with all of you. He's so awesome! So this is me quoting Jonathan from here on out....(and totally agreeing with him as well)

"I was tossing and turning a bit tonight. I guess I have a few things on my mind...one of them was paying the bills, and the other was constantly pricking the back of my mind ever since I first heard about it earlier this evening. We got an email talking about the HBO's plans to portray the LDS temple ceremony on an upcoming episode of "Big Love". The words "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" come to mind to say the least. Regardless of how many emails we send to HBO exhorting them to think twice about what they are doing, I doubt it will really sink in as far as the depth of how inappropriate it would be to naively portray something that is basically one of the most sacred spiritual experiences that basically anybody can have aside from death itself.

Although resistance is probably futile, it doesn't hurt to try--but rather than thinking of a way to try and keep the inevitable from happening, I found myself thinking of ways that I could answer the likely questions that my friends and co-workers are going to have after they watch it.

I have no idea how tastefully they'll be able to portray the ceremony, but I'm assuming it will be something relative to stripping down the pope and throwing him into the middle of the Olympics Opening Ceremonies...regardless, people are probably going to think it's weird just because of the sheer unfamiliarity of it.

So how about we try to familiarize people with it when they ask us questions about it...Ask them things like:


"Have you ever participated in or attended a private ceremony:

- That was exclusive to members of an organization and by invitation only
- That involved 2 or more prayers
- That required years of self-sacrifice, diligence, humility, hard work, and submitting to other human beings in order to be judged and found worthy of participation
- That involved ritualistic actions by the participants including wearing a ceremonial robe, hat, sashes, and
- That also involved synchronized, ritualistic actions where the participants adjust their articles of clothing all at the same time and in the same manner.
- That involved them wearing the clothing and performing the actions even though they probably didn't have the least bit of understanding as to what the clothing or actions represented except that it was part of the ceremony.
- That involved valuable advice and instruction from elders regarding what those participating have experienced and about the experiences they'll have in their life to come?


If they answer "NO" to any or all of these questions, ask them this:



"Did you ever attend or participate in a High School/College graduation?"