A Mormon left this comment on the Secrets of the Mormon Temples video a few days ago,

It saddens me that some have so little respect for what is sacred to others. Watching movies like this one literally destroy the sanctity that is in the temple and poison the minds of all who watch it, just as pornography defiles the minds of it’s viewers and destroys the sanctity of those who produce it. And those who made this video have violated a promise to God and will be subject to the consequences of such when they are judged.

Some thoughts come to mind.

• Inasmuch as the Old Testament publicized the going-ons of the temple, was it destroying sanctity and poisoning minds? 
• How is keeping this ceremony secret respectful of those who would appreciate making a more informed decision as to whether or not to join or stay in the Mormon Church? People are more sacred than rituals. Out of respect for the sacred nature of human beings created by God, I feel compelled as a Christian to help publicly expose the LDS ceremony so that people can make better informed choices. Instisting that I comply to the demand of Mormons to keep the ceremony secret is essentially insisting that I treat the ceremony as more sacred than the people who would be positively affected by open exposure to the ceremony.
• What is more sacred and meaningful: rituals, or the beliefs and teachings that give meaning to rituals? If teachings and beliefs are more sacred and meaningful than rituals, then how am I not to—according to Mormon standards—be utterly disgusted and repulsed in my living room when Mormon missionaries essentially tell me (either directly or indirectly) that nearly every single fundamental, distinctive doctrine I believe in traditional Christianity, especially on the nature of God, is either entirely wrong or has been fatally corrupted? Do you see the disconnect here? Non-Mormons are expected to have the maturity and patience to listen to explicit and implicit attacks on the very foundations of our sacred beliefs, especially when couched in a presentation that aims at introducing a more compelling alternative belief system. Shouldn’t non-Mormons be able to expect the same from Mormons? We’re all adults here, aren’t we?
• Is the pre-1990 part of the Mormon temple ceremony where Trinitarian ministers were mocked as hirelings of Satan is still “sacred”? If Trinitarians had a secret ceremony where we depicted Mormon bishops hirelings of Satan, what would they think if we said it was too “sacred” to talk about? If this PC culture, I have no doubt that the tolerance-police would use words like “defamation” and “disrepectful” and “hate speech” and “bigotry” to describe such a ceremony.
• Are the other parts of the ceremony which were removed in 1990, especially the tokens and penalties (that symbolized disembowlement and throat-slitting), still sacred? Did they cease to become sacred when the Mormon institution cleansed the larger ceremony of them? Do such tokens and penalties remain secretive forever? As generations pass, will Mormons deem discussion on the symbolic penalties of disembowlement and throat-slitting more acceptable, much like Mormon apologists today have apparently deemed discussion over Brigham’s inclusion of Adam-God into the temple ceremony at St. George as acceptable?

[swf]http://www.youtube.com/v/28LvDaDqPTw&hl=en&fs=1,425,344[/swf]

From the early 1900’s:

Lucifer — “I hear you. What is it you want?”

Adam — “Who are you?”

Lucifer — “The god of this world.”

Adam — “Who made you the god of this world?”

Lucifer — “I made myself. What is it that you want?”

Adam — “I was calling on Father.”

Lucifer — “Oh, I see, you want religion. I’ll have some preachers

along presently.”

(Enter Preacher)

Preacher — “You have a very fine congregation here.”

Lucifer — “Oh, are you a Preacher?”

Preacher — “Yes.”

Lucifer — “Ever been to college and studied the dead languages?”

Preacher — “Why, certainly; no one can preach the gospel acceptably

unless he has been to college and studied the dead languages.”

Lucifer — “Well, if you’ll preach your gospel to this congregation and

convert them, mind you, I’ll give you –let me see –four thousand a

year.”

Preacher — “That is very little, but I’ll do the best I can.”

Preacher — (To Adam) — “Good morning, sir.”

Adam — “Good morning.”

Preacher — “I understand you are looking for religion?”

Adam — “I was calling upon Father.”

Preacher — (Producing a hymn-book) –We’ll sing two verses of the grand

old hymn.

“Hail Father, Son and Holy Ghost,

One Lord, in persons three;

To Thee we make our joyful boast,

Our songs we raise to Thee.

“Fountain of every joy and grace,

Our God, we Thee adore:

“Beyond the bounds of time and space

Thou dwellest evermore.”

The preacher leads in singing the hymn, Lucifer keeping time with his

feet and viewing the audience with smug complacency. After singing the

hymn and making his appeal to the audience, he turns to Adam to test his

faith.

Preacher — (To Adam) — “Do you believe in that great Spirit, without body,

parts or passions, who sits on the top of a topless throne, ‘beyond the

bounds of time and space’, whose center is everywhere and circumference

nowhere; who fills immensity with His presence and yet is so small He

can dwell in your heart. Do you believe this?”

Adam — “No. I don’t believe a word of it.”

Preacher — “Then I am very sorry for you. But perhaps you believe in

hell –that great and bottomless pit which is full of fire and Brimstone,

into which the wicked are cast and where they are ever burning and yet

never burn.”

Adam — “No, I do not, and I am sorry for you.” 

Transcript from a 1984 audible recording of the ceremony (you’ll see that some things had changed before then too):

ADAM: Who are you?

LUCIFER: I am the God of this world.

ADAM: You, the God of this world?

LUCIFER: Yes, what do you want?

ADAM: I am looking for messengers.

LUCIFER: Oh, you want someone to preach to you. You want religion, do
you? I will have preachers here presently.

(Lucifer turns his head as a sectarian minister approaches.)

LUCIFER: Good Morning sir!

SECTARIAN MINISTER: Good morning!

(The preacher turns and looks into the camera.)

SECTARIAN MINISTER: A fine congregation!

LUCIFER: Yes, they are a very good people. They are concerned about
religion. Are you a preacher?

SECTARIAN MINISTER: I am.

LUCIFER: Have you been to college and received training for the
ministry?

SECTARIAN MINISTER: Certainly! A man cannot preach unless has been
trained for the ministry.

LUCIFER: Do you preach the orthodox religion?

SECTARIAN MINISTER: Yes, that is what I preach.

LUCIFER: If you will preach your orthodox religion to these people, and
convert them, I will pay you well.

SECTARIAN MINISTER: I will do my best.

(Lucifer guides the preacher to Adam and Eve, who stand nearby.)

LUCIFER: Here is a man who desires religion. He is very much exercised,
and seems to be sincere.

(As Lucifer presents the preacher to Adam and Eve he steps back and
observes the ensuing conversation. The preacher is made to sound
sincere, although misguided and credulous. Adam appears humble, faithful
and immovable in his determination to serve God. He is not swayed by the
preacher, and is astounded by the doctrines espoused by the preacher.)

SECTARIAN MINISTER: I understand that you are inquiring after religion.

ADAM: I was calling upon Father.

SECTARIAN MINISTER: I am glad to know that you were calling upon Father.
Do you believe in a God who is without body, parts, or passions; who
sits on the top of a topless throne; whose center is everywhere and
whose circumference is nowhere; who fills the universe, and yet is so
small that he can dwell in your heart; who is surrounded by myriads of
beings who have been saved by grace, not for any act of theirs, but by
His good pleasure. Do you believe in such a great Being?

ADAM: I do not. I cannot comprehend such a being.

SECTARIAN MINISTER: That is the beauty of it. Perhaps you do not believe
in a devil, and in that great hell, the bottomless pit, where there is a
lake of fire and brimstone into which the wicked are cast, and where
they are continually burning, but none never consumed?

ADAM: I do not believe in any such place.

SECTARIAN MINISTER: My dear friend, I am sorry for you. 

Further reading

• The LDS Temple Ceremony
• Is the Temple Ceremony Sacred or Secret?
• Transcript of the 1984 Endowment Ceremony (transcript is from a tape made in 1984 by Larry Cozad Jr.,in the Provo, Utah temple in February 1984)
• Transcript of the 1990 Endowment Ceremony

Because of the lack of emotional restraint some people have over this topic, I’m not opening this thread up for comments. Please send your comments to aaron@mrm.org or contact me over Skype, where I am aaronshaf.

Let’s go ahead and give comments a shot.