I’m not sure what “interesting ideas” you saw in his article, but please, do yourself and your congregants a favor: Don’t use Mr. McKeever as a model of “interaction.”

-Allen

The first Wednesday of the Rexburg Temple open house became my first time in an LDS temple.

We have dear friends that will be taking my whole family through soon.

But reading this today, I must admit that McKeever brings up some interesting ideas that I hadn’t thought about.

Of course, I hope to write many upcoming posts of my own (as a Baptist pastor) about the Rexburg temple before dedication day. Thanks for the links, I will try to interact with these.

Some of McKeever’s criticisms about the temple were addressed by Ben McGuire in Mormonism 201

Now, either McKeever is unsure of what really happens in the LDS temple ceremonies, or he is not really trying to be accurate, but rather is trying to sensationalize these ceremonies. My opinion is that accuracy and honesty are not the objectives of this book.

A little later in the same section, we read: “Historically, Mormon leaders have taught that the husband has the ability to call his wife from the grave by her new name on resurrection day.”

This is also not the case. A husband has nothing to do with the resurrection of his wife. Let me try to clarify this point a little bit and explain some of the fundamental doctrinal principles involved as taught by the LDS Church. Historically, Mormon leaders have taught that the resurrection is available to all people, regardless of their spiritual condition, their marital status, or any other consideration. As Apostle James E. Talmage wrote: “The eventual resurrection of every soul who has lived and died on earth is a scriptural certainty.” Applying this to the statements made by McKeever and Johnson, this means that a husband has no say, or part in the resurrection of his wife.

I’m not sure if the best approach on a person-to-person basis is to address each concern right down the line (as best I can) or to focus on helping the member move in positive directions, focusing more on planting the seed and nurturing it.