I had a friend who was Mormon. When she passed (too young, I'd say), her close friends were not allowed to come to the temple for services. Later, they had a viewing of the body at a local funeral home. We went there and we saw her dressed in this Wedding Dress-Like get up. It was disturbing. When I looked closely at her, I saw little gold triangles all over it. What does this mean, please?
2007-12-29 13:17:09 · 17 answers · asked by Talkstress 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I forgot to mention, there was a veil too.
2007-12-29 13:25:07 · update #1
What reason would I have to lie? I am asking a question because I am curious. I am NOT Mormon and I am describing to you what I saw OPEN CASKET. So, whatever you think about whether or not the casket should have been closed has nothing to do with my question.
2007-12-29 13:48:03 · update #2
I don't like how just because you got a couple things incorrect people think you are not telling the truth. Being a non-member you would not have been allowed to be there when her LDS female friends and family dressed her in the clothes you described. Maybe they referred to it as some kind of "temple for service", because they were doing a service for your friend.
The LDS believe that you need/should be dressed in your "temple outfit" when you are buried. This is the same outfit they were inside the temple, and it has a lot of meaning to them.I have to look at mine to see if there are any triangles on them.
If she was dressed completely in her temple outfit I can see why you wouldn't understand why. There is much more to the temple outfit then a white dress. I can tell you more about it if you want just email me. These things are very important to the LDS. I'm not going to talk about them openly here, out of respect.
2007-12-30 10:00:02 · answer #1 · answered by MistyAnn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is possible that there was a private ordinance performed in the Temple, however it was not related to the funeral service. If you saw her at a viewing, then her funeral had not happened yet. You should have just stuck around for another hour or two, or perhaps the next morning. Funeral services are held at a chapel, in the same place as we go to church on sunday, not at the temple. It is likely that the temple service performed before her funeral was something called an "Endowment", a simple ceremony in which we make promises to God about our behavior and personal standards. Grieving families are permitted to perform such ceremonies on behalf of a deceased child. It is not a funeral service. At the viewing, you saw her in a white gown because Mormons are traditionally buried in white, as a symbol of purity and preparation to meet God. The triangles were probably just a pattern on the fabric, nothing symbolic at all. My grandmother had little white flowers on her dress. And when one of my best friends died, the print on her white gown was plain, but had a pleated design on the front with pretty pearl buttons. We all want to look nice for that meeting, don't we?
2007-12-29 14:20:34 · answer #2 · answered by alwaysa(ducky)bridesmaid 4 · 7⤊ 0⤋
What you say is inaccurate. Mormons doe not hold funerals at the temple, Funerals are held either at regular funeral homes of at the local chapel, but not in a temple. Accordingly, ANYONE can attend a Mormon funeral. No one is kept out.
Mormons who have gone through the temple before, are usually dressed in white clothing for burial. Gold triangles have nothing to do with the temple or burial.
I can only assume that the triangles were merely a pattern on the deceased's dress.
2007-12-29 13:38:09 · answer #3 · answered by Kerry 7 · 9⤊ 0⤋
The temple is open only to worthy members of the LDS faith who have been interviewed by their clergy and are found worthy to enter. There is no "service" per se in the temple specifically for the deceased. Her family might have gone to the temple to comfort themselves, but there are no funerals held inside the temple.
LDS funerals are in chapels, where anyone can attend.
The clothing which she wore was her temple clothing. Everyone wears white in the temple to symbolize purity and clean living. Also everyone is equal in the temple.
There is no temple clothing with little gold triangles on it. Everything is pure white. It may have been the light playing off the fabric.
2007-12-29 16:38:05 · answer #4 · answered by Fotomama 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
As has been said, funerals are not held in our temples. I have been to several LDS funerals and they have all been in our church buildings. As for the gold triangles, I have never seen that either. Perhaps she just liked that dress. She may have also been wearing her temple clothing but a temple dress would be white and would not have any decorations or coloring on it.
2007-12-29 13:39:16 · answer #5 · answered by gumby 7 · 10⤊ 0⤋
I don't know how the temple was involved, since funerals are not held in a temple. Funerals are held at the local meetinghouse, usually, and are open to the public.
The triangles on her dress have no meaning, other than that she must have liked it.
Budleit, the LDS church has no connection to the Freemasons. That is a rumor that doesn't seem to want to die. We do not use gold triangles in any way, shape, or form in any of our services, or for any reason whatsoever.
As a rule, when a person dies, he or she is dressed in white. I don't know why that would be disturbing to anyone. White is for purity.
2007-12-29 13:27:58 · answer #6 · answered by nymormon 4 · 9⤊ 2⤋
You are >>mistaken! If she was dressed in her Temple clothes, the casket would have been closed.
Both of my parents were buried in the Temple clothes,and the caskets were closed during the service, and only on view to the family.
Sacred clothing is not for the eyes of non members.
2007-12-29 13:36:02 · answer #7 · answered by goobergurl 2 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Uh...wrong. First off, funerals are not held in the temple. Not even for our prophet. They are held in a church and all are welcome.
Gold triangles, sorry, never seen or heard of that. I have been to 7 Mormon funerals, no triangles. Most faithful members get buried in their temple clothing. Most likely their white dress, robe, and veil. The veil is usually placed on immediately before the casket is closed.
Sorry for your lose.
2007-12-29 13:31:52 · answer #8 · answered by LDS Mom 6 · 9⤊ 2⤋
I don't think youare telling the truth. There are no funerals held at LDS temples.
If you are implying that she was wearing temple clothing, there are no gpld triangles on temple clothing, plus if she were wearing temple clothing, the casket would have been closed.
Nice try though.
2007-12-29 13:45:24 · answer #9 · answered by LaraSue 6 · 5⤊ 2⤋
Triangles? Don't know that one other than a design on the gown.
The dress was her Temple dress
2007-12-29 13:35:41 · answer #10 · answered by Samantha5250 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋