I saw the DC Mormon Temple before it was consecrated

[cthulu2016]

Once it was consecrated no non-Mormon could enter, but between construction and consecration they let the public see the (very impressive) interior.

There's a huge mural of the last judgement or some other apocalyptic event... thousands of people beholding the return of Jesus.

The people are segregated by race.

That was not some ancient curiosity -- it was, in the 1970s, the brand new centerpiece of the brand new East Coast temple.

____________

For those not familiar with the Wasington DC beltway, the Mormon temple is the focus of the best graffitti in the world. As you round a bend you suddenly see this:



And just as it comes into view, you go under an overpass that has written in large letters, "SURRENDER DOROTHY"

It has been painted over by the autorities and re-done dozens or hundreds of times.

[Are_grits_groceries]

1. The best graffiti I ever saw was on an overpass

that you could read while the Mormon Temple was in the background.

It said, "Surrender Dorothy!"

[cthulu2016]

2. Funny -- as you were typing that I was adding an edit

saying just that. It really is the best.

[Are_grits_groceries]

6. Whew! I thought my eyes were shot. nt

[msanthrope]

10. Yes--and the Temple was lit up, very green, like the Emerald City....

I remember that the graffiti was painted over many times, but always came back.

I used to love taking that loop of the DC Beltway at night, just for that.

[WingDinger]

3. Once they have on their magic underwear, only Mormons are allowed inside as well.

Seeing as how many FBI mormons there are, magic underwear must have a holster too.

[WingDinger]

4. I think it shows an extreme lack of faith, to install a lightning rod.

[msanthrope]

11. Well, they don't want it to go the way of Touchdown Christ...

Pics at link--because there are no words...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1286855/Touchdown-Jesus-struck-lightning-60ft-statue-Christ-goes-flames.html

[hootinholler]

13. Before the lightning hit

There was a photoshop...

[LiberalAndProud]

16. That's just proof

that god loves atheists too.

[white_wolf]

5. I have to admit it's beautiful as is the Salt Lake temple...

but I have to wonder how many people the Mormon church could have helped feed and clothe with the money they spend on their temples.

[oldhippydude]

7. actually

they do have thier own welfare programs in fact they "take care of their own" a whole lot better than Christian Fundies.. they also are big on tithing, that gives them tremendous slush fund...by doing bussiness with other "brothers" the wealth gets concentrated..

for years they have been invested in members companys.. during the 60's the misssionarys drove ramblers exclusivly.. the Marriot coporation is also heavily leveraged by the LDS church.. while the church officially condems use of alcohol, tobacco, or even caffein, they see nothing wrong with a member owning a bar (as long as the get their tithe) as always follow the money.. at one time they owned a substainial block of coca-cola stock.. these attitudes may help explain some of slick Willards attitudes at Bains..

another side note here, Bishops have been very agressive in collecting tithes, its legendary in small Mormon communities.. one wonders if part of slick Willards reluctance to release his tax information, isnt to avoid the church "tax authorities"

[customerserviceguy]

14. Your last paragraph

brings up a very interesting point. He'll have to release tax returns if he's elected President, but if he can make that happen, all will be forgiven by the church fathers. If he loses either the nomination or the general, they'll pick him apart like Rethugs always do to their losers.

[LiberalFighter]

8. How could their temple be violated and force them out?

[snooper2]

9. That would make a great horror movie set..

Would have been perfect for the last scene of The House on Haunted Hill

[hootinholler]

12. Possibly thousands of times

I don't understand why they don't just leave it up.

As graffiti goes, it is most apropos. Maybe it's the Mormons and not the county who keep painting it over?

[Raine1967]

15. That graffiti has been gone for a while now. I've driven on this part of the beltway

many times. It is something that at this point can be put in the place of legend. This is an Iconic image of which you speak:


Here is an article discussing it. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/surrender-dorothy-painted-on-a-beltway-overpass//whats-the-story/2011/06/23/AGduf6kH_story.html

Read the article. It was never political -- and it still should not be. This could have been a catholic temple or any other religious place of worship. It was a part of a horizon. nothing more, nothing less.
It's gone.

I was not aware that the public was not welcome.

I may take a trip to see if this is true. I'm no fan (or follower) of Mormonism but is this true? How do you know that the temple is not open to the public? and -- Do you have proof that people are segregated now?

Can you provide proof for these claims?

I'm all for going after Romney -- I am really against going after a religion. I would like to see proof of these claims.

[cthulu2016]

18. re: claims

I tend not to document my memories, but I'm reasonably reliable...

Sometime in the 1970s they finished construction on it and had a period where the public could go inside before it was consecrated.

It was quite lavish. The most memorable part was the post-mortum baptism facility. You can pay to have your ancestors baptized by proxy because many folks lived and died without being baptized in a consecrated temple, which seems to be considered the most legit sort. Immagine deep swiming pools with steps all the way down. The folks who work as stand-ins (male for males, female for females) would spend all day walking into the pool for the ceremony then walking out, changing into a dry baptism gown (there were hundreds on hangers) and beginning the next baptism.

Near the entrance was a large mural that attracted some notice at the time because though people of color could now go to mormon heaven (in the 1970s) and were thus included in the multitude of saved, all the saved of color were off to one side... as if they were going to a separate but equal end of the world.

I don't consider mormon any nuttier a religion than the others but it seems nuttier because it was created in a more modern context than the great monotheisms and in less culturally familiar to most of us.

To me it's all in how seriously a person takes a religion's claims about the world. Any religious fundemantalist believes some crazy things—mormon, muslim, christian or anything else. As with all religions, I don't know that Mormons all believe equally.

I'm glad I went. It was interesting.

re: Can people go in. I think this was the first temple outside of Utah. A Mormon temple is a special kind of thing, unlike a Mormon church. Kind of like the inner santum in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, before it as destroyed. Since Mormons are zealous missionaries I'm sure anyone can go to Mormon churches. It's just the temples, which are few. (That was my impresssion. As always, open to factual correction.)

[joeglow3]

20. You are correct re: church versus temples.

[joeglow3]

19. It is the same for ALL mormon temples

They did the same thing here when they built a temple a decade or so ago. And not all mormons are allowed in the temples. They have to be templed certified and have a card allowing them entrance.

[LadyHawkAZ]

21. All temples are closed to the public

http://lds.org/church/temples/why-we-build-temples/entering-the-temple?lang=eng

The Salt Lake temple has a model of the building at the visitor's center for the public to look at. The temple itself is fenced off and heavily guarded.

[OriginalGeek]

17. THAT'S what thing is

we were visiting DC a couple years ago and saw that building on our way into town. Thought it was a pretty building but soon got caught up in smithsonian and eating and other stuff and forgot to look up what it was lol...