Singular Saints

I’m reminded of a blonde football joke I heard recently:

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team’s bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.

“Oh, I really liked it,” she replied, “especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn’t understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents.”

Dumbfounded, her date asked, “What do you mean?”

“Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: ‘Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!’  I’m like…Helloooooo? It’s only 25 cents!!!!”

There are times  when we think we know what someone else is doing, but we don’t have a clue why  they are doing it.  I suspect this is true of the situation regarding Sunday’s episode of Big Love.

Anyone who has ever seen a LDS temple - the Salt Lake temple in particular - has probably asked themselves; “What are they doing in there?”  Mormon’s reluctance to discuss the subject probably doesn’t help - although the answer is really very simple.

They are making promises and helping others who can’t help themselves.

The promises Mormons make inside the temple have a lot to do with the way they act outside the temple.  They are the reason that between between 1985 and 2008 LDS Humanitarian Services provided more than $1.11 billion in aid to needy individuals in 167 countries and recently shipped over 100,000 pounds of medical supplies to Myanmar.  The promises they make to keep the commandments are why Latter-Day Saints are known for their honesty and integrity.  The promises they make to be faithful to their spouses and children is why they have a reputation for strong families.  The promises they make are also the reason when a prominent Latter-Day Saint falls short of perfection, they can expect to be vilified in the press.

There is no doubt that what is done inside LDS temples is different than what happens outside.  Everything about the temple is intended to elevate your thoughts and actions towards becoming more Christlike. This may not be obvious to the casual observer and it’s highly unlikely that any depiciton on screen or stage can address that deeper question.  It’s about much more than getting the quarter back.  It’s about learning to be unselfish, keeping commitments, being honest, reliable and consistent - all the things we hope for in others and expect of God.