General Conference, April 2015; “Blessings of the Temple”; “As I think of temples, my thoughts turn to the many blessings we receive therein. As we enter through the doors of the temple, we leave behind us the distractions and confusion of the world. Inside this sacred sanctuary, we find beauty and order. There is rest for our souls and a respite from the cares of our lives.
As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which
will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart. We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27)…My brothers and sisters, in our lives we will have temptations; we will have trials and challenges. As we go to the temple, as we remember the covenants we make there, we will be better able to overcome those temptations and to bear our trials. In the temple we can find peace.” – President Thomas S. Monson
John 14:27; “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Look at all the things Mr. Monson claimed. The temple. The works. The ordinances. He said performing these things inside the temples is what brings peace.
On the other side is Jesus. Jesus gives us peace. Jesus alone provides that peace. Jesus, not the world, not the temples, and most certainly not our works, is where we find peace.
Take note of John 14:27 – Jesus is the sole supplier of peace. He didn’t mention anything else. This verse is key! Mormons don’t want to accept that Jesus can supernaturally provide for, and change us, all by Himself.
Another point is that not all Mormons are Temple Mormons. (What is the percentage approximately?) He is just speaking to the “elite” group who made it to the temple. What do the rest of the Mormons do? Are they jealous ? This double-sad, then, for this reason and that peace has to be earned. As Christians, we can be at peace even if we are not in beautiful surroundings for our faith doesn’t depend on feelings.
Isaiah 26: (KJV)
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Well, from the latest stat reports of the Church less than half of U.S. LDS members (40 – 50%) are technically active – meaning they’ve been to church at least 1x w/in the last year.The 50% is considered a gross exaggeration by researchers.
From what we’ve been able to ascertain from sites who keep track of the #’s, maybe 1/3 of self-proclaimed Mormons hold a temple recommend. See a report here – http://www.mormonsocialscience.org/2012/01/19/q-what-percentage-of-mormons-regularly-participate-in-temple-worship/
I’m of the opinion the estimate given on the example above is a very generous one. I would imagine that maybe 10-15% of active Mormons hold a temple recommend. I base it on a very unscientific method – members of my family and active Mormons they associate with. I’ve seen this ratio for years now w/ not only my family, but those who contact us when they’ve left the Church.
The #’s of active, temple worthy Mormons outside of North America are dismal. Those #’s usually range from 2-8% per nation.
And yes, for those in the Church who aren’t active, the guilt trips are intense.
As you stated peace can be theirs for the taking – Isaiah 26.