Secret Mormon Temple Ceremony Explained (What’s With the Green Apron?)

The Mormon Temple Endowment is a sacred and central aspect of the religious practices within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is a ritual that takes place in LDS temples and is considered a deeply spiritual and symbolic experience for members of the faith. It is often criticized though for the strange cult-like aspects of the ceremony. Most members are completely surprised by this experience when going through the ceremony for the first time.
The endowment ceremony is designed to provide participants with knowledge, blessings, and covenants that are believed to be essential for their spiritual journey. It is seen as a step toward achieving exaltation, which is the highest level of glory and eternal life in the Mormon theology.
The endowment is typically administered to adult members of the LDS Church as they prepare for specific milestones in their lives, such as serving as a full-time missionary, getting married in the temple, or simply seeking a deeper connection with their faith. The ceremony involves a series of instructional and symbolic elements that are intended to teach participants about the purpose of life, the plan of salvation, and the eternal nature of God's love.
The endowment ceremony is highly symbolic, and participants go through a series of ordinances, including the washing and anointing, receiving a temple garment, and participating in various symbolic gestures and rituals. These elements are meant to convey spiritual truths, emphasize the importance of obedience, and instill a sense of sacred responsibility among participants. The ceremony has become somewhat more palatable overtime. Members complaints of the more radical aspects of the ceremony have caused the church to change the ceremony overtime.
It's important to note that the endowment ceremony has undergone changes over the years, with adjustments made to certain aspects to reflect evolving understandings and sensitivities. The LDS Church continues to emphasize the sacred and personal nature of the endowment experience, encouraging members to approach it with reverence and a sincere desire to draw closer to God.
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[@momogal04]

I was 20 when I did this. 25th June 2008. I remember just a long anxiety attack the whole day because I have memory problems. I was terrified I would be rejected and not allowed to get married the next day because I wouldn't be able to remember everything. I also got severely overheated and dehydrated and felt sick for hours after. It didn't feel like the day before my wedding so much as it felt like I had just taken a massive, life-altering exam that I probably failed. And for my wedding the next day, I looked around the empty room with only the temple workees, my parents, and my husband and just felt sad. Because none of my friends, his family, and most of my family could be there because they weren't worthy. The church truly is a cult that works to isolate their members.

[@atherisGAY]

I'm so sorry. Not having your friends at the wedding seems really sad. I hope you're doing well these days!

[@akj1818]

That’s the number one thing I point out to people when they tell me LDS isn’t a cult. No other Christian church that I’m aware of exclude your family on your wedding day because they’re not “worthy” what a bunch of BS. Yeah, cuz that’s what Jesus would do. 🙄🙄🙄

[@momogal04]

@@atherisGAY I am happily divorced and no longer have anything to do with the Church except for being Facebook friends.

[@WatchingwaitingG2D]

Oh, be quiet. You're just a fake.

[@WatchingwaitingG2D]

​Really. Keep pretending.

[@jillvasquez1010]

Learning that your entrance into heaven is dependent on secret handshakes is fucking hilarious.

[@barbowens8626]

Right! It sounds like a bunch of 6 year old boys forming a club!😂✌️

[@Hart-Strings]

It’s stolen from the Free Masons. So, kinda, yeah. A boys’ club that needs to have, ouuuuu, secret handshakes and passwords, I’m sure.

[@Aros4]

Me going to mormon heaven (not Mormon) because a lady on KZbin called Alyssa showed me the Jesus secret handshake that gets me into the heavenly tree house:

[@peterclarke7006]

​@@barbowens8626I mean... That's basically Mormonism. It's a religion invented by a kid who had a tree house club 🤣

[@Yummicookie1979]

😂😂😂 it really is hilarious!

[@senseiturtle]

Good to know that the ultimate supreme being... the one who created the heavens and earth... the one who set trillions of stars in the sky among billions of galaxies... who defined universal physical and chemical constants... and created life itself - relies on a secret handshake to determine who's worthy of paradise.

[@karenlegg9695]

Well said!

[@annecronin8339]

Only married, segregated VIPs with the secret handshake. Segregation in Heaven. Stupid. How the Hell can anyone know? Who can claim to know the mind of God? Cult bullshit to scam the sheep out of money.

[@JennaGetsCreative]

Really shows how silly and made-up it all is, hey?

[@Lin1Lin2Lin3Lin4]

That’s how I know who my homies are. Why wouldn’t the big homie do the same? 😂

[@bbar4981]

Perfectly said!

[@kathynorris5064]

I am amazed you don’t get threatened for making these videos. I am appreciative that you do

[@scandia67]

She probably does. Mormons go crazy if anyone breathes anything that they consider, "sacred, not secret".

[@LockeDemosthenes2]

If this were 20 years ago, the Church probably would come after her. Because of the internet, this has all been pretty widely known information for years though.

[@kiss126]

I bet she is receiving lot of hate now, good that she is not in Utah!

[@yanyanfourtwenty]

Right now Julia from Analyzing Mormonism is live with this topic. Although her video is about the historical aspect of the mormon temple rituals.

[@kjaxsn]

she looks like a polygamist

[@thekathrynwest]

We have two temples, both about 2.5 hours away. First time I went to the temple, I went to the smaller one in my state. Next time was the bigger one in the state next to me (Alabama and Georgia for context). I loved the first trip. I had a panic attack in the Atlanta temple and it got to the point my bishop was seriously concerned about me as I am normally really bubbly and completely shut down afterwards. Needless to say, when I informed him I was struggling with my testimony, he could understand to an extent after seeing how I responded to simply doing baptisms in the temple. Now that I'm in the process of leaving, he's not even upset with me as he's seen the effect that the temple had on me physically, and knowing that my testimony is non-existent at this point. I'm thankful that I have a bishop that understands why I'm choosing to walk away. Not everyone gets that.

[@carolyearsley]

One of my sibling's children was totally traumatized, too. When she came home from her mission, she refused to ever discuss it with anyone, due to more trauma.

[@justkiddin84]

Just curious, coming in late-was your bishop Nick Jones?

[@thekathrynwest]

@@justkiddin84 it's not. He may be at one around me, but he isn't mine

[@KiKiQuiQuiKiKi]

I’m glad…but wouldn’t put my trust in him.

[@justkiddin84]

@@thekathrynwestjust wondered-he is the one who resigned and it got put online and went viral. Seems like a good guy.

[@caylarivera2804]

I'm not a former member of the church or interested in converting, but I still think this is so valuable to learn about. It's very important to educate people cultish behavior in churches like this, and I fully agree that the church forbidding members from speaking about this is a huge red flag. Thanks for sharing

[@sophiasheets2401]

The church doesn’t forbid members speaking about it. We are taught that it is sacred, thus we don’t talk about it in everyday conversation, but we do talk about it in certain spaces.

[@robindenayer8009]

Wow, what garbage

[@livea3596]

It's like a child's imagination created these rituals, costumes, and storylines. It is wild that grown adults are playing at this like it's real.

[@pamelaspooner7183]

Power over people. Makes humans do ugly, scary, and often mean hateful things to others.

[@veritasreigns]

I read up a bit about Joseph Smith because a pair of Mormon twins were in my class all through school. It was a lot. It reads like someone who started a movement based entirely on spiritualist flimflam (he was a moneydigger and claimed to see visions via a stone in his hat, and would put his face in his hat to watch these visions.) The giant golden glasses came later. It feels like he wanted to sleep with as many underaged girls as possible, in spite of his wife throwing them out the house, and take over the United States as some form of Napoleonic leader on a white horse. He even called himself the New Mohammed. I'm not surprised he was murdered. What surprises me is he wasn't murdered sooner.

[@michaelfisher7170]

grown adults go into churches across the world and partake in ridiculous ceremonies every single week. that's not a Mormon weirdness that a superstitious nonsense weirdness.

[@bodeinebrazy]

I don't think it's childish at all... it's masonic

[@flybywire5866]

Well, no show, no cult.

[@kokichisbakery9720]

My grandma recently joined the Mormom church. She's extremely gullible and I worry for her. Thank you for talking about things like this, it's important for people to know.

[@bbar4981]

I grew up in the church. In my opinion it's a whacko misogynistic cult, but not harmful for someone older like your grandmother other than they will want her to tithe. It can actually be a great community of support for older lonely people. I would actively discourage a younger person from joining the church because this is a religion that consumes your entire life. I know many ex-mormons who feel they wasted the best part of their lives.

[@v.m.8472]

She was lonely.

[@aliciakillen1940]

She’s probably gonna go down the cuckoo rabbit hole. Sad to say

[@goofygrandlouis6296]

@@aliciakillen1940 Such reassuring words. 😆

[@arkroogs90]

Exmo here. Growing up, I always thought the temple clothes were just white clothing. Like you see temple workers wearing when doing baptisms for the dead. I didn't find out there was more to it until a couple years back (been out of the church for a decade). I work at a mortuary and an LDS man passed away. Many LDS get buried in their temple clothes. I saw him in his casket and ready for his viewing and that was the first time I saw the clothes. Other than looking pretty ridiculous, the thing that annoyed me the most was how cheap they were?? Like the apron itself looks like it's made out of material you'd find in a halloween costume from Spirit Halloween. I was like the Mormon church has SO much money and these are supposed to be sacred clothes you wear in the most holy place on earth. And THIS is what they come up with? That sh*t should be made of silk! hahaha

[@flutenanyidk1806]

My adopted siblings and I got sealed to my parents in the temple and I remember being really confused and kind of disturbed when they walked out.

[@lilmisskalik]

As a fellow exmo that left after only doing baptisms and thinking of going into the funeral industry, thank you for this knowledge. My mom only ever says that her friend that works in the crematory loves that Mormon funerals are relatively hands off

[@lilmisskalik]

​@@flutenanyidk1806same.. I wonder how much of the ceremony I've locked in my mind vault. That or I was distracted by looking for/at the eternal mirrors. Don't remember if they're in that room or if I just saw them in an open house

[@arkroogs90]

@@lilmisskalik On second thought I'm not sure Mormons do viewings in their temple clothes. So the man I saw may have just been ready for burial. My LDS grandpa had his viewing in a suit and then they changed him into his temple clothes before burial. I think it's because they don't want non-members seeing the temple clothes. And generally members do volunteer to dress the person in their temple clothes because the mortuary staff usually doesn't know how to do it correctly.

[@shinylilfish]

OMG, I'm a seamstress, and that's what annoyed me most about the horrible nightgown endowment dress. It's clearly rock bottom polyester levels of cheap. You can see skin tone through the sleeves! ARGH

[@-MaryPoppins-]

This is so blatantly Masonic and absolutely sounds like Joseph got pissy that his brother got to go to a cool club and decided to create his OWN cool club 😩😂

[@brantclements8888]

Joseph Smith was, in fact, a third degree Mason. If I remember correctly, he was inducted into the lodge and moved quickly through the degrees a short time before he introduced the temple endowment ceremony in Nauvoo.

[@shaunalea823]

Look at the images engraved on these Temples it is wicked, I’m blown away people think it’s Christian bc it’s not.

[@Notiravgsarah]

@@shaunalea823I think only Mormons believe Mormonism is Christianity

[@WatchingwaitingG2D]

What would a fake Christian like you know?

[@WatchingwaitingG2D]

@brantclements8888 Unfortunately for you, you don't remember anything that's true. Then again, you don't even go to any church. Hypocrisy works for you.

[@aaronhiggs]

Funny how Joseph Smith became a master mason and a day later came up with the temple ordnance which happens to be a rip of the degrees. Lol

[@bethanysolimine5428]

Shhhh. Why do you think he said it was "sacred" and you shouldn't talk to anyone about it?

[@aaronhiggs]

@@bethanysolimine5428right? Scammers be scamming.

[@Light4theWorldTV]

How do we know Joseph Smith was a Mason? Is it written anywhere?

[@mattskustomkreations]

@@Light4theWorldTVYes, he became a Freemason in Nauvoo, IL in 1842. There’s several sources for this including LDS official website. They also admit this creepy ceremony was revealed soon after joining. They even admit the similarities. Of course they say but there’s “stark differences” too. Yeah right.😅

[@surtu9221]

Imagine believing in a faith that thinks there's a handshake you need to get into heaven, and then jealously guards that information. Nobody is allowed to go to heaven but the people we deem worthy! God can't make that decision, just us humans who pass on this handshake!

[@ilacallya324]

Audacious isn't it..

[@AKayfabe]

I had a sort of similar issue when i was thinking about being Catholic as a child. I took issue with the idea that anyone would need a middleman to God, and need to ask another human being to ask God to forgive you in confession. I didn’t think any other human is more important or better than God. I also felt that if “ God is everywhere, all knowing” Etc. that I could just ask him myself from anywhere anyhow. This was the main reason I never believed in Catholicism and decided not to do that any longer. Trying to gather to worship God and then having these odd things that only involve humans that is supposed to overrule God mashes no sense to me.

[@user-zr6ee6lb9m]

Itcappeals to people's narcissm. We are the special ones

[@mattskustomkreations]

@@AKayfabeYeah, as a kid I thought the same thing. Then at First Confession I had to lie to the priest by making up some “bad” thing I had done as a kid. I knew that was so f’d up. It was my first and last confession. 😂

[@pls181]

Everything you are saying is true! The temple was even creepier when I went for the first time over 40 years ago. Blood oaths and more! Love your videos!

[@bubblegumnnebula]

Can you go into further detail about the blood oaths? Are you referring to the cutting of the throat and bowels or something else?

[@pls181]

@@bubblegumnnebula The blood oaths in the LDS Church temple ceremony, which were discontinued church-wide in 1990, depicted a willingness to have one's throat cut from ear to ear should the participant reveal certain portions of the sacred rituals or fail to keep promises given during the washing and anointing ordinance.

[@edithnackers7127]

Like a drug cartel oath 😅

[@joranbooth5529]

@@bubblegumnnebula not op, and I hope you don't mind me jumping in. The blood oaths used the same signs used now, but they had movements associated with them. The first sign where you put your right arm at a right angle used to start with you dragging your thumb across your throat. The second sign where you make a cupping shape and put your left arm to a right angle used to start with dragging your left thumb across your belly and the cupping shape represented you catching your bowels. Sometime around 1900, plus or minus a decade probably, they removed the vengeance oath where you promised to exact vengeance on anyone suspected of having contributed to Joseph Smith's death, including the U.S. government (which is why it was dropped, lol). It was a major factor that led to the Mountain Meadows massacre. I vaguely remember it being associated with Utah attempting to become a state. That or the Reed Smoot hearings. I don't know beyond that. I've learned that from online research. I went through the temple after 1990 but before you remained clothed for the washing and anointing. I left the religion about 6 years ago.

[@nesxya]

I remember hearing about it growing up. The Blood and Vengeance Oaths. Also curses, John Dee Lee was cursed by Brigham Young. To think at one time the washing was done by strangers on naked individuals. Did they remove the washing completely? To think my mother is upset about my tarot cards. Laugh, her religion has way more occult than my oracle cards. 😂

[@OrangeConcerto]

The leaf aprons are a weird choice, because according to Genesis the leaves are what Adam and Eve tried to use to try and cover their own nakedness. A few verses later, it says that God made them garments of skins. Fur or leather would make more sense for the symbolism... But then, you can't expect logic from a cult.

[@donalddavis303]

Fig leafs are very common depiction in artwork about the "first transgression" or even eating the fruit.

[@FullMoonOctober]

@@donalddavis303 That just makes me think that the person making the choice didn't/couldn't READ the passage, and just went by picture and vague memory.

[@donalddavis303]

@@FullMoonOctober en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fig_leaf#:~:text=The%20use%20of%20an%20actual,the%20genitalia%20of%20a%20subject.

[@W-I463]

​@@FullMoonOctober believable, I think we take widespread literacy for granted now

[@jamiecronin967]

@@FullMoonOctoberJoseph Smith wasn’t that bright. An illiterate con man. He might have known to read. But still illiterate.

[@dazzlinggleams]

Regardless of what the church may think, you have viewers, supporters and fans. We're watching. We appreciate the education, your ability to clarify and explain things easily and in a way where we can process it with no confusion, etc. Thank you, Alyssa. You and your channel are wonderful.

[@milliemellifluous2642]

Thank you for doing this. I've been struggling with having left the church and deconstructing my experience. Throughout primary and young woman's classes there would always be a joke about how cult like we sounded saying the young women's theme or the proclamation to the world, but stepping into the temple and heading to the change room for the first time to go through the anointing and seeing people coming out of the celestial room in their full garb was when it first hit me that this might really be a cult. And now being out of the church and thinking over what i went through, i understand why they discourage young single adults to not get their endowment until they were getting married or going on a mission. My initial reaction when i saw your video, i felt tense thinking 'how you could talk about this outside of the temple?'. 'Was this allowed?' But i want to thank you, this really helped me process my thoughts on this. I've still got my temple clothing in a carry-on suitcase at the top of my closet. Not sure what i am going to do with it. Part of me wants to just throw it out, but another part of me wants to alter my temple dress or use the fabric for something new. I don't know if i will have the courage to discuss everything that happens in the temple as you have done in this video, but i hope to get more comfortable talking about my experience with others, in the church or out. Thank you for starting this conversation.

[@katwitanruna]

Compost or burn? I don’t know what the fabric is but changing its state even just by making things out of the fabric is an excellent idea!! A physical manifestation of your path.

[@justkiddin84]

Use the fabric to make a top that shows off your free shoulders! And wear it to burn or compost the rest, as suggested above! Ceremony is not bad if it is individual. It can be really good for us.

[@annecronin8339]

Make cute bathroom window curtains?

[@sari9645]

If you don’t mind me asking, as someone who was raised agnostic if you all knew what you were doing/saying was cult-like how did you never think that was maybe because you were in a cult?

[@ArtisticPunz]

​@@sari9645When that's the only thing you've known growing up, it can be hard to realize it until you actually learn more about the rest of the world :/

[@atherisGAY]

Thank you for shedding light on these "secret" rituals of the cult. You're educating and helping people with it. I hope you're safe and not threatened by any higher ups.

[@glee_again2594]

That’s what I was thinking.

[@valariebrown3768]

My step daughtet converted to LDS when she married, and later left the church after her youngest made an observation about how none of it made sense. Turns out her husband had wanted to leave for years. She told me she felt regret about all years wasted, and I told her to let it go. Our very dysfunctional family life meant she needed that structure so she could make a real family, and if there is one thing LDS churches do it is that. You sound very Lutheran now, open to questions and discussion. There is reverent ritual and then cult obsession, and endowment crosses that line imho. Mormons are right there with Masons as far as secret handshakes and all that nonsense.

[@sevans8784]

You're right on the money about the handshakes: Joseph Smith was a Mason, and copied a lot of those rituals for Mormonism.

[@km3710]

I was a freemason around 2008 or so. The whole reason I went down the street to the Masonic Temple was because as a gay man, I knew I'd never get my endowment, which I wanted to badly. I tried for years, to no avail. I was a very active, faithful, Mormon, I did Baptisms for the Dead, I paid my tithing, I went to church every Sunday, I read scriptures and prayed every day, and...I can tell you, as a former Mason and Mormon...this is ACCURATE AS HELL. The stuff that happens in the temple is straight up Masonic, there's nothing sacred about it, Joseph Smith was inducted into Masonry, and then came up with this ceremony 2 weeks after that. I left, and I've never been happier. I was also a Golden Investigator. (Have you heard that term, Alyssa? Is that something you could do a video on?) I still live here in Salt Lake, have for 20 years, and can't wait to get out. Mormonism was the best, and also the worst, thing that ever happened to me. I was devastated to find out it was all made up, and I came from an Evangelical Christian background. I converted in 2005, because again, Golden Investigator. Love the interview you did with John Dehlin, keep it up, this stuff needs to be out there because people have a right to know what they are getting into before they join. To go in blindly, like I did, is a Fools Errand. I don't go to church anywhere, now. And before all you current Mormons come for me and tell me to come back, or just pray harder, NO THANKS. My life outside of Mormonism is better than it ever was inside the church.

[@louniece1650]

The Evangelical church set up up for failure. Coming from a sect that was founded on the occult makes sense that you'd find refuge based on the occult as well. Sending you healing thoughts. You're not alone.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@kikiciesielski5824]

Of course, I must know what a golden investigator is

[@JonCampos-kh2bw]

When you get interviewed by the Bishop and the Stake president both asked me if I ever had a homosexual experience and I said yes and I still got my endowment. Sorry you had to suffer that way.

[@jimothytames6072]

A secret handshake to get into heaven is so wild

[@stephengnb]

Do people without hands not get into heaven? I have questions.

[@Kattydid19]

@@stephengnbthat is an excellent question, I have read a lot of ex-M stories but never one from someone who is disabled and who went through the temple.

[@pernilladomander7648]

Masonic shit

[@nataliethomas444]

The other option is to defeat god in a thumb war

[@DanMorgan-bh5fv]

@@nataliethomas444 Lol ty

[@joranbooth5529]

Minor thing: the sure sign of the nail (second Melchizedek sign) also interlocks pinky fingers. So it's intertwined pinkies AND touching the other's wrist with your index finger. It's really minor and easy to forget. Even when I was a temple worker, I frequently had to remind attendees by hooking pinkies first. Otherwise, this is incredibly comprehensive, neutral, and well-done.

[@prbpbr]

Wait, so you were a temple worker, are you still in the church? Or I should assume you're not since you're publicly talking (and giving details!) about one the handshake? I wonder how many people have walked up to God and not gotten into heaven because they forgot to intertwine their pinky 😆

[@debbyfazfphotography]

I admire the self-control of the couples for not laughing hysterically over the "dork" factor of these ridiculous costumes! No wonder it's so secretive!

[@k.schmidt2740]

That has been my thought all along - as silly as appearance regards are: This is straight out of the early-mid 19th century, a time, when women walked around looking like sofas complete with throws and horsehair cushions - aka completely ugly in the eyes of a classical aesthetic. That look could only survive with cult promulgation.

[@kenz9811]

Honestly in combination with the expectations and social pressure surrounding it you just be up being scared and creeped out more than anything else

[@starveartist]

Common in hazing rituals that you do something embarrassing, which you wouldn't want to tell people, but also psychologically makes you want to think that the end goal HAS to be worth it, if you are humiliating yourself for it.

[@saratexas5181]

Will you talk about your wedding/ceremony? Do you have any regrets? What do you not regret? What benefits do you or your hubby feel like you receiving from being raised Mormon? Or do you think that there were none? Sorry for all of the questions, I’m fascinated. You are the only person I’ve come across that lays things out in detail like this!

[@BrookieC]

not sure if you saw, but a couple days ago she posted a video about her wedding 🙂

[@flutenanyidk1806]

I think the biggest benefit is like… don’t do drugs and being pretty boring in all honesty. If anything the other parts of my life is that boring is stable, which is nice. I don’t like being shoved into one very specific box though. Just because I want to HAVE THE OPTION to be a stay at home mom doesn’t mean I aspire to be a perfect ‘50s housewife my whole life and feel pushed into that role.

[@Razzle_Dazzle5]

As a young deacon I remember a very boring class teached by a very boring lady. I had many calluses on my hands form working on the farm and I was rubbing them together because it felt weird. Out of no where she yelled; "BY GOD, YOU LITTLE SH**, GO WAIT BY THE BISSHOPS OFFICE NOW!" Having no clue what happened I walked around to the office onto the best chairs in the building and pulled out the gameboy at the bottom of my book bag, I was so mad about getting kicked out of class. After class about an hour later she requested to talk to the bishop about an urgent matter. It was about me doing the handshakes one for one in class, I had no clue and when she told the bishop he laughed. He was a family friend and knew there was no way I would know about them. He sent the lady on her way and give me a hand full of candy.

[@Razzle_Dazzle5]

After I left a had a old Seminary teacher tell me that she puts my name in to be prayed on. Funny how someone who has rejected god gets their name "blessed" daily.

[@leahdavis9434]

​@@Razzle_Dazzle5not really? If you believe you're right and that no one who disagrees with you will have a good outcome- it's really horrible to not hope they'll come around. How much must you hate someone to genuinely believe they'll burn in hell and not care at all?

[@logansimmons3199]

I'm 25 and never went through the temple. This explains so much about church leadership, devotion to callings, and my parents. Thank you for doing this

[@Pockamune]

I became inactive at around 18, I had doubted since 13, hearing about this and watching this feels so taboo and surreal. I never knew anything about these parts of Mormon religion, my parents and siblings refused to answer any question I had about temple things and I’m honestly glad I never went to get temple endowments Thank you for making this video, and your others too, it’s helped me understand more about my religious trauma and why it was so strange the way I was brought up

[@LeslieBrereton-r2i]

Thank you Alyssa for your KZbin broadcasts. It takes incredible courage to break the no-talk rules. I have never made a comment like this. I am a 72 year old mom and grandma. The last week I have been listening to many broadcasts about Mormans that have left the church. I’ve listened to some bishops who have left also. It breaks my heart to hear your stories, of the pain and loss. I too left a legalistic church and experienced many of the same abuses. My husband was the one with the courage to break the no-talk rules. I send you lots of love and a big hug. I am praying and will continue to pray for you and all of you that have left a legalistic system. Man does a great job messing up things!! What legalistic churches are missing is grace, God’s grace! I have feasted on God’s grace and unfailing love, that comes through Jesus Christ. And I have healed. I am doing a study on the book of Acts. It was interesting to note that the early church (Acts 4:33) was described as, “great grace was upon them all”. “Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”.

[@orangesnowflake3769]

This now helps me understand why Stephenie Meyer hasn't donated any money from the successful twilight franchise to the real quilleute people who are fundraising to help move their buildings... its because everything God may bless her is for the church.....

[@orangesnowflake3769]

I hope you won't get too much backlash, this is really interesting to me as a non Mormon

[@TPRM1]

Well, no Mormon could comment on this video at least, since they would be admitting to conducting “forbidden research” (that’s what I’m going to call watching porn from now on).

[@RinkuStars]

As a kid, I thought the temple was for three things: 1 I knew you could get married there which I assumed was just like a normal wedding but inside the temple. 2 I knew about baptisms for the dead and that seemed understandable because why shouldn’t the dead also be able to get into heaven? And lastly 3, I had heard about people going back to the temple even weekly so i assumed that’s where you went and they would give you a Sunday school lesson and then you just got to sit in the celestial room for a while and think and pray and whatever. Never knew about the clothing or the handshakes or the secret names or the rituals or the symbols on the garments or the chanting or the veil or pledges. So weird to think that my parents and all 6 of my siblings have done this and are still somehow believing in the church?? Like what? How is this NOT a red flag? The church has always taught that you get into heaven by being baptized and following Jesus, never did it say anything about handshakes and magic clothes. It feels misleading and dishonest. Quite frankly it feels betraying

[@katmartindale8049]

Thank you for the explanations of the ceremonies, handshakes and garments. Demystifing a religion makes it easier to understand. Growing up all I knew about Mormons was they had a choir that sang Christmas songs. As an older teen, my family visited the Mormon headquarters/visitor center/museum in Salt Lake City. Now I live 30 minutes from Church of Christ Temple Lot in Independence, MO. I have no interest in converting to the religion but I like learning about the practices and philosophies.

[@dod2304]

Did you mean the LDS Temple in Independence? Not the Church of Christ temple...they don't call any building a "Church", they believe the people who attend are the Church itself.

[@vikkiledgard8483]

​@dod2304 Interesting! I guess you could be a church all by yourself, in that case? I was very lucky that I grew up in a non-denominational family, and I feel sorry for those who are born into zealotry. It's just down to pure dumb luck, I guess. 🤔🥰♥️♥️♥️

[@katmartindale8049]

@dod2304 whichever one has the spire that they believe Jesus will descend down. I know it by sight not name.

[@katmartindale8049]

@vikkiledgard8483 I was raised Secular Humanist by two teachers. Curiosity was encouraged.

[@sweetrepeat]

There was a temple recently opened in Bentonville Arkansas which is incredibly close to independence which is also called the foothill of zion at times. Hi I'm a lifetime Mormon and now 18 and very confused as my mother and father push me towards my mission and this ceremony. I'm glad I can know what to expect now if I do end up going if I can't escape before that

[@tarawiedenman1623]

Baptism for the dead was a trip. I remember thinking mine didn't count bc I had doubt. Was unbothered. Final straw was being told my sister wouldn't make it to heaven with me.

[@Humantry50billion]

My mom asked me who I felt and I said cold 😂

[@Reno_Slim]

The more I know about the Mormon church the creepier they appear.

[@XSweetCherryBlossomX]

I’m 16 and also Mormon and I didn’t know about any of this and I’m literally creeped out. I’ve been wanting to leave for a long time but I can’t because it would break my parents

[@Calamity4]

@@XSweetCherryBlossomXI know this is an old comment but always remember to keep yourself as your priority especially with these kinds of situations. If your family truly loves you then they would understand and be respectful. Don’t let those who seek your participation for profit (the church) nor those who cannot support you as you are or how you want to be define you or dictate your emotions. I wish you luck. Cults are a terrible thing and the emotional whiplash is likely unimaginable.

[@XSweetCherryBlossomX]

@@Calamity4 Thank you for your caring and kind words, but I recently learned more about the “cultish activities” in this video and it’s not a cult, its something special to us that we go through in the temple. It doesn’t hurt anyone, we don’t sacrifice freaking babies. It’s just making a connection to our Heavenly Father and making a commitment that we will follow him and stay pure. The ceremony takes you through the creation and it symbolizes Jesus’s life and how we have gained so much through his sacrifice. I know it can look very odd and weird from an outside perspective, but you could say that for any religion. I’m not saying I 100% agree with everything my religion does but it is where I grew up and a huge part of my life so I plan to continue believing in what I do, which is completely normal Christian beliefs. The Mormon church is not as far fetched as some believe.

[@kiwii5463]

@@XSweetCherryBlossomXim not saying this to be mean so please ignore it if it bugs you but the mormon church doesnt really hold normal christian beliefs. in fact, most other christian denominations dont even consider mormons christian. i would really encourage you to learn more about the doctrines and thought processes of other christian faiths and even of other abrahamic and non-abrahamic religions. of course, if you’re happy where you are then who am i to ask you to change?

[@XSweetCherryBlossomX]

@@kiwii5463 Most of the beliefs are the same. Tell me some that aren’t and I’ll try my best to explain them. And not at all, I respect people’s views, and especially others who respect others as well.

[@ashleymarks3726]

I'm not Mormon, but I was in a sorority( Gamma Phi Beta), and this reminds me so much of that. the mysterious and secret nature of it all is so similar. initiation was the scariest part. once we were initiated, we learned about our founders and history, and we learned all of the traditions. we also had a secret handshake and password that we would have to give to be let inside our chapter meetings.

[@mrguiltyfool]

Didn't know sorority has secret handshake

[@Dra3000]

Most fraternities and sororities are from. free masonry

[@caseydunn1]

Very interested in the anointing ceremony if you are making a follow up video. My grandfather was a Mormon convert and desperately tried to push my dad into it who rejected it vehemently. After my grandma died who was the love of his life, he was ordered by the church to marry this horrendous woman “for time on earth” and it destroyed our family. Always wanted to know how he was swayed by all this secretive magic nonsense to leave his real family behind.

[@nicolehanson6323]

That is something new I have never heard. That the church MADE him marry someone he didn't want to. Never have I ever heard or seen that.

[@briannacluck5494]

Thank you for making this really informative, levelheaded video about the temple. I've been out of the church for the better part of a decade and, barring a website that spoke in vagueries about the endowment, this is the first time I've actually seen the process explained. Not for lack of content, but because I'm finally far enough out of it to where I don't feel a pit in my stomach every time I see the signs and tokens outside of an LDS standpoint. I never went through the anointing or endowment, but used to do baptisms for the dead every week. One thing that struck me was the temple rolls. I've had members of my family tell me they've put my name in the temple rolls, and had it explained that that meant temple workers would pray for me. This is probably a little silly, but I sometimes took comfort in knowing that, somewhere, someone was personally praying for my wellbeing. To learn that my name was actually thrown into a sack with a ton of other names while a generic prayer was said over the sack is...disappointing.

[@BebbaDubbs]

I appreciate all that you do to educate and advocate ❤❤

[@CarlosNunez-bm4hr]

At first I was a Catholic, not so much out of conviction, nut because all of my family were. Going to church on Sundays was, for me, just a habit, and I can't really say that I felt enlightened at any time. I listened to everything they said, and even though I understood it psychologically I can't say that it ever really touch my soul. As the years progressed I asked myself more and more questions about the message itself, and after several years of evolving my position towards religion and god, I have become an atheist. Ever since I came to that conclusion many, many, many years ago I have never looked back and am 100% at peace with my decision. If there were more people like you, with your open-mindedness, eloquence, clarity of thought, and impecable delivery of your message, the world would be a better place. Thank you for what you do, and thank you for making all of us who watch your videos more knowledgeable.

[@aimeeromley4189]

Using “sacred” and “secret” interchangeable is the hallmark of a cult. Treating something as sacred is reverence. Treating it as a secret makes it a cult. If it is for all, then you should share it with all.

[@laurenatkinson1892]

YES

[@Allthhegoodonesaretaken]

Yup just like their justification of hiding 129 Billion dollars. 🤷‍♀️

[@Therealgirlinthedesert]

I went through this 30 years ago but to make it worse, I had to take out my endowments at the LIVE session at SLC temple. It took like 3 hours!!!! I was in shock and wanted to run but by then you feel you’re locked in. NO one and I mean NO one could prepare you for this. And at that time you had to do the sign/token of slitting your throat. AND they told you over and over if you talked about these signs and tokens you would surely be burned in hell. Then ..the mission. What PTSD I’m going through listening. It’s so great to hear young people like you are out there spreading awareness of this cult but I need this step away for a week and then come back to listen to more. I feel nauseous. 🤢 great work Alyssa!

[@WatchingwaitingG2D]

Liars relate to liars.

[@christinashaw1859]

I’m a Catholic, and I can see how this could be harmful…especially the belief that you have to do these things to enter a higher degree in heaven. Thanks for posting. I come from a faith tradition where we believe baptism is a necessary part of becoming a part of God’s family. However, it’s also important to know that we believe God can give this grace to an unbaptized person just through their genuine desire for it…It’s called baptism of desire. :) So, technically, we can never make a judgment of who gets into heaven or doesn’t get into heaven, whether they’re Christian or not. This is all super interesting to me because I enjoy learning about different faith traditions, and that’s why I’m taking the time to explain what I believe.

[@thanielxj11]

Also, not being able to have coffee or tea is so strange to me because tea is one of the world's largest consumed beverages. Seems like a really strange thing to tack on there.

[@TheSamjane4]

Honestly the tea and coffee is just a random. It’s not about the caffeine as Mormons like to say as they are allowed to drink/eat other things that contain it like energy drinks and cola and chocolate. Basically it’s just to display obedience …they are told specifically not to drink those things so they don’t. There is no reason why except they were told in a revelation not to.

[@carolyearsley]

People who like coffee and tea sometimes like to get together and sit around and talk. The Morg likes to totally control group meetings, in order to control the narrative.

[@billiebluesheepie2907]

It comes from the time when Joseph kept coming home drunk and Emma said she was done with him - then he revealed that alcohol wasn’t allowed, but he was pissed that she kept having tea parties and having her ladies around - so he revealed that tea and coffee went against the word of wisdom too…

[@gabedavv]

it all is just controlling people.

[@cl5470]

Joseph Smith probably didn't want to pay for tea for all his concubines.

[@smallfootprint2961]

Thank you for being so brave to explain some of the inner workings of the Mormon church. I know it's not easy, and would be easier to go away quietly, but so many things are cloaked in secrecy today. Kudos to you for being one who is exposing the lies.

[@bradengv5187]

Thank you for what you do. I left the church in 2013 and so many non Mormons around me are learning from videos like yours about why I was upset.

[@Julia_USMidwest]

26:00 Your attitude on information helping people make good decisions is well-expressed. I appreciate the maturity you bring to the discussion of this topic.

[@bubblegumnnebula]

You’re not supposed to talk about the handshakes because then people will realize they’re Masonic handshakes 😂 those are exact handshake Freemasons use to greet each other. Told all this to my mom and she still tried to justify it. She’s still so engrained. Please give me advice on how to help her because I just don’t know what to do anymore PS: Alyssa your hair is so darling. You’re just so darn cute

[@jiaan100]

I don't have advice for helping her but be grateful you're still communicating with her

[@kkheflin3]

"Blindsided" is a great way to describe my temple experience in 1978. The nudity under the poncho had me screaming "I'm in a cult" from the get go. Thanks for all you do. I love your channel. SO educational and stressing informed consent. That's the main issue with me regarding the church (I left in 1992 after 38 years) is that people do NOT know what they are getting into. Making promises before you know what they are is just wrong.

[@leaanderson1361]

Thank you for sharing what putting your name on the prayer roll means. I was Mormon for 35 years, but never made it to the temple, so I never knew exactly what that meant. My ex mother-in-law would always tell me she was doing that for me and to know that all it entails is my name in a bag that people pray above is pretty disappointing lol.

[@jenniferroney6593]

I have the utmost respect for you Alyssa. Such strength to see is wrong to not be allowed to learn and speak

[@teresalee7539]

One reason I left the church was because no one would tell me what this ceremony was all about. I could not reconcile that with being able to exercise my free agency. As an anthropologist I can appreciate how pagan the Mormon religion is too. It's been an interesting 30 years working through the religious trauma.

[@LottamaBunMom]

As a former Mormon I applaud your honest videos about the church. I was baptized at a very young age when I just went along with what I was told. Many years later I tried to educate myself about what I questioned but became very skeptical that what the church believed and how it changed over time. I found another Church family and asked to have my name removed from the membership rolls. Not that they don't still come knocking on my door. Interesting how my name and address gets passed along as I move.

[@sarahrushton8154]

Have you thought about getting married again to your husband but with the wedding that you missed out on? Or is this something that you don’t really care about? I loved my wedding dress and can’t imagine getting married in something that doesn’t make me feel beautiful.

[@Bonklyboi]

She did speak about this in one of her videos and said she would like to have a second ceremony.

[@LeggoMy3ko]

i think the final straw for me when i left the church was when i was being pushed by my mom to go through the temple and get the garments. just something about it seemed really really off. now i know why thank you for making this video. to be honest i was always scared to go deeper into the temple beyond baptisms because of how secretive it was. if someone started speaking very vaguely to me about something that happens in the temple, other people would give them a very scary warning "dont do it" look and that always scared me a lot

[@kenziehurlock]

Thank you for sharing. I grew up Mormon and left the church at 24. I hadn't been to the temple in 5 years when that happened. I never got endowed, and I was always curious what it was. I really appreciate this.

[@eriny8707]

This content is uniquely brave and honest. Exclusivity lies at the heart of the church and most that question these practices remain quiet for fear of letting the wrong person ‘get in on’ it, or some divine retribution that is truly just the judgement of those that wanted to be in an exclusive eternal club so badly that they never questioned it.

[@purpleduracell]

Parallely, my Catholic high school had a REQUIRED weekend retreat that was top secret. I have always hated surprises due to medical trauma and your explanation of why the temple endowment is so jarring reminded me of it.

[@LeenyRose7]

Kairos? Super culty.

[@littledrummergirl_19]

As a Catholic I’ve never heard of that happening (thankfully, hopefully that means it isn’t a common occurrence) but it DEFINITELY should not have been secret! That’s so weird! I’m sorry they put you through that

[@RosinaPop]

@@littledrummergirl_19 I went to a catholic high school that had one. It was a secret because they didn't want to ruin the experience for the younger grades. It essentially was a mental health retreat. So you got to talk to your peers and after sharing more about yourself, you felt closer to them. You also were not pressured to share if you didn't want to but basically the school created a safe space to talk about your feelings. Of course, being a catholic school, it was centered around how god can help you in your life but we didn't focus much on that part. It was all a really sweet experience

[@shaunacorrigan9372]

There's a fantasy author that I found on Kindle Unlimited named Jeff Wheeler who is Mormon and after watching this video, I'm kind of amazed how much of these ceremonies and practices are included in his novels. Pretty much all the elements of the endowment that you described are in his books, just slightly reimagined for their fantasy world. Since these are supposed to be so sacred and secret, now I really wonder how he, as a self described "devout" Mormon, reconciles their use in his stories🤔

[@LockeDemosthenes2]

The fantasy author Brandon Sanderson is super Mormon too.

[@chlyri]

big name mormon authors tend to incorporate some of the doctrine in their fantasies.

[@tazelliott9862]

They temporarily opened up the Mormon Temple in my area to the public a few years ago and I got to go into the Celestial Room and I was sooooo confused as to why there was a fancy lounge on the top floor. They did not explain anything about it (now I know why) so I thought it was like a reception area for holy people. This explanation makes everything make sense (kind of)

[@tazelliott9862]

All they said was it was a place to contemplate your faith. I fully interpreted it as a fancy time out room like “go to the stark white hotel lobby and think about your actions”

[@JonCampos-kh2bw]

I love the Celestial room. It’s where I feel the Spirit the most.

[@williammendoza2230]

Thank you for your bravery and transparency.

[@rustledjammies8769]

There are a lot of similarities in this and masonic ritual. The white clothing, the apron, penalties, signs, tokens, symbols, light/darkness, etc. Both Joseph Smith and Brigham young were masons so this makes a great deal of sense, and I know the craft still persists in Mormonism.

[@flutenanyidk1806]

Dude those handshakes are wild (I’ve been thinking about leaving but I’m still living with suuuuuuper religious parents who are paying my bills)

[@Sleipnirseight]

I hope you can get out soon and experience the wonders of the world! One of the easiest ways to get started is go to college in a different area or even a different country (it's dirt cheap in most places). Apply for all the scholarships and grants, work on campus and eventually as a TA for free housing.... It makes it a lot easier to move somewhere completely new. You could also do the same for trade school. Or if you have work experience, you might be able to find a good company in another city/state and move there; sometimes they'll even assist with housing. This could include entry level salaried positions like working as a bank teller. Either way, financial independence is SUCH a huge piece of the puzzle. There are probably forums and Reddit groups filled with advice on how to gain this independence, especially as an ex Mormon. Once you have that, you can start living your OWN life. Wishing you luck!

[@keiththompson9575]

Your comment at 26:23 regarding knowledge of the temple ceremony, investigation prior to baptism, IS THE VERY THING THAT KEPT ME FROM JOINING MORMONISM--AND MY MISSIONARIES WERE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT. I mean, they had wasted 6 Saturday afternoon hours trying to talk me into this. I was on board--until...AND I'M GLAD I STUCK BY MY DECISION. I was still curious over the years. Now I see what a hype this was/is, the emptiness behind the beautiful temples (or what used to be beautiful temples), but even worse the emptiness of the religion, and THE VACANT EYES in every TBM says it all.

[@TGIFridayy]

It's crazy how many people go through this process and never once think "is this a cult?"

[@Sleipnirseight]

Thank you for the work you're doing. This ritual checks off so many criteria of the BITE model, particularly the information control section.

[@aaliyahrandom]

Baseline tip: 15% When you said talking about and showing tokens is the worst thing you could reveal and you were about to reveal them: 20% tip Brought out the extra hand: 50% tip

[@alyssadgrenfell]

I don’t know you but I’m sure we would be good friends 😭😭😂

[@aaliyahrandom]

I’m stuck in this rabbit hole of ex-morman content and Im not even a n exmo but you might have been the only one who gave us an extra hand 😭🤣

[@Bold11x]

I heard about a gentleman that spent his entire life a devote Mormon, followed every rule, obeyed every commandment, served every calling with honor but lost his thumb in a table saw accident in his sixties and couldn’t get into heaven because he couldn’t do the handshakes…..

[@GaySatanicClowns]

The entire cult is so depressing.

[@deonhauth4877]

Don't believe that.. totally ridiculous.

[@Bold11x]

@@deonhauth4877 trues story I swear. He was excommunicated with honor but still not enough….need to know the the secret shake! The fact that you would label my comment as “ridiculous” but somehow don’t see the ridiculousness of an almighty omnipotent, omnipresent God requiring a secret handshake to get into heaven is well…….ridiculous!! If entry was a secret handshake anybody could get in . Can you picture Jesus scrambling, calling all angels to act as border patrol, building an emergency wall to prevent sinners who learned the shake from gaining entry? Mormon god is weak and changes his everlasting mind a whole heck of a lot, if you haven’t noticed ….

[@savannahmay6335]

So happy I left this cult when I was a teenager. Happier than ever now since I’ve been free from brainwashing for over a decade now. Thank you for sharing about these things since part of my extended family that is Mormon refuse to talk about it, especially since I left the church.

[@aadams8419]

I was a member of the church for 46 years, but I never went to the temple (my husband had no interest, and I felt uncomfortable going without him). We just watched your video and kept pausing it to say “WTF, I can’t believe people do this, I can’t believe this is our neighbor’s date night!”

[@kevinjp2023]

26:54 “I mean they already have a hard time getting converts because you can’t have coffee.” Every Protestant church I’ve been to in my life proudly serves coffee before or after Sunday services… this is the first time I’ve ever seen that as a “dig” at the Mormon church 😂😂😂

[@Bildgesmythe]

Yep, I was in a very fundamentalist church but we gave coffee and baked goods to all😂

[@ninetailskwami]

lol ex missionaries know this because as soon as people heard "yes, you would have to stop drinking tea & coffee" people go "alright buh bye"

[@Laotzu.Goldbug]

Joking aside this is not really accurate considering that Mormonism is by far the fastest growing major religion in the us, and it is also quite popular now in other parts of the world like southeast Asia and Indonesia

[@WatchingwaitingG2D]

Shows what you know.

[@DiligentThroat]

@@WatchingwaitingG2Doh look, it’s the kid who accuses everyone of lying but has no proof. I just wanted to let you know that every single comment you leave boosts engagement on this video and makes sure that more people see it pop up in their feed, even those who weren’t subscribed like me!

[@rubyt118]

Thank you for sharing this. It was very educational and honest. I love your perspective on not having respect for the church, and I agree!

[@leaalexandra3847]

I honestly don't know much about Mormons, nearly nothing basically. I live and grew up in Germany, and as far as I'm aware of, there are not many Mormons here. They are mentioned occasionally in conversation, but I guess they are a really small minority around here - I'm happy you found you here because your content is so interesting. And honestly also frightening sometimes.

[@ChicaTiquita]

I'm also German and only seen Mormon missionaries like three times in my life.

[@juliepavlak]

There are quite many mormons in Germany actually. I used to attend mormon church and even went to the FSY camp in Germany (I live in Switzerland, but I know many german mormons). Like no matter where you live, I‘m sure you‘ll have at least one ward in a radius of maybe 50-70 kms. And you can usually see very clearly how limited „mormon gene pool“ is - there are several surnames you hear so often that you start to wonder „shit, are they all related? That‘s impossible!“, but in the end, yes they are all related indeed. One day, when I was about 16 yrs old my dad decided to leave the church and told me that I won’t ever go back there too, at least until I‘m a full grown adult and can make my own decisions without being influenced. I was devastated at that time and honestly thinking that my dad was a big time sinner. Now I‘m 24 and I can see VERY clearly why he left & forbid me to attend too. I‘m really grateful for it. We had many german missionaries here and there were particular two that made a really negative impact on me btw. Let’s call them Donald and Goofy (the resemblance…). I had a major crush on Donald and he kinda acted along - ofc he never wanted anything from me, he just wanted to finally get me baptized. What an awful strategy.. the Goofy though, the less handsome one, I got to date him after his mission (a longer time after though). He was a prime example of a narcissist, a very manipulative and abusive person. He abused the fck outta me in that „relationship“ - keep in mind I was just 17. He lied, cheated on me, regularly played the typical disguisting narcissist mind games on me in order to get what he wanted, he didn’t mind taking my money and he even slapped me in the face once. I honestly wanted to unal!ve myself bc of that dude and had to go to the therapy. Where is your christian love when you need it the most? Many church people act holy on the outside, but are absolutely fucking rotten on the inside. Toxic pos.

[@corylcreates]

Huh, now I know where the suitcases came from in my family! So relieved I legally resigned from the church in 2018 after being "inactive" since ~2007, but I had no idea that the Mormon church had a legal right to my personal information. It explained so much. Missionaries would show up at my house whenever I moved! Baptisms for the dead is also so creepy to me. These people have passed away, and yet church members believe they have the authority to disrespect their autonomy and baptize them in the name of the church?? Awful.

[@eddie4988]

as a non mormon who loves studying religions/religious movements thank you SO much for these clear lived experiences and incite! and honestly for all the eyebrow raising stuff i’ve learned about mormonism this, and the ceremonial outfits, and cleaning is probably the most normal and theologically interesting, thing I found out so far, up until the consecration thing and the fact you could only talk about everything in one specific room but not in a, Oh yeah, here’s our community religious library where we can discuss theology way, but in all right, please leave we can’t talk to you about it because it’s iffy in the details ways. 😅 on god mormons should just be honest about this because I’ve seen some weird trad Catholics, who would really go for it.

[@lindaallen9721]

I am a lapsed Catholic and survived Catholic school…there were a lot of things I disagreed with about the religion, but I never came across anything this involved. Then again, there are a lot of things I had to believe just because I was told to and as I got older, I began to question them. Today, the only thing that I admire about Catholicism is the beauty of the churches and cathedrals, especially the stained glass.

[@eddie4988]

@@lindaallen9721 I see what you mean, as a fellow recovering catholic myself, but besides the fact they have explicit leaves to wear, Catholics drink blood and eat flesh every week and traditionalist vail and or must wear hats, and the conformation process is the similar rising to declaring yourself an adult under the doctrine, my great grandmother was the embroider of the altar cloths and crochet the lace for confirmation dresses and she would work in symbols as good as prayers all the same. mormonism had a lot of religious history to build off of and humans just like the ritual for as long as we’ve been if only the man run hierarchies didn’t harm so many..

[@akrogirl32]

I have a friend who is an extremely devout Catholic, and she is now involved in some crazy crap with a Mormon woman, which really surprised me.

[@annamariaml9137]

I walked by the temple of my city today. It was the first time ever I felt repulsed by the building and the people there. I had never let myself look into this kind of information, even though I left 8 years ago. But your life experience in the church was so similar to mine that I caved and started watching all of your videos. Thank you for sharing.

[@2CanadianEh]

Thank you for sharing what you went through and pulling back the curtain on the whole religion It’s soo important

[@SaraSmilesandCreates]

Crazy part too.. when you watch the endowment video the apron is put on after Satan tells them what he’s wearing.

[@lindsyfish6704]

The second nail handshake is fantastic if you deal with a person who thinks crushing your hand during a handshake is hilarious.

[@jiaan100]

I remember in middle school kids would do handshakes like this forcefully as a joke. Very interesting that it spread that way

[@1573elleinad]

I’m glad I came across your KZbin channel. I was brought up in the Mormon church. I never felt “the spirit” Not even as a child. When I was a teenager I wanted to graduate and travel Europe not a baby factory behind some man. Because I didn’t want to be like them I was bullied by the other girls and ladies in relief society. My mother was a strict Mormon like you talk about. She kicked me out while I was still in high school. That’s when bad stuff happened and I was excommunicated. It was the best darn thing that happened to me!

[@fjtalleyauthor2242]

And is the apron designed to make sure the ceremony is as close to the masons, given that Joseph Smith was a mason and took many of these divinely inspired symbols from masons? Just asking....

[@annseibert8777]

So interesting! Thank you. I’m not a Mormon and have always wondered why all the secrecy? I remember growing up as a Christian and not understanding the divisiveness in the Christian church. Why is one better than the other if they all believe in Jesus? And later if God is love and loves everyone then what does it matter if you come to God in different ways such as through Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, etc. to me then and now it was more important HOW you lived, how you cared for ALL people. Your compassion, generosity. IMO, there is a difference between spirituality and religion. Religion (often) teaches bias, conformity, and intolerance for different opinions. Where as spirituality is about HOW you connect with the Devine. How you show compassion and respect to everyone that crosses your path. Going to church every week/day doesn’t make you a “good person”. It doesn’t mean you can hurt others, be greedy, be racist, sexist. For me, Christ’s message was simple. Love one another. Be kind. Be forgiving. Be generous. What a world it would be if we could break apart the walls of pride and prejudice, and see the divine spirit in each and every living thing on our planet! Would we care more about our impac😢 on the planet? Could we strip away greed and live a bit more simply? Could we be more careful to preserve land and protect wildlife? At any rate, as an adult I’ve pushed away from religious dogma because it just all seems a bit “cult-like” with an overarching purpose to control the individual for the church’s / church leader(s) own benefit.

[@karenholmes6565]

My cousin is Mormon. She was the first of our family to become Mormon. She went whole hog. She had a mission, she got married in the temple, the entire shabang. I remember at the wedding ceremony she had for the entire family, she had to get a wedding gown that covered her magical underwear, which looked a lot like a white t shirt to me.

[@gramajan4]

Thank you, Alyssa, for sharing all of this, it really helps us who are outside to understand Mormonism, and how to talk to Mormons about their religion. It is truly a very dangerous cult.

[@Rathanii]

I really appreciate all the information. First hand accounts and explanations are invaluable, and I like to be well informed on these kinds of practices. They're honestly incredibly fascinating. Thank you! And I hope your channel continues to grow

[@starveartist]

Thank you for your service!!!!!!!!

[@katieward9701]

God that’s so scary. I think of all the Mormon kids I knew from school and how scared they must’ve been experiencing this. My heart goes out to all of you

[@julianyc422]

it's a cult machine with Billions of Dollars

[@HiNinqi]

Thank you all for sharing. I've always wanted to know more about Mormonism. When I was in Oregon I didn't get the chance to attend any of the church fellowship meetings.

[@aprilromero371]

Early in our marriage my late husband taught a class based upon the book Kingdom of the Cults written by the late Walter Martin, who was a descendant of Brigham Young. My husband actually received a phone call from a woman who told him that after her daughter was married in the temple she began to act very strange. The mother was convinced that her daughter was concealing a diagnosis of terminal cancer from her mother. Imagine the mothers complete shock when her daughter told her that it was the officiant who married her and her husband, and not her new husband, who had the first sexual relations with her. I had heard this before as well

[@mickeyhabeck9472]

Thank you so much for all your explanations and visuals. My sister and brother in law are Mormon and it seriously makes me ill to know she has done/and does this. Both my nephews and my niece stopped going to church 29:13 . One of my nephews went on a mission (he came home for many reasons). I keep hoping they will leave, but so far, no luck. I have many friends, work people and patients that are LDS and now I question their intelligence (some are in very “learned” positions). Yikes. So glad I never wanted to go to the dark side. Thanks again for posting the videos and I look forward to seeing more.

[@user-ey4rc5tu4t]

Thank you for this work. My father left the church. I never knew we were anything except Baptist. I discoved Mormons through my heritage. Many of the things you talk about explain so much about how I was brought up.

[@eliza_kai]

I’m dying as you’re trying to explain the curtain part…it’s like the wizard of Oz and at the end you realize it’s some dusty old short man with a voice changing microphone pretending to be someone special. This is exactly what I imagine and it’s cracking me up 😂 I’m sure they do hurry it up because you might be tempted to pull that curtain back or laugh, although you’re so brainwashed I’m sure you’re shaking in fear which is disgusting.

[@keashablew7728]

I’m impressed. Quite a few subscribers so early in your KZbin career. Great job!!!

[@kiss126]

Thank you very much for doing this. Your videos are very educational, you are so brave, my respects to you! 👏👏👏👏

[@GrandmaKnightLife]

I grew up LDS and had a lot of problems with talking about things that I should have been able to talk about.

[@heatherjones3545]

i am SO greatful for this video 😅 me and my family have been out of the mormon church for years and they still wouldnt talk about the temple stuff 😭

[@TheSamjane4]

That’s not surprising. You are told in the temple never to reveal what happens in there or you will be condemned to hell forever. Even people who no longer believe still are afraid of that ,just in case,. You have to remember your relatives have been threatened with death and destruction from God so they are still afraid of the repercussions.

[@DownWithWs]

I work for a company that makes some of the stuff for temples. I would see the church as our customer & would wonder why they would be spending $1000 of dollars of furniture. It has to be the heaven rooms.

[@Rg-hc6or]

It’s hard to understand why a religion would intentionally traumatize their congregation with these secretive ceremonies. 🤔

[@JP2GiannaT]

For the same reasons frats and sororities do...

[@carolyearsley]

Because the temple ceremony is witchcraft, Baal being The Lord, not God

[@ninetailskwami]

I want a detailed explanation of every temple ceremony! I only ever did baptism of the dead because I was forced by my parents, but luckily was able to stop going to church altogether around 16 because I am gay and was bullied by leaders & kids at church, so I, thank fucking god, never experienced past that.

[@lovejane6969]

I respect and am so proud of you Alyssa for your videos! Thank you for explaining the temple process! I went through less than a handful of times and never knew any of what you just explained. I left because of the negative feelings. Thank you for all you do and being a light with the truth! ♥️🌅

[@lcwalker2920]

Sitting in the TP class, there was the mention of multiple wives in heaven. Hubby objected saying he had a hard enough time with one wife. He was reassured that while he could opt to be monogamous he would likely change his mind later.

[@ketameanii]

yikes 😭