Mormon Temple Film

The acting, sets, and costumes were excellent but these things can never compensate for the lame screen play by Joseph Smith, Jr. This is so despite significant rewrites through the years by other writers. The story itself is like a bad version of Milton's "Paradise Lost" which ties in closely with Masonic Temple ceremonies.

The viewings I attended were very interactive with a costumed audience and not unlike "Rocky Horror Picture Show" in that regard although the participants only wore white and were much more sober than a typical RHP crowd. Both are definitely cult classics considering the many viewings they receive.

The acting is decent. Lena Tulaunen Rogers is totally steamy in the role of Eve. She left me wanting to see more. Ron Frederickson as Lucifer chilled my blood in one scene in which he turns to the audience and warns them about disclosing the secrets revealed in the film. I liked Gordon Jump (in the role of Peter) much better as the inept boss in "WKRP in Cincinnati". Definitely a poor casting choice.

This film can only be viewed as a sort of cult classic. If you can't enjoy it on that level my advice is steer clear of it.

This film is part of someone's personal devotion. I would hope that, however weird or twisted some may consider that devotion to be, any viewing or commenting on this entry would at least accord it the respect that they would hope would be accorded to their own personal devotion, religious or otherwise. It is disrespectful and irrelevant to treat it in the same fashion in which you would treat a film that was intended as a salable entertainment experience for public consumption. It was never intended as a commercial product, or an entertainment experience, or anything remotely similar thereunto. If treating that which is important to others in this sort of mischaracterized and derogatory fashion cannot be avoided, please have the common courtesy not to do so in a public setting. No one who has seen this in the setting in which it was designed to be viewed, or is involved with what it represents, is interested in outside commentary on it.

This film is only available to those who are "temple worthy" members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka Mormons). It is shown to attendees at the Mormon temples throughout the country. While perhaps millions of people have seen this film (or the original live-action version), you will never see it on television, never be able to rent it from Blockbuster or Netflix, and never download it from a web site. Even devout Mormons will concede that this film is not well-produced and many consider it the low point of their temple experience. Nonetheless, that it is supposed to be a secret, and it is a secret kept by millions of people, makes this probably one of the most important low-budget films in American history.

This movie is dull (bring your phone), low quality, and high priced (10% of your income). There are similar movies on Youtube about the Garden of Eden experience which are a lot shorter and you don't need to wear really weird green aprons. Some mormons claim a victim mentality (a common mindset) about how it is sacred. They are entitled to their opinion, but if you just are looking for something thought provoking, I'd go through Netflix and watch basically anything else. I assure you that the show you choose will have more meaning than the Mormon Temple Movie. Wild wild west is particularly good.

One of the viewers wrote, "The temple ceremony is sacred, not secret."

I call total BS on this.

"secret adjective 1a: kept from knowledge or view : HIDDEN b: marked by the habit of discretion : CLOSEMOUTHED c: working with hidden aims or methods : UNDERCOVER a secret agent d: not acknowledged : UNAVOWED a secret bride e: conducted in secret a secret trial 2: remote from human frequentation or notice : SECLUDED 3: revealed only to the initiated : ESOTERIC 4: designed to elude observation or detection a secret panel 5: containing information whose unauthorized disclosure could endanger national security" (per Merriam-Webster)

By definition, the temple ceremony is secret. The reviewer either doesn't know what they're talking about, or they're being deceptive. Either way, their credibility is blown.

Yes, the temple ceremony is also sacred to many devout believers. This fact does not require respect. I respect the reviewer's right to believe and cherish whatever they want, regardless of how ridiculous the belief may be. But, until you can provide evidence for the veracity of said extraordinary belief, the belief merits no respect as to its validity. Case in point, Brigham Young, the second president of the Mormon Church, taught that Adam, the first man, was God the Father. He thought this belief was so important, he even had it incorporated into the Mormon temple ceremonies (Google FAIR LDS's "Brigham Young's Adam-God theory").

I respect that Brigham had a right to believe whatever he wanted to believe, but the belief merits no respect at any level. Even the LDS Church has repudiated the doctrine.

Side note - I gave the movie 3 stars. It's boring, repetitive, and provides little, if any, new information. But, Gordon Jump was in this old version. He rocked, even if a few of his beliefs merited no respect.