LDS Wedding

A coworker invited me to his wedding reception at a Latter-Day Saints Church this past weekend. The wedding itself was in the Temple adjacent to the church, which we could not attend because we weren't of the "restored sainthood" (plus you need an official LDS card affirming your worthiness). However, on our way to the church we made a wrong turn into the temple parking lot and managed to get a fairly up-close view of the outside of the place.

I noticed some architectural similarities between the temple and some Masonic buildings I've seen, specifically the Masonic Temple in Alexandria and a lodge a couple miles from where we live.

1. No Windows - although the Masonic Temple appears to have windows, the lodge and the Mormon Temple were void of any inlet for natural light. It's a little odd that something touted as "a light to the world" shields the outside world from any light originating from within it.


2. Near Symmetrical Design - all the buildings are symmetrical, or as the Masons seem to refer to it "geometrical." The only non-symmetrical feature of the temple is the spire holding the statue of Moroni. Note that the remaining five spires form a slightly elliptical inverted pentagram behind him. (OK, so maybe that's a little bit of a stretch, but some Mormon temples do have pentagrams on them.)


3. Out-of-place -both the temples sort of show up out of nowhere. You're driving down the beltway towards the Wilson Bridge, noticing the large commercial buildings and then all of sudden you say "What's that?" as the Masonic Temple comes into view. Likewise, the spectacle of the gigantic, marble white Mormon Temple nested within a quiet, lush, wooded area elicits even more of an exclamation.
   
4. Creepy - the creepiness is probably results from a combination of the out-of-place nature, unusual architecture, and the enigmatic nature of Mormonism and Masonry. It was uncomfortable to be there.

Some claim Mormonism has no relation to Freemasonry, other than that Joseph Smith himself was a 32nd-level Mason, the highest level to which any non-US President can attain to (Smith also possessed +12 Charisma and +5 Accuracy with the long bow...I kid). But apparently there's a lot of material out there linking the two more deeply, architecturally and ceremonially. I'm not going to tread those waters right now.

I would like to offer my congratulations to my coworker, though. He and his wife are a great fit and make a cute couple.