We are called upon to embrace diversity and inclusion while observing our faith traditions

How often do we hear the word transparent used in daily conversation? Whether we are speaking about financial accountability in business , governmental responsibility to the people, the public’s desire to know the truth about a celebrity’s private life, and the list goes on.

Yet, I am not so sure that transparency as an ethos always applies to religion because religions have their traditions that only belong to their membership. Does that mean that secrecy about a ritual or the privacy of a religion is bad thing?

Sometimes those customs and rituals are purposefully secret but if they are a minority faith tradition and they are unusual to the mainstream, then preserving their uniqueness and secrecy makes the adherents feel special about their faith tradition. Yet, people just assume if the ritual or the setting of a sacred place is not open to everyone, then it leaves a bad impression. In other words, some people assume automatically that the religion must be hiding something.

Over the summer I headed up to Washington, D.C., and had the opportunity to visit the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) Temple. The temple was built and dedicated in 1974 and now for the first time in almost 50 years the temple was open to the public for viewing. Thanks to Hilton Head Bishop Craig Dixon who arranged for me to visit on this one day back in June. My congregation and his are neighbors and so it just seemed like a unique opportunity. Anyone who visits Washington has seen this towering structure when driving north along the Capitol Beltway.

The Washington temple was the first one built east of the Mississippi River and originally served 31 states and a variety of territories and nations south of the continental US. Today, there are many more temples, including one in Columbia, South Carolina. The D.C. temple was designed to resemble the Salt Lake City temple and the central tower reaches 288 feet high. The total ground space inside of the temple is 160,000 square feet. The outer walls are made of Alabama marble and the spires are coated in 24 carat-gold. The 2-ton statue of the angel Maroni sits atop the tallest tower.

The influence of the Hebrew Bible is ever present in their temple. They made it to resemble the Jerusalem Holy Temple and the tradition of the biblical priests. There are two large stained glass windows on the eastern and western parts of the building. The open house gave the public an opportunity to visit and peruse the entire facility. The paintings depicting the church’s history reminded me that this faith was founded in America in the 19th century, including portraits of founders like Joseph Smith and others. The LDS Church believes that Jesus visited the ancient Americas after the resurrection and those paintings are also depicted in the D.C. temple.

What goes on in the temple? Basically it serves three ritual purposes since the LDS temples around the world do not hold weekly Sabbath services inside the temples.The first is getting married in a ceremony that is called sealing. The second purpose is a baptismal font. It is supported by 12 oxen which represent the 12 tribes of Israel. The person may enter the water as an affirmation of faith, like the biblical priests in ancient times, and partake in a purification ritual, but the baptismal ritual also enables the individual to make prayers on behalf of deceased relatives to receive LDS baptism and confirmation in the afterlife. The third ritual practice is called endowment, which is a moment when adherents receive blessings for being close to God.

“The endowment ceremony teaches of God’s love for all of His children and His plan for their happiness. Participants make special promises with God called covenants. They covenant to obey God’s commandments and follow Jesus Christ. In return, God promises wonderful blessings in this life and the opportunity to live with Him as eternal families after this life.”

After the temple has been dedicated or, in the case of the Washington, D.C., temple a completed major renovation, guests can always come and enjoy the grounds and the visitors center. Only LDS members can actually enter the temple itself.

My wife and I were treated to a wonderful tour and given the utmost respect as I asked all kinds of questions about the LDS tradition. The LDS tradition has faced conflict and in earlier times suffered greatly from Americans who refused to accept their practices and view of being Christians. They fully understand the issues that divide Christians as to the theological status of the LDS Church within the mainstream of Christianity.

But it would not be so different within other religions that disagree with offshoots from their own history. Protestant Christianity broke off from the Catholic tradition. Judaism has different branches where some groups do not recognize the legitimacy of Jewish branches with alternative theologies and religious rituals. Islam still fights the battles between Sunni and Shiite branches, which began around the time of Mohammed.

When people have such passion, devotion and commitment to their faith tradition, it is a true test to manage that diversity of thinking and faith. Debate and inclusion is our challenge, not just in the political culture but also in religion in America.