Walking Through the Payson Temple Open House...With Ear Buds

Can I (Should I) Wear Ear Buds in a Mormon Temple?

May 16th, 2015—It was a Saturday, and I was dressed in my Sunday best. I had followed Google Map's directions down Utah's I-15 to participate in the final week the Payson Temple open house. When the Salt Lake mid-singles group failed to rendezvous at the appointed time at the meetinghouse (adjacent to the temple), I hopped in the "non-ticket holder" line and popped in my ear buds in an effort to feel like I was not a single dude standing in a huge line populated with families and couples. BYU VocalPoint's Lead Thou Me On album was playing on shuffle.  It was working.

After a short 15 minutes of waiting in line, I was wrangled into the cultural hall to watch the pre-walkthrough video. Before I knew it, smiling volunteers were slipping white booties over my black dress shoes just before the temple entrance.  I couldn't hear anything that was going on, and just kept moving along.  It was surreal; my life had a soundtrack, like when Harold Crick's life was being narrated in Stranger Than Fiction. (Remember this toothbrushing scene?)

I began to wonder: Will someone politely ask me to remove my electronics? Maybe if I reverently fold my arms and tuck the wires under my tie, they will let me be…

I'm self-aware of my rebellious nature; is it acting up right now? Is the mere fact that I'm thinking about this evidence enough that I should remove the ear buds? My attention was jerked away by a snotty-nosed toddler wildly mouthing something about McDonalds and drooling on his mother's skirt in front of me. I decided to leave the ear buds in. 

Sure enough, I walked past, one, two, three temple greeters without so much as a "excuse me, sir."  And why not? The official website stated, "modest dress is requested"—nothing more. The building had not yet been dedicated. And it wasn't like I was blasting Metalica for surrounding visitors to hear.  So I settled in.

(This video was put together by my friend, Dan Smith.)

My Walkthrough Experience

Six things impressed me most during my tour:

1. THE EAR BUDS! It totally enhanced the entire experience for me. Instead of listening to children's whining about hunger pains, the extraneous din was replaced by harmonies of sweet angels. As I walked through the very first room on the tour (the baptistry), I was overcome by a feeling of gratitude for the dedication of those who had labored on the temple's construction since President Thomas S. Monson announced the it on January 25, 2010. The scent of new carpet and freshly stained wood added to my sense that this building truly was a perfect offering to the Lord. Did you know that certain rooms can only be worked on by temple recommend holders?  Jacobson construction makes sure of it.
2. The marble exterior of the temple is not white, like you would suppose—it's cream colored. After the tour, in the reception tent, a display indicated the sources of all the of the various construction materials. I learned that the marble was shipped from Spain! (I thought the church tried to find mostly locally-sourced materials.) I'd like to hear more of the story behind the decision of the temple's facade.
3. The interior was incredibly green. The Payson temple has far more greenery than any other temple I've visited. There were silk trees, lush murals, even green upholstery, which contributed to the natural decor.
4. The growing motif progressed upward from the first floor to the third floor. If you visit, pay attention to the blooming and blossoming in the woodwork and the glass as you ascend.
5. Two paintings particularly caught my eye. The first was The Garden Tomb by Linda Curley Christensen, positioned just outside the women's locker room. Having had just recently visited the Holy Land this past Summer, seeing such an accurate depiction of the garden tomb brought back very spiritual emotions for me. Coincidentally, Savior, Redeemer of My Soul began to play right as I walked by, which is the very song I sang while worshiping there. I'm sure the people around me thought it was most peculiar that I would break down and cry in the ladies room of all the rooms in that holy house.
6. The second painting (positioned near the southern-most entrance to the marriage party waiting room) was a portrait of a beautiful, black woman knelt in prayer. I tried to recall if I had seen other paintings depicting blacks in other temples, but I couldn't. (Later on I saw paintings with people of other ethnicities too. Very cool.)

Official Photos

The Celestial Room felt circular. (Circles are required symbols in all celestial rooms, but never to this extent.)

View from the NW. (A lot of the interior glass was bejeweled, which was a nice nod to Utah fashion.)

Look at the intricate needlework on the carpets. (Laser installed, sealing room mirrors can have 0 error.)

Conclusion

At the beginning of the tour, I felt like volunteers were profiling me as a sinner. Judging by the looks on their faces, one would have supposed that I had entered the temple with a cigarette hanging out of my mouth. But once they could see the overwhelming expressions of gratitude on my face, and tears welled up in my eyes, their judgmental stares turned to looks of righteous envy. In my current state, it wouldn't have mattered what I was wearing—it was apparent that, despite whatever was going on underneath those earbuds, I had been touched by the Spirit of God.

All Photos from Church Website…except for this one. I don't know where I found this one. Great shot though. Other super shots.