Pastor Explores Mormon Holy Sites in Nauvoo and Carthage, Illinois 

I must admit, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, I usually never click on videos where people are critiquing our faith because my experiences in the past have left me feeling completely misunderstood and hurt. So, when I first saw your video pop up as a suggestion on the sidebar, I was skeptical thinking, "It's just another hater." But I was drawn to yours for some reason, "What if this time it was someone genuinely exploring our faith and trying to understand who we are?" I decided to read the comments first to see if I could tell what kind of video it really was. I read how other members of my faith were impressed by your approach in your videos so, I felt like I could give this one a try. I want you to know that after watching this video I feel like I could watch more of your videos... even subscribe😉. Listening to you, the spirit witnesses to me that your heart is genuine, your questions are sincere, and you are truly and honestly just searching for a way to bring greater understanding on both sides. I think it really hit me when you described the solemn feeling you felt in Nauvoo and Carthage, the sadness of what had happened there, It was then, I began weeping... just grateful someone was willing to take the time to hear our full story. My mom grew up in Wisconsin, she and her mom (my grandma) tried a lot of different Christian churches together. I come from a long line of pastors and ministers. I love the stories of my grandparents and great-grandparents and I'm strengthened in my faith in Christ as I read their witnesses of Him in their lives as they served pastors: Methodist, Episcopalian, Baptist, Etc. But when my grandma and mom joined the LDS church, our Christian, cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents didn't really want anything to do with us anymore. There was no dialogue, no conversation, no sincere questions. Just silence! Let's just say, your video fills a hole in me. It gives me hope to see that there are people out there willing to have good honest conversations, willing to approach with curiosity rather than criticism. I hope and pray that whenever you meet members of the LDS church, they ALWAYS give you the same respect that you have given us. Ultimately, our mission is the same; to help people believe in Jesus Christ and know that it is by Him, through Him, and of Him that we are saved from sin, death, and everything in between. He is the source of real love, of all truth and light! It's the best news for anyone to hear!! And that's what the world needs now more than ever! ❤🙏 Thank you again, you've gained my respect and appreciation! God bless you and your ministry!❤

Just shared with my pastor here in salt lake and we are both following you and your journey. This is awesome!

I've never been to Nauvoo, I'm from Yucatan Mexico and I've been a member if the church since I was baptized at 8 years old, but thanks to you this is the first time I see a tour of Nauvoo and to learn your perspective

It's lovely to read the comments and different perspectives thus far, I have really enjoyed your presentation as you appear to be open minded in learning about the faith. I just want to comment about the LDS viewpoint on Jesus. He IS central to everything we believe in. His experience on the CROSS, certainly is and will be forever part of our beliefs as a crucial part of the Atonement. His experience in the Garden, is where LDS members feel he took upon Himself the sins of the world, with great drops of blood leaving his pores. His experience on the cross, though very agonizing, was not uncommon for many people of the time, as a curl and unusual punishment for those sentenced to die. We believe that both the Cross and the Garden culminated in what we call the great Atonement. It is our faith and belief that the Atonement, in whatever package you want to put it, is the central focus what LDS members believe. It is not much different than what traditional Christians believe in. Yes, Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not to destroy, but no where do I read in the scriptures that temples or temple worship was done away with. If God were to instruct a people to build a temple then we will, and he has. Gods instructions to the people of the earth has not stopped, nor will it. That is one of the big difference between what traditional Christians believe in and what the LDS faith believes in. Thanks for your perspectives, keep up the great work.

There will be a temple open house during April 15-July 8 for the Saratoga Springs, Utah temple. You could come and walk through the temple, tour the inside, ask questions. I love your channel and yes I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My husband and I admire you for the way you are learning about the church. I wish more people were like you and tried to have a conversation instead of just bashing the church blindly. Anyway, come to the open house. There are many temples being built and before the dedication there is always an open house so that everyone can walk through a temple.

Yes they are incredible, and what you learn inside is mind blowing. I remember going there back in the 60s actually London England. *smile*

I appreciate learning your perspective about the cross and why temples are not a practice in general Christianity. My grandparents served their senior mission in Nauvoo in that part of town and I never got to visit while they were there so that was lovely to see.

Thank you. One thing you did not mention is Joseph Smith was the first assassinated Presidential candidate. I would love to have a face to face discussion on the necessity of the Temple

thank you pastor Jeff! I am LDS and have not had the opportunity to see nauvoo yet. So I was experiencing it with you for the first time. thanks for the video so I could see sites I have only read about.

Love your videos, content, videography and your honest view. I can feel you are a man of God. ✝️🙌🙏 can’t wait to see the next one

Very respectful response. As an Ex Mormon, I gotta say- you walked a fine line and did very well!

As a member of the LDS church I have been taught that we don't emphasize the cross because we like to remember his resurrection, not his death on the cross. Thankyou for these videos. You do such a good job.

I was Mormon for a dozen years, you are doing great work with this channel, the lds church MUST be exposed.

👋 Hello! As a fellow Midwesterner (IL & KS) just a few thoughts: 1) No cross on buildings because our focus is on the living resurrected Christ 2)The law that was fulfilled upon Christ’s death (symbolized by the temple veil being rent) was the Mosaic law of animal sacrifice. Christ was the last sacrificial Lamb and now we come to Him with a broken heart and contrite spirit. 3) If no man can enter heaven except through baptism, our faith is doing that work for loved ones who have died without it in our temples. I’m not aware of any other faith that takes this charge literally. 4) If you haven’t already, you should explore the LDS concept of the Savior’s Atonement. My Midwestern Christian friends (who I was in a prayer group with in IL) asked me to clarify what I mean when I use it & that’s when I realized how unique it was. When I try to explain it they say oh you mean ‘reconciliation’ (which I noticed is mentioned often in the NT.) Kind of? Someone much smarter than me once said it is closer to the word ‘covering’ that is mentioned in the OT. Would love to hear your take on it.

I so appreciate your videos and just your open mindedness and desire to learn! As for the cross, we do know and believe in the significance of Jesus suffering, death, and resurrection. But we don’t use crosses as symbols in our church or in our personal lives, because we emphasize the resurrection and the hope of Christ, rather than his death and suffering (because his death and suffering are *part* of why we DO have hope - since we don’t have to suffer to the full extent *because* of Him). Hope that all kind of makes sense. And of course, if it doesn’t you can always ask your local missionaries for more clarification 😄

8:00 The reason there aren't crosses on our church buildings is because we remember and appreciate Christ's sacrifice on the cross, but we honor and worship the risen Christ.

We visited Novo Illinois when I was 15 Very interesting

The LDS not using the cross as their symbol is slowing changing. The reason their not is because one LDS leader viewed his opinion on it thinking it wasn't a good representation of Christianity but I think he's wrong and unfortunately it carried on for a long time now the next generation of LDS are having different views on it. I think the Cross is a really good symbol of it. I just think one leader didn't want to follow what other Christian church were using. He felt we should be different. Christ sacrifice is the most important thing that has happened on this earth for sure. I'm so glad you brought that up. Hopefully the LDS leaders will all realize how silly it is to not use that symbol, but we do preach Christ sacrifice every Sunday. When we part take of the Sacrament it's to remember what he did on the cross. What we use as a symbol is not that so important to us. The way we live our lives is our symbol. Loving one another.

I really appreciate your insights as you explore and learn more about our religion. I also understand why you would question and wonder why we don’t focus on the cross as the ultimate symbol of Christianity. Though we believe that Christ paid the ultimate price on the cross for the sins of the world, we focus more on his resurrection because it symbolizes his triumph over death (death being the enemy) and that because he resurrected, we will all resurrect one day and be able to have the opportunity to live with him as perfect beings and no longer fear death. That is why we don’t focus (NOT believe) on the cross; because it focuses on his death and not on his resurrection. That is why the steeple on our meeting houses don’t have a cross. It is a steeple that points upwards into heaven symbolizing his resurrection and going back to the presence of the Father. I hope this explains more and brings understanding. Thank you again for your videos. They are insightful for an LDS member to see the religion through the eyes of a fellow Christian brother.

So, here's a fun fact folks. If you don't pay tithing, you are not allowed to go through the temple! The church literally has thousands of members who can't afford to pay tithing (10% of their gross income) and aren't able to pay bills, rent, car payments, health insurance, etc. But the Bishop tells them that if they pay their tithing, that they'll be able to find the money to meet their bills! Ya, that has never happened, and I have many friends, who have shared that particular story with me. They no longer are members of the church! So, the bottom line, is that if you want to go to heaven, you have to go through the temple, and in order to do that, you have to pay tithing! So, in order to get to heaven, you have to pay money! I'm pretty sure Jesus, actually had thoughts about that concept!!

I wonder if you would try to explore other churches as well once you're done with this. Like Hillsong, Elevation, ect.. mega churches

I loved your explanation on why other Christian churches do not have temples, and how we as a people are the temple where God's presence dwells. I really like this concept! As a practicing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I would like to offer an explanation of why I still accept the temple, while still agreeing with your concept of the cross and God's presence. We also believe that Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses (see Mosiah 13:27-30 and 3 Nephi 15:4) and that the performance of many ordinances and rituals (such as sacrificing animals) was fulfilled by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. However, I don't believe that means temples lost their importance or function. A temple is a place we can go to learn and worship Jesus Christ. Even though his presence can be with us despite the temple, there is nothing wrong with setting apart a specific place to focus on him and separate ourselves from the distractions if the world. Also, as stated on fairlatterdaysaints.org, "it is quite clear that the New Testament apostles continued to worship in the Jerusalem temple after Christ's ascension (Acts 2:46, 3:1-10, 5:20-42). Even Paul worshipped there (Acts 21:26-30, 22:17, 24:6-18, 25:8, 26:21). Paul is explicitly said to have performed purification rituals (Acts 21:26, 24:18), and prayed in the temple (22:17, cf. 3:1); he claims that he has not offended "against the temple," implying he accepts its sanctity (25:8). Indeed, Paul also offered sacrifice (prosfora) in the temple (21:26, cf. Numbers 6:14-18), a very odd thing for him to do if the temple had been completely superceded after Christ's ascension. Finally, and most importantly, Paul had a vision of Christ ("The Just One" ton dikaion) in the temple (Acts 22:14-21), paralleling Old Testament temple theophanies, and strongly implying a special sanctity in the temple, where God still appears to men even after Christ's ascension." In addition, Christ instituted additional "ordinances" or rituals (such as baptism and the sacrament) that point us to him, help us remember him, and give us a symbolic physical action to help us externalize something deeply internal and spiritual. The temple has always pointed humans to Christ, before and after his death. The atonement (symbolized by the cross in other Christian churches) is the central point of history, and does not, in my opinion contradict the need for temples. Instead, temples, just like partaking of the wine and bread or participating in baptism, help us access the power of the cross and have God's presence dwell in us as it should. Those are just some of my thoughts, hope that helps explain a little more of our perspective! Thanks again for your videos! I am loving them!

I enjoyed your perspective and your respectful attitude though your opinion is different. I’d like to address something you said at the end of your video about the absence of the cross and the presence of the temple. It is my understanding that as a Latter Day Saint , I am to focus on the LIVING Savior. The cross is a symbol to most Christian denominations of the ultimate sacrifice our Savior died for us. And we focus on the atonement as more than forgiveness for our sins, and the advocate to our Heavenly Father. Jesus did die on the cross, but he now LIVES! Focusing on the living Savior is the purpose of my faith and all the covenants and “religious ceremonies” that are going on inside the temple. In the new and ever lasting covenant made with our living Savior and Redeemer. ❤

Thank you for this respectful and insightful exploration of Nauvoo.

As a Saint, I Found the Protestant view on not needing a temple interesting… I am curious to know the perspective on the Jews potentially building a temple in Jerusalem again one day. Is there a special caveat in their case? Do they not need to ever build a temple again?

Hi Pastor Jeff! I love your passion and curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I've enjoyed your tours and impressions. Have you heard of the Follow Him podcasts with Hank Smith and John Bytheway? They're super down-to-earth and have a great sense of humor. They explored Doctrine & Covenants in 2021, along with guest speakers from diverse backgrounds. This year they are exploring the Old Testament. So many of your questions are addressed in their podcasts. If you have time you might enjoy them.

Thank you for explaining why non-lds members do not feel the need for temples. I am lds and love the temple, but what you explained makes sense. Thank you for doing so respectfully!

It could be cool if you visited the RLDS temple in Jackson, MO

I would actually love if you did a video on the history of the cross from a traditional Christian view and suggest that you read or look into John Hilton III. He has a book called “Consider the Cross” that offers amazing insight; I highly recommend it to everyone, especially my fellow saints who have perhaps been culturally (not doctrinally) convinced that the cross is not to be embraced for better lack of words. It was also interesting to hear that your takeaway was a feeling of loss and sadness. Nauvoo is one of my favorite places on earth. I have only a feeling of hope and wonder at the work that God is capable of when I am there. Even Carthage left me with a feeling that God has a plan that we are all a part of and that only through Him can we find true relief and peace. As always, I appreciate your content and insights!

Another polarizing factor of the era was slavery. Most members of this church at the time we're abolitionists and the locals didn't want the opposing political view changing things.

Thank you for the video. As I listened to your explanation about why you don't feel the need to have temples, it struck me that there is no where in the Bible that says that Christians don't have temples because Jesus at the cross fulfilled the requirements of the law respecting the temple. Topics mentioned that were done away included things such as circumcision and Levitical laws requiring how many steps one could walk on the Sabbath, etc., But if you carefully read the Old Testament prophets like Daniel, you'll see temple worship was even to continue in the end of days. Lumping the temple into this part of the law that was done away with is understandable from your perspective, but to offer another perspective in light of the possibility of a true restoration, Christ never would have wanted temple rites to cease because they bring people closer to Him, and they more fully explain what Christ did on the cross and in the garden of Gethsemane so that we might more fully internalize that almost incomprehensible gift of His atonement to make us more like Him through each grace He offers us. Yes. You got it right that the temple offered ordinances then and it brought God to the people. It still does that, but it gives us greater understanding of bringing us lowly people closer to God. I realize that if temples were not part of my upbringing that I would need to justify that, and while all that you said might justify it in your mind and seem reasonable, please keep a portion of your mind open to the fact that just as God is the same today as yesterday and forever, that our fallen condition makes us just as susceptible to backsliding today as we we in the days of Jeremiah. The temple too helps God's children to remember their covenants with God and remain on the right track. I can't adequately explain how the temple has blessed my life. When I am there I feel a peace that surpasses all understanding. It teaches me God's plan of happiness. It turns my heart to the entire human family and how I might bless them. It teaches me the importance of sacrifice, the gospel laws, service, consecration and how Christ is the center of it all. It helps make me a better person. I can't think of a better way that Christ could have blessed the lives of His children today through covenants similarly to how He had originally done it to the house of Israel back in Old Testament times when His children were worthy enough to have it among them. So just because it isn't part of your tradition, please don't feel as though God would not want it to continue to have it bless the lives of His children today.

We are the temple! Our bodies.

Proof that you can learn through the eyes of love and understanding, without the need to denounce, criticize, or slander. I am a convert to the LDS faith during my early 20s. I was raised Catholic in Provo, Utah, and I had a hard time due to some bad experiences with certain members. I had something happen in my own life that led me ultimately to join the LDS church. I just wanted to say thank you for being a light for others to follow. I loved hearing your personal perspectives on gospels and the honest consideration and respect you gave to beliefs that were different than your own. You are a good man with a beautiful soul, and I applaud you and wish you good journey friend. - Leif Azrael

Thanks for this! This was amazing. A fun fact about the Navoo Temple that I learned on my mission to Southern California. When the Saints left Navoo there was a great desire to return to the temple at a later date, but as you stated the temple was destroyed. Luckily the architect of the temple William Weeks kept the blueprints and took them with him to Utah. To make a long story short the plans were kept in the family for generations even though they ended up leaving the church, but even then the church had no idea where the blueprints were. Then in the the 70s or 80s a missionary was serving in an area of the Majave Desert in California knocked on a door. As it turned out, that door was the home of one of William Week's descendants and they were having a family meeting at the time. The father of the Family had just passed away and they wanted to do something to honor his memory. They had actually just made the decision moments before this missionary knocked on the door to give the blueprints to the church. The missionary was from Utah and was just about to go home in a couple of days so he was asked to take them and present them to the leaders of the church after getting back home. It was not until later that night did the missionary learn that the blueprints were for the Navoo temple, kept in perfect condition. The church then used these blueprints to perfectly rebuild the Navoo temple years later.

Jeff - Thank you for your even-handed and open approach. I was struck by your sincerity. I agreed with everything you said about the Temple in antiquity, and how Christ fulfilled the Law, but I also absolutely affirm the necessity of latter-day temples, so your confusion as to the need for them was interesting to see. The other purpose to the Temple, that you mentioned but didn't explore, is for performing ordinances for the Dead. Temples are special, dedicated spaces where we are authorized to baptize our forbears by proxy - it's our answer to the question of the "fate of the Unbaptized". To us, the salvation of someone who was unbaptized in life but otherwise righteous is no longer in question - we perform the ordinance on their behalf and give them the opportunity to claim it after death, as they are currentl in a "waiting period" between their death and their future resurrection and the Final Judgment. This can ONLY be done in temples. (It would not have been mentioned in the Old Testament, as Jesus had not yet broken the bands of Death, but the Salvation of the Dead is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Peter 3-4. Read Doctrine and Covenants 137 and 138 for an expansion on the topic, if you're interested!) I'm looking forward to seeing your journey of exploration. Thanks for showing us around historic Nauvoo again - it's been some years since my family has been there!

I am LDS, i have never heard why other christian religions don't have Temples, thank you for that explanation.

Hey Jeff. Love the channel man. I’m from southeast Missouri and the lord has placed an interest in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints within my hear . I am an evangelical Christian and appreciate what you are doing. God bless you.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I am so impressed by and thankful for the respectful way you share what you’re learning. It’s very insightful to hear your thoughts. Thank you so much for taking the time to try to understand without feeling the need to find fault with or disprove my faith ❤️

Hey Pastor Jeff, thank you so much for your sincere curiosity and open heart. I also love that the video is 18:30 min long, I’m sure it was not on purpose but it made me smile so thank you for that too :) I was thinking about some of the things you mentioned toward the end of the video, particularly the observation of the presence of the temple and the lack of the cross. I’m not an authority on the subject, and can only offer my understanding and perspective but I did want to share a couple of my thoughts. One of the things that is a fundamental belief of the LDS church is that we believe in eternal progression and learning, which is mostly what the temple is for. We believe that God is our father and as such we want to be like Him. The temple is one of the places we go to learn about him and make covenants and promises to strive to live by laws and standards he has set. It is where we go to learn how to change, improve, and individually strive to live closer to his standard. That being said I t is through Christ and his sacrifice that we are able to make these changes and become the kinds of people we strive to be. We also believe in the spirit and having a personal connection with Christ which is a great blessing, helps and guides us, and is also something we look for in the temple as a place to feel peace and have time to reflect and meditate, away from concerns and responsibilities of everyday life. In short the temple represents to me a hope and goal of the kind of person I want to become, and can become through Christ. To me the temple is a continuation of the sacrifice He made and the gift He gave me through his atonement and death on the cross.

You may be interested in the book "Considering the Cross" by John Hilton III which is written by a member scholar who argues for why we don't recognize the cross enough in the modern Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It illuminates largely cultural, not doctrinal, factors that de-emphasize cross iconography and has helped me as a member overcome subtle cultural biases I've felt towards the symbol of the cross (one small one for me being that it represents Christians who don't like us and thus it doesn't represent us, when it deeply does represent what I believe.) I hope members of my faith come to see that more clearly over time so we don't ever neglect the crucial act of Jesus done specifically on the cross. That being said, I feel like we will always worship more so the symbol of the resurrected Christ which will always be sacred to us, but maybe the cross will join it more often someday :)

Thank you, brother. May the respect and reverence you have shown us return to you tenfold, a hundredfold.

LDS member here: I’ve never hear that because of the crucifixion we don’t need temples any more. I found that so interesting. Thank you for sharing your perspective. I’m really enjoying your content.

Succinct, clean and informative. There's so much I don't know about LDS - I knew almost nothing in this video. Thank you for sharing!

Looks like a large portion of your viewers are LDS members (me included). I am often curious about other faiths but can seldom have good conversations (other pastures won't tell me about their faith because they are only interested in attacking mine). You seem like a very respectful, down to Earth person and I look forward to watching your other videos.

Thank you for your thoughtful and kind analysis. I am not an expert but I was told by my mom when I was a young LDS child that wanted to wear a cross, that we do not celebrate His death. We celebrate His resurrection. Maybe that is why as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we do not celebrate (although we acknowledge it’s significance) Good Friday but we do consider Easter Sunday to be the holiest of days. Also, temples, as you noted, are for proxy work and for sealing families together for eternity. I have been told my whole life that my body is a temple and that I need to keep it clean and pure so that God can dwell within me. So yes, we do believe that our bodies are temples and that God can dwell within us as we strive to be clean by repenting and trying to obey His commandments. I appreciate you sharing your perspective as it made me realize how much we have in common with other Christian faiths. We do not want to be alone in our quest to bring souls to Christ. As Christians we need to share the blessing of bringing souls to Christ.

Your videos are so engaging! I didn't realize that I've just sat here watching for over 18 minutes. You're setting a great example to everyone how important and fun it can be to genuinely seek to understand others who have a different perspective. "Ask, seek, and knock" as our Savior said, truly is the best way to arrive at truth that blesses us.

I really like what you're doing, Pastor Jeff. Other Christian youtubers I've seen find out about LDS/Mormons and go, "whoa, they are so weird and wrong and we need to avoid them." I'm glad you're curious and exploring and spreading education. Fear spreading is stupid and not helpful.

Thanks for your curiosity and openness. I grew up as a latter-day saint in the Bible belt. Needless to say, I had some less than stellar interactions with friends. I had some great experiences at vacation bible school and different church activities with my Baptist friends, but there was a wall against sharing any of my own experiences. It was sad, but I knew that they were just behaving as they felt was required of them. I had a similar experience visiting Nauvoo, a palpable sense of sadness. I live not far from Kirtland, OH and the feeling is quite different. I hope you get a chance to talk with Karl Andersen when you come to Kirtland. He is quite the Kirtland church history scholar, and the jolliest man I ever met. There are some great people at the Community of Christ here too that would love to share their perspective. We have a pretty good relationship between our churches. I love tours with them at the Kirtland temple, which their church owns and operates. There is so much more that we have in common than what divides us. I look forward to more videos from you. We have a crazy lot of people in our house, but guests are always welcome! I love what you are striving to do.

as an LDS member, this video was great. its rare to find someone who disagrees with us online and doesnt immediately try to attack us. As far as the cross, i see the Atonement including the garden and cross. The cross to me is a symbol of His death rather than the ressurection. i imagine if we ever had a symbol, it would be the open tomb. the idea of temples around revolves around the beliefs of allowing all to receive Christ while still appealing to justice and mercy. would be cool to explore later

One of the most sacred hymns LDS sing during the weekly worship service includes these words, "Upon the cross of Calvery they crucified our Lord, and sealed with blood the sacrifice that sanctified his word." Another sacred LDS hymn, (sung as if Christ is talking to the singer) "Reverently & meekly now, Let thy head most humbly bow. Think of me, thou ransomed one; Think what I for thee have done. With my blood that dripped like rain, sweat in agony of pain. With my body upon the tree I have ransomed even thee." And words from another sacred LDS hymn, "... Bruised, broken , torn for us On Calvary's Hill; Thy suffering born for us lives with us still" One more sacred hymn. "For Jesus died on Calvary, That all thru him might ransomed be..." And another one, "We'll sing all hail to Jesus' name, And praise and honor give To him who bled on Calvary's hill And died that we might live." ....Another one, "Our Savior, in Gethsemane, Shrank not to drink the bitter cup, And then, for us, on Calvary, Upon the cross was lifted up." We might not use the "symbol" of the cross, but what Christ did there is remembered through the most sacred hymns we sing each week at church.

Great job! You might guess by my name what context I am from. i appreciate your work. At the end of this video I had the urge to give you a hug. Thank you for spending sincere and earnest time in this sacred place and seeking to understand our beliefs.

My fourth great grandfather is Hyrum Smith. He was a devoted and loyal brother to Joseph. Nauvoo is one of my favorite church history sites, but I love them all! Your videos have been so refreshing and positive! Thank you. This is how interfaith bridges are built. As members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we would do well to learn more of other religions as a way of understanding and learning, as well. Looking forward to more of your research and fact finding videos!

We believe in the cross and respect what it represents. Even Jesus acknowledges the roll it played during the atonement: 3 Nephi 27:13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you-that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. 14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.

I can tell you are a very sweet and genuine caring person. I am grateful for your honest interest in the church without the harsh attacks and hateful speech. It means a lot to me and warms my heart.

You're so respectful in the way that you explore our beliefs and then give your thoughts! Thank you so much Pastor Jeff! You show a great example of how we should go about discussing differences without the spirit of contention. Once again, Thank You! 😁

I joined the LDS Church in 1976 when I was 18 years old. I have never heard any Latter-day Saint belittle the CROSS. We have nothing but reverence for what Jesus Christ accomplished for us - including on the CROSS. What we DON'T do is regard the CROSS as an ICON. The CROSS has no power in and of itself - it deserves no special observances or admiration from us. It is an instrument of torture and execution. Our devotion is centered directly upon JESUS CHRIST our Savior and redeemer. Furthermore, our faith is centered on a LIVING CHRIST whom we believe directs the affairs of His Church today!

Thank you! Im 17 and I've been raised in the church my whole life with my parents as converts and I've never seen Nauvoo. I love your perspective and observations about these things as well, I am studying and journeying my own to understand the bible more and the connection with the Book of Mormon to know for myself and understand my friends who are not LDS. Keep doing what you're doing this is awesome.

The Temple represents the UPPER ROOM experience where Jesus appeared to his disciples in a closed room and showed his hands to Doubting Thomas, as mentioned in the Book of Acts. The Temple grants exaltation, also known as 'crowns of reward', mentioned in the Bible, which faithful followers of Christ will receive. If the building were called 'THE UPPER ROOM' instead of 'THE TEMPLE' you would immediately understand what its purpose is. When you realize that salvation is by grace and faith in Christ, and 'crowns' are earned by faithful service to Christ out of your love for him, then you understand the Temple. I hope this helps 👍

I'm LDS and Have been my entire life of 50 years. I love LDS History. I served a mission 40 years ago and loved it. Never before have I understood or heard such a detailed explanation from a Non member Christian as to why the need, or not need, for temples. Thank you so much for explaining your perspective on that. Lastly, as I looked through all of these comments, I noticed that there is not one negative reply... Not one! What a great sense of peace to find a site where people build, strengthen and respect each other.

Thank you for approaching our faith and history in a respectful manner 🙏 I also enjoyed hearing your thoughts about temples and the cross. If you ever want to interview a latter-day saint on youtube, Cwic Media would be a good person to start with. Keep doing what your doing!

I love these comments. Reading dialogue and sincere questions and not hate and rubbish is so refreshing and brings so much hope into my heart. Jeff, this is such a great video. Thank you for creating something that was simple yet so magnificent in bringing all of us brothers and sisters together of different faiths and beliefs to share and dialog. Love it!

If you have questions about the cross and Temples, let me know. I grew up baptist and chose to be baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So I might be able to provide some helpful context in understanding both perspectives. God bless 😇

When one fully understands the covenants made in the temple, they'll find that the cross is very much more associated with Latter-Day Saints than general public recognizes.

Thank you for your respect to the LDS religion and history. It is refreshing to see someone have respect and reverence for another faith even though they don't necessarily believe in it.

Thank you for your respect for my faith and for being willing to share so much of what you have learned. God Bless.

Hi Pastor Jeff, so much to explore and I've enjoyed your videos so far. I would love for you to read the Book of Mormon and share your honest reflections on that. It would probably need to be divided into a few videos. I think you and your audience would find that very beneficial. Another good idea for you would be to review a recent General Conference. That is when the Church leaders speak to the members twice a year. That would give you a good idea of our day to day struggles and a peak into the life of a Latter - Day Saint. Thanks again for your videos. Very interesting!

Couple things: First, I hope you get over to see the Kirtland Ohio Temple and learn of the 1835 Pentecostal manifestation there. Our theological cousins at the Community of Christ are great stewards of that Holy place! Second, you can go inside another temple that is open to the public until June 11th. There was a renovation of The Washington DC temple and you can lookup tours by searching: Washington DC Temple Open House .

The Temple is not a place to perform the rituals of the law of Moses. Jesus's life and atonement fulfilled and law of Moses and provided salvation for all mankind from death. The Atonement of Jesus Christ made it possible for all mankind to be exulted if we will repent. The Temple is the place where members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints go to receive an endowment of power to help them live lives of righteousness and happiness. They do this by making sacred covenants with God to keep his commandments and live lives that help them become more like Jesus Christ. They receive help and promises through priesthood ordinances that will allow them (if they remain faithful) to life with their families, in the presence of the Lord, after this life. The cross is a symbol of the atonement of Jesus Christ for most of the Christian world. To the Christians who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Temple is not only a symbol of the Jesus Christ's atonement but it is a place where the highest blessings of Jesus Christ's Atonement (salvations, sanctification, redemption, exaptation, etc.) are taught, promised, and if were are worthy and ready, received. There is nothing more important to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Everything I am taught and every thing I am asked to do in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is centered on Jesus Christ.

Hello! I don't quite know how it happened, but I came across your channel on RU-vid and I've really enjoyed your perspective and attitude in learning about other faiths. I've always found it fascinating how similar various religions/faiths can be and I wish you the best of luck in your journey! On a side note, if you're curious to learn more about the temple I would recommend looking for a "temple open house" near you (or travel to one). After a temple has been built, there is a period of time before it is dedicated where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints invites anyone to go inside and tour the temple. It's completely free but I do believe that you need to sign up in advance. There should be more information on the Church's website. :)

You need to go to a temple open house. Before temples become dedicated, consecrated spaces the church opens the doors for the community to walk through the temple and see why and how we use the building. I'm sure if you look online you can find an temple under construction in the Midwest. When it is complete there will be an open house and you can go tour the temple for free.

Great video! You manifest your sincerity very well! I have a thought that will hopefully help abt our temple emphasis. One way of understanding our focus on temples is that Jesus is and always was the way to salvation. Even during the tabernacle and Mosaic times. God’s Spirit was never literally bound to the tabernacle, only symbolically. Just look at the many examples in the OT of the Spirit of God moving upon people who were not standing in the Holy of Holies. Thus we can hold to our bodies being the temple/tabernacle of God and also our symbolic temple worship. Which can be understood broadly as a symbolic teaching method for achieving just that - becoming a tabernacle of God’s Spirit through Christ alone. Which is what the tabernacle and temple was ALWAYS abt.

1. Did you notice the guys with the yellow shirts sweeping? If I am not mistaken (hard to be sure in the video) but we wear yellow Helping Hands t-shirts when doing service many times. You'll see them during disaster relief efforts (i.e. hurricanes, tornados, etc.). 2. Seniors go on missions too!!! One is there in Nauvoo. 3. On Joseph Smith--bad reputation? or slanderous accusations? Many reports from those neutral or even not friendly that he was a good man. 4. Temple service was carried into the New Testament after Christ's death. May I suggest The Catholic Liturgy and the Mormon Temple By Marcus von Wellnitz an article from BYU studies. 5. Proxy baptism aka Baptism for the Dead. 1 Corinthians 15:29 6. Marriage in the temple is called being "sealed." 7. The cross is not used as a symbol within Christianity until Emperor Constantine. I think you would find that talk about "the cross" in some of the same ways you do. It certainly means nearly the same thing. 8. I think a study of what happen to the Saints prior to Nauvoo help understand the desire to have a militia. 9. No gun fight at Carthage. Joseph and his companions never fired a shot, nor were they armed as they were prisoners. It was mob justice. 9. When I go to Nauvoo, I know there was sadness, but there was great faith there as well. Faith that carried them to finish the temple construction after Joseph died and to cross that river to cross a wilderness. 10. We believe that the atonement was carried out in Gethsemane and on the cross. 11. It was rebuilt because, in part, it was taken. But the land is dedicated for a temple, and God instructed a temple be built there. 12. Why temples? Perhaps The Holy Temple by Boyd K. Packer would be a good start. 13. I'd again refer you to the BYU studies article that discusses that early churches took on elements of the Temple even though the understanding and authority of the temple rituals had been lost. 14. Jesus indeed saved us and that atonement is infinite. 2 Nephi 9:7. But just as you do not cease to go to Sunday services...we do not cease to carry out temple worship...to put it simply. One could argue...and many do...that going to a church is not necessary to carry on a relationship with Christ. But yet, you would argue that that is incorrect. Similarly, and as an introduction to ALL the reasons we believe temple worship is necessary, that is why we continue temple worship. We believe it was on the earth from the time Adam built an altar and offered sacrifice to God. I suggest you study more about why we believe in temples and why we do not use the cross as a temple.

It is important in a world that does not believe in God, calls good evil and evil good, that worships secularism (and on and on.) and seeks to take God out of public life. That all believers in God show respect for one another, without regard to tenets and beliefs points of doctrine, and in this way "love one another". This is the way we build harmony in our neighborhoods and communities in doing good and resisting evil. Tearing down or desecrate others cherished beliefs and faith in God; denying persons the right to worship - who, what, how, they choose is not consistent, in my view with Gods wishes for His children. This video is respectfully presented and provides another perspective of faith of the pastor and his view of the meaning of the symbol of the Cross and its significance. SImilarly I have visited Nauvoo and found the experience rewarding, educational and faith promoting. Those who I have encountered there at the historical sites were very kind and thoughtful. I had the pleasure to attend (seasonal) theatrical performances that were full of energy, wholesome and appropriate for all ages.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has something called an open house that you can go to so you can visit temples before they are dedicated and you can even have things described to you about what they're used for mostly they are for a family work sealing families for all eternity and for helping those who have passed on and baptizing them if they haven't had a chance or an opportunity to learn about it here on Earth. This gives them the opportunity to accept the saving ordinances some of the things done in the temple are also done just in a normal church buildings but not for the Dead but not by proxy that is for temples. Temples are the spiritual Middle Ground Between Heaven and Earth.

I love Nauvoo--I've been there three times. It's a sacred place. I was fascinated by your view on why temples are not needed today--I have never heard that before. I don't know if that belief is widespread among most other Christian faiths but it helps me understand more where you all are coming from on that point. Everything you said is what we also believe except for your conclusion about not needing temples today. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe our faith is a restoration of what Jesus Christ organized on earth previously so temples, prophets, apostles, etc are part of that. Others in the comments have expressed well why we love temples and feel they are necessary so I won't say much to add to that except that it is truly a blessing to have a sacred place, a holy place, away from the chaos of the world, to feel God's peace. I don't think we have anything against crosses (I love seeing them) it's just that we don't use them as a symbol of our faith.

"Gunfight" infers that the prisoners had a chance to fight back. This is not the case. They were murdered in cold blood. Only thing wrong with the video. Great video!

Thank you for this lovely video. I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints my whole life. I think because of that, I don't know a whole lot about other churches. Thank you for your beautiful explanation about the cross. While we do believe that Christ fulfilled the law of Moses, we also believe that He instituted a higher law which involves temple worship. I'm looking forward to watching some of your other videos. Your outlook is very refreshing!

Hey Jeff, Great video. Pretty accurate. Just FYI, The 2 most important symbols in the LDS temple are directly relating to and exact reminders of what Jesus did on the cross for all his believers. Also, you might be surprised to know just how important we hold the concept of “confessing Christ". I’ve made a promise not to express them, but if you understood them, I think you would be surprised how specific and blatant these two symbols are. We definitely agree and disagree on some parts of the Bible, but I see you as a true Christian because of how you express your faith and respect the faith of others. Cheers. If you ever have any questions, would be happy to go into a more in depth explanation beyond what most LDS know. Let me know.

I hope you can dig a little deeper into the “cross” & the reason for a temple in the LDS church! Maybe reach out to a Temple President for an interview 💖

If you want to truly understand the behavioural traits and theology of Mormonism, you have to understand the deep doctrine taught exclusively within the temple. Everything hinges on the theology and rites that are performed in the temple above and beyond the surface level “diet Coke”doctrine people are discussing with you. The use of a new name, the initiatory (first anointment), endowment (with significant departures in the creation story and accompanied with covenants, oaths, signs and tokens), the sealing ceremony and the relatively unknown second anointment all performed while wearing temple garments and robes are where your story should be begin. The entire point of Mormonism hinges on what happens in the temple. The rest of it is merely window dressing with very little substance. Mormonism is such a significant departure from mainstream Christianity, short of creating a superficial definition of Christianity to include Mormonism, it should be classified almost as a seperate faith tradition. IMHO. Just for context I am an ex Mormon, born in the covenant and 6th generation member on my mother side. My mothers family were some of the earliest converts in NZ. I’m concerned your good intentions into understanding Mormonism is under minded by your lack of access to significant and important details surrounding deep esoteric knowledge and theology that is intentionally hidden in the temple.

The meaning of the cross is sacred and discussed in almost every way at the church. Who said we have to wear it in a necklace or place it on top of chapels? If we do that we're at risk of worshipping the item instead of the spiritual act. We need temples to do baptisms for the dead, and to perform marriages in a sacred, quiet building where there's reverence to our Heavenly Father and Jesus. The Book of Mormon is amazing. It's all about how sacred the Native American Indians are. Jesus did visit them after His resurrection. The Hopewell Mounds and thousands of artifacts in Eastern America prove it's authenticity. Wayne May has excellent videos of these discoveries. I liked your video! I've never visited Nauvoo and enjoyed your scenes.

Bro Jeff. We have many members who wear crosses and we fully understand the significance of the cross but we focus more on the resurrection. We don’t look to a dying Christ but have hope in a living Christ. One important reason for the ordinances of the temple is to address the conversation between Christ and Nicodemas that said all people need to be born of the water and the spirit. By those proxy baptisms you spoke of and the other ordinances of the temple we are the only Christian church today trying to do that work for the billions of people who have lived and died without even hearing of our Savior. It does take more than remembering the cross. It takes loving all mankind. Even those who have not enjoyed a relationship with The Christ. Love what you are doing and love you for bringing people to Christ. That is what we are doing except we are trying on both sides of the veil.

If the ground in Nauvoo could weep for what happened there it would be frightening and deafening. The pioneers gave everything for their faith. Most of them came from England and Northern Europe. They left homes and families in many instances to gather to Zion. Wherever they settled, even temporarily, they improved and beautified. Nauvoo was a mosquito infested swamp and look what they did! Then their beloved Joseph and his brother Hyrum were murdered. As they were driven from Nauvoo in the dead of winter, mobs burned the temple to the ground. The temple they had sacrificed so much to build. The current temple building sits on that hallowed ground after being rebuilt not long ago. So yes. It is a wonderful place because it was the city of Joseph, but when he was killed the whole area went into mourning. That’s what you are feeling, pastor. Thank you so much for your respectful content.

No crosses are on building because they focus of the living Christ and not on his death.

I'm 67 years old, a former Catholic, and a new member of the Church of Jesus Christ. As a new member and a lover of Christ, I was shocked at the rejection I saw coming from many evangelical people. I feel that we are brothers and sisters in Christ and that this stems from misunderstanding. A lot of the wierd things that are supposed to be part of our beliefs are false. Thanks for doing this pastor. BTW: On Joseph Smith history, please look at the extenuating circumstances.

YOU are SPEAKING THE TRUTH in Love, towards the LDS faith, with complete CLASS........

I appreciate your interest and your perspective. It is good to learn a little about the evangelical culture and belief as well as you share your thoughts. Concerning your observation on the absence of the cross, I will say this... That the cross is prevalent within the ceremonies of the temple (not the physical cross, but the teachings, meanings, and power of the cross--it is in fact central to our worship within the temple, and while you can't know this from the outside, you will have to trust me on this from one who has experienced the sacredness of that within the temple. Everything within is focused on Jesus Christ and the cross is central to it all). Anyhow, I am looking forward to your additional content. May God bless you and your family!

Regarding the cross, we believe Christ is alive. We believe that the atonement which includes his death on the cross is the most important gift that he gave us.

Interesting video. I'm an ex member of the lds church. I left in 2015 and formally resigned in 2017 along with my wife. It wasn't until my serving in the bishopric that I lost all trust and faith in the lds religion. I'm still very interested in these historical sights you visited. Even though I no longer believe the truth claims of the lds church they are still my people. My ancestors and my family are lds. I would still like to visit this area someday. I don't have any respect for the leadership of the lds church and especially Joseph Smith but I do love the members. So I have a love hate relationship with the lds church if that makes sense.

Thank you so much for being respectful. This is a quote regarding why we don’t have crosses, “The cross is used in many Christian churches as a symbol of the Savior’s death and Resurrection and as a sincere expression of faith. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we also remember with reverence the suffering of the Savior. But because the Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of His death as the symbol of our faith.” Essentially, the way I see it is that, Christ’s light that shines from within is an expression of our faith. There is so much depth to temples that I won’t go into it here but one of the things we do there is make a covenant with the Lord, in a sacred space set apart from the world, to consecrate our everything to Jesus. Temples symbolize a life dedicated to Jesus and family relationships that extend beyond our time here on this earth.

Like you said...the temple is to do baptisms for those who have passed on and still need to be baptized to enter God's kingdom. Also to marry those couples who haven't been married for time and for eternity. It wouldn't be a loving God not to provide access to all the ordinances He offers. I testify to you that He loves us all. We are His children and he wants us all to love Him and each other. He does not want us to look for differences but to see how we can all live like He does. I love you Brother and I pray that you will receive an Eternal marriage that God offers all of his children.

I love these videos. If you would like to know more about what members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe about the Atonement and salvation, I would recommend researching what we believe about EXALTATION. As we think salvation and exaltation are distinct. For example, we believe we are saved by grace. We have all been saved through the Atonement of Christ. However, the works we perform in the temple and as disciples of Christ contribute more to our belief about exaltation. The ability to become more like God. In a sense what most Christians see as turning an apple into an orange, we see as becoming a tree from a tiny seed. I would definitely recommend you listen to "His Grace is Sufficient" a BYU devotional given by Brad Wilcox.

Non-LDS here who has also been learning about the CoJCoLdS (LDS). I generally agree with your point about the prevalence of the temple in the LDS church and the absence of it in mainline Christian traditions because God’s presence indwells believers via Holy Spirit. However, the temple still seemed important to believers even after Jesus’ death and resurrection bc we see it mentioned and the disciples and others going there (eg Acts 3:1, 5:42). And that’s after Pentecost, so presumably they already have God’s presence via Holy Spirit, so what’s the use of the temple them?

What to go inside a temple this faith? The Washington DC Temple is open for visitors for the next few months!

I am a member of The Church and I really enjoy your open minded research and opinion. I really would like to hear and see a video after you read the book of mormon.

I as a member of the LDS religion I see the need for temples to hold God's spirit our bodies are temples to hold our spirit.

Amen! Thanks for sharing the true gospel with our LDS friends.

Like others have said here, I would suggest you do some more research on temples, and attend an open house, if possible. You said that temples are no longer necessary because of Jesus Christ. In temples, we learn about Jesus Christ. We learn about how without Him, we can never return to Heavenly Father. There are specific ordinances that embody this very fact. We learn about the role of Jesus Christ in our journey back to heaven, and give our ancestors the opportunity to learn about that as well. And most importantly, we make sacred promises (covenants) that completely are focused on Jesus Christ and all he has done for us. The current ordinances are not the same as the ones in Old Testament times. As for the cross, we believe that it was what Jesus Christ did for us in Gethsemane, and on the cross, that will bring us salvation. However, the cross itself did nothing. It is an inanimate object. Jesus is our Savior. He is the one who willingly went to His death, and submitted to the will of the Father. If Jesus had died by electric chair, my faith, devotion, and trust would be in Him, not the electric chair. I find it strange that so many Christians put emphasis on and make so visually prevalent, the device He died on. I want to focus on and worship the Christ who did, felt, and experienced all for us.

Very well made and respectful video. Even as an LDS member, I enjoyed your pastoral perspective at the end. Those perspectives can lead to some great respectful gospel conversations. Godspeed!

Pastor Jeff, please do a video react to the Washington DC tour video called A sacred House of the Lord that just came out a few days ago. They explain a lot about what happens inside the temple and the symbolism of the whole thing.