What's Inside the World's Most Secret Church?

This is a video on why Mormon Temples look the way they do.

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Music from Epidemic Sound
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[hoogyoutube]

Yeah, I know I went too deep into Mormon cosmology with this one. Honestly, I’m not super happy with this video. But let’s not have perfect be the enemy of a meal time video that you can watch while on the toilet.

Nuances/Edits:

The temple shown at 6:39 is part of a different denomination of the Latter Day Saints movement.

[MA-naconitor]

Damn, that was the smoothest ad-transition I've ever seen on YouTube

[OneLifeStyle_OLS]

Tell me why this ad got me thinking it was the story of creating until got to the air conditioned room.

[jeburr]

“And no rings were given to Gen X, who were accustomed to being ignored.”

[swimmerboy]

Harris Johnson has no relation ship with the ex-Mormon, Washington DC based YouTuber Johnny Harris, right? Cheeky

[Multch.]

That ad transition has me rethinking everything I know

[abraxas]

Mormon architecture is somehere between Wonderland and Warhammer 40k.

[troublebot]

the ad confused the motherfeck out of me

[cerdic]

The whole experience of feeling nothing is close to what happened to me. When you turn 8 you get baptized and get a blessing to receive the holy ghost. I distinctly remember being excited to feel the holy ghost for the first time like all of my older mormon friends described, but I felt nothing and it scared me, so I always lied that I did feel it. I thought that when I got the priesthood at 12 I would feel it. I went to 3 different temples, including Salt Lake and Nauvoo, to do baptisms for the dead and felt nothing. For years I thought something was wrong with me, I had nightmares about going to outer darkness. I prayed every day trying to feel anything until I was 16 and stopped going to church, but I didn't truly lose my faith until I really looked into church history when I was 20. Now I just feel like I wasted my entire childhood and teenage years fearing something that wasn't there. It really deeply affected my mental health for a long time.

[tzfsr]

This is WILD! Yesterday I saw a Mormon church that looked like it came from Disney Land and my father and I were trying to figure out what it was... Today you release this

[albevanhanoy]

This was one of the highest quality ad breaks ever made on YouTube lol.

[livinglifeat]

Mr Hoog: the cosmology is a huge part of not just Mormon imagery (visit temple square and you will see it everywhere- not surrounding the Christus statue and carved in granite on the outside walls all around the temple), it is imprinted on the mental processes of every Mormon through their temple rituals. So going “too deep into cosmology” is nearly impossible. I moved from Holland when I was 18 to do my two year mission in England. Then ended up at BYU, worked at their MTC in Provo, worked at the church office in Slc, sang with Mormon tabernacle choir, etc etc. Nothing in your video was over-stated or wrong, compliments on your summary. What struck me, something that never occurred to me, is how the religion is all centered ultimately on FOMO. Ik moet zeggen, ben blij dat ik eruit ben gestapt, die ketenen waren zwaar.

[apalapaemo]

bro, what kind of ad was that, It was seriously creative. Hare Krishna

[philippnikol]

As a believing Latter-Day Saint from Germany, I have to wonder where some of that mystery comes from. We have about 70.000 missionaries in the word, great Websites and tons of resources about the temple (not mentioning the open houses where you can basically ask anything). You can get all and more information in this video actually in context. True it's less polaryzing and therefore not the best Youtube title or thumbnail.
The temple is a sacred place, why we prefer to talk about some aspects IN the temple having a more spiritual atmosphere there. If you are open to learn I invite you to check out other resources and recieve some context to the "spooky and freaky" looking Sci-Fi show presented here :)

[TobiasIlskov]

I'm an active member of the church, and to anyone wondering, this video is mostly factually correct. Well done, it's obvious you did your research.

Just a couple notes from me:
1) The only issue I take with this video is the uncanny atmosphere that the background music and lighting cast sometimes. While I certainly understand why some might find our doctrines peculiar at first, I think that those elements try to project conclusions about the Church onto the audience that the facts being presented wouldn't themselves inspire.

2) We think of what happens in the temple as "sacred" more than "secret." These ordinances involve us making promises and commitments to God and our family members that are very important to us, and which we would prefer not to be spoken of trivially or disrespectfully.

3) This video presents the doctrine of deification in a very ambitious, power-obsessed light. It paints a picture of members manically salivating over the thought "We CaN BecOME GOdS!!!" I agree that attitude would be un-Christian, and I'm happy to report that it's essentially non-existent in the church. While I think it makes sense theologically that we, as children of a loving Heavenly Father, should have the potential to eventually become like our Father, I'm personally far more motivated by the prospect of being able to be with my wife and children for eternity. Heaven would not be heaven without them. The doctrine of deification is talked about far more by critics of the church than by it's members, and in a far more irreverent attitude.

4) To those who think doing baptism or other ordinances for the dead violates the free will of the deceased, we believe that these ordinances are an offering or an opportunity made available to them, which they can choose to accept to reject. This is also a biblically based practice. The early saints in Corinth did this as well during the time that Paul wrote his epistle to them. (1 Corinthians 15:29)

Again, well done on the video. You've been far more fair than most Youtubers who talk about us.

[aidensparrow]

As an ex Mormon who served a mission I'm impressed at how accurate you spoke about the plan of salvation. It brought back a lot of memories both good and mostly bad.

[tomaszmagierowski]

The Washington Temple is pretty iconic as it's right next to the highway that leads to DC so you see it often. I even got to go inside to the sort of lobby as I had Mormon friends, though I myself am Catholic.

[williampachev]

I appreciate the unbiased nature of the video but from my education of lds teachings and practices regardless if you believe in the religion there are several inaccuracies in this video just in the first few minutes. Good video but take it with a grain of salt.

[zyansheep]

7 views in 21seconds? Hoog must have migrated to the new city in Utah...

Edit: great video! The sponsor spot was kinda funny. I wonder if the name Harris Johnson was inspired by another animated graphics explainer youtuber...

[ArAnXx]

Hoog sounds like he was this close to becoming a Morman