Mormonism and popular media/"Big Love" and the temple

Big Love's episode "Outer Darkness"

Even though everyone may discover what goes on in the temple, and many have already revealed it, the important thing is that I do not reveal these things; they must remain sacred to me. I must preserve a zone of sanctity which cannot be violated whether or not anyone else in the room has the remotest idea what the situation really is.... No matter what happens, it will, then, always remain secret; only I know exactly the weight and force of the covenants I have made—I and the Lord with whom I have made them—unless I choose to reveal them. If I do not, then they are secret and sacred no matter what others may say or do. Anyone who would reveal these things has not understood them, and therefore that person has not given them away. You cannot reveal what you do not know!
—Hugh Nibley, The Temple and the Cosmos, p. 64.

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The Interview

The Bishop and Stake President show up unexpectedly at a woman's door and conduct an interview in her home "on-the-spot," in which they question her about tithing and polygamy (in that order). The woman is wearing her bathrobe during this interview.

The Big Love "Mormon"	The Latter-day Saint
The wife is coming down the stairs of her home in her bathrobe when a young boy announces two unexpected visitors. These visitors turn out to the the woman's bishop and stake president. The bishop introduces the stake president, then, despite seeig the woman in her bathrobe says "We’d like to talk to you for a few minutes. Is this a bad time?"	It is absurd for a Bishop and a Stake President to show up unannounced at the home of a long-time inactive member, enter the home and then ask to interview her without her husband present while she is wearing her bathrobe.
The first thing that we hear the Stake President ask is "So you haven’t tithed in seven years?," to which the wife answers " we’re not tithing. We’re inactive."	It is obvious that the family is inactive. Why in the world would a Stake President begin a conversation by asking about tithing? If a family is inactive, then they rarely would be paying tithing. In the real world, the bishop and stake president wouldn't even know how long the wife had not paid tithing. Financial records at the ward level are only kept for three years and then destroyed. Bishops typically serve for about five years, so it is therefore unlikely that this would even be the same bishop that she had seven years earlier.
The Stake President pursues the tithing question by saying "May we ask why?" The wife responds that years ago she went through a difficult time and was very ill. The bishop responds "I remember. We tried to support you in every way we knew how with love and prayer and home teachers."	Every member of the ward has home teachers. This bishop and stake president both talk like caricatures of a somebody's idea of a Latter-day Saint.
The bishop tells the woman "we’ve known each other a long time. You were once a shining member of our church, so I’m just gonna ask you outright: Are you living in a polygamous relationship?" When she answers "Yes," the bishop continues, "I am so sorry to hear that. How did this come to pass?"	The phrase "once a shining member of our church" is something that a real bishop would never say. A real bishop would refer to her as a member of the ward, and he would not refer to that in the past tense. As any home teacher can tell you, it does not matter how long someone is inactive, they are always considered a member of the ward, and they will be included in emergency preparation drills, even if they never attend church. It is completely inappropriate for these men to be conducting such an interview in someone's home. Recall that her children are at home. One might wonder, has anyone ever used the phrase "come to pass" in normal conversation outside of reading the Book of Mormon? This sounds like someone is attempting to give the Bishop dialogue that sounds "Mormon."
In response to the question about polygamy, the wife responds: "My husband had a testimony." The bishop does not seem to be bothered by this use of the term "testimony" at all, and he simply responds: "I see. Did you?"	The series constantly misuses the term "testimony." A real Latter-day Saint wouldn't understand what this testimony refers to at all. A real LDS bishop would not associate the word "testimony" with polygamy.
The Stake President says, "I must tell you that we’ve come here to determine whether to call a Stake disciplinary council."	A stake discliplinary council is very rarely called for a sister. It is usually reserved for an endowed Melchizidek Priesthood holder—one who has been through the temple. Discliplinary action against a sister is almost always held at the ward level in a Bishop's council rather than at the stake level.

The Recommend

A woman who is a practicing polygamist but is still a member of the LDS Church desires to go to the temple. It is unclear whether or not the woman has been previously endowed (she has been inactive for at least seven years, and has married a man who was kicked out of a polygamous compound). The dialogue seems to indicate that she had never been to the temple before, but it later appears that perhaps she has. The woman, knowing that she needs a temple recommend to enter the temple, attempts to persuade her active LDS mother and sister to loan her one.

The Big Love "Mormon"	The Latter-day Saint
The woman's mother, not understanding why her inactive daughter suddenly wants to attend the temple, says "but you're not worthy! You haven't tithed. You haven't been interviewed. I don't understand where this is all coming from."	It is interesting that the subject of tithing is brought up once again, even before the mention of worthiness. The statement by the Stake President and now by the woman's mother about tithing, before mentioning any other factors related to attending the temple, are indicative of an "advisor" who is critical of the Church. Critics typically tie tithing to temple attendance with the implication that one must pay in order to receive the highest blessings within the Church. This is a theme that has been put forth by critics in anti-Mormon films such as The God Makers. An example of this theme that the Church is primarily focused on collecting tithing is reflected in Mormon America: The Power and the Promise (a book about the Church written by Evangelical Christians) on page 115 when the authors state that "Outsider's money estimates always raise disclaimers from officialdom, presumably because of the danger that fat-looking figures might weaken members' tithing compliance."
Barbara: Well, I'd have thought you would want this. Mother: Well of course I do...but the temple? Why don't I just take you to church instead? Barbara: I want to take my endowments. Mother: How do you propose to get in? Barbara: One of you is going to lend me your temple recommend. Mother: Oh, no, no, no. I can't do that. We can't do that. And it was just a few years ago that we stopped promising to disembowel and slit throats to people who were monkeying around with temple rules and procedures. Barbara: Mother, you don't believe all that superstition. Mother: I don't need you to go telling me what I believe or don't believe. You'll get caught. Barbara: Cindy. Mother: Yes, why are you being so quiet. You, of all people. Cindy: I guess I'm just surprised is all. I didn't think this matter to you any more. Barbara: I does. My life is in crisis and I need to go. Mother: What does that mean. What's happening? Barbara: I just...I am begging you...as a sister and a daughter I am begging. Cindy: Don't beg. Barbara: Please.

The Celestial Room

The Big Love "Mormon"

The Latter-day Saint

Barbara's mother: This is just a little foretaste of what eternity will look like. This is what binds us to each other. Let's just sit for a moment and soak up this delicious feeling. Mother: Oh honey, what is it? Cindy: Mother, let her have her moment. Mother: What? Tell me. Barbara: I can't. Cindy: Mommy, why don't you just let her be? Barbara: The stake president has called me to love court. The other shoe is finally dropping. I'm facing disclipinary hearing tomorrow. Mother: Why didn't you tell us? Barbara: I was embarassed. I was so ashamed. Mother: Oh...oh no. I thought you were going to leave Bill. Oh...I can't bear this. Oh...I can't bear the thought of losing you. Cindy: Leave him. Barbara: Cindy. Cindy: You can stop. This is your chance to get away. Just say you're sorry and be repentant. Don't pursue the letter. (voice rising) I didn't mean it to come to this. I didn't. Barbara: (whispering) You didn't mean what to come to this?...Cindy, answer my question. (Cindy runs out of the room) Matron: I'm sorry, your fifteen minutes are up.

The Disciplinary Council

The Big Love"Mormon"	The Latter-day Saint
Barbara and her "sister wife" Margene are sitting in a room. The Bishop and Stake President are sitting at the head of the table. There are six other men in the room (eight men total), and the two women.	During a stake disciplinary council, there are 12 men. Six of the men are assigned to defense and the other six present evidence. The Bishop is not part of the council. The only reason that the Bishop would be allowed to be there would be as a witness. He would not be speaking or participating in the running of the proceedings. The "sister wife" would certainly not be allowed to be there and take notes.
Stake President: Well, let's begin. Are you taping this hearing? Barbara: No. SP: Let me ask you again, are you taping this hearing. Barbara: No, I am not. SP: Nothing in your purse? On your phone? Would you mind if we removed your bag from the room? Both women's purses are taken out of the room.	This appears to be simply a plot device to tie in with the mysterious letter that has been driving the plot.
Bishop: Have you had some time to pray and reflect upon your situation since we spoke? Barbara: I have.	Again, the Bishop should not be a participant. He should not be asking questions.
SP: Are you still upholding your temple covenants? Barbara: Yes, but my interpretation might conflict with yours. SP: Well, for example, are you wearing your garments? Barbara: President Davis, are you asking me to tell you what kind of underwear I have on?	The question about wearing garments is standard in any temple recommend interview. If Barbara were actually LDS, she wouldn't even be surprised by the question. Perhaps the answer Barbara gives to this question is how Latter-day Saints ought to respond when they are accused by critics of wearing "magic underwear?" It is ironic that this response was given.
Bishop: OK, lets get back to the matter at hand. Barb, there's still an opportunity for you to find your way back to the Church. Will you repent?	Once again, the Bishop is not allowed to speak. He does not have authority in this proceeding.
SP: You know that polygamy is a misguided abomination. It's a shameful practice that has no place in the modern Church.	It is highly unlikely that any real LDS Stake President would consider a past practice of the Church that we consider to have been sanctioned by the Lord Himself as a "misguided abomination." Nor would it be regarded as a "shameful practice." The only somewhat accurate part of this statement is that is has no place in the modern Church.
Barbara: Was this hearing requested directly from Church headquarters? Did you receive instruction? SP: I don't see how that's relevant to your decision to live in clear, open and deliberate opposition to the Church and to its leaders. Barbara: I believe this is not just about polygamy, but about a certain letter that my husband helped to purchase for the Church. I believe I am being punished for trying to bring to light the truth that letter exposed about the practice of "The Principle."	This is an allusion to what happened with the so-called "September Six." Church critics charge that the excommunication of what the media referred to as "LDS scholars" was in reality ordered by President Boyd K. Packer.
SP: Sister Henrickson, as our Elder Packer has said before, we all know that there's the temptation to tell everything, whether its worthy, or faith promoting or not. Some things that are true are not very useful.	This is another allusion to the critics charge that the Church disciplines scholars and attempts to hide the truth. The phrase from Elder Packer was taken from a talk called "The Mantle is Far, Far Greater than the Intellect."
Barbara: You openly disparage my family, but you hide the truth about our history, and that's the reason you don't want this hearing taped. Bishop: No Barb, we sincerely want to help you escape this life. Don't turn against us. Will you repent?	This is the third time that the Bishop, who is not allowed on the council, has talked of repentance.
Barbara: No. I love the Church. I love it more than I can say, but I believe the Church and its leaders are in grave error on polygamy, and on the kinds of marriages and families it creates. I can't forsake my family. Bishop: What will it serve you to have your family now when your eternal salvation is lost? Think about it Barb. Barbara: I have. SP: Barbara Dutton Henrickson, henceforth your name shall be removed from the records of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You will not be allowed to partake of the sacrament. The sacred ordinances that bind you to your family, your ancestors, and your progenitors for all eternity are severed.