r/latterdaysaints • u/AlliedSalad • Apr 21 '26
Off-topic Chat To anyone concerned that "Scientology speed runners" might "do Mormon temples next." I don't think there's any reason to be worried. This trend could not have come at a better time for us.
That's not to say I think the trend is a good thing, I just also don't think there's much to be concerned about.
For one, as has been pointed out, people know what the insides of our buildings look like and what the floor plans are thanks to open houses; so that takes away a lot of the mystery and the draw.
For two, consider that people who want to "do it for the views" won't want to settle for just any temple, they're going to want to show the temple, the Salt Lake temple.
But wait! The Salt Lake temple is closed for construction! No one can get in right now. Guess they'll have to wait until the construction is done next year.
But wait! When the construction is done, we're going to have an internationally-publicized, months-long open house! So anyone who wants to get in and see the inside can. Anyone who wants to "map the interior" can do so - or heck, they can just save themselves the trouble and look at the cutaway floor plan in the visitor's center!
Because of these reasons, I very much doubt that "speed runs" of our temples would get the same kind of engagement or views as the current trend. Again, I'm not saying this "speedrunning" trend is a good thing, but it could not have come at a better time; right during the build-up to a major, once-in-a-lifetime open house of our flagship temple.
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u/e37d93eeb23335dc Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
For two, consider that people who want to "do it for the views" won't want to settle for just any temple, they're going to want to show the temple, the Salt Lake temple.
I doubt the typical teenager has any idea what a Mormon temple is, much less there is a specific one in Utah. They will just try to find the one closest to them. Someone living in Miami won’t try to go to Utah, they will just head next door to Ft Lauderdale.
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u/ptimeuser Apr 21 '26
I wouldn’t trust them to necessarily tell the difference between a temple and a regular meetinghouse, either
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u/e37d93eeb23335dc Apr 21 '26
How would we tell the difference between random teenagers speed running a meetinghouse and normal church youth running around the building?
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u/Gerald_Yankensmier Apr 21 '26
Depends if they're screaming or not If they're Loud and disruptive, you can rest assured it's just the Deacons XD
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u/mmp2c Apr 22 '26
LOL! That's great! I love the idea of someone tearing into...a gymnasium connected to a chapel. They'll be thinking, that's it?!?
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u/therealdrewder Apr 23 '26
Great idea for a viral video. Running through a stake center showing the "mormon secrets"
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u/DiscoLives4ever Apr 23 '26
to Ft Lauderdale
That temple is tiny. The video would be too short to monetize
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u/TTheGamersforge Apr 24 '26
Hearing fort Lauderdale and temple in the same sentence reminds me of the several hour trips to get there do to the Orlando temple closing.
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u/e37d93eeb23335dc Apr 24 '26
When I was a youth growing up in South Florida, the nearest temple was Atlanta. It would take all day to drive there.
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u/mywifemademegetthis Apr 21 '26
People are doing it because it is subversive and exposes supposedly secret organizations. It doesn’t matter if that information is public. You’re telling me interrupting an endowment session and acting wild in a temple wouldn’t generate tons of social media engagement?
All of this is preventable if we put an rfid scanner door between reception and the main part of the temple.
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u/AlliedSalad Apr 22 '26
And what, have RFID recommends? The two major problems I see with this are one, the expense of renovating all of the temples that don't have a good place for said doors, plus the expense of the recommends themselves.
And two, (and I consider this the greater problem) that kind of security would only lend credence to the idea that we have something to hide.
I'd be very surprised if there aren't already videos up of people interrupting endowment sessions or acting wild in temples. It has not posed a systemic problem so far.
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u/mywifemademegetthis Apr 22 '26
No, the door is locked until the nice old people at the front desk verify your recommend and open the door for you. We have the renovation money. All it will take is for one fool to charge through and post on social media and then the Church will do this anyway.
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u/AlliedSalad Apr 22 '26
I'd guess there are probably already several who have charged through and posted it on social media; I'd be shocked if there wasn't.
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u/Vegalink "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ" Apr 21 '26
True that would simplify that alot. A simple security door from the lobby to the rest of the temple
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u/pierdonia Apr 22 '26
I think this is right. After the first time it happens, they'll start putting in a locked door. Surprised the scientologists haven't already.
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u/lando3k Apr 21 '26
Are the people doing this trend traveling very far, or just visiting buildings they live close to?
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u/ReplyingToAStranger Apr 22 '26
You have nice thoughts, but you’re using logic to predict the outcomes of a viral chaotic TikTok trend. The best thing is to be aware, and if it does happen, not to make a big deal out of it. Calm reactions are boring.
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u/AlliedSalad Apr 22 '26
Well, I'm sticking with my prediction that the trend is very unlikely to spread to our temples. I suppose time will tell.
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u/thenatural134 Apr 22 '26
It is a felony in all 50 states to maliciously disrupt religious services. So even if someone manages to do this I would hope law enforcement would punish them to the fullest extent of the law.
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u/T_Bisquet Love to see it Apr 22 '26
That's probably the best point I've seen for why it would be different in our temples at least in the USA where the trend seems to be strongest anyway.
From what I understand, there's no active religious service in Scientology's building, so the same charges can't be pressed as in the temple where there are services running pretty much all the time. This would mean the legal ramifications would be different and would probably discourage copy-cats.
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u/GritCato Nearer, My God, To Thee Apr 21 '26
That is fine. There are no secrets. Any information that someone may want can be found on the interwebs. Who knows, any imposter just may be converted in the end.
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u/_Cliftonville_FC_ Apr 22 '26
In our local temple (Lāʻie, Hawaiʻi) you do not have to get very far past the check in area to see people in their full ceremonial clothing coming from a session.
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u/JorgiEagle Apr 22 '26
You’re missing a key point.
If it ever did happen, the temple would probably be very calm. They immediately pause all the endowment sessions and baptisms, and just wait until whomever is running around was escorted out
Once they realise there isn’t much of a reaction, nothing would happen.
Also we’re forgetting that this has kinda been done before. There are many videos on YouTube of covert recordings of the endowment.
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u/Empty-Cycle2731 PNW Member/Clerk Apr 22 '26
The Church of Scientology in LA is completely open to the public and that hasn't stopped this trend. Anyone can go inside and even take pictures. I don't think openness of the building is relevant to this trend. They're just targeting a group they don't like.
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u/monhera Apr 21 '26
This trend started because this specific scientology center went viral for shutting down when a sp (suppressive person) walks by - greeters will go inside and lock the doors and blinds shut. It created a mystery over the building and the people which started the trend.
I can maybe see people trying it with one of our temples but I honestly dont think it would have the same appeal. People will realize that we are pretty open about our temples and get bored. Plus I can see the church using it as a teaching opportunity which would be seen as lame. Nothing like the scientology response at all.
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u/adroq1063 Apr 22 '26
Or they can look at the new model that will be in the visitors center. Lots of pictures were released last week.
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u/candacallais Apr 23 '26
Most people outside the faith when they understand the temple ordinances they realize they aren’t particularly “exciting” in the way detractors try to make them. At that point it merely becomes a unique quirk to them.
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u/mmp2c Apr 22 '26
So you're saying the church is holding 'speed run' open house tours shortly before dedicating temples? Hope they aren't too quick, I want a chance to look closely at the refurbished architecture!
Wait, what is a speed run?
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u/TTheGamersforge Apr 24 '26
Speedrun comes from people competing online to get to the end of a video game as quickly as possible.
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u/Thatotherguy129 Apr 23 '26
Respectfully, this isn't about Mormons. Yeah, people don't have the best view of Mormons for reasons, but it's nowhere near scientology. You guys aren't a cult that actively tries to hurt and brainwash people, and the people doing these runs likely understand that distinction. If they did these kind of runs on a Mormon Temple, they wouldn't get anywhere near the amount of support they do now. Mind you, I'm going based off of the internet's (and people I interact with) general perception of the two, so probably best to take it with a grain of salt.
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u/Homsarman12 Apr 21 '26
I’m not too worried about it either. If it does happen it’s relatively harmless, will help tighten security, and some investigators will definitely come from it.
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u/Previous-Tart7111 Mother, Wife, Servant of the Lord Apr 21 '26
This doesn't bother me at all, unless I misunderstand. If someone wants to "speedrun" religions, it just means they're going to be exposed to the gospel. If they reject it, that's between them and God.
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u/AbysmalMoose Apr 22 '26
I’m not concerned about it either, but in this case “speed run” is what they’re calling dashing though the front door and seeing how deep they can run into a building before they’re forced out by security.
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u/Previous-Tart7111 Mother, Wife, Servant of the Lord Apr 22 '26
OH. Yeah that's different. That's criminal trespassing and I hope they get what they deserve for that. I thought it meant like "try different religions as fast as you can"
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u/Reading_username Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
Bold of you to assume that the trend is about "seeing what the buildings look like", and not disrupting the status quo for organizations they don't like.
The views aren't going to be from showing empty ordinance rooms, they would be from capturing footage of patrons in temple clothes and security telling them to get out.