Vai Sikahema says visiting the new LDS Philly Temple will help people understand the Mormon way of life.
The 152nd Mormon Temple in Pennsylvania will be open to public for one month before it will be officially “closed” to non-Mormons. The church has decided to keep its doors open before its dedication ceremony after which only Mormon adherents will be permitted to enter. The church aims at showing the world a glimpse of what it is to be a Mormon by allowing tourists to take a look around.
Former NFL Player Vai Sikahema Urges People to Visit New LDS Temple in Philadelphia.[/tweetthis]
Former Philadelphia Eagles player Vai Sikahema has urged people to visit this temple at all costs. Sikahema is now a news anchor at NBC10 and also serves the LDS church as the leader of the local Mormon Church. The father of two feels that people should take this opportunity given to outsiders by the church authorities to understand the Mormon faith on a deeper level.
Sikahema states two major reasons why he feels people should definitely visit the new temple before its dedication ceremony. For one, he says people have bucket lists of things to do, places to go and sights to see. However, as the Mormon churches are closed to non-Mormons, getting into a Mormon church is one of those things a non-Mormon will simply not be able to do. As such, a visit to an iconic temple as the one that has been constructed in Philadelphia is simply a must.
Next, and at a deeper level he says that this will give people an opportunity to understand the Mormon way of life with more depth. Mormons are seen as a very secretive society, however, Sikahema says that the Temple is closed to outsiders solely for religious purposes. Once the temple is dedicated to God, everything about it becomes sacred and because of that it has to be treated with the utmost devotion and respect. This is why the temples are closed to people who are not sincerely practicing Mormons.
He invites outsiders to visit the temple to experience the peace and tranquility that exists in the Mormon houses of worship.
I was deeply moved by @VaiSikahema's passion for his Mormon faith & his family's incredible story. Our Q&A: https://t.co/HGARXemJKv
— Stephanie Farr (@FarFarrAway) August 28, 2016
The temple has been built entirely on the funds generated from tithes. The temple has been built as a tribute to the Independence Hall,where the Constitution was signed. This historic event also marked the end of the years-long persecution that the Mormons claim their ancestors had gone through. This makes the new temple an emotionally important one as it connects the birth of the nation with the freedom of the Mormons from persecution.