By Chris Diggins
For the right amount of money, anyone can walk right into a Latter-day Saint temple.
That''s the premise behind eBay auction item No. 2226446301, a genuine expired 'Mormon' temple recommend, just one of several online auctions that are selling items sacred to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These items, which include not only temple recommends but also temple clothing and undergarments, are available to anyone with enough money and curiosity.
Chris Waldron, 25, an accounting major at Utah Valley State College is the seller that is behind the auctions. Waldron, who is a member of the church, said he doesn''t see why auctioning off temple related items is such a big deal.
'I just think that LDS people in general think that the temple recommend, even an expired one, is something sacred,' Waldron said. 'I can see the people getting upset if I was selling my current temple recommend, because then I''m giving people a fake ticket to get into the temple and they don''t have that right. But it is expired and people won''t be using it to get into the temple because they won''t be allowed in.'
Waldron, a former student at BYU, began selling sacred items, such as his expired temple recommend and a full set of temple clothing, because the clothes no longer fit and he wanted to see the reactions people would have.
Waldron said collectors of religious items have a special interest in acquiring items sacred to church members.
'A lot of people are into religion in general, and they collect all kinds of religious memorabilia,' said Waldron. 'A lot of people have asked me, ''How can I get an authentic Mormon temple recommend?'' They just would like to put it in their bookcase or whatever. I don''t know what they want it for, but people want it. And I was like, ''I''ll sell you mine, I have a whole bunch of old ones.'''
Waldron isn''t the only one selling. A recent online auction from another seller netted more than $1,000 for a set of sacred temple garments.
eBay''s policy regarding the auction of offensive materials is that the site allows listings for 'practically anything on Earth' including materials that are considered offensive or sacred by certain groups.
So far the church has not made any statements regarding the online sale of sacred items, other then to say that the church makes the items available only at authorized distribution centers. The council to church members who purchase such clothing is that they are, 'under a sacred obligation to regard them appropriately.'
According to Waldron, members of the church are too uptight about the items being sold at auction, especially given the fact that the same items are purchased frequently by non-members at the church distribution centers.
'People make it sounds like it''s something bad,' said Waldron. 'But you can just go down to Wal-Mart and buy underwear or you can go to the distribution center. I used to have friends that went with me to the Orlando distribution center and they would buy garments, and they weren''t even members, they just thought they were comfortable.'
Soren Nickels, 22, a business major from Las Vegas, and a member of the church who has been through the temple, said that he is saddened that members of the church would treat sacred things so lightly.
'If people want to sell them I don''t know who can stop them,' Nickels said. 'If there is someone at eBay who can put a hold on that then I think they should. It''s too bad that people don''t understand what they''re doing.'
Waldron freely admits that he might not completely understand what he is doing. But in spite of frequent letters from upset members of the church and the advice of his mother to halt the auction, Waldron will continue to make the items available to the highest bidder.
'I guess I''m just young and inexperienced,' Waldron said. 'If it is something that is so sacred, maybe I just don''t understand it. I don''t see how I''m doing it any injustice when if someone really wants something they can go down to the distribution center and just buy it.'