You used the word “perfection”. Hence my supposition.

note that just holding a temple recommend does not mean you have engaged in a lifetime of service and have repented of your sin

Agreed. Never said otherwise.

Or in other words, I believe that the vast majority of sincere temple recommend holders, at the end of a lifetime of service, and who have repented of their sins, are more than amply qualified to receive an inheritance in the celestial kingdom, and to continue to progress and improve there in association with the other members of such a heavenly society. Not to exclude many others who are not currently members of the church.

They are they…who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. (D&C 76:51-53, emphasis added)

I don’t think I made that claim. I said “The temple recommend establishes in the here and now what that standard is.” Not what the standard will be, but what the standard is now to have the ecclesiastical endorsement of the church, as an individual who is doing the fundamental things that the church maintains are necessary to qualify for salvation in the celestial kingdom.

At a minimum, the church teaches that if you don’t do those things, you will not qualify for an inheritance in the celestial kingdom until you do. There are innumerable scriptures that could be cited in that respect.

Or that the temple recommend establishes a celestial standard? I have always understood that the temple recommend standard is a minimum worthiness standard, not a celestial standard and not perfection.

I didn’t make that claim. I also don’t think that perfection is a requirement to inherit anything. Sanctification is a much better term.

Oh, don’t worry about that experience. My Bishop is not perfect (nor do I expect him to be), but he is still a very special and a very remarkable good man, and I love him, and I have a testimony he has the characteristics necessary to have spiritual stewardship over me at this point in my life.

I was just bringing my experience up, just as a reminder to everyone who reads this post, leaders, future leaders, past leaders and people who deal with leaders, that it’s not all about the questions. Anyone can figure out what the right answers are. It’s about the Spirit, and it’s about helping God’s children be prepared to experience a ceremonial ascension that will nourish their spirits and help them get closer to God.

I thought it was in tune with the post (and I wanted to get it out of my chest of course).

Sorry you (and several others) have had bad experiences with your bishop. That’s really disappointing, but I hope it is not a univeral experience. I haven’t had it.

My understanding is that the temple recommend interview is a self-declaration of our worthiness. The interviewer can (and if properly instructed to do so) may state that he is representing the Savior, and respondents should answer as if they are answering the Savior.

The question you cite is problematic for its legalistic wording, and I have had to explain it more than once in an interview. My explanation has been about general loyalty to the church (not specifically polygamy, though the question implies that connection). I once had a member ask me if supporting a political party that supported abortion rights would trigger a positive answer to this question. I said I did not think so, but offered to check with our stake president who confirmed my initial impression.

It is true that a recommend is a point-in-time statement of worthiness. And it is also true that some unworthy people attend the temple without having the temple gates crash closed before them (as I imagined in my childhood — I don’t know why). In the end the Lord will sort out those issues of judgement, and we’ll continue to do our best to be as worthy as we can to attend the temple. And hopefully interviewers will also do their best.

But here’s what you said:

The Church teaches that in order to obtain a fulness of blessings in the eternities one must at some point live up to a celestial law or standard of behavior.

I thought you meant that we had to live a celestial law at some point in mortality. D&C 88, by contrast, is talking about the law we can abide after the judgment. Obviously, we must be able to abide a celestial law in order to inherit the celestial kingdom, but where is it said that we have to live a celestial law in mortality? Or that the temple recommend establishes a celestial standard? I have always understood that the temple recommend standard is a minimum worthiness standard, not a celestial standard and not perfection.

If you tell people that they have to live a celestial law in order to obtain a temple recommend, not only will you be inaccurate, you’ll have a lot fewer people attending the temple.

And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.
For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory. And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory.
And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory. (D&C 88:21-24)

As the OP states, TRs are not even “markers” for actual, present worthiness; just your worthiness at the time of the interview. Your present worthiness is a matter between you and the Lord, and is not affected by holding a TR in any way whatsoever.