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An endowment room in the Oquirrh Temple
Because temples are sacred, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speak very little about what goes on inside, people are curious about the rooms and activities inside Mormon temples. Open houses are held before temples are dedicated and sanctified as houses of the Lord. Thousands attend these open houses to tour and learn about Mormon temples. However, many people will never have that opportunity. This article will be a mini-tour of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Mormon Temple, which opened summer, 2009. We’ll begin outside the temple, at the main entrance.
On the exterior of the temple are engraved the words “Holiness to the Lord.” The gardens are meant to inspire and bless those who walk through them, and anyone is invited to do so. The Lord’s spirit can be felt in these gardens, but even more so inside the temple. Atop the temple spire is a statue of the Angel Moroni. Moroni was the last... Read the rest of this article »
What is a Mormon Temple Dedication?
Members of the Mormon Church call the Mormon temple dedication ceremony a dedication because the building is being offered to God for His use. Before any ordinances can take place in a temple it must be dedicated. The dedication ceremony is sacred and is only attended by those who have prepared themselves for participation in such an event. Many of the people who attend a dedication go fasting and praying so that they may add to the spirit. Patrons must have obtained a “temple recommend” through an interview with the bishop of their congregation, certifying their worthiness.
Often the dedication for a single Mormon temple is repeated multiple times, so that all who would like to attend can participate. During the dedication ceremony General Authorities of the Mormon Church speak to the audience. Often these speeches encourage the members to dedicate themselves to the Lord, just as the temple is being dedicated. Many times those in attendance are... Read the rest of this article »
One of the main characteristics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) is the work performed in the Church’s holy temples. This work sets apart the Mormon Church from every other religion on the face of the earth.
“The temple is a place of instruction where profound truths pertaining to the Kingdom of God are unfolded. It is a place of peace where minds can be centered upon things of the spirit and the worries of the world can be laid aside. In the temple we take covenants to obey the laws of God, and promises are made to us, conditioned always on our faithfulness, which extend into eternity” (The Priesthood and You, Melchizedek Priesthood Lessons—1966, Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1966, p. 293).
In Mormon temples faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perform ordinances essential to the their salvation and exaltation and enter into covenants with the Lord. The temple has been likened... Read the rest of this article »
What is a Mormon Temple Open House?
A Mormon Temple Open House allows members of the Mormon Church as well as people who are not of the Mormon faith to see the inside of the temple and learn more about Mormon beliefs. Temples are important to Mormons because they are the place where you learn more about Heavenly Father’s plan for His children and where families can be linked together for eternity. For this reason a person must be spiritually clean and prepared to enter the temple, this is why the general public is not allowed to enter the temple after it has been dedicated.
Open houses are usually held for at least a week. Some of the open houses require tickets, such as the Nauvoo Mormon temple open house, but all tickets are free. Tours are never given on Sundays, and tours usually stop early on Mondays to allow the volunteers time for Family Home Evening. A tour guide takes groups of between 30 and 50 people through the temple.
Generally, those planning to tour the temple will see... Read the rest of this article »
This section will provide useful maps of Mormon temples around the world.
Temples to Dot the Earth: A site dedicated to the geographic study of the Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
LDS Temples: Temples will dot the earth: The purpose of this map is to create more awareness of the history and location of Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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The Mormon Temple Endowment
In general terms, an endowment is a gift. Members of the Mormon Church, however, frequently use the word in connection with their temples, which they consider to be Houses of the Lord. In this context, an Endowment is a course of teaching, ordinances (sacred rituals), and covenants (mutual promises between the individual and God) received in a Mormon temple by worthy and prepared adult members.
In 1842, upon introducing ordinances which should be performed in the temple which the Mormons had built in Nauvoo, Illinois, Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, taught that such ordinances were “of things spiritual, and to be received only by the spiritual minded.” He also taught that the Endowment illustrates the whole of the human condition and man’s actual connection with God; it gives preparation to Mormon missionaries; it provides a completeness of blessings; and it grants added power for the faithful to combat temptation.
The Mormon Endowment... Read the rest of this article »
Mormon Beliefs about Temples
To members of the Mormon Church, Mormon temples are houses of the Lord. They stand as symbols of “membership in the Church, as a sign of our faith in life after death, and as a sacred step toward eternal glory for our families and us.” 1
Temples are different from regular meeting houses because they are set aside for sacred and eternal ordinances. After a temple is dedicated, only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who are living the principles of the gospel may enter.
Since the establishment of the Church, members have built temples. The Lord told the prophet Joseph Smith, “And verily I say unto you, let this house (temple) be built unto my name, that I may reveal mine ordinances therein unto my people.” 2
Within Mormon temples sacred ordinances are performed for both the living and the dead. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught, “The work that goes on in these buildings sets forth God’s eternal purposes with reference to... Read the rest of this article »
‘Mormon’ Temples: A Little Enlightenment
By Annie L. Henderson Cechini
In the short film Between Heaven and Earth, Krister Stendahl, former Dean of the Harvard Divinity School, states that in any interfaith discussion, individuals should never compare bests with worsts. Stendahl reasons that, “Most people think of their own tradition as it is at its best, and they use caricatures of the others.” I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It’s a mouthful, I know, and most people therefore refer to my church as the Mormon Church.
Fig. 1: Washington D.C. Temple
Immediately, some of you readers are pulling out the sketchbooks and charcoal to begin work on the caricatures just from reading that name. In composing this article, I am driven by my experience of being viewed through cracker-jack lenses because of said caricatures. These inaccurate and sometimes painful sketches abound in even highly respectable minds and institutions regarding the Church of... Read the rest of this article »
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Mormon Beliefs about Temples
Mormon Temple Dedication
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Answering Your Questions (about Mormon Temples and More)
Why do Mormons wear a special undergarment?
The Mormon endowment—What does it mean to worship at the temple?
What is it like inside the temple?
Do Mormons practice polygamy?
What is the real history of Mormonism?
Maps of Mormon Temples
Temples to Dot the Earth
LDS Temples: Temples will dot the earth
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