LDS Temples: Inside the Most Sacred Buildings

Temples vs. Meetinghouses

Latter-day Saint temples are the most sacred buildings in the church, fundamentally different from meetinghouses or chapels where Sunday worship and social activities occur. Temples exist for one purpose: to perform sacred ordinances—covenants and ceremonies—that members believe are necessary for exaltation and eternal life. There are approximately 350 temples worldwide, with more announced regularly.

Who Can Enter an LDS Temple?

Only members in good standing who hold a current temple recommend may enter. This recommend comes from interviews with local church leaders (a bishop and stake president) who certify that the member is faithful, lives the basic commandments, and is worthy to make sacred covenants. Non-members are not permitted inside. This exclusivity is by design: the covenants made are considered sacred and holy, to be protected and not treated as spectacle or entertainment.

What Ordinances Are Performed in Temples

Baptisms for the dead are one of the primary ordinances performed in temples. Living members are baptized by proxy for deceased ancestors who did not have the opportunity to accept the gospel in life. The ordinance is based on 1 Corinthians 15:29 and the LDS doctrine that all must be baptized to enter the Celestial Kingdom. The deceased retain their agency—they can accept or reject the ordinance in the spirit world. This practice drove the church's collection of one of the world's largest genealogical libraries and the FamilySearch online database.

The Endowment ceremony is the most sacred ordinance. During a session lasting two to three hours, members receive instruction about the nature of God, the plan of salvation, and the nature of mortality and the afterlife. They make covenants to live righteously and keep God's law. The Endowment is highly symbolic and is not discussed in detail outside the temple. Members may return repeatedly throughout their lives to perform endowments, either for themselves or for deceased ancestors.

Sealings are the ordinances that bind families together eternally. When a couple is sealed, they are bound to each other forever, not just "till death do us part." Children born under the covenant are sealed to their parents. Sealings are performed only in the temple. A marriage performed in the temple by proper priesthood authority is considered a sealing. LDS theology teaches that eternal families—bound together by sealing—constitute the greatest blessing of the gospel.

The architecture and design of temples emphasize sacredness and beauty. Temples typically feature formal gardens, white or light-colored exterior stone, and interiors with fine furnishings and symbolic artwork. Each temple is designed to point worshippers toward heaven and God. Public open houses are held before dedication, allowing the public to tour the building. After dedication, only members with a recommend may enter.

Why Non-Members Cannot Attend

Why non-members cannot attend is rooted in the belief that the covenants are too sacred for casual observation. This principle parallels the ancient Israelite Holy of Holies—the most sacred inner room of the Temple in Jerusalem, where only the High Priest could enter once a year (Hebrews 9:7). The restriction is not meant as arrogance but as protection of what members view as sacred and holy.

Doctrine and Covenants 124:38-40 records a revelation in which the Lord commanded the building of a temple and outlined ordinances to be performed there. Isaiah 2:2-3 prophesies of the house of the Lord being established and people from many nations gathering to receive instruction. These scriptures form the theological foundation for temples in LDS practice.