| Temples are not regular places of Sunday | | | | of the world. They provide a place where |
| worship for members of The Church of | | | | Church members make formal promises and |
| Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They | | | | commitments to God. They are also the |
| are quite different from the thousands | | | | place where the highest sacraments of |
| of regular chapels or meetinghouses all | | | | the faith occur - the marriage of |
| over the world that are used for Sunday | | | | couples and the "sealing" of families |
| services. | | | | for eternity. |
| Anyone, regardless of religion, may | | | | Temples serve as the only place where |
| enter a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse | | | | ceremonies such as baptism and eternal |
| and attend services. However, because of | | | | marriage can be performed in behalf of |
| the sacredness of temples as "houses of | | | | those who have died -a practice that |
| the Lord," only members of the Church, | | | | Latter-day Saints believe was followed |
| who are in good standing are allowed to | | | | in New Testament times but that later |
| enter the temples. A member must be | | | | was lost. |
| observing the basic principles of the | | | | Temples point Latter-day Saints to Jesus |
| faith and attest to that fact to his or | | | | Christ and their eventual life with Him, |
| her local leaders once every two years | | | | their Heavenly Father and their family |
| in order to enter a temple. | | | | members on the condition of faithfulness |
| The sacredness of the temple anciently | | | | to Christ's teachings. |
| can be seen in both the Old and New | | | | In a modern-day revelation, Joseph Smith |
| Testaments. In the Old Testament, Moses | | | | received direction to build a temple in |
| had the children of Israel carry with | | | | Kirtland, Ohio (dedicated in 1836). |
| them the Tabernacle (a large, portable | | | | Later he was instructed to build a |
| temple) as they wandered in the | | | | temple in Nauvoo, Illinois (1846). So |
| wilderness. King Solomon built and | | | | important were temples to early Church |
| dedicated the great temple that was | | | | members that within days after arriving |
| destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. | | | | in Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young |
| It was rebuilt and later substantially | | | | selected the site of the Salt Lake |
| expanded, but again destroyed by the | | | | Temple. |
| Romans in A.D. 70. The great Western | | | | There are 134 temples throughout the |
| Wall can still be seen in Jerusalem | | | | world either in operation, under |
| today, and even after millennia, remains | | | | construction or announced. On most |
| a sacred site for Jews. The New | | | | temples there is a golden statue of a |
| Testament gives an account of Jesus | | | | man in flowing robes, with a long horn |
| Christ clearing the temples when its | | | | pressed to his lips. The statue depicts |
| sacredness was violated by people using | | | | the angel Moroni, an ancient prophet and |
| its courts as a common market. | | | | a central figure in the Book of Mormon. |
| Latter-day Saint temples are considered | | | | The statue is symbolic of the preaching |
| houses of God, a place of holiness and | | | | of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the |
| peace separate from the preoccupations | | | | world. |