The Temple

You may have heard about Mormons and Temples. You might have wondered why we build temples. I'll do my best to help you understand.

If you read in the bible, you will find many references to temple worship. When the children of Israel were led out of Egypt by God through his prophet Moses, they were commanded to make a portable temple called the tabernacle.

The tabernacle allowed them to perform special, sacred ordinances commanded by God in the law of Moses. These ordinances were connected to the Aaronic priesthood and were outward expressions that pointed Israel to the eventual coming of the Messiah (Jesus Christ).

Later these ordinances continued with the building of King Salomon's Temple. This temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. Later, it was rebuilt, and by the time of Jesus, King Herod had built it again in great splendor.

When Jesus was crucified the Vail of the Temple was rent apart. This represented Jesus' triumph over sin and His atonement between God and Man. In addition it had another special meaning in that it signified that the door was now open to redeem the dead.

During the three day period between the time of Jesus' death and his resurrection, we learn from the bible that he was preaching to the dead:


1 Pet. 3:18-19
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;


1 Pet. 4: 6
6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.


Why would Jesus do such a thing? Hadn't these people already had a chance at salvation?

Consider for a moment how many people have lived on the earth. We know that right now there are over 6 billion people alive today. How many have lived since Adam and Eve? An astounding amount of people have lived on the earth. However many of these people lived their whole lives without even hearing about Jesus Christ.

There are some who would have you believe those who died without accepting Jesus as their savior, or even hearing about him, are eternally damned.

Latter Day Saints believe that everyone will have an equal chance to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even those who have already died without that chance.

The Lord has provided a way for these people to accept the gospel.

There is a great missionary effort going on in the spirit world that was instituted by Jesus himself to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who will listen.

But if a person never had the chance in this life, and they accept the gospel in the spirit world, how can they be baptized?

The answer is baptism for the dead. In a sacred holy temple, that has dedicated to the Lord, a worthy person may stand in as proxy for a deceased ancestor and be baptized on their behalf.

The ancestor may or may not accept this ordinance, they have the choice in the matter.

When Paul was teaching about the resurrection, he mentioned that the early church was performing baptisms for the dead:

1 Cor. 15:29
29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

In other words, Paul was saying baptism for the dead would be pointless if their was no resurrection. Paul obviously believed in the resurrection. He also believed in baptism for the dead.

Today, these baptisms are performed in the holy temples of the church that dot the world.

In addition to baptism for the dead, there are other sacred ordinances preformed in LDS temples.

One of the most important is marriage. When one is married in other faiths, they are married until "Death due us part" or "as long as you both shall live."

When you are married in the Temple, you can be married for "Time and All Eternity."

We believe that if you live up to the promises you've made to each other and to God, your marriage and family can be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise together forever.

You don't have to lose your spouse upon death. You don't have to lose your children. Instead, you become an eternal family unit, enjoying all of the happiness and joy that comes with it in heaven together.

The Lord spoke to Joseph Smith and told him the importance of this:

D&C 131:1-4
1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.


While baptism is required to enter the kingdom of God, this kind of eternal marriage performed only to worthy couples in the temple is required to "obtain the highest".

I had the blessing of being married to my bride in a sacred temple of the lord.
We were married in the Bountiful, Utah temple. The picture above is the San Diego Temple.

I testify that temples are the most sacred houses of worship on the earth. What is "bound" in these earthly temples, is truly "bound" in heaven forever.

If I endure in faith to the end, and keep the promises I made in the temple, the grace of Jesus Christ will allow for my wife and children to be sealed to me forever, and I to them.

I also testify that you to can have this blessing, it is open to anyone who accepts the gospel of Jesus Christ and becomes a member of His church.

Through the house of the Lord, the dead are redeemed, individuals are endowed with power from on high, and families are sealed together forever.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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