Latter-day Saints are a temple-building and temple-loving people. It has been so from the earliest days of the Church. In temples, we can draw closer to the Lord, we can learn more about His plan for our happiness, we can receive essential ordinances for our exaltation, and we can perform vicarious service on behalf of those who have died without the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The culminating blessing of the temple is that we can be joined together as families for eternity, so that our relationships with those we love will last forever.
From the very beginning, there have been sacred places upon the earth where God has communed with His children. They were designated by God and hallowed by His presence as places where He would teach and bless His children. Many of these places are recorded in the scriptures.
The Garden of Eden was surely a sacred place where Adam and Eve dwelt in the presence of the Father and the Son and were able to converse with Them directly. After the Fall and their subsequent expulsion from the Garden, Adam built an altar to worship God and offer sacrifices as they were commanded. Their prayers in this sacred place were heard and their lives were blessed.
Centuries later, the Savior would lead Peter, James, and John up the Mount of Transfiguration where they would experience marvelous manifestations and receive the keys of the kingdom of heaven. There they were visited by Moses and Elijah and heard the voice of the Father bearing witness that Jesus is His beloved Son. The Temple is a holy building that Mormons regard as the house of the Lord.
It's a place where a Mormon finds special opportunities to meditate and to draw closer to their Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Each holy temple stands as a symbol of our membership in the Church, as a sign of our faith in life after death, and as a sacred step toward eternal glory for us and our families. Some of the work that is carried out in the Temple is done on behalf of people who have already died.
Mormons believe that if living people deserve the saving ordinances laid down in the gospel, then so do people who have died. An ordinance is an earthly symbol of a spiritual reality. It is often an act that symbolises a covenant or agreement with the Lord. An example of an ordinance is Baptism. Non-Mormons are often puzzled that they can't enter a temple, and that Mormons won't reveal much of what goes on inside. It is a place of contemplation, peace, and often divine revelation.
Here is an official link about ordinance work in the temples. Once a temple has been dedicated, only those who hold a temple recommend can go enter its doors. There are temple workers stationed there who check the passes now electronically coded. The temple recommend requires an interview with a bishopric member and a stake presidency member and there are numerous questions, designed to ensure that only the faithful and most worthy enter the temple.
Some include questions about following the Word of Wisdom the health code that determines Mormons should not drink or use tobacco, for instance , about not being involved in spousal or child abuse, paying proper child-care payments, and belief in basic tenets of the church. Members are also asked if they consider themselves worthy. I think the reality that most religions do not have an equivalent of the Mormon temple is part of the reason that it has become an object of so much speculation--even the ridiculous claim that sacrifical blood rituals are being performed they aren't.
Temples are sacred spaces to Mormons, who have done work worldwide to gather genealogical records to help join the human family together. If you are interested in your own ancestors, you can get free information about them here. Last year, the Mormon church released information about millions of African slaves brought to America whose names, birthdates, and other information were not previously available.
Many Mormons spend years studying the lives of their ancestors before they do temple work and they find great meaning in the experience of drawing close to them in the temple. Mormons believe that the spirits of these ancestors may prod on their work, guiding them to certain important pieces of information or artifacts, and that these ancestors may also be present while their temple work is being done. However, no Mormon believes that any spirit is forced to believe in Mormonism in the after-life through these rituals.
Mormon temples may seem expensive and extravagant, but they are built both to glorify God and for the practical work of sacred rituals for us and our eternal families. Temple Clothing Adult members of the Mormon church who have chosen to enter the temple, wear a garment under their clothing. The garment is similar in appearance to modern undershirts and shorts that we wear as spiritual protection, and to help us always remember the Savior and the promises we made in the temple. Just like religious clothing in other faiths, the garment is an expression of devotion and a way to become closer God.
Mormons also wear white clothing while inside the temple, symbolizing purity, and to show that we are all equal before the Lord, without any marks of worldly status or wealth. For Mormons, temples are the closest we can come to our loving Heavenly Father, where we can catch a glimpse of what heaven is truly like.
We regard temples as a link between Heaven and Earth, where we can feel at peace, be reminded of the purpose of life, pray, receive answers, and feel close to God.
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