[GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING]

Hello. Welcome to this temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I'm Elder Todd Christofferson, and this is my wife, Kathy.

I serve as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church.

A temple is a special place where members of our Church come to worship God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.

It is the most sacred place of worship in our faith,

and we're pleased that you would join us for a few minutes.

Temples are different from our regular meetinghouses, which are called chapels.

In chapels we hold Sabbath day worship services and other activities.

Temples are reserved for the Church’s most sacred ceremonies or sacraments called ordinances.

Everything that is done in temples is a demonstration of our belief that God has a great plan for our happiness,

and that His Son, Jesus Christ, has a divine role in that plan.

We worship Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior and Redeemer of the world. God the Father and Jesus Christ are the central focus of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Before a temple is dedicated for the performance of sacred ordinances, all are invited to attend.

After a temple is dedicated, entrance is reserved for faithful members of the Church who wish to participate in the sacred ceremonies of the temple and who strive to keep the promises they make there.

Inside the entrance to the temple, such as this one, members of the Church are welcomed by volunteers who serve here.

As you enter the temple, you will notice the beautiful paintings and other artwork that turn our hearts and thoughts toward Jesus, His teachings, and His beautiful creations on this earth.

[REVERENT MUSIC PLAYING]

This is the baptistry of the temple.

The baptismal font rests on the backs of oxen that represent the 12 tribes of Israel spoken of in the Bible.

We also learn from the Bible that Jesus was baptized.

He taught that all who desire to enter His heavenly kingdom must also be baptized. Baptism is the first ordinance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But when we think about all the people who have lived on the earth, we realize most of them never had the opportunity to learn about Jesus Christ or His teachings.

We might ask, “What is God’s plan for them?

How can they follow Jesus’s example and be baptized?”

God has not forgotten. He loves all His children.

We believe that life continues after our mortal death and in the temple we can be baptized in behalf of our ancestors who have passed away without being baptized. This baptismal font is where these baptisms for our ancestors are performed.

Such baptisms are gifts offered in love to our deceased family members. We believe that those who have passed on are aware of this offering, and can either accept or reject a baptism that has been performed for them.

Living individuals are not baptized for themselves in the temple.

They are baptized in baptismal fonts found in our local meetinghouses where we worship on Sundays.

In the temple, all participants change out of their daily clothes into simple white clothing in a private dressing area like this.

Dressing alike creates a sense of unity and inclusion that reminds us that we're all children of God and are equal before Him.

This space is what is referred to as the initiatory area of the temple.

It is called initiatory because this is where we perform the first part of one of our sacred ceremonies called the endowment.

The initiatory ceremony follows the pattern we find in the Bible when Aaron and his sons were washed, clothed, anointed, and blessed.

In the initiatory ceremony, members receive some of the many blessings that God has prepared for those who love Him and keep His commandments.

This is an instruction room, also known as an endowment room.

Here, members learn more about God's plan of happiness and salvation for His children, including the role of Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In these rooms there are altars such as this one.

The altar is a symbol of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us.

It also reminds us of the personal sacrifices of a broken heart and contrite spirit that He calls us to make as we seek to follow Him.

In rooms such as this, we are also taught about where we came from before this life, how we can live purposeful lives on earth, and what we must do to return and live with God again after this life is over.

As part of the instruction that is provided to members of the Church in this room, we are also invited to make promises with God about how we will conduct our lives. We call these promises covenants.

By these covenants, we commit to keep the commandments of God,

follow the teachings of Jesus Christ,

dedicate ourselves to the Lord’s purposes, live morally clean lives, and serve others with compassion and love. In return, our Heavenly Father promises that those who honor their covenants will be blessed, both in this life and in eternity.

[REVERENT PIANO MUSIC]

Now we are in the sealing room of the temple. At altars such as this,

a man and a woman kneel and are married according to God’s law,

and have God's choicest blessings sealed upon them.

We're taught that through the grace of Jesus Christ, our relationship can be strengthened

and that He will help us overcome challenges and adversities.

We also learn that as we are faithful and committed to each other and keep God's commandments,

our marriage can last not just for this life, but through all eternity.

This eternal marriage seals together not just husbands and wives,

but also children to their parents through all their generations.

When I am in the sealing room, I think about what it was like when we were married in the temple.

I remember the love and the joy that we felt as we were married, and the hopes and the dreams we had for our future.

Families are important to God, and I find strength and hope knowing we can be a family forever. The temple reminds us that we are all children of a loving Father in Heaven.

He has prepared a way for us to find joy and peace in this life, and to return to live with Him someday with our families.

This is the celestial room.

No ordinances or ceremonies are performed in this room. Here, members of the Church can spend time in private prayer, reflection, or personal worship as they seek to draw closer to God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and to feel Their love for us.

The celestial room is symbolic of heaven,

where our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live.

This room reminds us that we lived in heaven with God before this life,

and that we can return and live with Him again after this life if we obey Him.

Here, in this beautiful house of the Lord,

I bear witness that God and Jesus Christ live, and that They love us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Everything that happens in the Lord's holy temple points us to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

They know each of us personally and Their love for us is perfect.

I gratefully and joyfully declare as one of His special witnesses,

that the Savior arose from the dead on the third day, was resurrected,

and is alive today. He's eager to help heal, comfort, strengthen, and lift us as we come to Him.

Without the resurrected Christ, the temple and the ordinances we perform here would have no meaning.

Each temple we build is a witness that Jesus Christ lives,

and that through Him we will live again

and can return to God with our loved ones forever.

This is my testimony to you as well. In the Holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen.