Temples Bind Us to God and Each Other

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the promises we make when we choose to follow Him, we can look forward to living with our loved ones and with God again after this life.

Covenants Are Promises

At important times in our lives, we can strengthen our relationship with God and receive special blessings from Him through covenants. A covenant is a sacred promise between God and His children here on earth. God gives the conditions for the covenant, and He gives us the choice to accept them. As we honor the promises that we have made, we can have complete faith that God will always fulfill His promises to us. The opportunity to have a covenant relationship with God is available to all His children.

For members of the Church, the first covenant we make with God takes place when we are baptized. Covenants are often made through sacred ordinances like baptism. An ordinance is a religious ceremony performed with the authority of God’s priesthood. After baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit through another ordinance. Together, these sacred commitments offer us a fresh start. Our sins are forgiven, and we become members of Jesus Christ’s Church. Keeping covenants with God strengthens us throughout our lives.

When we are baptized, we promise God we will keep His commandments, show love to others, and take Jesus Christ’s name upon us. And if we do these things, God promises to forgive our sins, bless us with His Holy Spirit, and help us return to live with Him forever.

Mosiah 18:9

We renew the covenant we make at baptism each Sunday at church as we take the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (which is similar to Communion, or the Eucharist). This beautiful reminder of our covenant is patterned after the sacrament that Jesus introduced to His Apostles before His death.

We Make Covenants in the Temple

Temples are different from the thousands of local church buildings where we hold Sunday worship services and other activities. Temples are unique houses of the Lord and are special, holy places dedicated to God’s most sacred work.

After baptism, adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can make additional covenants with God in the temple that will strengthen their relationship with Him and bring them even greater blessings.

Endowment

The word endowment means “gift.” In the temple endowment ordinance, adult Church members learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. They also make solemn covenants that include the promise to obey God’s commandments and dedicate everything they have and all that they are to the Lord. In return, they receive blessings such as greater knowledge of God’s plan for our happiness, increased power to follow the example of Jesus, and the opportunity to live forever with God someday.

Sealing

One of the great joys of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the promise that family ties can continue beyond this earthly life. In the temple, families can be united together for eternity. This special temple marriage is called a “sealing.” During a temple sealing ceremony, a bride and groom kneel across an altar to make covenants with each other and with God. They promise to honor and love one another completely and commit to follow the teachings and example of Jesus. In turn, they are promised that their marriage and their family can endure beyond this life and into eternity.

Ordinances for deceased ancestors

We believe in a perfectly just and merciful God who would never deny one of His children the blessings of eternal life or an eternal family because of circumstances they can’t control. God has provided a way for us to perform baptisms, endowments, and sealings by proxy for our ancestors who may not have had an opportunity before they died. “Proxy” simply means that someone who is living can act as a substitute on behalf of someone who has died. These sacred ceremonies are performed only in temples. Because life continues after death, we believe our ancestors can choose to accept or reject this offering made in love for them.

Common Questions

How is a temple different from a regular church building?

Most of our worship takes place inside churches, which are also sometimes referred to as chapels, meetinghouses, or stake centers. You can recognize these buildings by the words “Visitors Welcome” and “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” posted near the entrance of most buildings. Inside, we hold Sunday worship services, weekday youth activities, social gatherings, cultural performances, and other events that are open to everyone in the community.

Temples have a more specific purpose. They are places specially set apart for sacred service and ceremonies. They are designated by the Lord and dedicated to His purposes. Temples are the only places where some ordinances are authorized to be performed. These sacred ceremonies lift and inspire participants as they make commitments to follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ.

Temples have a special reverence—you won’t find people casually talking about the latest movie, using their phones, or engaging in other everyday activities. Instead, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have worked to prepare themselves for the sacred experience are focused on participating in ordinances and seeking personal revelation from God.

Temples are built to complement the landscape, culture, and needs of the area, so each one looks a little different. But most of them are built with white marble and feature spires reaching toward heaven. You can always find the words “Holiness to the Lord; the House of the Lord” on the outside of a temple.

Can I go inside a temple?

When temples are first built or after they have undergone extensive renovations, open houses are held for the public so they can take a tour inside. Also, many temples have visitors’ centers, waiting areas, or grounds that are open to everyone.

After the temple is complete, it is dedicated for sacred worship. Because of the holy nature of the work we do in temples, it is then open only to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have prepared themselves for the experience. While you might not be able to enter the temple right now, all of God’s children are invited to learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ and enter into the covenant relationships that will allow them to fully participate in the blessings of the temple.

What are temple weddings like?

In the temple, husband and wife are united forever. This marriage ceremony is called a temple “sealing,” because the couple is joined together for this life and for eternity. During a short, simple ceremony, bride and groom join hands across an altar. They covenant with God that they will honor and love one another completely and commit to follow the teachings and example of Jesus. In turn, they are promised that their marriage and their family will endure into the next life and for eternity.

Couples who are married in the temple often celebrate with a larger group of family and friends afterward with a wedding reception or other cultural tradition. Couples who were previously married in civil ceremonies outside the temple (such as those who joined the Church after they were already married) can experience the blessings of being sealed in the temple as well.

Your Family Can Be Together Forever

Missionaries can teach you more about how the blessings of baptismal and temple covenants—including the promise of an eternal family—can be a part of your life.

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