Temples are holy and sacred places. We consider temples to be the houses of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are different from local church buildings where we hold Sunday worship services and other activities. Temples are dedicated to God’s most sacred work.
Temples are full of symbolism. For example, those attending the temple wear simple white clothing to symbolize purity and equality before God. Temples are a holy, peaceful refuge where followers of Jesus Christ can connect more deeply to Him.
Most importantly, temples are places where we can make sacred covenants with God.
We can strengthen our relationships with God and receive special blessings from Him through covenants. A covenant is a sacred promise between God and His children. God gives the conditions for the covenant and then gives us the choice to accept them.
Let’s use baptism as an example.
When we are baptized, we promise God we will serve Him, keep His commandments, and take Jesus Christ’s name upon us. If we do these things, God promises to forgive our sins, bless us with His Holy Spirit, and give us eternal life in His presence.
We renew the covenants we make at baptism as we take the sacrament, also called communion, each Sunday at church. This sacrament is patterned after the sacrament of the Last Supper that Jesus introduced to His Apostles before His death.
After baptism, adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can make additional covenants with God in the temple. These covenants and promises strengthen their relationships with Him and bring even greater blessings.
The word endowment means “gift.” In the temple endowment, adult Church members make solemn covenants, including promises to obey God’s commandments and dedicate their time and talents to the Lord’s work. In return, members receive blessings such as greater knowledge of God’s plan, increased strength to follow Christ’s example, and the opportunity to live with God forever.
One of the great joys of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the promise that family ties can continue beyond our mortal lives. In the temple, families are connected or “sealed” together for eternity.
During a marriage sealing ceremony, a husband and a wife 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 Christ. In turn, they are promised that their marriage and family will endure forever.
We believe in a just and merciful God who would not deny any of His children the blessings of eternity because of circumstances they can’t control.
In the temple, we perform baptisms, endowments, and sealings on behalf of ancestors who did not have the opportunity to receive those ordinances before they died. In this work, someone who is alive acts as a substitute or proxy on behalf of someone who has died.
These sacred ceremonies are performed only in temples. We believe our ancestors can choose to accept or reject this offering made in love for them.