Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are houses of worship dedicated to the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Inscribed above the entrance of every temple you will find the words, “Holiness to the Lord—The House of the Lord.”
Once the construction of a temple is complete, the Church opens the temple for several weeks of public tours. After a public open house, the temple is dedicated as a house of the Lord and is then only open to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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The temple entryway and reception desk where Church members present a temple recommend affirming their faith and willingness to conduct their lives in an honest, obedient, moral, chaste, and repentant manner. August 2025.© 2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Church members entering these sacred buildings must first receive a recommendation from their congregation’s leader. That recommendation is presented as they enter the temple and represents an affirmation of their faith and willingness to conduct their lives in an honest, obedient, moral, chaste, and repentant manner.
Inside the temple, Church members go to private dressing rooms and change into all-white clothing signifying all are alike and valued by God.
They are then taught about God's plan and the gospel of Jesus Christ. They make sacred promises to be honest and to live with integrity, to be faithful to their spouse and children, to seek the interest of their neighbours, and to be peacemakers.
The highest and holiest of these promises is when a man and a woman enter the temple to be married for time and eternity.
In that marriage ceremony, the man and woman promise to honour their marital vows with complete fidelity, care for one another, and to righteously rear and care for their children. God’s promise to them is that their family relationships will endure beyond the grave.
Making these promises in the temple, as well as baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, are also extended to family members who have died. This is done as Church members return to the temple on behalf of their deceased ancestors to make the same promises so their ancestors can receive the same blessings, should they decide to accept these promises and blessings.
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The celestial room is a place where Church members can sit quietly and be open to personal revelation and inspiration. August 2025.© 2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.This selfless service is a fulfillment of Malachi’s words to, “… turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6).
For Church members, attending the temple is also about entering a quiet and holy place where they can seek heavenly help in addressing life’s challenges. It’s a place where God’s voice can be clearly heard and heeded. It’s a place of personal revelation and inspiration.
It’s a place where all who enter can more fully understand their relationship with God, and His Son, Jesus Christ, and how they can better live the gospel of Jesus Christ, care for those in need, invite others to receive the blessings of the gospel, and support the work of uniting families for eternity.