Temples Dot the Earth

A temple-card game for three to six players

Game Board

To create the game board, mount this map of the world on poster board or cardboard. Note that the world has been divided into eight sectors, each a different color and labeled with large italic letters). Each country in which there was a temple at the end of 2001 has also been identified.

How to Play

Shuffle the temple cards (see box below) and stack them face-down on the temple card box. Choose someone to be the first Temple Guide. The Temple Guide draws the top card and silently reads the information. He or she then shows the temple (but not its name) to the other players and announces the date of its dedication. (If the Temple Guide does not know which sector the temple is found in, he or she can find out by silently checking the map.) The person to the left of the Temple Guide then attempts to name, in order, (l) the sector in which the temple is located, (2) the country, and (3) the name of the temple. If the person is right on all three facts, he or she wins that Temple Card and keeps that card. The person to the left of the Temple Guide now becomes the Guide and draws a new card. When someone gives the wrong answer on any of the three facts, his or her turn is ended. The person to his or her left tries to tell the missed fact. After each won Temple Card, the person to the left of the Temple Guide becomes the next Guide, regardless of who won the temple.

Hints and Washouts

If everyone is clearly stumped by a country or temple, the Temple Guide may choose to give a hint. For example, the first letter of the name of a country or temple.

If everyone agrees that they simply cannot guess the name of a particular temple, the Temple Guide may declare a washout, name the temple himself or herself, and place it in an open part of Asia or Africa. No one wins this temple. The person to the Temple Guide’s left becomes the new Temple Guide as usual, and play continues.

Winning the Game

The first person with five temple cards wins the game. Before playing another game, reshuffle the cards.

Temple Cards

Each issue of the Friend this year has included nine temple cards. Nine more will be in the December issue. This game is based on these temple cards. Gather together all of the temple cards from the Friend issues this year. (If you cannot find them all, ask someone with a computer to help you print them out from www.lds.org.) It will be more fun if you are familiar with the names of the temples, so study the cards before playing.

Illustrated by Dick Brown