Temple Questions and Answers

Why do we have temples?

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are holy places where we learn eternal truths and take part in sacred ordinances.

What is it like inside the temple?

The temple is a peaceful, reverent, and beautiful place. Everything inside the temple is clean and orderly. Everyone dresses in white and speaks with quiet voices.

What happens in temples?

A wife can be sealed to her husband, and children can be sealed to their parents. The sealing makes it possible for families to be together for eternity. In the temple, men and women also receive a gift of spiritual blessings called the endowment. They can also receive the endowment and be sealed for those who died without making temple covenants.

What else happens in temples?

Besides the sealing and the endowment, other ordinances are done in temples. People can be baptized and confirmed for those who were not able to join the Church while they were alive. When you turn 12 and are worthy to enter the temple, you may have the opportunity to be baptized and confirmed for those who died without the gospel.

What if my family hasn’t been to the temple?

Heavenly Father knows and loves you and your family. He wants everyone to have the blessings of temple ordinances. Live worthy to enter the temple. Set a goal now that you will receive the endowment and marry in the temple some day. Your Heavenly Father will bless you and your family.

“My young friends … , always have the temple in your sights. Do nothing which will keep you from entering its doors and partaking of the sacred and eternal blessings there.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “The Holy Temple—A Beacon to the World,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2011, 93.

Illustration by Brad Teare