“26. Temple Recommends,” Selections from the General Handbook (2023).

“26. Temple Recommends,” Selections from the General Handbook

26.

Temple Recommends

26.0

Introduction

Entering the house of the Lord is a sacred privilege. Ward and stake leaders encourage all members to be worthy of and to have a current temple recommend even if they do not live near a temple.

Church leaders make every effort to see that all who enter the house of the Lord are worthy to do so (see Psalm 24:3–5).

Members must have a current temple recommend to enter a temple.

A bishop counsels with his stake president if he has questions about temple recommends that are not answered in this chapter. The stake president may contact the Office of the First Presidency with questions.

26.1

Types of Temple Recommends

There are three types of recommends:

Temple recommend for unendowed members. These recommends are for unendowed members who are being sealed to their parents or performing proxy baptisms and confirmations. They are issued through Leader and Clerk Resources (LCR). For more information, see 26.4.
Temple recommend for living ordinances. These recommends are for members receiving their own endowment or being sealed to a spouse. The recommend for living ordinances is attached to a regular temple recommend for endowed members (described below).
Temple recommend for endowed members. These recommends are for members who have previously been endowed. They are issued through LCR. They authorize a member to participate in all temple ordinances for the deceased. They are also used when an endowed member is sealed to living or deceased parents or children. For more information, see 26.3.

26.2

Safeguarding Temple Recommends

26.2.1

Priesthood Leaders Safeguarding Temple Recommends

Priesthood leaders who are authorized to have temple recommend books should carefully safeguard them.

Priesthood leaders also ensure that unauthorized individuals do not have access to temple recommend information in LCR.

26.2.2

Lost or Stolen Recommends

The bishop asks members to notify him as soon as possible if their recommend is lost or stolen. He or an assigned counselor or clerk uses LCR to cancel the recommend as soon as possible. If this system is not available, the bishop contacts the temple office to have the recommend canceled.

26.2.3

Recommend Holders Who Are Not Living the Standards of Worthiness

If the bishop determines that a member who has a current recommend is not living the standards of worthiness (see 26.3), he requests the recommend from the member. He uses LCR to cancel the recommend. If this system is not available, the bishop contacts the temple office to have the recommend canceled.

26.3

General Guidelines for Issuing Temple Recommends

Priesthood leaders should issue a recommend only if the member answers the temple recommend questions appropriately.

In stakes, a member of the stake presidency or a stake clerk activates the temple recommend in LCR after it is issued. In districts, a member of the mission presidency or a mission clerk activates the recommend. Recommends for proxy baptisms and confirmations are activated when they are printed by a member of the bishopric or by the branch president.

26.3.1

Temple Recommend Interviews for Members in Wards and Branches

In a ward, the bishop or an assigned counselor conducts temple recommend interviews and issues recommends to those who are worthy. In a branch, only the branch president conducts temple recommend interviews and issues recommends.

In a ward, the bishop personally interviews members who:

Are receiving their own endowment (see 27.1 and 27.2).
Are being sealed to a spouse (see 27.3).

In urgent cases when the bishop is unavailable, he may authorize one of his counselors to conduct these interviews.

Before issuing a recommend in the situations listed above, the bishop reviews the member’s record to verify that it does not include a notation about Church membership restrictions. For members receiving their own endowment or being sealed to a spouse, he also ensures that:

The person’s baptism and confirmation are recorded on the membership record.
Brethren have received the Melchizedek Priesthood.

After the interview by a member of the bishopric or the branch president, a member of the stake presidency interviews members who live in a stake. A member of the mission presidency conducts the second interview for members who live in a district. A district president does not conduct temple recommend interviews unless authorized by the First Presidency.

26.3.2

Temple Recommend Interviews for Members in Isolated Areas

Some members live in areas that would require expensive travel or great difficulty to meet with a member of the stake or mission presidency. In these situations, a temple president may interview the person and sign the recommend. Before conducting the interview, he confers with the stake or mission president. The bishop, an authorized counselor, or the branch president should have already interviewed the member and signed the recommend.

26.3.3

Conducting a Temple Recommend Interview

Leaders should not add or remove any requirements.

Temple recommend interviews should not be rushed. They should be private. However, the person being interviewed may invite a spouse, parent, or another adult to be present.

26.4

Issuing Temple Recommends to Unendowed Members

26.4.1

General Guidelines

Temple recommends are issued to unendowed members as follows:

For members ages 11 and older to be baptized and confirmed for the dead. (Young women and ordained young men are eligible for a temple recommend beginning in January of the year they turn 12.)
For members ages 8 through 20 to be sealed to their parents. Children younger than 8 do not need a recommend to be sealed to their parents (see 26.4.4).
For members ages 8 through 20 to observe the sealings of their living siblings, stepsiblings, or half siblings to their parents.

Members who have been previously endowed are not issued any of the recommends explained in this section.

A male Church member who is old enough to hold the priesthood must be ordained to a priesthood office before he may receive a temple recommend.

26.4.2

Temple Recommends for Newly Baptized Members

The bishop interviews new members who are of an appropriate age to receive a temple recommend for proxy baptisms and confirmations only. He conducts this interview soon after the member’s confirmation, normally within a week (see 26.4.1). For brethren, this interview may be held as part of the interview to receive the Aaronic Priesthood.

26.4.3

Temple Recommends for Proxy Baptisms and Confirmations Only

Temple recommends that are issued for proxy baptisms and confirmations may be used only for that purpose.

26.4.4

Temple Recommends for Sealing Living Children to Parents

Members who are 21 or older may be sealed to their parents or observe a sealing only if they are (1) endowed and (2) have a current temple recommend.

26.5

Issuing Temple Recommends in Special Circumstances

26.5.1

Members Receiving Their Own Endowment

Worthy members who desire to receive their own endowment may do so when they meet all of the following conditions:

They are at least 18 years old.
They have completed or are no longer attending high school, secondary school, or the equivalent.
One full year has passed since their confirmation.
They feel a desire to receive and honor temple covenants throughout their lives.

In addition, a man must hold the Melchizedek Priesthood before receiving his endowment. For information about members preparing to receive their own endowment, see 25.2.8. For information about who may receive the endowment, see 27.2.1.

26.5.3

Young Missionaries Returning from Service Away from Home

The mission president dates and activates the recommend so it expires three months from the date the missionary returns home.

The bishop interviews returned missionaries to issue a new temple recommend near the end of the three-month expiration period.

26.5.4