Temples

We are blessed as we worship in the house of the Lord

Think about the most beautiful and peaceful places you have been. What did you love about them? How did they make you feel? When we are able to visit or go inside a temple of the Lord, we can also feel peace. But that’s not the main reason they are important to us. Temples are unlike any other place on earth because they are the house of the Lord. Inside the temple we can make covenants to be closer to Him and prepare for eternal life.

President Jeffrey R. Holland said: “We love and cherish our dedicated temples and the essential, exalting ordinances that are performed there. We thank heaven that more of them are being built, giving each of us greater access to them. Temples of the Lord are truly the holiest, most sacred structures in the kingdom of God.”

What Are Temples?

The temple is literally the house of the Lord. In these holy buildings, worthy Church members participate in sacred ordinances and make covenants with the Lord. For example, the sealing ordinance allows us to be with our family for eternity if we keep our covenants. In temples we can also receive ordinances on behalf of ancestors who have died. The Lord visits His temples, and they are among the holiest places on earth.

Topic overview: Temples

Related gospel study guides: Covenants and Ordinances, Endowment and Sealing Ordinances, Participating in Temple and Family History Work, Vicarious Ordinances for the Dead

Section 1

God Has Commanded His People to Build Temples

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Tucson Arizona Temple construction

God has always commanded His people to build temples. Temples of the Church today have many similarities to temples in ancient scripture and are found in many nations around the world. They are different from Church meetinghouses, as they are places where we make special covenants and participate in sacred ordinances. Inside holy temples, Church members can also perform ordinances by proxy for their deceased ancestors and other individuals who did not have a chance to receive them in this life. The deceased can then choose to accept these ordinances and receive salvation and exaltation.

Everything in the house of the Lord teaches us about Heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus Christ, and God’s plan of salvation. Temples are places where we can draw close to God the Father and His Son. They are sacred places set apart for worship and instruction. In the temple, we can feel God’s Spirit and His love.

Things to think about

The Kirtland Temple was the first temple built by the Latter-day Saints. It required many sacrifices, but the Saints were also promised many blessings for making those sacrifices. Read about these promises in Doctrine and Covenants 97:8–16. Then you might read about some of the spiritual experiences the Saints had in the Kirtland Temple in Doctrine and Covenants 110 and in chapter 21 of Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 (2018), 232–43. How have you felt the Lord’s presence in His holy house? What other blessings have you received because temples have been built in our day? You might also ponder what sacrifices you could make to receive blessings from the Lord in His house.
While no two temples are exactly alike, each temple has the same important rooms for receiving instruction, participating in sacred ordinances, and making covenants. You could learn more about the purpose of these rooms by reading the short article “Inside Temples” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). What do you learn from the article that inspires you to worship in the temple or to do so more often?

Activity for learning with others

If you can, go together to a nearby temple. Perhaps you could quietly walk around the temple grounds. Or you could look at pictures of temples. As you do, read or softly sing the words to “I Love to See the Temple.” Then share with each other any thoughts or feelings you have about the temple. You could discuss as a group why you feel that the Lord has commanded us to build temples in our day. In what ways are individuals, families, and communities blessed by the building of more temples?

Learn more

Exodus 26–27; 40; 2 Chronicles 5; 2 Nephi 5:16; Doctrine and Covenants 88:119; 95:8–17; 124:38–42
“Why Latter-day Saints Build Temples,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org
“Welcome to the House of the Lord” (video), youtube.com
Church History Topics, “Temple Building,” Gospel Library
Church History Topics, “Temple Dedications and Dedicatory Prayers,” Gospel Library

Section 2

We Have Access to Spiritual Power and Guidance in the House of the Lord

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man praying

President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “The temple is a place of revelation. There you are shown how to progress toward a celestial life. There you are drawn closer to the Savior and given greater access to His power. There you are guided in solving the problems in your life, even your most perplexing problems.” In the temple, you can find spiritual help and power. You can find comfort and strength to move forward during challenges and trials.

You can increase your ability to receive spiritual help and guidance in the house of the Lord as you prepare yourself and seek to have “clean hands, and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:4). In this peaceful, sacred, dedicated space, it is often easier to feel close to Him and hear the promptings of His Spirit.

Things to think about

Perhaps you have an important question or a difficult challenge. Have you considered spending time at the temple to seek the Lord’s guidance? Consider how participating in temple ordinances might help you gain clarity about your question or challenge. If you do not have a temple recommend, perhaps you could walk around the temple grounds and spend some time in prayer and pondering there. Consider recording any promptings you receive.

Activity for learning with others

President Nelson taught: “My dear brothers and sisters, may you focus on the temple in ways you never have before. I bless you to grow closer to God and Jesus Christ every day.” To understand what it means to focus on the temple, you could talk about instruments that help us focus our vision. You could take turns looking through glasses, binoculars, or a telescope (or look at a picture of one of these items). Then talk about how you could increase your focus on the temple in ways you haven’t before. You could also ponder and record blessings you receive as you focus on the temple over the next several months.

Learn more

Doctrine and Covenants 109:12–13, 20–23
Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 93–96
Dale G. Renlund, “Accessing God’s Power through Covenants,” Liahona, May 2023, 35–37

Section 3

The Lord Invites Everyone to Come to the Temple

The Lord wants everyone to come to His holy house and make covenants with Him. But He also wants us to prepare first. He knows that making those covenants before we are ready would actually limit our ability to enjoy the blessings of the temple. That’s why He sets standards of spiritual preparedness for entering the temple—standards that He invites all to live so that all can receive His blessings.

To enter the temple, you need a temple recommend, which you can receive after an interview with your priesthood leaders. Their inspired guidance helps you know how to prepare to receive temple ordinances. Your temple recommend is a physical sign of your personal preparation to enter the Lord’s house. It is a sign that you are striving to obey God’s commandments. It means that you, the Lord, and His representatives “recommend” you for entrance into the house of the Lord.

Then once you’ve received the endowment and other temple ordinances, don’t stop there! Prepare to return to the house of the Lord and learn more. Sister Silvia H. Allred taught, “We all receive the same instruction, but our understanding of the meaning of the ordinances and covenants will increase as we return to the temple often with the attitude of learning and contemplating the eternal truths taught.”

Things to think about

Think about something important that you had to prepare for, such as a test at school, a job interview, or a lesson at church. How did you prepare? What would have happened if you hadn’t prepared? Then ponder why we need to prepare to enter the house of the Lord. You could read Exodus 40:7–15 and consider what Aaron and his sons did to prepare to enter the tabernacle. You could also read Doctrine and Covenants 97:15–16 and ponder what it means to you to be pure in heart. Consider if there are ways you might strive to be purer in heart and more spiritually prepared to worship in the house of the Lord.

Activities for learning with others

After the Savior’s death and Resurrection, He visited people in the Americas. The first place He appeared was at the temple in Bountiful. Read 3 Nephi 11:1–10, and talk about why you think the Lord chose to appear to the people where He did. President Russell M. Nelson said of this visit: “It is significant that the Savior chose to appear to the people at the temple. It is His house. … I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can.” Talk about why the Lord also wants us to go to the temple. If you have been to the temple, think about the blessings you have received for going. If you do not have a temple nearby or cannot currently worship in the temple for other reasons, you could talk about ways the temple can still be an important part of your life, such as by regularly pondering the blessings we receive from worshipping in the temple or remembering your temple covenants.
You can find the temple recommend questions in For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices (2022), pages 36–37. To help each other understand the Lord’s standards for entering the temple, you could each pick one of the questions to study. You could use the Guide to the Scriptures and other Church materials to learn more about the topic of the question. Ask yourself, Why is this an important part of preparing for the temple? Then share with each other what you learn.

Learn more

Psalm 122:1; Isaiah 2:2–3
Ronald A. Rasband, “Recommended to the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 22–25
“Prepare for the House of the Lord,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org
“Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple,” Gospel Library