My nonmember friends have talked to me about things that go on in the temple. How do they know about them, and what should I say about them?

First of all, don’t let your friends’ questions bother you. Temple symbols and ordinances have reached the public in various ways over the years, primarily by people who have left the Church. But just because these things are known to people outside the Church does not mean that they are any less sacred. What’s important is that we continue to hold them sacred and show our commitment to the Lord.

Secondly, if people ask you about temple ceremonies, you can truthfully say that you don’t know much about them because you haven’t experienced them yet. However, to clear up misunderstandings, you could explain that we go to the temple to make covenants with Heavenly Father and that it “helps us focus on the Savior, His role in our Heavenly Father’s plan, and our commitment to follow Him” (True to the Faith [2004], 171). Temple symbols and ceremonies are sacred and should not be discussed publicly, nor can they be properly understood or appreciated outside the context of the temple.

To learn more, you can read the following resources, both of which are available in the Gospel Library on lds.org:

• The booklet Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple (2004).

• The entry on “Temples” in True to the Faith, pages 170–74.