Mormonism Explained
The Mormon Temple, Explained
What a Latter-day Saint temple is, what happens inside, and why Mormons build them — from the Tabernacle of Moses to more than 210 temples worldwide today.
The Short Answer
What is a Mormon temple?
A house of the Lord. A dedicated building set apart for the most sacred ordinances of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including eternal marriage and ordinances for the dead. It is not where Latter-day Saints hold Sunday worship; that happens in local meetinghouses open to everyone.
Key Takeaways
- A temple is a “house of the Lord.” Different from a meetinghouse: not for Sunday services, but for sacred ordinances and covenants.
- Three ordinances happen there. Baptisms for the dead, the endowment, and sealings — eternal marriage and families bound together.
- It is all about Christ and families. Temples connect people to Jesus Christ and unite families across generations.
- Sacred, not secret. The purpose is published openly; only the specifics are treated with reverence.
- Anyone can tour a new one. A free public open house precedes every dedication.
- An ancient pattern. Latter-day Saints see temples as a restoration of temple worship from Moses to Solomon to the New Testament.
- A worldwide effort. More than 210 dedicated temples today, with hundreds more announced or under construction.
Quick Answers
Why do Mormons build temples?
To make and keep covenants with God. Mormons believe temple ordinances — the endowment, eternal marriage, and baptism for the dead — bind families together forever and open the way back to God’s presence through Jesus Christ.
What happens inside a Mormon temple?
Three kinds of ordinances. Baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors; the endowment (instruction and covenants); and sealings (eternal marriage and the binding of families). All of it centers on Jesus Christ.
Are Mormon temples secret?
No. They are sacred, not secret. The Church publishes what temples are for, opens every new temple to the public before it is dedicated, and teaches the covenants in its own materials. Members simply treat the specifics with reverence.
How is a temple different from a Mormon church?
A meetinghouse is for weekly worship; a temple is for higher ordinances. The meetinghouse is open to anyone, every Sunday. A temple, once dedicated, is entered by members with a current temple recommend. Most Latter-day Saint worship happens in meetinghouses.
Can anyone go inside a Mormon temple?
Yes — before it is dedicated. Every new temple holds a free public open house for weeks before dedication, and all are welcome. After dedication it is reserved for members in good standing — as many traditions reserve their most sacred spaces.
What a temple is — and isn’t
A temple is literally a “house of the Lord,” set apart for sacred ordinances. It is categorically different from a meetinghouse, which is open for weekly worship; a dedicated temple is entered only with a current recommend.
Why Latter-day Saints build temples
For covenants that last beyond this life: ordinances that can unite families eternally and open the way back to God through the Atonement of Jesus Christ — for the living and, by proxy, for ancestors who died without the opportunity.
What happens inside (three ordinances)
1. Baptisms for the dead on behalf of ancestors (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:29).
2. The endowment — instruction and covenant tracing the plan of salvation; see the temple endowment.
3. Sealings — eternal marriage and the binding of families. Participants wear white; members wear the temple garment in daily life.
Sacred, not secret
The purpose, meaning, and even interior photographs are published openly; every new temple is opened to public tours. Only the specific wording of the ceremonies is held back — a posture toward the sacred, not concealment. The “secret” framing is misleading rather than accurate.
Meetinghouse vs. Temple
The Meetinghouse (Chapel) — OPEN
The Temple — DEDICATED
Split note: If you have seen a Latter-day Saint “church,” you have almost certainly seen a meetinghouse — not a temple.
Temples in scripture and history
Date
Event
Date
Event
Date
Event
Date
Event
Date
Event
Date
Event
Date
Event
Date
Event
Date
Event
Date
Event
Date
Event
The Point: Modern temples are presented not as a 19th-century invention but as the restoration of an ancient pattern — sacred space, covenant, ordinance — now built on a global scale.
From one temple to hundreds (modern era)
The nineteenth century closed with four dedicated temples, all in Utah (St. George, Logan, Manti, Salt Lake). A push under President Gordon B. Hinckley reached one hundred by 2000. As of early 2026 the Church reports more than two hundred dedicated temples, with well over a hundred more announced and dozens under construction — approaching four hundred houses of the Lord across roughly eighty countries and territories.
Explore the temple in depth
- The Temple endowment, explained — what it is, where it came from, what its covenants mean.
- The Mormon Temple and the Freemasons — did Joseph Smith copy the temple ceremony from the Masons?
- Temple garments — what the garment is, what it symbolizes, why members wear it.
- Why do Mormons build temples? — eternal families and ordinances for the dead, in depth (child to create).
- The History of Mormon Temples — the full Tabernacle-to-today story (proposed child; pillar carries the summary).
Frequently asked questions
What is a Mormon temple?
Why do Mormons build temples?
What happens inside a Mormon temple?
Are Mormon temples secret?
Can non-Mormons go inside a temple?
What is the difference between a temple and a meetinghouse?
What is a temple recommend?
The harder questions, answered
If I can’t walk into a temple, isn’t that exclusionary?
Verdict: Reverence, not exclusion.
Every new temple opens to the entire public for weeks before dedication, and the ordinances are explained in Church materials. After dedication, entry is reserved for members who keep certain commitments — as many traditions reserve their holiest spaces.
If temples aren’t secret, why won’t members describe what happens?
Verdict: Sacred, not secret.
Purpose, meaning, and interior photos are public; only the ceremony’s wording is held back as too sacred to repeat casually. The existence and purpose are advertised, not hidden.
Isn’t building hundreds of temples a waste of money?
Verdict: It reflects the doctrine.
If ordinances unite families eternally and serve the dead, building temples closer to members follows directly. One may dispute the doctrine, but the program is a faithful expression of it.
Do Mormons worship in the temple every Sunday?
Verdict: No — that’s the meetinghouse.
Weekly worship happens in ordinary meetinghouses open to all. The temple is for ordinances and visited far less often. Confusing the two is the most common misunderstanding.
Why perform ordinances for the dead?
Verdict: So no one is left out.
Latter-day Saints believe the saving ordinances should reach everyone who ever lived; temple work offers them by proxy, and the deceased remain free to accept or decline. It is meant as love across generations.