In the San Diego California Temple rests an envelope addressed to Jesus, c/o the San Diego Temple. It’s there because of the beautiful faith and devotion of a child.

At a family home evening, this youngster, not yet 4 years old, completed coloring a Nativity scene in a coloring book. When he was through he asked his “daddy” to mail it to Jesus. Dad said he didn’t think it would be possible to send it to Jesus because there is no postal service in heaven.

A thoughtful discussion followed. The inquiry from the boy, then, was could the letter be delivered to the temple, because “that’s where Jesus lives.” So, the next evening, the father, mother, and twin children brought the envelope to the temple, the House of the Lord.

It was a moving experience for the member of the presidency who met them at the entrance to receive this sacred trust and to witness in the eyes of an almost 4-year-old wonderment, love, devotion and faith.

Why do Mormon temples arouse such feelings of love, anticipation, and devotion among the faithful? What makes them special to Mormons? What goes on inside Mormon temples? Why aren’t they open to everyone to enter and enjoy?

Questions such as these have been on minds of many people who consider these magnificent edifices. Since the San Diego temple was dedicated in 1993, the number of Mormon temples around the world has almost tripled. As more temples arise in more places, more people ask questions such as these.

Hopefully, this Web site will be able to answer some of those questions-particularly in relation to the San Diego temple. Click one of the links available at the top of any page on this site, and you will discover more about Mormon temples and what they really are.

For this reason, the Church continually tries to build temples all over the world so that the blessings of the temple can be available to the largest number of Mormons. It is expected that the building of temples will continue, as part of our preparation for the return of the Savior at the Second Coming:

We expect to see the day when temples will dot the earth, each one a house of the Lord; each one built in the mountains of the lord; each one a sacred sanctuary to which Israel and the Gentiles shall gather to receive the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Perhaps they will number in the hundreds, or even in the thousands, before the Lord returns. [Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1982), 277.]

The San Diego Mormon temple is not, therefore, the only Mormon temple. There are over 125 other temples, in all corners of the globe. Here are just a few sites where you can get some more information about specific temples:

• Las Vegas Temple (Nevada, USA). Situated on the side of a mountain overlooking Las Vegas, this temple is a spirtual oasis in the desert, beckoning all to look unto God.
• Oakland Temple (California, USA). Nestled in the Berkeley Hills, overlooking the San Francisco Bay, the Oakland temple has become a well-known area landmark.

If you want to know more about temples in general, consider visiting the temples site sponsored by the Mormon Church.

If you attend an open house, you would see a beautiful building with thick carpets, beautiful furniture, and ornate fixtures. You would see beautiful artwork, some commissioned exclusively for that particular temple. Mormons believe that a temple, as the house of the Lord, should reflect the very best the people have to offer. Everything is designed to be respectful, reverent, and inspiring.

After the public open houses, a Mormon temple is dedicated to the Lord. The San Diego temple was dedicated in twenty-three ceremonies during the last week of April 1993. During these ceremonies approximately 50,000 faithful Church members gathered together to offer prayers to God and sing praises to the Lord. Gordon B. Hinckley, at the time a member of the Church’s First Presidency, offered the prayers in which the temple was formally dedicated to the Lord.

Once a temple is dedicated, it is “set apart” as a holy place, dedicated to the Lord. Mormons believe that temples are sacred, holy places; they believe that the buildings are literally the house of the Lord. From this point on the temple is open only to those faithful members who meet minimum religious criteria that are in keeping with the sacred nature of temples.

When Church members enter Mormon temples, they make a promise that they will not openly discuss certain aspects of the temple outside of the temple doors, even with other members of the Church. This is not an attempt to hide anything that is being done, but rather an effort to keep what is done in temples sacred and special. While a detailed discussion of what goes on in temples is inappropriate, it is fine to provide general information on Mormon temple activities.

The temple itself sits on just over seven acres of beautifully landscaped grounds. The setting features trees and flowers native to Southern California. Visitors can stroll among breath-taking flower gardens and stately palm trees. The effect is a peaceful calm, despite the temple’s location in a busy metropolitan area.

Mormon temples, while religious in purpose, are not a regular church. Instead, they are places where faithful members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can participate in special ritual ordinances. Due to the very sacred nature of these ordinances, they can only be performed in placesólike the San Diego Templeóthat are dedicated and consecrated as holy places. According to Mormon beliefs, the ordinances performed in temples bring participants closer to God and Jesus Christ through instruction related to the how man may progress to become more like God. These sacred ordinances include the temple endowment, temple sealings, and baptism for the dead.

Consistent with the fact that Mormon temples are not regular places of worship, they are typically open every day of the week except Sunday. This means that temples can be very busy places, depending on how many members come to participate in the ordinances offered in the temple. The daily affairs of a Mormon templeóboth spiritual and physicalóare administered by a temple presidency, along with a small staff and a large number of volunteers.

So how do Mormon temples help in this mission? There are two important answers: by providing a holy place apart from the world and through sacred ordinances.

A Place Set Apart from the World

Temples are places designed to be “set apart from the world,” thereby creating an atmosphere where God’s Spirit can have greater influence. Those members of the Mormon church who keep minimum standards of conduct and have a strong faith in Jesus Christ are allowed to enter the temple. This is similar to ancient temples, where only those who went through a process of purification were permitted into the inner courts of the temple. As in days gone by, those who have prepared to enter the templeóthose who meet the minimum standardsóare able to enter and receive the blessings available there.

To those who are prepared, the temple becomes a place where the Spirit of the Lord can freely dwell. In this way Mormon temples serve as a kind of sanctuary to those who attend them, providing a place that is holy and has been set aside as a house of the Lord. They are places for prayer, thought, reflection, and revelation.

A Place for Sacred Ordinances

The second way in which temples help to perfect the Saints is through special, holy ordinances that can only be performed within the temples. Ordinances are ritualistic ceremonies performed as a way to signify covenants made between the member and God.

One common temple ordinance in Old Testament times was the sacrificing of an animal to God. The actual sacrificing of the animal did nothing for the people, but was a symbolic reminder of the sacrifice that would one day come through the Lord Jesus Christ. While the need for animal sacrifice was done away with after the death and resurrection of the Eternal Sacrifice, Jesus Christ, the New Testament indicates that ordinances and the covenants they represented did not cease. Matthew 26:26-28 provides the following account:

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matt 26:26-28)

The apostles ate bread and drank water that was symbolic of the sacrifice which Christ was about to make for them. This same ritual, or ordinance, is practiced by many Christians to this day. The ordinance goes by many different names, such as the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, or (in the Mormon church) the Sacrament, but it is essentially the same ordinance instituted in New Testament times.

Ordinances not only remind us of an event, but additionally are a sign of covenants made with the Lord. A covenant is a two-way promise. When we are baptized we make a covenant with the Lord that we will strive to follow the example of Christ and repent of our sins. In return, the Lord promises that if we keep our part of the covenant, He will forgive us when we come to Him with our mistakes and a sincere heart, with a real desire to change.

Inside the temple there are primarily two ordinances performed for the members of the Mormon church. The first of these ordinances is known as the temple endowment and the second as the sealing ordinance. The first ordinance is designed for individuals, and the second is designed to create eternal families. These ordinances are very sacred and holy, so faithful Mormons don’t discuss their details outside of the temple, even with each other.

Ordinances for Others

Not only are the temples provided so that ordinances can be done for the living, but ordinances in the temples can also be done for those who are dead. Mormons believe that earthly ordinances must be performed, even for those who are no longer capable of performing those ordinances for themselves. There are billions of people who have lived on this earth without ever hearing the name of Christ, or coming to understand the sacrifice He made for them. Would God be just in consigning them to hell for not believing in someone of whom they had never heard?

All of the ordinances offered in the temple for living members of the Mormon church are also performed by proxy for those who have passed on. Temple marriage, sealings, and endowments are performed with someone symbolically standing in for the person who is deceased. Baptisms are also performed by proxy for these people who have passed on.

Because we have no way of knowing who will or will not accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, temple ordinances are performed for everyone who has passed on. To have a family member who has passed on baptized by proxy does not commit that deceased person to accept a “Mormon baptism.” Instead, it merely gives that person the opportunity to accept or reject the ordinance as they choose.

The Mormon religion teaches that our sins make returning to God impossible, so it was necessary for a Savior to be provided. This Savior is our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16, KJV). Jesus Christ conquered death and sin, so that a path could once more be opened for us to return to live with God. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we can be saved.

In order to declare the gospel of Christ, God has called inspired men, called prophets, to teach the world. These men receive a personal witness of the Savior and are given authority to teach his gospel. This authority is called the priesthood. Holy scriptures, such as the Bible, contain the words of prophets who taught about the Savior. As the prophets teach and testify, the Holy Ghost touches the hearts of people and brings feelings of peace. This is why we feel the spirit (the Holy Ghost) when we study the Bible today. This spiritual confirmation of truth is how God confirms that the message of the prophets is true.

Throughout history God has followed this pattern of revelation to inspired men, who then teach the world, with confirmation of their words through the Holy Ghost. Sadly, people do not always accept the message of the prophets. When people reject the prophets, this is called apostasy, derived from a Greek word that signifies rebellion or falling away. When we read the scriptures, we can see a history of God calling a prophet who teaches the people to repent and turn to the Lord. The people eventually turn away from the Lord and reject the prophet, and thus a period of apostasy follows.

Fortunately, God is not only loving, but is also merciful and patient. Each time that the people reject the Lord and his prophets, He waits and prepares His people. When the time is right, He once again sends His messengers to declare His words and restore His gospel.

When Jesus Christ lived on the earth, He taught the people the gospel, and called apostles to continue to teach them when He left. Ultimately, those apostles were violently rejected, and within a century much of the church Christ had established was crippled by apostasy from within and persecution from without. A careful reading of the New Testament shows the struggles and the frustrations of the apostles as they were surrounded by unrighteousness from both the believers and non-believers. The apostles were rejected and killed, and the priesthood authority that the Lord had given to them was gone from the earth. While there were still some righteous members who lived, the people as a whole had become wicked and the fullness of the gospel with the priesthood authority, was forced from the face of the earth. This was prophesied of in the Old Testament by the prophet Amos:

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” (Amos 8:11-12, KJV)

And again in Isaiah:

“Which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. Why, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer?” (Isa. 50:1-2, 21st Century KJV)

After the early church fell into apostasy, the Lord patiently waited for seventeen hundred years for the people to return to him. He prepared them and waited for a time in which He could once again restore the fullness of His gospel to the earth. Finally, the time came. In 1820 a young boy went into the woods to ask God which church was true. He described his experience, in his own words:

“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me… When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the otheróThis is my Beloved Son. Hear him!” (JS-H 1:16-17, emphasis in original)

Through this marvelous visitation, Joseph Smith received a personal witness that God the Father and Jesus Christ live. From this and subsequent visits and revelations he was taught the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how Christ’s church should function. As in days of old, a prophet of God had once again been called. Angels visited the earth, including John the Baptist and Peter, James and John, Jesus’ ancient apostles, who gave to Joseph Smith the same priesthood authority they possessed.

As further confirmation of the divinity of the work Joseph Smith was called to do, the Lord revealed a volume of ancient scripture which had been recorded on the American Continent. Joseph Smith was given power to translate this record, which came to be known as the Book of Mormon. It contains the writings of prophets who lived and taught in the Americas at the time the Bible was being written in Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon contains many beautiful truths about our Savior Jesus Christ, and stands with the Bible as a second witness that Jesus was more than just a man: He was the very Messiah prophesied of in times of old, our Savior and our Redeemer.

Because it was translated by the power of God, the Book of Mormon also serves as a witness that Joseph Smith has been called by God, for if the Book of Mormon is a true record inspired by God, than Joseph Smith must also be a prophet. By knowing that Joseph Smith was a prophet, we can also know that the church he was led to organize is Christ’s church today.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon church) is led today by a prophet of God and twelve apostles, who receive revelation from God on how His church should be run. Thus we see that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He continues to follow the pattern He followed in Bible days, and He teaches us today in much the same way He taught the Children of Israel, or the early Christians of the New Testament.

As in ancient times, the Lord has promised that we need not rely on the words and testimonies of others to know that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. We have been promised that we can each receive our own witness that this is true. One such promise is located near the end of the Book of Mormon:

“Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder them in your hearts.

“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:3-5)

The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that church. The Lord promises us today as in times of old that the Holy Ghost will confirm truth to us. If you will pray about the things which you have read and ask the Lord, “Is this true?” He will answer you by bringing feelings of peace into your heart through the power of the Holy Ghost, “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Cor 2:5, KJV) When you feel these feelings, follow them and learn more about the Church. You can find a meeting place close to where you live, or you can contact your local missionaries through the telephone book in order to learn more.