Click PDF Newspaper to download the Temple Open House 4-page newspaper given away at temple open house events around the United States.
Welcome to an Evangelical Christian website written by concerned Christians who care very much about the Latter-day Saint people. You may have been redirected from SacredOrSecret.com. Currently the Grand Junction, Colorado temple is hosting an open house.
Allow us to explain what this site is all about.
The Temple Open House is an event that allows the public–church members and nonmembers alike–access to the inside of a new or refurbished temple for a few weeks. After that time, the temple is closed and then dedicated in private ceremonies.
Once the temple opens, only temple patrons (who, among other things, tithe 10% of their wages, do not drink alcohol or hot drinks, and wear temple garments) are allowed inside when they present an authorized temple recommend, either electronically or in print form
Latter-day Saints are told that their temples restore temple worship as discussed in the Bible. Apostle Mark E. Petersen claimed the LDS ceremony actually follows the pattern of biblical days when he wrote:
In Biblical times sacred ordinances were administered in holy edifices for the spiritual salvation of ancient Israel. These buildings thus were not synagogues, nor any other ordinary places of worship… Following the pattern of Biblical days, the Lord again in our day has provided these ordinances for the salvation of all who will believe, and directs that temples be built in which to perform those sacred rites (Why Mormons Build Temples, p. 2).
Unfortunately, the limited descriptions provided during the silent tour do not explain the many differences between the biblical temple of Jerusalem and the LDS temple.
At the end of a 15-minute video visitors will be shown in the next door chapel before tour in the temple begins, Jeffrey R. Holland stated almost two decades ago:
“I don’t know how to speak about heaven in the traditional, lovely, paradisiacal beauty that we speak of heaven. I wouldn’t know how to speak of heaven, without my wife or my children. It would not be heaven for me. Now, you can say that’s wishful thinking, or you can say that’s just because you love each other and you’ve gotten cozy here on earth and you like each others company. It’s a lot more than that. There is something eternal in the statement that, “neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man in the Lord.” That isn’t just good sociology, that is theology, it’s eternal.”
Indeed, Mormonism teaches that the temple is needed for people to be able to attend an eternal state called celestial glory. It is here, it is taught, where Mormons hope to become like their “Heavenly Father” and propagate new spirit children just as God did. This is a much different teaching than what the Bible and Evangelical Christians believe.
There are a number of other differences between the temple (singular) of the Bible and the LDS temples, including:
- The LDS Church has several hundred other temples scattered across the globe and continue to build 30+ temples each year throughout the world; the Jews recognized only the temple in Jerusalem. Temples in Samaria and Arad were condemned.
- The temple in Jerusalem was all about sacrifice, including blood animal sacrifices. People brought these animals to have them slaughtered on behalf of their sins. Jesus fulfilled this role, according to the biblical book of Hebrews. Mormon temples do not involve animal sacrifice.
- Most of the work in the LDS temple is about work on behalf of the dead, including proxy baptisms for people who are no longer living. This was never an ordinance in the Bible.
- Marriages for “time and eternity” that play a prominent role in the LDS temple were never performed in the Jerusalem temple.
- The priests officiating in the Jerusalem temple had to be from the tribe of Levi. This was commanded in Numbers 3:6-10. This command is ignored in LDS temples, as the majority of the membership do not belong to this Jewish tribe.
- Wedding ceremonies never occurred in the Jerusalem temple, yet this is a major function at LDS temples.
- While many Latter-day families have been “sealed” for time and eternity in their temples, the Jerusalem temple provided no such ordinance.
- If you take a tour during the temple open house, you will have a chance to see most of the rooms in this temple. However, you will not have the chance to see the washing and anointing room, one of which is located behind two curtains on the right side of the wall just before entering the celestial room. Ask at the end of the tour why you weren’t allowed to see this room. If the LDS Church is wanting you to know more about its temple, why the silent tour? And why hide this room?
- While the temple will have many paintings of Jesus and His name is even part of the church’s title, one thing you will not see is any depiction of the cross. This is an important symbol of the Christian church for 2,000 years. The apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 1:18 that the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.
Sacred or secret?
Latter-day Saints are not allowed to talk about what goes on inside the temple. We agree, this place is “sacred” for Latter-day Saints. At the same time, what goes on inside the temple is also “secret.” As Mormon historian Richard Bushman put it,
While some members will claim that Mormon temples are sacred not secret, temples are secret, plain and simple. Even members don’t speak to each other about it (Deseret News, March 6, 2008).
We do not want to reveal the language of what takes place in the LDS temple. However, we want you to know that these temples have no biblical precedent and encourage you to do further research. There are additional articles and videos located below, so we encourage you to look at these.
Please know we mean no ill toward the LDS people or anyone who visits the temple. Instead, we direct people to this website to let you know “the other side of the story.” If you feel we are wrong or our information is in error, please contact us (contact@mrm.org) and we would be happy to have a cordial conversation.
Or, if you are at the open house event, come outside the temple grounds and find one of us with a sign advertising this website. We would love to talk.
To read more about the temple, visit Crash Course Mormonism–Temple.
For an index of other articles on the temple, click here.
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