Mexico City Mexico Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints builds temples all around the world where faithful members go to learn more of Jesus Christ and his plan, receive ordinances for themselves, and perform vicarious work for their deceased ancestors. These temples are beautifully constructed both inside and out. They are designed to direct our thoughts heavenward and seal families together for eternity. The redemptive work that is performed here is not to be found anywhere else on the earth. All people are invited to experience for themselves the grandeur and blessings of temple work by qualifying themselves to enter the House of the Lord.  In the meantime, I'll be taking you through the A to Z of our temples.

MEXICO CITY MEXICO TEMPLE

The Mexico City Mexico Temple

Mexico City Mexico Temple

The Mexico City Mexico Temple is one of the most fascinating of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It incorporates ornate adaptations of ancient Mayan design and has been renovated twice since its original dedication. It looks like something straight of the Mayan jungle.

The Church tries to design and construct temples with very local flavours and themes so that most of them are different to each other and unique to the area in which they sit. The Mexico City Mexico Temple is one of the most striking examples.

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Logan Utah & Las Vegas Nevada Temples

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints builds temples all around the world where faithful members go to learn more of Jesus Christ and his plan, receive ordinances for themselves, and perform vicarious work for their deceased ancestors. These temples are beautifully constructed both inside and out. They are designed to direct our thoughts heavenward and seal families together for eternity. The redemptive work that is performed here is not to be found anywhere else on the earth. All people are invited to experience for themselves the grandeur and blessings of temple work by qualifying themselves to enter the House of the Lord.  In the meantime, I'll be taking you through the A to Z of our temples.

LOGAN UTAH TEMPLE

The legendary Logan Utah Temple

The Logan Utah Temple is a commanding brick fortress

The Logan Utah Temple

Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.

Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.

Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon itfrom En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

(Ezekiel 47:1-5, 8-10, 12)

Yes, the waters that Ezekiel saw gushing out from the temple represent the Living Water, or the gospel of Jesus Christ and the glorious ordinances that have been restored and are performed in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These 'waters' have the power to 'heal' every person they touch, every land they stand in. We are invited to fully immerse ourselves in these 'waters', not only go ankle deep.

LAS VEGAS NEVADA TEMPLE

A view of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple

Away from The Strip which is full of hotels and casinos, the Las Vegas Nevada Temple also shines brightly at night

Las Vegas Nevada Temple

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Kansas City Missouri Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints builds temples all around the world where faithful members go to learn more of Jesus Christ and his plan, receive ordinances for themselves, and perform vicarious work for their deceased ancestors. These temples are beautifully constructed both inside and out. They are designed to direct our thoughts heavenward and seal families together for eternity. The redemptive work that is performed here is not to be found anywhere else on the earth. All people are invited to experience for themselves the grandeur and blessings of temple work by qualifying themselves to enter the House of the Lord.  In the meantime, I'll be taking you through the A to Z of our temples.

KANSAS CITY MISSOURI TEMPLE

Kansas City Missouri Temple

Kansas City Missouri Temple and the surrounding grounds

A temple is not only the eye-catching structure, but also includes the grounds surrounding it. The vast majority of temples have delicately and precisely landscaped grounds, as you can see in the picture above with the Kansas City Missouri Temple. No detail is wasted in the landscaping. Temple-goers also spend time around the grounds, and of course, they make for perfect photographs. The grounds provide a tranquil and inspiring atmosphere too, for non-member relatives and friends who can't go inside the temple, but are still free to admire the beauty outside the temple.

"I love to see the temple,
I'm going there someday,
To feel the Holy Spirit,
To listen and to pray."

(From the Children's Songbook)

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Jordan River Utah Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints builds temples all around the world where faithful members go to learn more of Jesus Christ and his plan, receive ordinances for themselves, and perform vicarious work for their deceased ancestors. These temples are beautifully constructed both inside and out. They are designed to direct our thoughts heavenward and seal families together for eternity. The redemptive work that is performed here is not to be found anywhere else on the earth. All people are invited to experience for themselves the grandeur and blessings of temple work by qualifying themselves to enter the House of the Lord.  In the meantime, I'll be taking you through the A to Z of our temples.

JORDAN RIVER UTAH TEMPLE

The Jordan River Utah Temple

This is the stunningly beautiful Jordan River Utah Temple. I just love the architecture, the geometry of the shapes, and how the light and shadow plays nicely with the single white colour. 

The Jordan River Utah Temple on a perfect clear day

A night shot of the Jordan River Utah Temple

The Reception at the Jordan River Utah Temple

A chapel at the Jordan River Utah Temple. There are no services held in chapels in temples. Rather, the chapel here is a place of quiet reflection while waiting for an endowment session to begin. Gentle church music plays in the background and sets of scriptures are available. Once everyone is in and it is time for the session to start, a temple worker will usher everyone through the temple to the Endowment Room.

The Jordan River Utah Temple was recently renovated and re-dedicated. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often closes temples for a period of time for renovation/refurbishment as we try to maintain the perfect condition of these houses of worship. More will be explained in the video below:

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Indianapolis Indiana Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints builds temples all around the world where faithful members go to learn more of Jesus Christ and his plan, receive ordinances for themselves, and perform vicarious work for their deceased ancestors. These temples are beautifully constructed both inside and out. They are designed to direct our thoughts heavenward and seal families together for eternity. The redemptive work that is performed here is not to be found anywhere else on the earth. All people are invited to experience for themselves the grandeur and blessings of temple work by qualifying themselves to enter the House of the Lord.  In the meantime, I'll be taking you through the A to Z of our temples.

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA TEMPLE

The Indianapolis Indiana Temple

Window detail at the Indianapolis Indiana Temple

Column detail at the Indianapolis Indiana Temple

An Endowment Room in the Indianapolis Indiana Temple

An Endowment Room in the Indianapolis Indiana Temple

The Endowment Room is where members go to receive their endowment. They are here instructed about God's plan for His children, enter into covenants with God and are tested as to their knowledge of these covenants. They are endowed with valuable information, with the power of promises to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, and from this point on, begin wearing the temple garment as a constant reminder of the temple and the lessons learned therein, and as a physical and spiritual protection.

"I love to see the temple,
I'll go inside someday,
I'll cov'nant with my Father; 
I'll promise to obey."

(From the Children's Songbook)

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Houston Texas Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints builds temples all around the world where faithful members go to learn more of Jesus Christ and his plan, receive ordinances for themselves, and perform vicarious work for their deceased ancestors. These temples are beautifully constructed both inside and out. They are designed to direct our thoughts heavenward and seal families together for eternity. The redemptive work that is performed here is not to be found anywhere else on the earth. All people are invited to experience for themselves the grandeur and blessings of temple work by qualifying themselves to enter the House of the Lord.  In the meantime, I'll be taking you through the A to Z of our temples.

HOUSTON TEXAS TEMPLE

The marvellous Houston Texas Temple

"Houston, there is no problem here!"

The Houston Texas Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of my favourite temples. It's interior attracts my eye with its castle-like appearance, columns, and design that draws your gaze upwards.

The Houston Texas Temple at night

Despite its grand appearance, temples are not exactly built to impress the outside world or boast of wealth and riches. No-one actually lives in the temple; no-one calls it their home. A Temple President and his wife serve for a short period of time voluntarily in a temple, along with others who are either called or offer their time to work in the temple. There are no wages paid for any work done in the temple. Once a temple is dedicated, it becomes the house of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We attend the temple as guests to the Lord's house. As it is His house, one must meet certain standards of worthiness to enter. One must certify to an authorised officer that he/she is living in obedience to the commandments and standards the church sets.

As you can see, the cost is rather high to plan, build and maintain the many beautiful temples the Church owns around the world. A way the Church finances temples is through the tithing of its members. Members are invited to contribute 10% of their income to fund church projects, of which temple-building is one. During temple recommend interviews with authorised officers, members are asked about their adherence to the law of tithing. 

As for me, I'm happy to contribute 10% to a very good cause that I genuinely love. When temples are built, I can know in some small way, I have helped to finance these glorious buildings.

"For the temple is a house of God,
A place of love and beauty,
I'll prepare myself while I am young;
This is my sacred duty."

(From the Children's Songbook)

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Gilbert Arizona Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints builds temples all around the world where faithful members go to learn more of Jesus Christ and his plan, receive ordinances for themselves, and perform vicarious work for their deceased ancestors. These temples are beautifully constructed both inside and out. They are designed to direct our thoughts heavenward and seal families together for eternity. The redemptive work that is performed here is not to be found anywhere else on the earth. All people are invited to experience for themselves the grandeur and blessings of temple work by qualifying themselves to enter the House of the Lord.  In the meantime, I'll be taking you through the A to Z of our temples.

GILBERT ARIZONA TEMPLE

The magnificent Gilbert Arizona Temple

The Baptistry at the Gilbert Arizona Temple

It is to be noted that the Baptism Font in all temples rests on the backs of twelve oxen. A popular explanation for this is that the twelve oxen represent the twelve tribes of Israel, however, I am of the personal belief that oxen are associated with the specific tribe of Ephraim, which is the gathering tribe. We gather God's children by offering our dead the ordinance of baptism  by proxy.

The Foyer in the Gilbert Arizona Temple

Upon entering a temple, members will approach a front desk like this one where they will be requested to present their temple recommend to a patron for checking. Only members who have previously been interviewed and found to be practising certain standards of worthiness will be issued a temple recommend. Recommends are valid for 2 years.

However, once a temple has completed construction, the general public are invited to attend an Open House where they may go inside the temple and look around for themselves. Guided tours are usually offered. Open Houses usually last for 2-3 weeks, after which a church authority will hold a special dedicatory service. Once a temple has been dedicated, only those possessing a valid temple recommend may enter.

Here is a 5-minute video showing an example of some of the activities and cultural performances that took place on the dedication of the Gilbert Arizona Temple:

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints