Can I visit a Mormon temple?

Question

I have seen a few stories lately on weddings at a Mormon temple that the family of the non-Mormon person was not allowed to attend. It got me thinking about if a person who wasn't Mormon would be able to attend a church service as a visitor to learn more.

What's the difference between a temple and a church? I didn't realize they were different.

Answer 1

Our chapels are where we hold our regular church services on Sunday, and all our family and group activities. Temples are for more advanced learning of gospel principles, and making sacred covenants with God. Temples are for members who have been members for at least a year, and have been properly prepared for what to expect. And because of the sacredness of the covenants made, our sealings are made in the temple also. Closed to non-members, members under 18, or have been members less than a year, or whatever. So, you see, even some members are unable to attend temple weddings.

You can see the inside of a temple if there is one holding an open house, before it is dedicated.

Temples Announced or Under Construction

Temple
Cebu Philippines
Curitiba Brazil
Draper Utah
Kiev Ukraine
Oquirrh Mountain Utah
Panamá City Panamá
Quetzaltenango Guatemala
Rexburg Idaho
Tegucigalpa Honduras
Twin Falls Idaho
Vancouver British Columbia

You can check the status of these and other announced temples at the web site at the bottom.

Answer 2

The temples are different from regular church houses. An LDS church = anyone can enter, go to a service, or whatever - it even says "Visitors Welcome" on the outside of every church.
Before a temple is dedicated as a house of the Lord, the church will hold what is called an "open house" where any one from any religion or faith can come walk through it and get information about the temples and their purposes. After a temple is dedicated, it is holy. It is literally a house of God, and He has set the standards those who attend need to be living by, afterall, it's his house and he can!
If you have more questions - let me know, I would try to answer any to the best of my ability and knowlegde.

*****Mr. Peepers******* You have and are spreading some incorrect information...almost 100% of the work done in the temples (on behalf of the deceased) is either performed by family members or the names are submitted by family members. I am sure there are those who are offended, but I know that every effort is made to get any living relative's permission. Seriously, the church would not "go behind" people's backs. Do you have proof that someone did Hitler's temple work? Also, no person that has their work performed for them is "automatically" a mormon, their names are not added to the membership records of the church, there is no free will taken away so don't worry.

Answer 3

When a temple is first built it is open to the public to tour, afterwards only Mormons who have a temple recommend (worthy, faithful members recieve these) can go to the temple. You can go on the temple grounds of course and even enter the temple, but that is about as far as you can go.
In the temple baptisms for the dead are performed, also sealings (marriages) and endowments.
In our church buildings anyone can come, mormons or non mormons, that is where we meet every Sunday for church service. Hope that helps!

Answer 4

They have sacred areas of the temple that are for mormons only. You can attend a service in their church, however. Just not the sacred areas of their temple.

Answer 5

You can visit a temple before it is dedicated. If you live in Utah, Idaho, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Columbia or the Ukraine there is likely an open house for a new temple in the next few years.

Answer 6

Looks like everyone here has answered this one pretty accurately. No one offered any description of the inside, but it's both ornate and sedate at the same time.

The baptismal font is a big tub supported by a dozen or so replicas of golden oxen, which is the probably the most visually unusual feature. This is where the baptisms for the dead occur, and all the big name dead celebrities are baptized without their family's knowledge or permission.

Perhaps this is where mormons confuse 'sacred' with 'secret'; they think they're doing someone an eternal 'favor', but the deceased's (non-lds) family is often offended or outraged. It doesn't really matter, as the mormons perceive themselves as moral superiors to non lds, and the baptisee is dead anyway.

FYI: They even baptized Adolf Hitler, although no one has actually complained yet. Einstein is a different matter entirely.

Anyway, you're invited to join the church, pay and pray your way into the elect temple-recommend holders clique, and see for yourself the Wonders of Masonry with little green aprons and funny hats!

Answer 7

You can't go to the temple, because only baptised Mormans who are declared worthy are allowed to enter the temple.
Feel free, however, to attend regular church services at any LDS curch.

Answer 8

The Mormon Temple is shrouded in a veil of secrecy and only those mormons with a temple recommend are allowed to attend. So not even all Mormons are allowed to go. Besides this one of the reasopns is that the Rites carried out in the Temple are pagan rituals that stem directly from the Freemasons.