LDS Temple Open Houses
Before a temple is dedicated to the Lord, LDS temples are open at scheduled times for the public to walk through and see the various rooms of the new temple. There are also short, explanatory sessions at the beginning and end of the walk through.
Liz and I walked through the Draper Utah Temple during their open house yesterday morning. The open house is going on until mid-March and they expect almost a million folks to walk through. To reserve free tickets for yourself go to http://www.lds.org/reservations. There are already 100,000 tickets that haved been reserved with many more available.
Following dedication of the temple, only LDS members who are living high moral standards and following Christian values are allowed to enter the temple. Those who enter must present a small recommend card that has been approved and signed by two of our ecclesiastical leaders.
Upon entry, all visitors change into white clothes and shoes to symbolize the cleanliness and purity required in the House of the Lord. Some temples rent white clothes to visitors, but many members have their own white clothes they bring to the temple. Because all wear white, it also symbolizes that we are all equal before God.
Rooms in the Temple
Baptismal Font Room
The baptismal font rests on the backs of 12 oxen, symbolizing that the 12 tribes of Israel are supporting the baptism of our ancestors. Vicarious work for the dead is completed in the temple so they may accept or deny the required ordinances for returning to our Heavenly Father.
It is through baptism that we become members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Our baptism is one of complete immersion just like Jesus had to complete in order to enter his Father’s kingdom (Mark 1:4-11). Baptism is the key ingredient for us to return to our Heavenly Father, and we wish for the same blessing on our ancestors. However, our ancestors are free to reject this ordinance.
Ordinance Rooms
In the ordinance rooms, “instruction is given about the purposes of mortal life and the blessings that await the faithful in the next life. Lecture and video presentations are used to teach about teh Creation of the earth, the beginning of mortal life through Adam and Eve, and the central role of Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of all God’s children.”
The walls in the first ordinance are hand painted to represent beautiful scenes on earth. It is meant to represent our current existence on earth. The next room represents what we become after we promise to remain moral and virtuous and then live by those tenets. Following this room, we enter the celestial room.
Celestial Room
The celestial room represents the peace and serenity that families will experience in the presence of Heavenly Father and the Savior. This is a room where many visitors sit and contemplate while feeling removed from our harried, troublesome day-to-day lives.
Sealing Room
The family is ordained of God, and in the sealing room of the temple, husband and wife, children and parents are united or “sealed” as an eternal family. Through prieshood authority, marriages are performed in the sealing room that can last not only for this life but for eternity. Marriage between a man and a woman is essential to Heavenly Father’s eternal plan.
If you have questions about the LDS Church, the Church has a specific site for you at http://www.mormon.org.
