Visiting a Temple Open House (Ogden Utah Temple)

I recently got to visit the open house tour for the Ogden Utah Temple.  The Ogden temple was originally built in the 1970's, but underwent extensive renovation and thus had an open house prior to being re-dedicated.  This has been done with several of the older, more dated temples in recent years.  I think it has been a great idea because it allows those who have lived near a temple for many years to finally see it.  Although I have participated in many temple open house events before, I tried to view this one from the perspective of a first time visitor so that I could know what to write about.

Visitors to the Ogden Utah Temple open house

First, let me clear up a few things:
1.) reservations are free and are recommended, but not required.  If you come without one, you will not be turned away, but you may have to wait a bit longer.
2.) you can come as you are.  Many church members wear nice clothes out of respect for the temple, but most visitors come in jeans and T-shirts.  Wear whatever you like!
3.) Everyone is welcome. Bring your kids, it's okay if they get a little whiny (mine did. the kids behind me did too!). Also, the temple is handicap accessible, and there will most likely be a volunteer translator for any major languages in your area, or you can request another language when you make a reservation.

On to what to expect:
1.) When you arrive you'll be put with a group of people in a waiting area.  Here a volunteer will give a short introduction of temples and play a short (maybe 15 minute) film about temples.
2.) If it's busy, you'll be free to walk through the temple at your own pace, with signs explaining the purpose for each room.  If it's not busy, you may be lead through by an actual tour guide who will explain each room.
3.) After the tour, there will be a reception area where you can learn more about the basic doctrines of the church and the purpose of temples.  There will be missionaries or volunteers available to answer any questions you might have. (Really, ask anything!)
4.) Plan about an hour for the introduction video, tour, and reception area afterward.
5.) You won't be able to take photo or video inside the temple, but photographs outside the temple are encouraged.

Some commonly asked questions:
Q: What are the white shoe covers for?
A: These actually have no religious significance.  They're just to keep the floors clean since there are so many people walking through!

Q: Is there anything special about the water in the baptismal font?
A: Nope! It's just regular old water.  We don't use 'holy water' or anything like that.

Q: The tour left out many hallways and rooms, what are you hiding?
A: Honestly, nothing. Every open house I have been to showed all of the most sacred and most important rooms, as well as the locker rooms, waiting areas, offices, etc.  The places that were skipped were: storage rooms, duplicate rooms (Ogden has 6 identical ordinance rooms, but the tour showed one. It has 8 nearly identical sealing rooms, but the tour showed three.), the laundry room, the cafeteria, and maintenance closets.  So what is hiding down those mysterious hallways that are not part of the tour? Probably a broom closet, or something you've already seen.

Q: What is changed in the week between the open house and the dedication?
A: All the furniture is removed, the temple is deep cleaned, and then folding chairs are brought in to fill nearly every room so that as many people can fit inside the temple for the dedication as possible.  After the dedication the furniture will be put back just as it looked during the open house.

Q: If I fill out the comment card at the end, will I be contacted by missionaries?
A: Yes, if you provide contact information. You are welcome to write your comments without leaving your contact information.

Q: Do the people hosting the tour have any special standing in the church?
A: Not usually.  Members of local congregations sign up to take different shifts during the open house, so most if not all of the people you'll see are just average Mormons who were willing to help out.  Missionaries will be there too, identified by the black name tags.

Displays about the temple (modern and ancient temples) and some visitors asking questions to a missionary in the reception area.

Comment cards and take-home cards (with a photo and website) in the reception area

display about the temple (the purpose of each room in the temple) in the reception area

Temple Architecture - a Brief Overview

Many people are surprised to learn that the inside of a Mormon Temple is not one large cathedral-like worship space, but rather a series of small rooms, each with a specific function and purpose.

For example, here is a floor plan for some of the newer temples, such as those in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Fort Collins, Colorado:

Temples can differ widely from each other in looks and layout. Some are one story, like the plan above, and others are two, three, or even four or more. Some, like the Salt Lake Temple, have staggered floors and therefore don't really have conventional 'stories'.  While all temples are unique, they all are used for the same purpose and have the same rooms or areas inside.  These include:
-guest waiting areas
-recommend desk
-offices
-dressing rooms
-bride's room
-baptistery and font
-confirmation rooms
-waiting chapel
-ordinance rooms
-celestial room
-sealing rooms
-interior waiting areas
-training rooms

I will be reviewing each of these rooms and their functions in future posts.

Since temples are meant to be special, sacred places built to glorify God, many of them have custom-built furniture, custom artwork, and other unique details. Newer temples are built with the surrounding culture in mind for both decor and architecture.  Floral motifs reflect plants found in the local area, murals depict the natural beauty nearby, and even exterior features have glimpses of traditional techniques (such as a mission-style facade in Mexico).