Attending a Temple Dedication (Ogden Utah Temple)

On each of our meetinghouses, we proudly display the words "Visitors Welcome".
That's true, usually.

The only occasion in which it isn't true, to my knowledge, is in the case of Temple dedications.
The dedication of a Temple is an exciting event, and nearly every Mormon who is even remotely connected to the Temple being dedicated wants to be involved.  Not only is it a chance to celebrate another building dedicated to the work of the Lord, it is a chance to hear wisdom and counsel from local and international Church leaders.
With the wonders of modern technology, this is possible!

A Temple dedication service is much like a regular worship service - there are several sermons, hymns, and prayers.  All the furniture in the Temple is cleared out and replaced with hundreds of folding chairs, so that as many people as possible can fit inside the temple. But obviously it can't fit everyone, and not everyone could travel the distance required to get there even if there were space.  So now, dedication services are broadcast to Stake Centers (to be defined in a future post) in the area.  This way, nearly anyone who wants to participate can have the opportunity.
When a Temple dedication is broadcast (through an encrypted satellite or internet transmission), the stake centers receiving that transmission become extensions or satellite locations of the Temple, and thus are treated as Temples.  Only those who are baptized and have a current Temple Recommend are allowed to enter the church building - no babies, no young children, no unbaptized visitors, none who are unworthy to attend the Temple.

Today was the re-dedication of the Ogden Utah Temple.  All regular congregational worship services in Utah and parts of Wyoming were cancelled today and replaced by the live broadcast of the Temple dedication.  So, no visitors allowed. We could have replaced our usual welcoming sign with a "Visitors *not* Welcome (just for today)" sign.

What happens? Why is it so super secret?  As we always say with Temples, it isn't secret, it's sacred.  In this case, it's just the fact that the building becomes dedicated as holy edifice.  Simple as that.  I will tell you right now everything that happens:
1. A couple hymns sung by a local choir.
2. An opening prayer offered by a local leader.
3. Sermons delivered by the Temple Matron and Matron's Assistants, Temple Presidency, Seventies, General Auxiliary Officers (in this case the presidents of the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary), and Apostles.  In this case we had two female and four male speakers.  The only thing you might find interesting is that the speakers wear all-white from their wrists to their ankles, which we almost always wear in the temple (a future post on this).  The topic focus is on the importance of the Temple.
4. The Hosanna Shout. (this is something that is quite sacred to us, and which is a tradition at the dedication of every Temple - ancient and modern.  If you'd like to learn more about it and see an actual hosanna shout, the only public video and description I'm aware of is available HERE. The dedication of the Conference Center in Salt Lake City in October 2000.  The actual Hosanna Shout is the last 50 seconds of the video, and an excellent introduction is given in the video or in the text transcription if you scroll down.)
5. Singing The Spirit of God
6. Closing prayer offered by a local leader.

And so, visitors - you are welcome, just not today.

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).

Temple vs. Church - What's the Difference?

Originally this blog was meant to discuss just Mormon temples, but I have found the need to bring up church buildings as well. Regular Mormon church buildings (sometimes called 'meetinghouses', 'chapels', 'ward houses', or 'stake centers') are different than Temples. A church is where regular Sunday worship happens. (Click here to learn more about the difference between the two!)

There are several thousand Mormon church buildings around the world. Churches are very similar in purpose to any other Christian church - they are used for Sunday worship, Sunday School, weekday activities, scout troops, youth groups, service projects, community events, weddings, funerals, etc.  In areas with a larger Mormon population, one church building is often shared by two or three congregations.  Churches are almost always open to the public, and tours are available anytime if you are interested, simply contact the local members or missionaries. (I will be posting a virtual tour in the future)

Here are examples of Mormon church buildings (a.k.a. meetinghouses, chapels, etc)

A Mormon church in the United States

A Mormon church in Guatemala

A Mormon church in the United States

A Mormon church in Ireland

 

Temples, on the other hand, are quite rare. There are only about 150. They are rarely open on Sunday (currently only the Hong Kong China temple opens on Sunday). They are only open to members who have been recommended by their local leaders. They are only used for small ceremonies, not large worship services or classes.  They are considered the most sacred places on earth for Mormons.

Here are examples of Mormon Temples:

Mormon Temple in Ghana

Mormon Temple in Brazil

Mormon Temple in Taiwan

Mormon Temple in Denmark

 *Photos in this post courtesy of the LDS Church (https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/)