| Response |
Great question, and I understand why you would ask it. If you have had the opportunity to attend the "Open House"
of any of our temples after they were completed, but before they were dedicated, you were allowed to see the physical
structure inside, the lovely furnishings, the paintings, and the entire facility. You were given brief, general
information about the purpose of temples and the general nature of the ordinances that take place in the temples. The
Church holds these open houses as a way to reach out to the community around
the temple, to let them know what the temple looks like on the inside
and to give them general information about what members will do there.
But those who are "touring" through the temple before it is dedicated don't actually witness the actual temple ordinances
themselves, nor the specific dialogue that takes place in connection with those ordinances. The reason for that is that
the ordinances of the temple are for individual members themselves who are willing to take upon themselves certain promises
and covenants with the Lord relative to how they will conduct their lives in a Christ-like manner. Since "visitors" to the
temple are not yet prepared to make those covenants and promises, those specific matters are not presented to them.
I can tell you this about the temples; marriages are conducted there and husbands and wives are sealed to each other for
time and all eternity if they will be true and faithful to all the covenants they make while there. Such ceremonies differ
from "civil" ceremonies in that they state for the participants that they are, in fact, being sealed together for time and
all eternity as compared to most civil marriages which wording includes "until death do you part." Temple work that is
done after the temple is dedicated also includes the sealing together of husbands, wives, and families who have passed on
years or centuries ago without having an opportunity to hear and understand the gospel message. This is a vicarious, or
proxy situation where we would
represent an individual who had passed on. Even baptisms for our
ancestors who have not had the opportunity to be baptized and receive all of the gospel message are performed there as well
in this same proxy way.
Some have wondered why we do temple work for those who have passed on, but we know from the scriptures that Christ taught
this doctrine (see 1 Peter 3:18-19, 1 Peter 4:6, 1 Corinthians 15:29). As you can see, to open the temple to casual visits
of others who were not prepared to participate in these ordinances would, in fact, make them very common or
subject to ridicule.
I hope this is helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Donny Osmond
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