Today the Ogden, Utah temple will be rededicated (it went through a significant renovation process — see some photos here or videos here and here).

Following is information about temples and temple dedications that we posted a couple of years ago. We hope these links can give an appreciation for what the temple means to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”). For more information, you can also read more about why Mormons build temples and what happens inside the temple. And learn more about how temples differ from the thousands of meetinghouses we have all over the world.

Open House: Inside a Mormon temple

Before a temple is dedicated, the public is allowed to tour the temple, to see what the inside of Mormon temples look like, and to learn a little more about the significance of temples in our doctrine and religious practice. You can see a slideshow of photos from inside the Brigham City temple here at the Mormon Newsroom. To learn more about the different rooms and their purposes, see this article.

Hear from an artist who helped create the mural in the endowment room in the Brigham City, Utah temple. Very often, the decor and art in the temple reflect the local heritage and landscape so that, as this artist explains, the temple will feel like home to the local people who worship there.

Mormon Temple Worship has Ancient Roots

Our beliefs about temples have ancient roots connected to Old Testament teachings. “[T]he Lord told the Israelites to build a portable tabernacle that would be their temple while they traveled in the wilderness (see Exodus 26-27; 40:35). Additional Old Testament references to temples are found in 2 Chronicles 5:1-14; 7:1-2 [and] Ezra 3:1-13; 6:3.” We also share a love for the prophet Elijah. (You can read more about his role in our beliefs here and here.)

Ancient records that are part of our canon of scripture talk about other ancient temples, such as the one built by Nephi, an ancient prophet. One of the most sacred events recorded in ancient scripture was the visit of Jesus Christ to people who had gathered — at the temple — in a land called Bountiful, as recorded in 3 Nephi 11 in the Book of Mormon.

The temple was also important to the Savior, Jesus Christ, and for us, the temple is a place where we can learn more about Him and His role as Creator, Savior and Redeemer of the world.

This video explains more of the ancient roots of temples in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Mormon Youth Celebrate the Temple

Last night, nearly 5,000 youth living in the area of the Ogden temple participated in a cultural celebration — which has been a tradition for years in the Church. These cultural celebrations allow the youth to recognize the history and heritage of their area and of Church members who have gone before them, making the blessing of a temple possible in their area. They also help the youth feel a connection to the temple.

The cultural celebrations always include a lot of music and dancing, with bright, colorful costumes, as well as historical narrative about the area. A temple dedication is a joyful time for Mormons!

Here is a video clip about the Kiev Ukraine cultural celebration that captures some of what youth in that temple area did for their celebration. You can also hear some of their expressions of faith and gratitude as they had a temple built in their midst.

Dedication of the Temple

In the areas where a temple is being dedicated (or, in this case re-dedicated), no regular church meetings are held in the church meetinghouses. (These are rare Sundays when LDS meetinghouses in those areas are not open to the public.) Instead, church buildings during those couple of hours become an extension of the temple. Church members in good standing (and children ages 8 and up) are able to attend a closed-circuit satellite broadcast of one of three dedicatory sessions for the temple. Temple dedications include the singing and performing of sacred music, speakers addressing the dedication attendees, a special dedicatory prayer, singing of the hymn The Spirit of God, and the Hosanna Shout (read more about the history of temple dedications here).

Hosanna is a word from Hebrew that means “please save us.” As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participate in this temple dedication, this becomes our plea to our Heavenly Father and to His Son, Jesus Christ. Again, the Hosanna Shout has ancient roots.

As explained in the LDS Bible Dictionary:

[Hosanna] is used in praise and supplication.

At the Feast of Tabernacles, which celebrated the Lord’s deliverance of Israel into the promised land, people chanted the words of Psalm 118 and waved palm branches. At the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the multitudes cried “Hosanna” and spread palm branches for Jesus to ride upon, thus demonstrating their understanding that Jesus was the same Lord who had delivered Israel anciently (Ps. 118:25–26; Matt. 21:9, 15; Mark 11:9–10; John 12:13). These people recognized Christ as the long-awaited Messiah. The word Hosanna has become a celebration of the Messiah in all ages (1 Ne. 11:6; 3 Ne. 11:14–17). The hosanna shout was included in the dedication of the Kirtland Temple (D&C 109:79) and is now a part of the dedication of modern temples.

In the Book of Mormon, the people who were visited by the Savior, Jesus Christ, after His resurrection were able to feel the prints in the nails in His hands and feet. After each of them had that personal experience with the Savior, they all cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!”

The temple Hosanna Shout allows us to reaffirm our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and in our absolute reliance on Him for our salvation.

The post About Mormon temples and temple dedications appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

If you have ever wondered how a Mormon temple is built (the most sacred buildings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), this video is very informative.

You can also read this Mormon Newsroom article about Mormon temples.

The post The Process of Building a Mormon Temple appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Seeing the prophet’s jet heading towards the Safford airport caused great excitement! It’s the little white line at the top of the mountain. We had made signs to welcome the prophet and got construction barricades for the signs to be put on. We heard the news that the prophet would be landing around 2:00 so we decided to wait at the end of my in-laws drive way so we could wave to him as he drove by. We had no idea that we were in for the treat of a lifetime!

Here comes his slew of cars….

The prophet instructed his driver to pull over. It almost caused the cars behind his to rear end each other.

You can imagine our AWE when the cars pulled over. I had been told to take lots of good pictures so I ran closer thinking they might get out and wave to us then get back in their cars.

Imagine my excitement seeing the prophet walking towards us. He was telling us to stay there and he would come to us, he didn’t want us in the road.

By great chance I happened to be the first person to greet President Monson. I shook his hand and gave him a gentle hug. I told him how happy we were to meet him. He said, “It’s good to be here and this looks like a good looking group!”

As he walked away from me towards the group of friends and family it was an amazing moment for me. I got the chills…the good kind, and I started to get emotional while trying to take in what was happening. I have always had a testimony that President Monson is a true prophet of God. But what a testimony building experience it was to have the Spirit testify to me while shaking the prophet’s hand that This Is The Lord’s Prophet On The Earth Today! I felt the Spirit so strong as I watched him walk towards the children and crowd. I am not normally a emotional person, but I got choked up and had tears of joy. I will forever be grateful for this experience.

The prophet took K’s hat and tried it on.

I have tried several times to help my kids understand what a rare and amazing opportunity they had to meet the prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and two apostles, President Henry B. Eyring [also currently a member of the First Presidency] and Elder Jeffery R. Holland. They also got to see a member of the Seventy, Elder William R. Walker. They not only had the chance to shake their hands they spoke like we were old friends. They asked the kids questions and listen to their responses.

In this picture the prophet took K by the face and told him and all the other kids right there to watch his ears. He proceeded to wiggle his ears! It was the cutest thing! The kids got quite a kick out of that. I was glad my children got to be right there to see that. It was amazing to personally witness his profound love for the children. The prophet and General Authorities were all so genuine and personable.

All the boys giving the prophet a hug.

This would be L hugging or better yet attached to the prophets leg. He told the prophet, “I Love You!” I was afraid L was going to knock the prophet over.

L, being four, was oh so confused about the prophet getting here. He asked, “Mom the prophet came here in a airplane right from heaven?” He then asked me, “Did he bring Jesus with him?”

The prophet shaking K’s hand. And yes that is L attached to the prophets leg.

All my kids individually had opportunities to hug, shake hands, smile, laugh and enjoy the presence of the prophet.

Here are the children talking to Elder Jeffery R. Holland.

I love L looking up to him. I have to say Elder Holland and Elder Eyring would be at the top of my most favored apostles, even before this experience I mean, and of course now after getting to meet them.

Henry B. Eyring is my absolute favorite church speaker. I have never heard a talk of his that didn’t touch me, regardless of the topic. He is so genuine and sincere.

What an experience to not just meet but actually visit with an apostle of Jesus Christ.

I just couldn’t take enough pictures to capture the intense feeling of joy, excitement and love that we felt.

The prophet laughing and sharing.

The prophet has a instantly great sense of humor. He is so quick witted!

I can’t fully express the experience to do it justice. To say it was a treat, a thrill, a treasure, exciting , amazing…would be a huge understatement.

As President Monson was leaving the crowd we sang, “We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet.” The prophet joined in with the singing. I got the chills again while our group, probably 40 people or so, were singing with the prophet.

We got to follow up this treasured experience by attending the GilaValley Temple Cultural Celebration.

A Day To Remember… Forever!

The post Meeting the Prophet on the Roadside in Gila Valley appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

If you are wondering what a temple dedication is like, this personal account about the Gila Valley Arizona Temple dedication is a moving summary of what temple dedications mean to Mormons, and what it’s like to attend a dedication.

You can also read this Mormon Women article for more information: What happens at a Mormon temple dedication?

Prior to the dedication, an open house was held, where the public was able to walk through the temple and learn more about what temples mean to Mormons. (For more information on this topic, see our index entry on Mormon temples.)

The following video was from a press tour of the temple in April and includes photos from the inside of the temple. It also includes a brief interview with Elder William R. Walker of the Church’s First Quorum of the Seventy.

The youth in the area also held a cultural celebration with dance and music.

For a series of photos of the event, see this LDS Church News article:

Youth celebration depicts cultural history of Eastern Arizona

More about the youth celebration:

Youths Celebrate Gila Valley Temple in Arizona

More photos of the temple can be found in the following video:

Read more about Mormon temples in the following Mormon Women articles:

Chapels and Temples: Glimpses inside each and how they differ

What does the inside of the Oquirrh Mountain temple look like?

What the temple means to Mormons?

What does the inside of a Mormon temple look like?

The connection between LDS temple worship and ancient (Old Testament) ordinances

What can you tell me about Mormon temples?

The post Gila Valley Arizona Temple Dedicated appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Admission is free, and there is no reservation required.

For more details about location (including a map) and open house hours, see the Vancouver British Columbia Temple temple open house invitation.

The invitation also briefly addresses the following questions:

• What is the purpose of the temple?
• What is the inside of the temple like?
• Can the public see the inside of the temple?
• What is the difference between a temple and a meetinghouse?

You can also read more about temples in the following post on our site:

Chapels and Temples: Glimpses inside each and how they differ

What happens at a Mormon temple dedication?

What does the inside of the Oquirrh Mountain temple look like?

What the temple means to Mormons?

What does the inside of a Mormon temple look like?

The connection between LDS temple worship and ancient (Old Testament) ordinances

What can you tell me about Mormon temples?

The post Vancouver British Columbia Temple Open House appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

The temple, to me, is the pinnacle of our experience in the gospel and in this life. We talk about the Atonement. Serving in the temple is the Atonement in action. I once heard someone explain this point: Every time we attend the temple, we need to forgive someone of something. Even if it is forgiving ourselves, we need to partake of the Atonement in this way.

When I think about that, I usually equate the Atonement with repentance and being saved from our sinful, mortal lives. What better way to show our gratitude than by serving in the temple and doing for others what the Saviour has done for us. We are providing ordinances of salvation to those who have gone on before us and doing for them what they cannot do for themselves.

We talk of service. We know from the scriptures that if we don’t have charity, we have nothing. I believe one of the greatest forms of service we can render is to serve in the temple.

We talk of finding peace and being in the world but not of the world. When we enter the temple, we leave the world behind us. We enter the REAL world. If we could draw back the veil, we would see that we are not alone in the temples. Not only do I believe those people for whom we are acting as proxy in receiving the ordinances are there, but I believe there are countless people and prophets from ages past also very aware of what we are doing.

The temple is like an open conduit to heaven. In temples, we can receive revelation and inspiration we are searching for.

I know and have experienced the sweet peace the temple brings. I know that as we serve in the temple on a regular basis, every facet of our lives can be better, and we can find more time in our day to do those things that will make the biggest difference in our eternal salvation. I have seen this blessings of temple service in action too many times to doubt. I believe there is nothing in life that cannot be made better by attending the temple on a regular basis.

I know people who went through the temple once [receiving the ordinances for themselves] and then never came back. It saddens me to know they have missed that the temple is about service — service to the Lord, to others and to ourselves. It is about the Atonement. It is becoming something greater than ourselves and the only way that can happen is if we unselfishly lift others with us.

I am grateful for the conviction and testimony I have of the temple. I am grateful for the peace, serenity, and comfort being within its walls offers in such an unsettling world. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord and others, showing my love and gratitude for the many blessings given to me. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my family and my ancestors. Mostly, I am grateful for a safe haven in which to commune with my Saviour.

The post First Person: What the Temple Means to Me appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

My name is Michelle. I’m a Mormon Woman, and I love our temples.

I first started going to the temple regularly after I was married.  My husband and I lived only five minutes away from the temple, and we went about once a month. It was easy to go, and we enjoyed spending the time together and being in the House of the Lord.

I got pregnant about nine months after we got married and I was terribly sick for my whole pregnancy. I rarely, if ever went anywhere other than work and church because I was so sick.  The temple was an “extra” and I fell out of the habit of going.

After my daughter, Ellie, was born,  I still couldn’t get back in the habit of attending the temple; I was  too afraid to leave my new baby for 2 hours at a time, I worried about the issues with nursing, and leaving her with a babysitter.

For a couple years, I had been having a pretty serious conflict with one member of my family.  I always considered myself optimistic, but found that I just wasn’t in a good place.  I kept feeling like this should be happiest time of my life, but I wasn’t happy.  I was consumed with feelings of anger towards this one particular person.

Time passed while my baby was tiny. I still read scriptures and prayed regularly, but I knew I needed to get back into the habit of attending the temple.

For me, the temple is a time to be by myself – away from distractions, and to feel peace. It’s a good reminder of the things that I believe in, and what my goals on earth are. Being in the temple reminds me of the person I want to become.  I feel inspired inside the temple.

Two years after the last time I had attended, my cousin was going to the temple for the first time and wanted me to go with her. I was so excited for her, and thrilled to attend with her! When my cousin had to postpone her special day by one day, I was so sad.  It made the experience of being in the temple together even better when we went the next day.

I remember clearly: the day we could finally get to the temple was a Thursday. I dropped off my baby, put a church CD on to listen in the car, and started feeling the Spirit strongly – couldn’t wait to get there!

The temple that I attend is on a steep hill, and I had to drive up that hill to get to the parking lot.  As I was driving, the song “Come, Come Ye Saints” started playing.  As soon as the temple came into my view, the chorus to the song started playing, and I heard the words Come, Come Ye Saints, like I was being personally invited to come to the temple.

I knew that I was supposed to be where I was right at that moment. I was so excited that I finally made it back after two years.  It is so easy to get out of the habit of doing what we’re supposed to do.

Attending the temple more regularly again has really helped me with not feeling anger. I feel peace from being there. My increased attendance hasn’t solved all my family issues, but it has helped me in the sense that it has taken my mind off of the negative. I’m not consumed with the problem. I’ve learned to deal with it, and learned where to turn for peace.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

For more information about Mormon temples, see this post.

For more portraits of Mormon women, please click here.

The post Portraits of Mormon Women: Michelle appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

As the article explains, our meetinghouses are both places of worship and centers of social activity. We hold service projects, such as blood drives and humanitarian projects; we have scripture study classes and congregational family and youth activities (including dances, sports, and many other activities). (For examples of stories on our website about ward [congregation] activities, see here, here and here.)

You can see some pictures of the inside of LDS meetinghouses here, or take an interactive virtual tour here.

Our meetinghouses are different from our temples. You can learn more about Mormon worship services and what makes chapels and temples different here. If you are interested in learning more about what the inside of temples looks like, or more about temple worship, please see the following Mormon Women articles that have numerous links and resources.

Ask a Mormon Woman: What does the inside of a temple look like? (v.2)

What does the inside of a Mormon temple look like?

Ask a Mormon woman: What can you tell me about Mormon temples? (includes links to articles that help explain more about the ordinances that take place inside LDS temples)

What the Temple Means to Mormons

The post Links We Like: Chapels and Temples — Glimpses inside each, and how they differ appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

My name is Rebecca. I am 38 years old and have been married for 13 years to my husband Steve. We have three children (ages 11, 9, and 6) and live in Arizona. My hobbies are reading, writing, drawing, and blogging. I went to Brigham Young University (BYU) and have both a BA and a MA in communications from there. I served a mission from 1991-1993 (England London South). I work part-time from home as a marketing research analyst. I have also started writing books.

One of those books is about family scripture study. My interest in the topic grew from feeling dissatisfied with the way my kids reacted and behaved during our family study time. I could tell by their actions and eyes they were not interested, but I really wanted them to be. So I started experimenting with different techniques to hold their attention and get them excited about scripture study time. The result was a book I wrote/illustrated called Adventures with the Word of God. When I have kids asking me when it is time for family scripture study then I know it is successful. I have followed up my first book with another called Home Evening Adventures with the Word of God [“Home Evening” refers to a weekly family night that most Mormons hold on Mondays, where we discuss gospel principles, have fun activities, eat together, and just enjoy each others’ company as a family]. And I am currently working on a third book about temples.

I am grateful for the gospel, and grateful to know that God is there and answers prayers. This past January my kids and I traveled to Denver to visit my younger brother and his family. While there, my brother’s family dog, Daisy, escaped the house and took off. Daisy had a bad track record doing this and then getting herself so lost she was unable to return home on her own. My brother and sister-in-law would have to comb the neighborhood for an hour or two on foot to find her. So the fact she escaped was bad news. An hour or so later they found her, but she escaped again shortly thereafter, sending stress levels up very high. To make a long story short, the kids (my own and my niece and nephews) and I knelt in prayer to ask that Daisy could be found. Shortly thereafter my brother walked in the front door carrying Daisy. I felt strongly this was an answer to prayer.

Being a Mormon Woman means expanded horizons to me. I feel my faith in Christ and His gospel/leaders has provided me with answers to some life questions in a way that helped me to make the best decisions possible. I followed counsel to get an education, which has tremendously blessed my life. I served a mission to London and had incredible opportunities there and continued blessings since. Getting married and having children has brought a rainbow of experiences that I would never give up. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I had not followed His counsel and made these good choices–I don’t think it would be as full. My horizons are broader and greater than they ever would have been otherwise. And I am excited to see what life brings me in the future as I choose to follow Him.

The post Portraits of Mormon Women: Rebecca appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

by Hannah

On July 22 of this year, I commemorated an anniversary of sorts. Twenty years ago on that day, I was baptized, along with my sister, and became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was something I had looked forward to for a while. Earlier that spring, my mom started coming back to church and my sister and I came too. We wanted to be baptized, so we started meeting with the missionaries. I can still remember some of our lessons with them, and being touched by the Holy Ghost that what they taught us was true. My aunt and uncle came out to San Diego with their family and my Uncle Ben baptized & confirmed both of us – he later would baptize my brother, and finally my dad. I had been at Girl’s Camp the week before my baptism and so many girls from camp came to support me. It is a day I will never forget, and I can’t believe 20 years have passed.

I don’t think I realized at the time how pivotal that day would be in my life. It helped set my whole family on a path that led to being sealed in the Los Angeles Temple. It helped set me on a personal path that got me through high school relatively unscathed. It led me to Brigham Young University – which was definitely the place for me. It led me to my wonderful husband and to the Salt Lake Temple, where we were married and sealed. It has made it possible for our two beautiful children to be ours forever. While the last 20 years have not been completely blissful, even in the difficult times, my membership in the Church has blessed me immensely, strengthened me when my strength was gone, provided me with an eternal perspective when my own was myopic, and helped me realize how much Heavenly Father loves me and has a hand in my life. That wonderful day, 20 years ago, truly has made all the difference! I can’t imagine my life without the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The post First Person: And it has made all the difference! appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.