Mormon Bloggers

Editor’s note: The poem below, “A Family is Born” by Sue captures a key purpose of Mormon temples — to allow a husband and wife to be married not just “’til death do you part” but beyond death, into the eternities in what is sometimes called celestial marriage or temple sealings. [Read more about Mormon temples.] You can read more of Sue’s poetry here.) A Family is Born ©2011 Susan Noyes Anderson Shared with permission Man and woman. Heaven’s grace reaching, touching altar’s lace. Gift of God, the sealing power. Life eternal from that hour is theirs. A prize to lose or keep by covenant that runs heart-deep. A family born. A promise sure. If man and woman but endure. His seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. Psalms 89:29 - – – – – - The image above is of a sealing room in a Mormon temple. For more glimpses of what the inside of Mormon temples look like, see the following... Read the rest of this entry »

Rome Temple Land   Rome, Italy Temple Site   Rome   Rome, Italy Temple Area   Future Rome   Rome On Sunday, July 10, a letter from the Rome Italy Stake Presidency was read in area sacrament meetings announcing that construction of the temple had officially begun. Since the formal groundbreaking in October, activity at the temple site has been limited to site activities including clearing, grading, transplanting, erection of a construction fence, and placement of construction trailers. *As construction progresses, the submission of regular photographs is highly appreciated by members worldwide who wish to witness the construction of this beautiful temple in historic Rome.  Read More →

Last August, a Mormon temple was dedicated in Kiev, Ukraine. Youth from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Russia, Moldova, Georgia, Romania, and Ukraine participated in a huge youth cultural celebration to celebrate the coming of a temple in their midst. Temples are important to Mormons because therein, we can receive saving ordinances, including the sealing of families together. Through temple marriages, husbands and wives are sealed to each other beyond death, not just “’til death do us part.” Children are bound to parents, and generations are linked to each other. Mormon focus on family history work ties closely to our belief in the blessings of temple work for in addition to receiving ordinances for ourselves, Mormons also perform vicarious ordinances for those who have died, who hadn’t received them in mortality. We believe that people can then choose whether or not to accept those ordinances. The doctrine of work for the dead is a testimony of our... Read the rest of this entry »

The More Good Foundation has put out a call for Mormon temple photos and reflections. The following is from their blog: More Good Foundation would like to include your reflections upon temples and temple worship on our websites. These should be personal — in the first-person voice, 300 to 1000 words. Be sure to tell us which temple is closest to you, or where you were when these thoughts occurred to you. Include a photo of yourself or of you and significant others if you’d like (preferably on temple grounds) and a simple sentence giving us permission to mount your article and photo(s) online. Click here for a sample article on Mormon temples, written by a lay member, for you to consider. We’re looking for authentic thoughts and feelings to share with the world. We are not necessarily looking for gospel scholars’ doctrinal statements–though those are welcome–but our desire is to capture the kaleidoscope of faith-promoting insights and experiences we have as we regularly worship... Read the rest of this entry »

This is the video of the complete Rome Mormon Temple Groundbreaking Ceremony held in Rome, October 23, 2010. A few parts are only in Italian but most of the talks were given in English, including obviously the final talk by President Thomas S. Monson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church). President Thomas S. Monson was accompanied by Church officials including Elder William R. Walker, Executive Director of the Temple Department; Erich W. Kopischke, President of the Europe Area and his two counselors, Elder Gérald Caussé and Elder José A. Teixeira; Elder Alfredo L. Gessati, Area Seventy; President Massimo De Feo, Rome Italy Stake President; and President Raimondo Castellani, Bern Switzerland Temple President. Numerous government officials were also in attendance including Mr. Giuseppe Ciardi, vice mayor of Rome, and Senator Lucio Malan. In his remarks, President Monson emphasized the unique and historic nature of the temple’s construction,... Read the rest of this entry »

Two years ago, in October, my family and I went to watch the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) at the closest Stake Center. We had recently cancelled our subscription to cable TV and we were not used yet to use the Internet to watch conference. Therefore the Stake Center was our best option. That morning very few people were with us in the chapel, and when President Monson started talking and announcing the plans for new temples constructions we were surprised – as many in the audience – by his announcing the construction of the Rome Temple. When we heard that announcement, we could not refrain from jumping on our feet and shout, as many Italians would do when their favorite soccer team scores a goal! Now, two years after that historic announcement, on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010, President Thomas S. Monson presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of the future Rome Italy Temple, now being built on a pastoral site in the northeast... Read the rest of this entry »

Elder John A. Widtsoe made this remarkable statement: ‘ When the history of human thought shall be written from the point of view of temple worship, it may well be found that temples and the work done in them have been the dominating influence in shaping human thought from the beginning of the race. Even today, political controversies are as nothing in determining the temper of a people, as compared with religious sentiments and convictions, especially as practiced in the temples of the people. David B. Haight, Ensign, May 1993, 23  Read More →

This past weekend, the Kyiv Ukraine temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was dedicated by President Thomas S. Monson. Mormons in the area are thrilled; before now they had to travel for hours (in the range of about 30) to attend the nearest temple in Germany. The new temple will serve about 31,000 people living in nine countries in Europe. (Read more about what happens at a temple dedication.) You can enjoy several photos from the temple open house and dedication, or take a virtual walk inside the Kyiv Ukraine temple with the following video that includes both exterior and interior photos of the temple. Read more about why temples are so important to Mormons. View more photos of the inside of several other temples, as well as read more about the ceremonies performed in Mormon temples. Photo © 2010 Intellectual Reserve, Inc.  Read More →

This weekend, the Gila Valley Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was dedicated by President Thomas S. Monson. The building and dedication of this temple fulfills a prophecy historians say was made in 1882. For more information about the history of this temple, this article includes an impressive compilation of links. 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... Read the rest of this entry »

The endowment that we receive in the Lord’s temples today is not the complete endowment that the Savior intends us to have.  The ordinances introduce us but the endowment is not complete until we have come into the heavenly presence and have been instructed in the things of eternity. You may ask, “If there is more to the endowment than what I have been taught in the temple, then why hasn’t someone explained it to me?”  A careful reading of scripture revealed in these last days contains all we need to know to fully understand that there is more, much more to it. The redemptive mission of the Savior In his role as our Redeemer, a primary mission of the Savior is to baptize us with the Holy Ghost and with fire.  He did not complete that mission with his disciples in Jerusalem while he was among them, explaining that he had to go away first in order for them to receive this sacred gift. He also said that his apostles would do greater works than he did. In other words, they would... Read the rest of this entry »

For those near Vancouver British Columbia, you are invited to an open house of the Mormon temple that has been in Langley. The open house runs through April 24. 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)... Read the rest of this entry »

I love to go to the temple. I have recently moved and now I live very close to one of the beautiful Mormon temples. Everything that there is or that we do in the temple is a symbol of Jesus Christ and his life and atonement. Recently I was reading from the scriptures while in there and I was struck by this scripture in the New Testament, John 12:27: Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. When troubles come and problems seem to overcome our confidence in the Lord and in what we are trying to do, this is a good verse to remember. The Lord Jesus was troubled. So, it is acceptable to be troubled, it is normal to have really bad moments in our lives, but “what shall we say? Father save us from this hour?” Troubles and problems are part of lives and are important for our progression, therefore we should better ask for strength to endure and overcome them, instead of praying to avoid them. In the... Read the rest of this entry »