Difference between revisions of "Mormon Temples"

Revision as of 12:12, 22 March 2006

The work performed in the holy temple, more than any other thing, sets The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) apart from every other religious organization on the face of the earth.

According to one Church leader, "Each holy temple stands as a symbol of our membership in the Church, as a sign of our faith in life after death, and as a sacred step toward eternal glory for us and our families" (Russell M. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” Ensign, May 2001, 32

The Mormon temple is the central holy place dedicated to the worship of God. In the temple faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perform ordinances essential to the salvation of mankind and enter into covenants with the Lord. The temple is like a school where mortals learn about sacred and eternal things. The temple can be considered as a presentation, in figurative terms, of the pattern and journey of life on earth. In the Mormon temple, holy truths are taught and solemn covenants are made not only by the individual members on their own behalf, but also on behalf of others who have died.

This may seem to some like an imposition, but it’s important to remember that this service in favor of people who already left this earth can be compared to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Truly, Christ offered His sacrifice for all, even for those who will reject His offer. Similarly, those who had died, have always the choice in the spirit world to accept or reject the work performed in their favor in the temple.

The Mormon Temple and Baptism for the Dead

When the Lord Jesus Christ was living on this earth He clearly explained that there was only one way by which man can be saved. He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6.)

Two things emerge as essential if we believe the previous statement. First, in His name rests the authority to save mankind, as explained in this scripture found in the Bible: "for there is none other name under heaven given... whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Second, there is an essential ordinance, baptism, which is the gate through which every soul must pass in order to obtain eternal life, as explained in this other scripture: “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

Since baptism is essential, and the authority to act in the name of Jesus Christ has been restored on the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) is anxiously engaged in carrying the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. This proselyting assignment came as a commandment from Him, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19)

Because of this, true servants of the Lord Jesus Christ need to work to convert to the principles of the gospel all who will hear, so that they may offer them the baptism which the Savior described as essential. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we accept the responsibility to preach the gospel to every person on earth and we actually try to convert the entire world. But is this possible?

What about the millions or billions of people who already died without baptism? Are they doomed to “burn in hell”, or at least to be deprived of the greatest blessing of our God?

The Answer to the Question

This is really a very disturbing question: What happen to those who died without baptism? According to the Bible and Mormonism, mankind can only be saved through the name of Jesus Christ and through baptism, but most of the people who ever lived on the earth knew nothing about these two requisites. So, is God mindless of the billions of people who didn’t have the opportunity to hear the Gospel and be baptized by the proper authority?

The answer to this unsettling question could not be invented by men, but it had to be revealed by God Himself. Through revelation, God instructed the Prophet Joseph Smith to build a temple similar to the temples that had been constructed anciently so that the ordinance of the baptism for the dead could be performed.

In the New Testament we read, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Corinthians 15:29.) If the dead don’t live again, there is no reason to be baptized for them, unless we believe that the dead will some day rise again.

The purpose of this passage is to explain that baptism for the dead is meaningless unless there will be a resurrection. As many know, Jesus, between his death and resurrection went into the spirit world and preached the gospel. (1 Peter 3: 19-20; 4:6.) However, it’s not understood by many outside Mormonism that the purpose of the Savior's preaching to the spirits in prison was that of giving them the opportunity of hearing and accepting the gospel, so that later a vicarious baptism could be performed for them. "For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." (1 Peter 4:6.)