How do we prepare to enter temples?
Because the Lord wants all people to enter His house and partake of the blessings that are only available in the temple, it is essentially true that anyone can go to the temple–they just have to be ready. Temples are “houses of instruction. They are places of covenants and promises. At their altars we kneel before God our Creator and are given promise of his everlasting blessings” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Why These Temples?” Tambuli, June 1992, 3).
To go to the temple without preparation would be like going to an advanced calculus class without first learning basic math. Not only would the person not understand anything, but they would leave very confused and might, from that time forth, have no desire to go again. On the other hand, a person who has carefully prepared can go to advanced math classes that will bring them closer to their goal to understand math and use it to succeed in life.
To prepare, a person must receive a temple recommend from their ecclesiastical leaders. The recommend must have three signatures on it for it to be valid. The first signature is the person’s own signature. By signing the recommend, the person verifies that they believe that they are keeping the commandments of God and are therefore worthy to enter the house of the Lord. The other two signatures are a member of the bishopric or branch president (these are ecclesiastical leaders of a congregation) and a member of the stake presidency or mission president (these are ecclesiastical leaders of a group of congregations).
These signatures are obtained via an interview. First, the member goes to meet the leader of their congregation (also called a Ward). The ecclesiastical leader asks the interviewee questions regarding their worthiness. If the leader believes the person to be worthy, they will sign the recommend. The process is repeated in an interview with a member of the stake presidency or the mission president. A recommend expires after two years. The member goes through the same process to renew the recommend.
The following are the questions members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are asked if they wish to obtain a recommend. They are asked if they:
- Believe in God the Eternal Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost
- Believe that Jesus is their Savior and Redeemer
- Believe that the gospel was restored by the Lord, through the prophet Joseph Smith.
- Support the prophet and all other leaders of the church
- Obey the law of chastity (no sexual relationships outside of marriage)
- Refrain from abusing family members
- Hold no affiliation or agreement with those who fight against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Attend church meetings
- Are honest with their fellowmen
- Pay a full tithing (which is ten percent of their income)
- Keep the Word of Wisdom (the Mormon code of health)
- Pay child support (if applicable)
Referring to Mormon temples, late church President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “[Members] are expected to come clean in thought, clean in body, and clean in dress to enter the temple of God. As they enter they are expected to leave the world behind them and concentrate on things divine” (Hinckley 3).