Mormon Temples: Sacred or Secret?
Suppose you had an heirloom of your grandfather. Suppose further, that this heirloom was priceless to you, but was something that might not look like much to anyone else. Those who didn’t understand might look upon you and your heirloom with disinterest. They would wonder how something so strange could mean so much to you. Some might even mock, depending on how strange they believed your heirloom to be.
Sometimes we keep things private because of how important they are to us. Their importance sometimes depends on our relationship with a person. These things that are special to us can be a symbol of a relationship or a reminder of events past. Those who have not had our experiences will not be able to understand the importance.
But at the same time we, as humans, have desires to know things–especially about other people. If a person declines to talk about a special heirloom we may, depending on our relationship with the person, curiously wonder within ourselves, feel left out and make up our own story about the special thing, or maybe even have feelings of anger or contempt.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints receives much criticism because the sacred ordinances performed in temples are not available to the public. The details of the ordinances performed in the temple are kept sacred. Yet, the Church teaches that “It was never intended that knowledge of these temple ceremonies would be limited to a select few who would be obliged to ensure that others never learn them. It is quite the opposite, in fact. With great effort the Church urges every soul to qualify and prepare for the temple ordinance.”1
Because of the great sacredness of these ordinances, which are open to anyone prepared to receive them, members are asked not to speak of them outside the temple. The meanings “are kept confidential lest they be given to those who are unprepared.” 2
Even so, ex-Mormons have taken it upon themselves to reveal Mormon temple ordinances. Church policy on the matter will still stand. LDS scholar Hugh Nibley explains, “The important thing is that I do not reveal these things; they must remain sacred to me . . . only I know exactly the weight and force of the covenants I have made – I and the Lord with whom I have made them – unless I choose to reveal them. If I do not, then they are secret and sacred no matter what others may say or do.” 3
Critics further claim that if Mormons claim to be Christian, they should have no secret ordinances. However, early records of Christianity do support the idea of teachings and practices which were not public. For example, in defending the practice of secret doctrines in the early Christian Church, Christian leader Origen explained, “that there should be certain doctrines, not made known to the multitude” until the basic doctrines had been taught. “Whoever is pure not only from all defilement, but from what are regarded as the less transgressions, let him be boldly initiated in the mysteries of Jesus, which properly are made known only to the holy and pure.” 4
Likewise, members of Mormonism must be pure and prepared to enter into the temple. They must have been baptized for at least a year and fulfill certain ethical and religious requirements before they can have a recommend, which will allow them into a Mormon temple.
(1) “Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple”. LDS Church.
(2) Boyd K. Packer, The Holy Temple [booklet, 1982], 2.
(3) Hugh W. Nibley, Temple and Cosmos (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and F.A.R.M.S., 1992), 64.
(4) Bickmore, Barry Robert. Restoring the Ancient Church. Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, 1999. p. 296.