Some of you may have seen or heard of the temples of the Latter-day Saints. For most people when they hear "Mormons" they automatically thing of the Salt Lake City Temple.
And for those who live close to other temples, perhaps that is what comes to mind. Prior to joining the Church I never saw nor heard of the LDS Temples. However, once I joined the Church I became fascinated with family history work or also known as genealogy. (I'll explain in a few minutes how temples and genealogy are connected.) I was taught about how we can perform ordinances for our ancestors that have died before us. My thoughts automatically went to my grandmother, or as I called her, Nana. She past away at the age of 53 from a heart attack. I was only 6 at the time, but I was heart broken and devastated. We were really close. So, I started my quest in finding my ancestors.
Ok, so I'm going to explain how the temples are connected to genealogy. Remember that I stated that in the Church that we can perform ordinances for our family members that have passed? Well, those ordinances can only be done in the Temples. Most youth (and adults) of the Church age 12 and older participate in the ordinance of baptisms for the dead. It is in the Temples where we can stand as proxy for our passed loved ones to perform the ordinances that they were unable or did not get the chance to receive while alive. And just to debunk a common misconception about this ordinance, we are not baptizing our ancestors to "make them Mormon". In the Church we also believe that those who have passed still have the choice to accept, or not to accept, the ordinances in which are performed for them. The common term used is agency (this is a topic for another post). We simply give them the opportunity to decide to accept or not.
Temples are beautiful. Those of us in the Church acknowledge them as Houses of God. In the Temple there is a Spirit of Peace and a sense of closeness with our family that has passed and to out Heavenly Father.
Now, there are other ordinances that also take place in Temples. These other ordinances are not talked about in as much detail as the baptisms for the dead because they are even more sacred. These other ordinances are done, first for the individual. For example, I was able to go through the Temple on July 31st, 2014 to participate in the other ordinances and since this was my first time going through, it was for myself. This ordinance is called the Endowment. In this ordinance the individual makes covenants or promises with the Lord. Then, as they return to the Temple they then go through the same ordinance as a proxy for either a deceased family member or for a name given to the Temple so the work can be done for them. Again, performing these ordinances for these people does not automatically make them "Mormon" or members of the Church. They still have the choice to accept or deny the ordinances.
I know that the Temples are houses of God. By going to the Temple, whether to participate in the ordinances or just sitting on the grounds, you will feel the Spirit. It will bring you peace and comfort. It will draw you closer to our Father in Heaven.
