Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

As many of you know, when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints finishes building a temple, it is open to the public before it is dedicated. Then after the temple dedication, it is only open to those who have a current temple recommend. For Latter-day Saints, a temple is different than a regular church building where we meet every Sunday. The temple is a holy place that is dedicated to be a house of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the temple, we participate in ordinances and make certain covenants or promises to God. After we've made our own covenants with God, we go back to the temple to perform the same ordinances or temple work for those who have died.

We've been blessed this year to have two temples opening in Utah. The first was the Draper Utah Temple, and we were able to go as a family to the open house before it was dedicated, but we didn't take any pictures.

Last Thursday, we were able to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple Open House in South Jordan, Utah. We were excited to have this opportunity again and have our children see the inside of a temple before it is dedicated. (The minimum age to enter the temple is twelve years old and then they can only do baptisms for the dead in one part of the temple until they go on a mission or get married in the temple.)

It's a very beautiful building. It was pretty busy and we had to wait in line a few times, but it was worth it.

I love going to the temple because it is a place where I can be quiet and away from the busyness and distractions of day-to-day life and more easily feel the peace and influence of the Spirit of the Lord. I want my children to have that same opportunity one day and it was nice to show them how beautiful it is inside the temple.



Here we are at the front of the temple.



Here is the view from the front of the temple. The community that surrounds this temple is also beautiful. They have all different types of homes and large open spaces. It's organized to be a walkable community and it looks like the type of neighborhood I'd like to live in some day.



Here's the upper part of the temple. The words say, "Holiness to the Lord. The House of the Lord," and the Angel Moroni on the top.

Here are the pictures took of everyone individually. It was a good day.



Emma



Sarah



Joseph



Miriam