Mormons Announce Five New Temples, Say they are Not Secret, but are Sacred

Salt Lake City, Utah – Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) attend temples to participate in ordinances they believe are necessary for salvation, including marriage for eternity as well as baptisms for their own ancestors who did not have an opportunity to be baptized while they were alive.

President Thomas S. Monson, worldwide leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced plans to build five more temples which will bring the total number of temples to 151 throughout the world. The announcement came during the opening session of the 179th Semi-annual General Conference of the Church on Saturday.

"We desire that as many members as possible have an opportunity to attend the temple without having to travel inordinate distances. Worldwide, 83 percent of our members live within 200 miles of a temple. That percentage will continue to increase as we construct new temples around the world," President Monson told the more than 13 million members of the Church.

Members of the media were recently given a guided tour of the newly constructed Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple in South Jordan, Utah prior to its dedication. During that tour Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, told reporters that there are no secrets in Mormon Temples.

"This is sacred. It isnīt that it is a secret place. It is sacred," said Elder Ballard when asked why the general public cannot tour temples after they are dedicated.

Members of the media were taken to every part of the new temple, and every question was answered, including questions about baptisms for the dead which take place in the baptismal font found in every temple.

President Monson said the locations of the new temples will be in Brigham City, Utah; Concepcion, Chile; Fortaleza, Brazil; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; and Sapporo, Japan.

More than 100,000 attended the five sessions of the conference in person at Temple Square, and the remaining 13 million members of the worldwide church were able to listen and observe the conference live by closed circuit satellite transmission, radio, television, and Internet. The conference sessions were translated into 92 different languages, according to President Monson.

Temples are the most sacred places on earth, according to information distributed to the media at the conference. Temples are used solely for the performance of sacred ceremonies such as marriage, and religious instruction aimed at strengthening members relationships with God and their fellow man.

Temples are not used for Sunday church services, and are actually closed on Sundays. Church services are held in local chapels, while temples are regional in nature.

Members of the media were recently given a guided tour of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple in South Jordan, Utah prior to its dedication. During that tour Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, told reporters that there are no secrets in Mormon Temples.

"This is sacred. It isnīt that it is a secret place. It is sacred," said Elder Ballard when asked why the general public cannot tour temples after they are dedicated.

Members of the media were taken to every part of the new temple, and every question was answered, including questions about baptisms for the dead which take place in the baptismal font found in every temple.

"We believe that Jesus taught that you need to be baptized in order to get into the Kingdom of Heaven," said Elder Quentin L. Cook, also a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Church members research their own family history and submit the names of their ancestors to a temple where they may perform baptisms and other ordinances for them by proxy, according to Elder Cook. He explained that members are counseled not to submit names other than for their own family members.

Baptisms for the dead is something that began anciently and was restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith. He cited 1 Corinthians 15:29 as evidence of this, which states: "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?" He said it is "something the Savior taught and was restored in modern days."

When a deceased relative is baptized by a living family member it does not automatically make that person a Mormon, and the dead personīs name is not added to the roles of the Church, he explained, saying: "It is voluntary for them to accept the work or not."

Living converts who decide to become members of the Church are not baptized in temples. They are baptized in local church buildings in their community, said Elder Cook.

Temples have a variety of rooms, which include a chapel, marriage rooms, the baptismal font, instruction rooms, offices for the volunteer staff who assist the Church members who attend, as well as a lunch room, laundry, and other service areas. Each temple is surrounded by a beautiful garden.

Although each temple has a slightly different appearance and layout architecturally, the use and purpose of each temple is the same.

"Itīs all the same. The temple is the temple. The ordinances are the ordinances. Itīs the same in every temple," said Elder Ballard.

Additional information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be found on the official web site at www.LDS.org

Information about what Mormons believe can be found at www.Mormon.org