Ask someone about Las Vegas, and you’ll typically get answers the describe lavish night-life, glitzy gamblng, and huge hotels. There is more to “Sin City” than just gambling and tourism, however. It is also the home to a rich and diverse religious community. One facet of that community is exemplified in the lives of the area’s tens of thousands of Mormons.

Just north of the glitter and glitz that are the hallmarks of downtown and the Strip, you’ll find the crowning jewel of Las Vegas’ Mormon community—a Mormon temple. High on the slopes of the mountains that border the east side of Las Vegas, the temple overlooks the valley and serves as the beacon to the faithful and a spiritual oasis in the desert Southwest. Situated on a ten-acre plot at the upper edge of a residential area, the temple can be seen from many points in the valley as it towers above the surrounding area.

To many people familiar with only the entertainment side of Las Vegas, a Mormon temple may seem out of place. Why would the Mormons build a temple in Las Vegas? What goes on in such a building? Why do so many Mormons seek out spiritual side of life, as embodied in the temple?

Questions such as these have been asked by many people. The Las Vegas Mormon temple was the Church’s forty-third operating temple, dedicated at the end of 1989. Since that time, millions of people have visited the building or noticed it as they drive through the valley. This Web site was created to answer at least a few of the questions you may have about this temple. Click one of the links available on this site, and you will discover more about Mormon temples and what they really are.

Mormons understand that our sins make returning to God impossible, so it was necessary for a Savior to intercede in our behalf. This Savior is our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He is our advocate with the Father. “For God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16, KJV). Jesus Christ conquered death and sin so that a path could once more be opened for us to return to live with God. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ, and only by His grace, that we can be saved.

In order to declare the gospel of Christ, God has called inspired men, called prophets, to teach the world. These men receive a personal witness of the Savior and are given authority to teach His gospel. This authority is called the priesthood. Holy scriptures, such as the Bible, contain the words of prophets as they taught about the Savior. As the prophets teach and testify, the Holy Ghost touches the hearts of people and brings feelings of peace. This is why we feel the spirit (the Holy Ghost) when we study the Bible. This spiritual confirmation of truth is how God confirms that the message of the prophets is true.

Throughout history God has followed this pattern: providing revelation to inspired men who then teach the world, while providing confirmation of their words through the Holy Ghost. Sadly, people do not always accept the message of the prophets. When people reject the prophets, this is called apostasy, derived from a Greek word that signifies rebellion or falling away. The scriptures provide many examples of God calling prophets who teach people to repent and turn to the Lord. The people eventually turn away from the Lord and reject the prophets, and thus a period of apostasy follows.

Fortunately, God is not only loving but is also merciful and patient. Each time that people reject the Lord and his prophets, He waits and prepares His people. When the time is right, He once again sends His messengers to declare His words and restore His gospel.

When Jesus Christ lived on the earth, He taught people the gospel and called apostles to continue to teach them when He left. Those apostles were ultimately rejected, and within a century much of the church Christ had established was crippled by apostasy from within and persecution by outsiders. A careful reading of the New Testament shows the struggles and frustrations of the apostles as they were surrounded by unrighteousness from both believers and non-believers. The apostles were rejected and killed, and the priesthood authority that the Lord had given to them was no longer found on the earth. While there were still some righteous members who lived and tried to follow Christ’s teachings, the people as a whole had become wicked and the fullness of the gospel with the priesthood authority, was forced from the face of the earth. This was prophesied of in the Old Testament by the prophet Amos:

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” (Amos 8:11-12, KJV)

And again in Isaiah:

“Which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. Why, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer?” (Isa. 50:1-2, 21st Century KJV)

After the early church fell into apostasy, the Lord waited seventeen hundred years for the people to return to Him. He prepared them and waited for a time in which He could once again restore the fullness of His gospel to the earth. Finally, the time came in 1820 when a young boy went into the woods to ask God which church was true. He described his experience, in his own words:

“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me… When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is my Beloved Son. Hear him!” (Joseph Smith—History 1:16-17, emphasis in original)

Through this marvelous visitation, Joseph Smith received a personal witness that God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ, live. From this and subsequent visits and revelations he was taught the fullness of the gospel and how Christ’s church should function. As in days of old, a prophet of God had once again been called. Angels visited the earth, including John the Baptist and Peter, James and John, Jesus’ ancient apostles, who gave to Joseph Smith the same priesthood authority they possessed.

As further confirmation of the divinity of the work Joseph Smith was called to do, the Lord revealed a volume of ancient scripture recorded by prophets on the American Continent. Joseph Smith was given power to translate this record, which came to be known as the Book of Mormon. It contains the writings of prophets who lived and taught in the Americas at the time the Bible was being written in Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon contains beautiful truths about Jesus Christ and stands with the Bible as a second witness that He was more than just a man: He was the very Messiah foretold in times of old; He is our Savior and our Redeemer.

Because it was translated by the power of God, the Book of Mormon also serves as a witness that Joseph Smith had been called by God, for if the Book of Mormon is a true record inspired by God, then Joseph Smith must also be a prophet. By knowing that Joseph Smith was a prophet, we can also know that the church he organized is Christ’s church today.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon church) is led today by a prophet of God and twelve apostles who receive revelation from God on how His church should be run. Thus we see that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He continues to follow the pattern He followed in Bible days, and He teaches us today in much the same way He taught people in ancient times.

The Lord has promised that we need not rely on the words and testimonies of others to know that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. We have been promised that we can each receive our own witness of this truth. One such promise is located near the end of the Book of Mormon:

“Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder them in your hearts.

“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:3-5)

The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that church. The Lord promises that the Holy Ghost will confirm truth to us. If you will pray about the things which you have read and ask the Lord, “Is this true?” He will answer you by bringing feelings of peace into your heart through the power of the Holy Ghost, “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:5, KJV) When you feel these feelings, follow them and learn more about the Church.

To make the burden of travel easier on members, the Church continually tries to build temples all over the world so that the blessings of the temple can be available to the largest number of Mormons. It is expected that the building of temples will continue, as part of the Church’s preparation for the return of the Savior at the Second Coming:

We expect to see the day when temples will dot the earth, each one a house of the Lord; each one built in the mountains of the lord; each one a sacred sanctuary to which Israel and the Gentiles shall gather to receive the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Perhaps they will number in the hundreds, or even in the thousands, before the Lord returns. [Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1982), 277.]

The Las Vegas Mormon temple is not, therefore, the only Mormon temple. There are over 125 other temples, all over the world. Here are just a few sites where you can get information about specific temples:

• Oakland Temple (California, USA). Nestled in the Berkeley Hills, overlooking the San Francisco Bay, the Oakland temple has become a well-known area landmark.
• San Diego Temple (California, USA). This dazzling white temple provides a breathtaking sight for travelers down I-5 just north of San Diego.

To find out more about temples in general, consider visiting the general temples site sponsored by the Mormon Church.

If you attend an open house, you would see a building adorned with thick carpets, beautiful furniture, and ornate fixtures. You would see beautiful artwork, some commissioned exclusively for that particular temple. (The Las Vegas temple, for instance, uses the desert lily as a unique adornment that is not found in other Mormon temples.) Mormons believe that a temple, as the house of the Lord, should reflect the very best the people have to offer. Everything is designed to be inspiring, respectful, and reverent.

After the public open houses are completed, a Mormon temple is dedicated to the Lord. The Las Vegas temple was dedicated in ceremonies during December 1989, in the weeks before Christmas. During these ceremonies Church members gathered together to offer prayers to God and sing praises to the Lord. Gordon B. Hinckley, at the time a member of the Church’s First Presidency, offered the prayers in which the temple was formally dedicated to the Lord.

Once a temple is dedicated, it is designated or “set apart” as a holy place, dedicated to the Lord. Mormons believe that temples are sacred, holy places; they believe that the buildings are literally the house of the Lord. From the time it is dedicated ,the temple is open only to those faithful members who meet minimum religious criteria that are in keeping with the sacred nature of temples.

When Church members enter Mormon temples, they promise they will not openly discuss certain aspects of the temple outside of the temple doors, even with other members of the Church. This is not an attempt to hide anything that is being done, but rather an effort to keep what is done in temples sacred and special. While a detailed discussion of what goes on in temples is inappropriate, it is fine to provide general information on Mormon temple activities, as is done on this Web site.

The temple is located on ten acres nestled in Frenchman Mountain, along the eastern side of Las Vegas. The site is surrounded by residential area. The location and surrounding area provide a quiet, peaceful atmosphere that makes the temple seem more secluded from the city than it actually is. The hustle and bustle of the huge valley are left far below as people ascend to the temple—in a symbolic way moving closer to God and leaving the world behind.

Mormon temples are definitely religious buildings, but they should not be confused with regular churches. Temples are special places where faithful members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can participate in special ritual ordinances. The sacred nature of these ordinances means that they can only be performed in places like the Las Vegas temple; places that are dedicated and consecrated as holy places. According to Mormon belief, the ordinances performed such temples bring participants closer to God and Jesus Christ through instruction related to the how man may progress to become more like God. These sacred ordinances include the temple endowment, temple sealings, and baptism for the dead.

Consistent with the fact that the Mormon temples are not regular houses of worship, they are typically open every day of the week except Sunday. Temples can be very busy places during the time they are open, depending on how many members come to participate in the ordinances offered in the temple. The spiritual and physical affairs of a Mormon temple are administered by a temple presidency, along with a small staff and a large number of volunteers.

Mormon temples are key in this goal of the Church. There are two important ways that the temples help: by providing a holy place apart from the world and through sacred ordinances.

A Holy Place

Temples are designed to be “set apart from the world,” thereby creating an atmosphere where God’s Spirit can have greater influence on faithful Church members. Those members of the Mormon church who keep minimum standards of conduct and have a strong faith in Jesus Christ are permitted to enter the temple. This is similar to ancient temples, where only those who went through a process of purification were permitted into the inner courts of the temple. As in ancient times, those who have prepared to enter the temple—those who meet the minimum standards—are able to participate in temple activities and receive the blessings available there. This concept was stated quite clearly by James Faust, a member of the Church’s First Presidency:

“The days our our lives will be greatly blessed as we frequent the temples to learn the transcending spiritual relations we have with Diety. We need to try harder to be found standing in holy places. [James E. Faust, "Standing in Holy Places," Ensign (May 2005), 67.]

To those who are prepared, the temple is a “holy place” where the Spirit of the Lord can freely dwell. In this way Mormon temples serve as a kind of sanctuary to those who attend them, providing a place that is holy and has been set aside as a house of the Lord. They are places for prayer, thought, reflection, and revelation.

A Place for Ordinances

The second way in which temples help to perfect the Saints is through holy ordinances that can only be performed within the temples. These special ordinances are ritualistic ceremonies performed as a way to signify covenants made between the member and God.

One common temple ordinance in Old Testament times was the sacrificing of animals to God. The sacrifice itself did nothing for the people; it served as a symbolic reminder of the sacrifice that would one day come through the Lord Jesus Christ. While the need for animal sacrifice was removed after the death and resurrection of the Jesus Christ (the Eternal Sacrifice), the New Testament indicates that ordinances and the covenants they represented did not cease. The Gospel of Matthew provides the following account:

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28)

The apostles ate bread and drank water that as a symbol of the sacrifice which Christ was about to make. This same ritual, or ordinance, is practiced by many Christians to this day. The ordinance goes by many different names, such as the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, or (in the Mormon church) the Sacrament, but it is essentially the same ordinance instituted in New Testament times.

Not only do ordinances remind us of an event, but they are a sign of covenants made with the Lord. A covenant is a two-way promise. Those who are baptized make a covenant with the Lord to strive to follow the example of Christ and repent of their sins. In return, the Lord promises that if the person keeps his or her part of the covenant, He will forgive that person of their sins when he or she comes to Him with their mistakes and a sincere heart, with a real desire to change.

Inside Mormon temples there two primary ordinances performed. The first is known as the temple endowment and the second as the sealing ordinance. The first ordinance is designed for individuals, and the second is designed to create eternal families. These ordinances are very sacred and holy, so faithful Mormons don’t discuss their details outside of the temple, even with each other.

Ordinances for Others

Not only are temples provided so that ordinances can be done for the living, but ordinances in Mormon temples can also be done for those who are dead. Mormons believe that earthly ordinances must be performed, even for those who are no longer capable of performing those ordinances for themselves. Billions of people have lived on this earth without ever hearing the name of Christ, or coming to understand the sacrifice He made for them. Would a loving or just God consign His children to hell for not believing in someone of whom they had never heard?

Ordinances offered in the temple for living members of the Mormon church are also performed for those who have passed on. Temple marriage, sealings, and endowments are performed with someone symbolically standing in for the person who is deceased. Baptisms are also performed by proxy (with someone standing in) for these people who have passed on.

We have no way of knowing who will or will not accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, so temple ordinances are performed for everyone who has passed on. To have someone who has passed on baptized by proxy does not commit that deceased person to accept a “Mormon baptism.” Instead, it merely gives that person the opportunity to accept or reject the ordinance as they choose.