One of the things those not of our faith sometimes take issue with is all this talk about the "secrets" supposedly being kept by Mormons in our temples. Yes, its' true, there are things about the temple which I've made covenants not to discuss openly. But let me tell you why that's nowhere near as big a thing as the world makes of it, and let me tell you what I can talk about.
The Things That Really Keep Us From Getting to Heaven
For starters, people are concerned about the fact that this temple "secret" - I'll tell you why the quotes in a moment - has to do with getting into heaven. They're concerned that Mormons are keeping this to ourselves, not letting anyone else into heaven.
To me, this is like ostracizing a car dealer because he or she only sells cars to people who are willing sign the sale agreement. There are a handful of other, more weighty things that have to happen first. Until these prerequisites are in place, the things that are only discussed in the temple are irrelevant and of no help to anyone. But once the prerequisites are in place in your life, your bishop will encourage you to prepare to go to the temple. Thus, the "secrets" of the temple - and the heaven to which they grant access - become an eventuality. Just as a dealership will not even provide the opportunity to sign a sale agreement until financing has been arranged, even so, God will not allow into heaven those who have not:
- been baptized and given the gift of the Holy Ghost by those whom He has authorized to perform these ordinances (John 3:3-5, Acts 2:38)
- made a point of trying to keep The Ten Commandments (James 1:22-25, Matthew 7:17-27)
- made an effort to love God and fellowman as himself or herself (Matthew 22:36-40)
- striven to live a life that demonstrates faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:38, Hebrews 12:4)
- accepted Christ and His saving grace (Ephesians 2:8-14)
To Those Who Truly Want It, Being "Let In" is Inevitable
But, just as a car dealership provides financing that is required for purchase, the LDS church provides the opportunity to do these things. And if you do these things, temple attendance is the next step. It's automatic.
Even if you miss your chance to accept the gospel and the ordinances of the temple before you die, someone will eventually perform baptism and the ordinances of the temple for you! At that point, all you have to do to be "let in" on "the big Mormon temple secret" is acknowledge and accept the Church and the ordinances that have been performed on your behalf!
Whether in this life or the next, if what you want is to go to heaven, and if what you want is the salvation which Mormonism offers by way of its temple covenants, then you need to know this: it's inevitable! That's why I put quotes around the word "secret". Everyone will eventually be given the opportunity (it will never be forced upon anyone, whether living or dead) to be let in on this and to have the ordinances of the temple! To me, that's a deeply exciting and joyful thought!
The only reason this one little teensy thing is being kept from you right now is because you personally have yet to demonstrate that you want it badly enough to meet the prerequisites. Do college students think there's a conspiracy on because only students who've taken prerequisite courses are allowed to take certain classes? Do those classes contain some big earth-shattering secret that's being kept behind closed doors by malicious instructors and school administrators? No, but they do contain education that is a roadblock between you and your career. This is exactly the same thing - no clandestine malice involved, and no offense intended - just the house of God being a house of order. The "enduement" ceremony conducted at the Mormon temple is a graduate level class on how to get to heaven, and there are prerequisites that must be met before you can take it. That's all!
If I were to violate my covenant not to disclose these things, and I were to explicitly describe the protected aspects of the endowment, most people would just roll their eyes and say, "Really? That's the big secret? That's what all the hubub's about? That's what Mormons have to do to get into heaven? That's nothing!" This would be followed by a cacaphony of laughter and mockery, as if Mormons aren't already weird enough - precisely the wrong treatment of sacred things, which is why they are kept from those who have not yet made and kept the prerequisite covenants.
Does God not have the right to put in place a security system for the things He values? Does God not have the right to decide who gets access to those things? In this respect, Mormonism is no more a "secret society" than is any bank or corporation that owns a vault and refuses to divulge the combination to every passer-by that asks.
This idea of things being kept from the world is not new. Paul speaks of "[hearing] unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for man to utter." (see 2 Corinthians 12:4)
Open Discussion About the Doctrines of the Temple
The truth is - despite what even many Mormons believe - much of what goes on in LDS temples is, in fact, open for discussion. Most of what we do in the temple centers around the review of doctrines you're welcome to come and hear in our sacrament meetings on Sundays. To demonstrate, here's a brief outline of the syllabus for the endowment, most of which will be familiar to the student of the Bible:
- The Creation
- Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden
- The Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ
- The Resurrection
- The Pre-Existence - (see Jeremiah 1:5)
- The After-Life
- The Three Kingdoms of Glory - (see 2 Corinthians 12:2, 1 Corinthians 15:40-42)
- The Law of the Lord - a covenant to counsel with God in all things; also establishes the father and husband as the head of the household to the extent he "hearkens to the counsel of the Father"
- The Law of Obedience - a specific covenant to obey all things whatsoever the Lord may require, both of all church members generally and of you personally
- The Law of Consecration - a covenant to dedicate ourselves and our resources wholly to the building up of the kingdom of God - the reason why Mormons are so busy!
- The Law of Chastity - a covenant to live chaste and faithful to your spouse; see my article on the Seventh Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery
Are you ready to make and keep all these covenants? The Lord only asks that we demonstrate our readiness by first making and keeping the covenant of baptism and by living the associated commandments. (see Isaiah 56:3-7)
Some Other "Secrets" The World Worries About
On a website I visited recently, they made the claim that Mormons withhold instruction on certain doctrines until after our investigators have "taken the bait". This is untrue. Mormon missionaries don't ever ask anybody to make a covenant until they're already demonstrating an ongoing effort to live all the terms of that covenant.
I think part of this concern stems from the fact that new members don't have the opportunity to make the temple covenants until some time after they are baptized and have demonstrated stability in their conversion. Anyone who is concerned about this should know that those who are keeping their baptismal covenant as taught them by the missionaries are already doing everything that will be required of them at the temple - no strings and no secret surprises attached! The only difference is that the temple offers us a more atomic, more granular structure for incorporating these same principles and covenants more deeply into our lives - and the promised blessings for covenanting in this way are significantly greater.
Additionally, there is some trepidation in the world about polygamy. People wonder if this doctrine isn't "sprung" on new converts until temple time. In point of fact, this doctrine is never "sprung" at all. For more information, see my article: Do Mormons Practice Polygamy? Answered By a Mormon.
Temple Worship and You
The point behind temple worship and keeping some things from the world is not to hold something over people's heads. Rather, the point is to have an opportunity to concentrate on the aspects of the gospel that are the most important - things the world treats lightly because its people do not know God. The idea is to pull ourselves out of the frenetic frenzy of the world into a quiet place where we can look at our present struggles from the vantage point of an eternal perspective. This, coupled with the active making of covenants, gives us great power to remain committed to our faith and to derive strength and joy from it in times of trouble and need.
For me, any "secrets" that may be said to be kept about "Mormon underwear", or the Mormon temple have not so much to do with keeping secrets from the world as with keeping things sacred between my God and me, showing Him that I reverence that which He has given me enough to keep the promises I have made to Him concerning it.
The work I have put into serving two years in my youth as an unpaid, full-time LDS missionary, the countless hours I have spent writing this blog, and doing family history research and temple ordinances for my ancestors are the personal proof I offer that we, the people of the Mormon Church, under solemn covenant and commandment from our God, are doing everything in our power to make these "secrets" and the incredible spiritual blessings of the temple available to you and to everyone who earnestly chooses to pursue them in way I have described.
Meet with Mormon missionaries to get started
Why can't people who are not Mormons enter the temple? Why do only members in good standing get a temple recommend?
For answers to these questions, please see my Bible-study article: Preserving The Sanctity of the Temple
Mormon Temples and the Bible
To learn what the Bible has to say about baptism for the dead, washing and anointing, the "endue-ment", the wearing of garments (the so-called "secret" Mormon underwear), the need for a temple recommend, and our beliefs about the after-life, see my Bible-study articles:
Temple Ordinances
The Wearing of Garments
Temple Work for the Dead
Paradise & Hell, Judgement & Resurrection, Paul's Three Heavens
At a later date, I will write articles wherein we will study the same subjects in latter-day revelation, which will clear up some things about temple doctrine that were never explicitly recorded in the Bible in ancient times.
Also of Interest
Mormon Newsroom: See inside the Mexico Tijuana LDS temple
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