It’s now possible, year-round, to see what the inside of a Latter-day Saint temple looks like.
Before this spring, limited-time open houses were the only way for the public to see inside a temple. But thanks to a new experience in Salt Lake City, Utah, anyone can preview a temple’s rooms when they visit Temple Square.
The “Inside a Temple” Experience
The “Inside a Temple” tour at the Temple Square Visitors’ Center is a 30-minute guided experience with full-scale, replicated temple rooms. You’ll need tickets to get in, but there’s a standby-line option if you don’t reserve spots ahead.
When I took the tour this summer, I was struck by the way it welcomed people from all backgrounds. Our tour included families from Utah, Nevada, and Ohio, with ages ranging from children to grandparents.
As an endowed member of the Church, I’m not new to the temple experience; however, it was interesting to glimpse what it’s like to see these rooms through the eyes of children, youth, and people not of our faith.
The tour included two videos and replicas of a welcome desk area, baptistry, instruction room, celestial room, and sealing room. While the rooms aren’t dedicated, they match those found in Latter-day Saint temples and meet the same architectural standards.
A part-time employee guided us through each room, teaching about the ordinances that take place in each space and taking time to answer questions from the group. This educational aspect of the tour is an invaluable way for people to learn more about our beliefs and what it’s like to be inside temples. It’s also an ideal resource for youth and new converts preparing to enter the temple and understand the covenants they will be making.
But the most memorable part of the tour, in my opinion, had to do with the feeling more than the format.
The Best Moment of the Tour
Before we moved into the replica of the celestial room, our guide informed us this would be the only room where he wouldn’t give spoken instruction. Instead, he encouraged us to take in the spirit and beauty of the space and notice how we felt.
He explained that the celestial room represents entering the presence of God. Instead of participating in specific ordinances there, endowed members can ponder, pray, and speak quietly with one another.
Entering the room with our tour group, I felt a warm sensation settle over my heart. The light coming through the intricately designed stained-glass windows and central chandelier felt like reflections of heaven’s light. I was touched by how one young girl looked up at the windows in awe and even snapped a few photos using her mom’s phone (taking pictures is allowed and even encouraged on the tour).
My experience there reminded me of how I feel in actual celestial rooms. Walking into the room with the tour group felt symbolic of everyone being welcome and getting to experience the peace and stillness of the temple.
Although our experience included more sounds than hushed whispers, since a few children had a difficult time sitting quietly, the moment strengthened my conviction that God wants each of us to experience a fullness of His joy. I realized that it wouldn’t feel like heaven without children (even when they’re noisy!).
This moment in the replicated celestial room was a beautiful reminder that our family relationships and friendships are the building blocks of eternity. We can support each other on the covenant path back to our heavenly parents, since as one songwriter puts it, “we’re all just walking each other home.”
Experiencing the “Inside a Temple” tour has encouraged me to bring more of this welcoming spirit and divine light into my daily interactions. As author Melinda Wheelwright Brown writes:
“Heaven actually begins here, as we work to acquire the skill set that will equip us to eventually live comfortably there. …
“When we commit to love one another and demonstrate our commitment by investing in our relationships—shown by apologizing frequently and forgiving freely as we gradually figure things out—something magical happens! We could call it celestialization, a sense of God-supported, synchronized soaring captured by the inspiring Quaker proverb: ‘Thee lift me, and I’ll lift thee, and we’ll ascend together.’”
You can reserve tickets to the “Inside a Temple” tour on Temple Square’s website or app.
For more resources about the temple, check out the articles below:
▶ A step-by-step guide for every first-time temple goer
▶ The unexpected power in the temple locker room
▶ 5 helpful things to say to someone before they receive their endowment
