Hello! My name is Danny Larsen. I was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 60 years.
In Mormonism, the modern-day temple is extremely important. Currently in 2024, the LDS Church is on a quest to cover the earth with these elaborate structures. One of these temples was recently built and dedicated in my Layton Utah neighborhood. To the Latter-day Saints their temple is a holy edifice where the work of the Lord is performed for both the living and the dead. They are taught the temple, and its ordinances are a “restoration” of what once existed in ancient times.
In this video I want to discuss the “meaning of the temple.” To do that, we need to go back in time to where and when it all began. This will be a brief historical overview. But I will support the information I share with biblical scripture.
We start in the book of Exodus with Moses leading the nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt into the desert wilderness. They came to mount Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments along with the law. We refer to this as the Old Covenant, which was the First Covenant God made with Israel. Moses was instructed to make a portable tabernacle or tent structure which served as a material sanctuary for God to dwell with His people and to commune with his prophet Moses. It is described, Hebrews 9:1 “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.”
The tabernacle was built around 1450 BCE and was utilized during their 40 years in the wilderness and another 400 years after the Israelites entered the promised land.
The sons of Aaron, who were the Levite priests performed daily rituals and animal sacrifices in this tabernacle. There was only one Levitical high priest at a time, who entered the holy of holies on the day of Atonement to offer blood sacrifice for the sins of the nation of Israel.
About 1010 BCE, King Solomon’s temple was built to replace the portable tabernacle. Solomon stated in 2 Chronicles 2:5-6 that the sole purpose of the temple was to offer sacrifices for sin to God. There were no other ordinances or rituals performed in that temple that had anything to do other than to offer sacrifice for sin. This was sacred work for only the living, and not the dead. Every ritual was explained in explicit detail (Exodus 26-30). Nothing was kept secret – it was known to all.
Because God was monotheistic, there was always only one temple on the earth at a time representing the One True Living God. And it was in the holy city of Jerusalem.
Solomon’s Temple lasted 423 years before it was destroyed by the conquering Babylonians in 587 BCE.
A side note: This is also the time when the Book of Mormo begins its narrative about Lehi’s family departing Jerusalem for the Western Hemisphere.
Back to Israel, the conquered Jews were exiled to Babylon for 40 years before being allowed to return to Jerusalem. And in 515 BCE the Second Temple was built by the returning Jews.
Later in 37 BCE, King Herod greatly enlarged the temple, which lasted until 70 CE when it was destroyed by the Roman Army.
Up to that time, the physical Jerusalem temple signified the first and Old Covenant God made with the nation of Israel – along with its ordinances of, animal sacrifice for sin.
But, by the beginning of Yeshua’s mortal ministry in 30 CE, the temple had become completely defiled Matthew 21:12-13 “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Again, Yeshua upon entering the temple, John 2:16 “And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.” The Spirit of God no longer dwelt in the Old Covenant worldly sanctuary temple building.
If not in a building, where was God’s presence then housed? The temple of God resided in the person of the man called Yeshua. Making a powerful statement to the Jewish leaders at the temple John 2:19-22 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.” So, it was clear in that day to those who believed that Jesus’ body was where God dwelt.
The former age of the Mosaic law was passing away as the New Covenant was being established to replace the Old Covenant. Listen to how that was described. Hebrews 8:13 “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”
God was about to fulfill the promise He made back in the Tanakh when He declared, Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” God promised to write His law (which is faith and love) in our minds and in our hearts.
Yeshua, Himself taught that temple worship was about to be replaced by a new form of worship. Believers in Him were to worship God not in temple buildings but ONLY in Spirit and truth. When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well John 4:21-24 “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
By 34 CE, the Old Covenant with its Jewish temple, priesthood, and sacrificial system became obsolete as Christ’s shed blood ratified the New Covenant.
At Christ’s death on the cross, the temple curtain or veil in the holy of holies separating man from God’s presence was torn from top to bottom Mark 15:37-38 “And Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” What a powerful message that must have sent to the Jewish religious leaders.
Christ’s atoning death on the cross threw open the veil, providing direct access for all mankind to enter the presence of God without the mediation of any human. Hebrews 10:18-22 “Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” That torn material veil represented the torn flesh of the Messiah as He was tortured and crucified for the sins of the world.
When Yeshua exclaimed from the cross, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) His work to redeem the world from sin was completed. Followed by His resurrection.
The final sacrifice under the law – Yeshua Himself, the Lamb of God - had been made, forever ending temple rituals and practices (Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”) (Ephesians 2:13-15 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances”)
Following Yeshua’s resurrection and ascension - under the New Covenant, every Believer now becomes the temple of God, through the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile, the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” 1 Corinthians 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” 2 Corinthians 6:16 “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Christ has now become our Great High Priest of the heavenly sanctuary. There is no longer a worldly sanctuary – but a heavenly sanctuary. Hebrews 4:14 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” Hebrews 8:1-2 “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an, high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”
Today, without the need for any mediators like a priest, pastor, bishop, pope, or prophet, each of us have the privilege to approach the throne of God directly with confidence. Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we have not an, high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Just as prophesied by Yeshua and His apostles, the city of Jerusalem was about to be destroyed. Invaded by the Roman army in 70 CE, over a million Jews were killed and scattered, and the stone temple which was no longer needed, was demolished and burned.
Another side note: The Book of Mormon only mentions three temples but without reference to rituals, ordinances, or animal sacrifices. They appeared to serve only as a place of assembly for preaching. And, in today’s LDS temples, are practiced masonic ceremonies and pagan symbols introduced by Joseph Smith Jr. into a Mormon endowment. There is absolutely no connection between modern-day Latter-day Saint temples and the ancient temple of Jerusalem.
Interestingly, during the recent 2024 General Conference of the LDS Church, it was announced there were a total of 350 temples currently dedicated, being renovated or in the planning stages. At a cost of approximately $65 million each that equals nearly 23 billion dollars on these great and spacious buildings. All that expense to restore something that never existed in the ancient Old Covenant temple – like baptism for the dead, endowments, handgrips, oaths and penalties, initiatory work, marriages, sealings, and second anointings.
Anciently, the Jews, were meticulous record keepers and traced their genealogies to prove which tribe of Israel they came from. When Jerusalem was destroyed, those genealogies were also destroyed - because it no longer mattered what family line you belonged to. Under the New Covenant, followers of Christ would be adopted into the family of God revealing our direct spiritual heritage.
Paul warned the Jews and Gentiles back then about wasting time on tracing their family lines. 1 Timothy 1:4 “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.” Titus 3:9 “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.” Temple ordinances have been abolished Ephesians 2:15 “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.”
The Levitical priesthood that served the temple was also abolished. ALL authority in heaven and earth resides in Christ alone. Addressing His disciples Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Christ doesn’t share His power with men. His priesthood is non-transferrable. Unlike the human high priests who came and went Hebrews 7:23-24 “And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continues forever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.”
So, what or who are the true temples? We know for certain that God no longer does dwells in a material temple. Stephen, the first Christian martyr before being stoned to death gave his compelling witness. Acts 7:48 “Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet.” Paul restated the same Acts 17:24 “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.” The writer of Hebrews, Hebrews 9:11 “But Christ being come an, high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building.”) (Hebrews 9:24 “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”. That is the reason why Christians have never been a temple building people.
When Yeshua moves into our hearts and His Spirit dwells in us, as born-again Christians we become the house of God – the Temple of God. Trusting in the finished work of Christ, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:12-13 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”
Because we are sealed to Christ, He doesn’t leave us when we sin, He is always there when we need Him most. He has promised to never leave or forsake us. Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” What a comforting promise and blessing!
The body of all Believers in Christ are spiritually deemed a holy and royal priesthood. Every Believer becomes a priest in the spiritual household of God. 1 Peter 2:5,9 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an, holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an, holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Upon Christ’s ascension following His resurrection and appearance to hundreds of people in Jerusalem, He established a heavenly New Jerusalem which has no material temple in it - because Almighty God and Yeshua the Lamb of God - are the Temple of that New Jerusalem. Listen to the description written from John’s vision. Revelation 21:1-4 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were, passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Further describing the heavenly New Jerusalem, Revelation 21:21-23 “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” This is what is waiting for us the moment we die. It’s going to be amazing!
And that my friends, is the biblical significance of the temple. I hope you benefited from my scriptural view of this very important and often misunderstood subject in Mormonism.
In upcoming videos, I will address more questions about life in the hereafter. Is there marriage in heaven? Are families forever as taught in the Mormonism. What about baptism for the dead?
Stay tuned and check out more videos like this one at talkingtomormons.com.
Until next time, God Bless!