Helping others understand how temples are sacred, not secret

With Mitt Romney edging ever closer to the Republican nomination for president, the church becomes a curiosity and a point of interest for more and more people. How skillfully we answer the increasing questions from our friends and associates may determine their opinion of the church for years to come.

It's not only ourselves as adults who will be on the receiving end of the growing curiosity of this "Mormon Moment" — our kids, at schools and in their peer groups, will get asked more questions as well, and will hear and wish to correct more misinformation from their friends and classmates.

More and more church members have websites, blogs or social media pages where they put up statements on their beliefs; and how we phrase these and how we respond to curiosity really matter. If our answers (and those that our children give) are simple and clear, they can enhance at least the impressions and perhaps even the interest of those who ask.

In this little mini-series of articles, we are suggesting some wording that seems to work well for us on five common subjects that tend to come up a lot.

In the last two articles we talked about questions relating to marriage/polygamy and to "Are Mormons Christian?" Today we want to share what we think is some appropriate language relating to curiosity about temples and sacredness.

Unlike the 20,000 chapels and churches around the world where Mormons meet and worship and where we invite all to join us, our far fewer (135 at last count) temples are not churches or cathedrals or meeting places at all but are sanctuaries where we can go for ordinances and ceremonies like baptisms and marriages and other beautiful rituals that commit us to Christ's teachings and commandments and link us to our ancestors, reminding us that we are all part of the family of God.

The temple rituals and ordinances are not secret, but they are sacred, so the interiors of our temples are reserved for worthy church members.

To facilitate this linking and connecting to ancestors and extended family, it is important to know the names and a bit of the history of our forbears.

Thus, the church has been at the forefront of the growing worldwide interest in genealogy and is an active participant in the fascinating pursuit of connecting people to their roots and their extended families.