What the LDS Church Requires for Temple Access
Understanding the Temple Recommend: A guide to the worthiness interviews and standards for Latter-day Saints.
- A Temple Recommend is an authorization card allowing members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to enter sacred temples.
- Obtaining a recommend involves two interviews with local and regional Church leaders, assessing spiritual preparedness.
- The interviews cover specific questions about faith, obedience to commandments, and personal conduct.
- Recommends are valid for two years and must be renewed through the same interview process.
A Temple Recommend is an authorization card issued to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, signifying their spiritual preparedness to enter a temple. This card is essential for participating in sacred ordinances, making covenants, and engaging in worship unique to Latter-day Saint temples.
The Two-Interview Process
To receive a Temple Recommend, a Latter-day Saint goes through two separate interviews. The first interview is with their local ecclesiastical leader, typically the Bishop of their ward or the President of their branch. If approved, they then proceed to a second interview with a higher-level leader, either their Stake President or Mission President. Both leaders must determine the individual is worthy and prepared to enter the temple.
These interviews are private conversations designed to help members honestly assess their spiritual standing and commitment. The leaders ask a specific set of questions to confirm worthiness, focusing on areas of faith, conduct, and adherence to Church teachings.
Key Areas of Worthiness
The questions asked during a temple recommend interview cover several key areas of a Latter-day Saint's life and beliefs. These are not a test to pass or fail, but an opportunity for personal reflection and commitment.
- Having a testimony of God the Eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, and the Restoration of the gospel.
- Sustaining the President of the Church as a prophet, seer, and revelator, and other Church leaders.
- Living the law of chastity, meaning sexual purity according to God's standards.
- Obeying the Word of Wisdom, which includes abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea, and illegal drugs.
- Paying a full tithe, meaning contributing 10% of one's income to the Church.
- Being honest and striving to keep commitments made in previous temple covenants.
- Living in harmony with fellow Church members and avoiding contention.
- Not supporting or associating with groups or teachings contrary to the Church.
These principles reflect a commitment to live according to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be prepared to enter the Lord's house.
A Temple Recommend is valid for two years. Before it expires, members can renew it by going through the same two-interview process, ensuring ongoing spiritual readiness.
Why Temple Worthiness Matters
Temples are considered sacred spaces, distinct from regular church buildings, where members participate in ordinances that are central to their faith, such as eternal marriage and endowments. These ordinances involve making solemn covenants with God. The Temple Recommend process ensures that those entering are prepared to make and keep these sacred commitments, fostering an environment of reverence, purity, and spiritual focus within the temple walls. For Latter-day Saints, accessing the temple is a deeply personal and spiritually significant experience, essential for their eternal progression and family unity.
Sources
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints official website (ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
