News Release

Johannesburg Temple Closed a Month-Reopens

Why is it important to do these upgrades in a temple?

Temples are not regular places of Sunday worship for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Mormons”. They are quite different from the thousands of regular chapels or meetinghouses all over the world that are used for Sunday services.

Elder Walter Chatora, an area 70, and currently recorder for the temple said, “It is always important to maintain temples at the highest levels.  These are special buildings where the spirit of the Lord is felt.  It is the Lord’s house so we expect nothing but perfection.  We need to continuously renovate, continuously improve.”

Some of the renovations included new wall coverings, draperies, plumbing, and showers in the temple.  It also included upgrades in patron housing which is like a hotel for those who come from afar. There there are new cupboards, bathrooms, laundry facilities and additional showers.  The “Gatehouse” is a place for children to wait while their parents are in the temple.  It received new wall coverings and renovated bathrooms.  The engineers received upgrades to their office also.

Anyone, regardless of religion, may enter a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse and attend services. However, because of the sacredness of temples as “houses of the Lord,” only members of the Church, who are in good standing are allowed to enter the temples. A member must be observing the basic principles of the faith and attest to that fact to his or her local leaders once every two years in order to enter a temple.

So what kinds of things happen in temples?

Elder Chatora answers, 

"Ordinances are performed in the temple."

A term often used by Latter-day Saints to refer to any of a number of religious rites such as baptism.

"We have endowments ordinances where people that qualify, will be given knowledge and understanding of gospel principles given in temples to faithful Latter-day Saints. We also do ordinances for families. We seal families together, husbands and wives and their children for time and all eternity.  To me that is the most important thing that the temples can do.  To allow families to be together forever.”

Is there a special message that you would like to tell the temple patrons of this area?

“Be converted to the temple.  The temple is the house of the Lord. The temple is where you will find solace, peace, harmony, love, especially in this troubled world.
We can have our burdens off loaded as we love to come to the temple and participate in temple ordinances.  We are ready to receive all those that come and we just hoping people will be really converted to coming to the temple and participating in temple ordinances.”

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