Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Hello, friends. I'm Elder Reel, and welcome to Discussion #6.
So far, we've talked about what Latter-day Saints believe, the Restoration, membership, Church history, and prophetic authority. Today we're going to talk about one of the most sacred and distinctive parts of our faith:
What should you know about the temple before deciding to join the Church?
For many Latter-day Saints, temple worship becomes one of the most meaningful parts of their religious lives. But temple worship is also substantially different from an ordinary Sunday Church service. In this discussion, we'll talk openly about sacred clothing, washing and anointing, the endowment, symbolic ritual, covenant making, sealings, temple recommend interviews, and the wearing of temple garments afterward.
We don't believe you need to know every sacred detail of the temple before baptism. But we do believe you should understand the nature of the experience and the commitments involved so that if you eventually choose to enter the temple, you aren't discovering for the first time what kind of religious experience you've been preparing for.
That's what informed consent means.
Many members find temple worship beautiful, sacred, and deeply meaningful. Others find their first experience unfamiliar or unexpected. Our goal isn't to tell you how you should experience the temple. It's to give you enough information beforehand that, if you eventually choose to participate, you can honestly say:
"I understood the kind of experience I was entering, I understood the commitments I would be making, and I chose them freely."
If you haven't watched Discussions #1–5, I encourage you to begin there, because each discussion builds upon the previous ones.
Thank you for joining me. Let's begin.
DISCLAIMER: The LDS Missionary Discussions: If the Church Was Honest is an independent educational project and is not affiliated with, produced by, sponsored by, or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Elder Reel" is a fictional missionary character used to explore what LDS missionary discussions might look like if they emphasized informed consent, transparency, and a fuller presentation of LDS beliefs, history, expectations, and commitments before baptism.
Hello, friends. I'm Elder Reel, and welcome to Discussion #6.
So far, we've talked about what Latter-day Saints believe, the Restoration, membership, Church history, and prophetic authority. Today we're going to talk about one of the most sacred and distinctive parts of our faith:
What should you know about the temple before deciding to join the Church?
For many Latter-day Saints, temple worship becomes one of the most meaningful parts of their religious lives. But temple worship is also substantially different from an ordinary Sunday Church service. In this discussion, we'll talk openly about sacred clothing, washing and anointing, the endowment, symbolic ritual, covenant making, sealings, temple recommend interviews, and the wearing of temple garments afterward.
We don't believe you need to know every sacred detail of the temple before baptism. But we do believe you should understand the nature of the experience and the commitments involved so that if you eventually choose to enter the temple, you aren't discovering for the first time what kind of religious experience you've been preparing for.
That's what informed consent means.
Many members find temple worship beautiful, sacred, and deeply meaningful. Others find their first experience unfamiliar or unexpected. Our goal isn't to tell you how you should experience the temple. It's to give you enough information beforehand that, if you eventually choose to participate, you can honestly say:
"I understood the kind of experience I was entering, I understood the commitments I would be making, and I chose them freely."
If you haven't watched Discussions #1–5, I encourage you to begin there, because each discussion builds upon the previous ones.
Thank you for joining me. Let's begin.
DISCLAIMER: The LDS Missionary Discussions: If the Church Was Honest is an independent educational project and is not affiliated with, produced by, sponsored by, or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Elder Reel" is a fictional missionary character used to explore what LDS missionary discussions might look like if they emphasized informed consent, transparency, and a fuller presentation of LDS beliefs, history, expectations, and commitments before baptism.
