templeendowment

Temple endowment is a sacred ceremony in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and other Latter-day Saint movements, performed in temples. The ceremony provides instruction about the plan of salvation and invites participants to enter into covenants with God, promising obedience to the commandments and devotion to the faith. It includes symbolic instruction and ritual acts that reflect the creation, the Fall, and the atonement, and it culminates in the participant receiving a temple garment as a sign of their commitments. The endowment is regarded as sacred and is usually restricted to members who hold a current temple recommend and are deemed worthy to enter temples.

Participation and preparation: Access to the endowment requires baptism, membership in good standing, and personal readiness. Members prepare through study of church teachings, prayer, and adherence to standards. The rites are administered by trained temple workers within the temple; participants take oaths and promises within the ceremony, which is traditionally kept confidential outside the temple. Details are not generally discussed in public spaces. After completing the endowment, individuals may wear the temple garment as a symbol of their covenants, and they may continue to participate in temple worship and ordinances for themselves and, where applicable, for deceased relatives.

History: The practice originated in the early Latter-day Saint movement in the 1840s under Joseph Smith and has since evolved, with standardized rites and the construction of temples worldwide. Public access is limited to those in good standing, and procedures have varied somewhat across time and jurisdictions.