The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — known informally as the Mormon church — offered an open house at their newly renovated temple in Brampton in a bid to dispel any “mysticism” about their religion.
The Church opened up the temple — one of 200 around the world — to the media on Monday. Once the building, located on Bramalea Rd., is re-dedicated on March. 23, only members may enter it.
“The temples (have) special ceremonies,” said tour host and elder Mathias Held, speaking first in a meeting house where non-members can congregate.
“It’s nothing secret that’s happening in the temple, it’s just sacred,” added Held. “So before dedication, we just want everybody who has interest and wants to see it, to be able to come. There is interest because there’s also some mysticism (like), ‘What happens in the temple?’ So, in order to make it transparent, we open it to everybody. Once it’s dedicated, only the members will be able to enter.”
Members of the public are invited to tour the church, starting Thursday, until March 8.
Held, who was visiting from the church’s headquarters in Salt Lake City, Held, said in addition to the temples, which are considered the “most holiest,” there are 30,000 meeting houses or chapels worldwide where members worship on Sunday.
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Monday’s tour began in the local meeting house before a visit, to the temple, where special occasions like weddings and baptisms take place.
Everyone must sign in before changing into provided white clothing (signifying purity) and ditching their cell phones.
There’s also the temple’s most holiest space, the Celestial Room, where no speaking is allowed but meditation is encouraged.
The coolest looking room is the Baptistry where a small circular pool is encased in marble, with 12 oxen — made out of fibreglass — supporting it.
Everything is done in tasteful pale yellow, pink and creme colours and there’s a lot bright lighting, chandeliers, and stain glass windows. Alters have been set up in four instruction rooms and six sealing rooms.
The renovation of the 5,010-square-metre temple took a year toi complete. There are 17 million Latter-day Saints members in the world, with 3.5 million in Utah, and 55,000 in Ontario.
“We believe in Jesus Christ — Jesus Christ is at the centre of our faith,” said Held, pointing out the large number of paintings of Jesus Christ hanging on the temple’s walls.
Other Latter-day Saint temples currently operate in eight cities across Canada: Halifax, Montreal, Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, Calgary, Cardston, Alta., and Vancouver. Additional temples are planned for Lethbridge, Alta., and Victoria, B.C.