The hardest LDS temples quiz you will ever take

Do you know all about LDS temples? Last week we discussed what really happens inside Mormon temples. This week, test your knowledge on interesting facts and current events!

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To learn more, visit lds.org/church/temples.

16 Little-Known Facts About LDS Temples

Temples are sacred places of worship for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

With over 143 operating LDS temples around the world, there are bound to be some stories and facts you haven't heard before. Our first article in this series covered 20 interesting things about temples, and here we present 16 additional little-known facts about LDS temples.

20 interesting facts about LDS temples you may not know

There are over 15 million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the world and temples are a central part of the Church's teachings.

Here are some interesting facts about LDS temples found across the world.

1. There are currently 143 operating temples in 47 countries. Three are under renovation, 13 more temples are under construction and 14 have been announced.

10 Mormons Explain Why They Were Sealed in the Temple

Have you ever driven past a Mormon temple and wondered what happens inside?

Temples are holy places of worship where members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participate in sacred ordinances performed by the authority of the priesthood. Temple ordinances lead to the greatest blessings available through the atonement of Jesus Christ. One temple ordinance is celestial marriage, in which a husband and wife are sealed to one another for eternity.

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." -Matt. 16:19

Through a temple sealing, a husband and wife and their children can have the promise of being an eternal family. For Latter-day Saints, the covenants they make in the temple (bound on earth) will last forever (be bound in heaven), if they stay worthy.

Below, ten Mormons explain why they were sealed in the temple:

1. Tiffany, Utah. Married August 2009 in the Mt. Timpanogos, Utah temple.

"I got married in the temple because I knew it was the right way back to our Father in Heaven. I loved my husband so much and wanted to be sealed to him forever. I also only wanted my children to be born into an eternal family. It was the only way for me."

The 12 Most Beautiful LDS Temples

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will dedicate its 142nd operating temple in Gilbert, Arizona, on March 2, 2014. For Latter-day Saints, temples are the most sacred structures on earth; they are literally houses of the Lord. In temples, Church members participate in ordinances designed to unite their families together forever and help them return to God. Temples are distinct from the buildings where we hold our weekly worship services on Sundays. We call those buildings "meetinghouses," and there are thousands of them around the world (including several in the Bryan\College Station area). For more information on the history of temples visit here or the official newsroom of the LDS Church here.

To add to the temple excitement, we compiled a list of the 12 Most Beautiful LDS Temples. Each is exquisite in its own way, but we chose the following as our Top 12. 

Comment below with which building is your favorite, or let us know which one should have made our list.

12. Rexburg, Idaho

11. San Salvador, El Salvador

10. Toronto, Canada

9. Portland, Oregon

8. Washington D.C. 

7. Salt Lake City, Utah

6. Laie, Hawaii

5. Hong Kong

4. Manti, Utah

3. Houston, Texas

2. Nauvoo, Illinois

1. San Diego, California