The First Presidency has announced open house and dedication dates for the Calgary Alberta Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). The public is invited to visit the temple during an open house from 29 September through 20 October 2012, excluding Sundays and Saturday, 6 October. Free reservations for the open house can be made through the www.calgarymormontemple.org website in the coming weeks.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
The temple will be formally dedicated on Sunday, 28 October 2012, in three sessions. In conjunction with the dedication of the temple, there will also be a cultural celebration featuring music and dance on Saturday, 27 October 2012.
The Calgary Temple will be the third in Alberta; the Cardston Temple opened in 1923 and the Edmonton Temple in 1999. There are currently 137 temples worldwide and 29 announced or under construction.
While the Church’s 18,000-plus meetinghouses are open to all people who wish to attend religious services there, temples are open only to faithful Latter-day Saints after they are formally dedicated. (See a Mormon Newsroom article explaining the difference between the Church’s chapels and temples.)
Latter-day Saint temples differ from the Church’s meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where Christ's teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and strengthen their commitment to serve Jesus Christ and those around them.