| Basic Mormon | Plan of Salvation (Chronological) |
| Doctrine | Mortal Existence: Temple Worthy |
Not only does the Mormon church have meeting houses, they also have temples. Mormons do not attend their temple for weekly Sunday worship. Instead, Mormon temples are used for special purposes that are outside of the regular weekly worship. A saying in Mormonism is that "the road to exaltation leads through the temple."
There are currently over one hundred Mormon temples throughout the world, with others in construction or being planned. Each building is magnificent and majestic. They are tall marble buildings that outshine other buildings around them. The most famous and magnificent temple is the one in Salt Lake City, Utah, seen below.
These temples are the site of much work within the Mormon church. Any Mormon desiring eternal life, that is exaltation or an eternal family or godhood; must perform certain ordinances at one of the temples. But before a Mormon can even enter one of the temples, he or she must be worthy. Each Mormon must annually pass an interview process that, if successful, rewards him or her with a 'temple recommend' in the form of a small ID card which allows him or her to enter the temple. In order to pass this interview, Mormons must
 | Have been members for at least one year. |
| Be willing to follow the prophet and all other church leaders. |
| Be current in their tithe. |
| Be keeping the Word of Wisdom (rules such as no coffee, tobacco, alcohol, etc.). |
| Have been recommended by their bishop. |
| Bear their testimony as to the truth of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, etc. |
| Be morally clean (sexually pure). |
| Have not associated with apostates (people who have left the Mormon church). |
| Confess 'serious' sins. |
| Be active in the church. |
| Not watch inappropriate TV or movies. |
| Have honored the Sabbath (no work, no hobbies, no shopping, no hunting, no sports, 'constructive thoughts and acts', etc.). |
| Conduct monthly fasting |
Only 25-30% of Mormons are temple worthy. Some Mormons do not go through the process to qualify for a temple recommend because they live a long way from a Mormon temple. But the main reason why so few are temple worthy is simply that many do not make the grade.
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