Mormon Temple Tour - Indianapolis, Indiana

For several years, we have watched a HUGE building under construction in Indianapolis. It’s a new temple of the Church of Latter Day Saints, also known as Mormon.

So when our son told me that the building would be open for public tours during our current visit, he asked if he should sign my up for a tour. I have always wondered what the inside of a Mormon temple looks like, so I was glad for the opportunity. You see, after the formal dedication of the building next month, NO ONE will ever again be allowed inside unless they are a practicing Mormon in good standing with their church leaders. (In fact, we were shown a desk inside the entrance where every Mormon must be “carded” before they are allowed to pass through to the interior.)

And every Mormon who enters after that dedication will be required to remove their “street clothes” and put on all-white garments while in the temple. (Locker rooms are provided for this purpose.)

No cameras were allowed on the tour itself, and you can imagine how hard it was for me to refrain from snapping away.

Our tour guide led us through a side entrance where a tent had been set up…

Inside the tent, we were assisted in putting on shoe covers to protect the carpets and marble floors inside the building…

The interior of the building is incredible, and everything inside was designed and created by craftsmen specifically for that building. They also showcased the state of Indiana, including the state bird and flower. We were told that every Mormon temple does this to honor the states where they are located. Even the carpets and the furniture were custom made to include the bird and flower motif. And Indiana’s motto “The Crossroads Of America” was depicted in the amazing stained glass windows throughout the massive building. Another guide later told me the stained glass was made by craftsmen in Indiana, and that the glass was blown into flat sheets and then hand cut. Every pane of glass was cut perfectly the first time, and no pieces were ground down to fit. Each piece of glass was cut to fit-perfectly. Unbelievable.

After the tour we exited toward the front of the building and had an opportunity to take pictures outside…

The grounds are beautifully landscaped, and cover many acres. We were told the temple will be open to their members Tuesdays through Saturdays. Their Sunday worship is in a smaller building on the grounds…and Mondays are reserved for cleaning and upkeep of the temple by volunteers within their membership. Every surface within the HUGE building will be cleaned…every Monday.

After snapping exterior photos we were directed into another tent…

A pianist and a violinist were playing while we toured the exhibits …

Samples of the statuary were on display…

And here are the descriptions and photos of the various building materials used, and photos and descriptions of the interior rooms we had just seen.

Here are the descriptions of the various rooms inside the temple…

There are twelve cattle depicted in the baptistry, representing the twelve tribes of Israel…

I would honestly say I came away with more questions than answers, but I’m really glad I had the opportunity to see the craftsmanship and attention to detail used in the creation of this building. And I appreciated the chance to observe this different form of worship and beliefs.

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