Temples are sacred buildings of worship for Mormons (members
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). There is a period of time,
after temples are built and before they are used for worship services, when
free tours are available, an Open House to the public.
My city’s second temple, the Provo City Center Temple, is
now holding its Open House (through Saturday, March 5th), and it’s been projected that over 900,000 people
will tour the temple during that time. Twice so far I’ve gotten to tour the
temple, and twice so far I’ve volunteered as an usher, and I have some thoughts
about how to make the most of your Temple Open House experience.
take pics outside, not inside, and use #PCCT and/or #Templenacle
There are ten things you need to know.*
Just kidding: this list goes to ELEVEN.
1. You don’t need a ticket. You should have a ticket. Get one
if you can. But if you can’t, there is a stand-by line. The best time to get
through the stand-by line quickly is early in the morning, Monday through
Thursday.
2. Wear what you want. There’s no dress code, and this is a tour, not church. Sometimes,
though, you want to know what others will be wearing, right? If so, as a
guideline, if you want it, remember the temple was built to be a sacred house
of worship. Ushers for the tours are asked to wear Sunday Best.
3. Think about your shoes. As part of the tour, each guest (and
usher) who enters the temple puts plastic covers over their shoes. This keeps
the temple floors as clean as possible. Hey, Ladies? I’m looking at you, now:
wear flats. Trust me. As a woman who owns at least six pair of heels and
exactly one pair of flats, I’m telling you: you don’t want to mess with those
shoe covers and heels. It’s one day, choose the flats.
4. Speaking of shoes… This is a walking tour. After the short
video at the beginning, the tour is about 45 minutes of walking, including
stairs. There are elevators and wheelchairs if needed. But you should be ready
for Leg Day.
5. Leave your coat in your car. It’s cold, and maybe you don’t
care about carrying your coat. But if you can stand it, try to leave your coat
in your car. I saw a lot of people carrying huge parkas. Kids hhhhhate having
to carry their coats (and their moms will carry the kids’ stuff…but they won’t
like it).
6. Leave the other stuff in your car, too. I know, with the
diaper bag. I get it, you might need it. But think about only what you’ll need
for an hour and do your best.
7. Go to the bathroom and get a drink before the tour. It’s
only an hour, you don’t want to be distracted during that time. And take your
kids. I know they said they don’t have to go. Take them.
8. DON’T STOP. The walking tour? It’s continuous. There are
people behind you, and people waiting to get inside for a tour. Take your time,
and enjoy, don’t feel rushed. But keep walking so you don’t hold up the line.
9. Kids, Man. As an usher I love seeing kids tour the temple.
If you bring kids, please keep an eye on them. It can be easy for them to
wander into another line of people going another direction. Implement the Buddy
System (especially if you’re bringing a group of kids, like for Activity Days
or Scouts). Don’t give them gum or candy during the tour. And for the little,
little ones? Please, PLEASE keep an eye on them especially near the stairs and
railings on the top floor. Also, the woodwork in the temple is beautiful…and if
you knew how many kids I saw put their hands and mouths and noses on the
railings you wouldn’t go near any of it. Let them know to look with their eyes,
not their hands, and when it comes to peeking over the railing to look down the
staircase, please help them keep both feet on the floor rather than climb.
10.
Talk about the temple…another time. Teach your kids and talk
with your friends about the temple. But don’t hold up the line by pausing for a
lesson about eternal marriage in a sealing room (srsly, have a family home
evening about it and use handheld
mirrors). If you didn’t talk about it before
the tour, take a mental note and talk about it afterwards.
11.
Hang out in Provo for a bit. Make a date of it, whether with
your family, friends, or on an actual date. Downtown Provo has legit cool
businesses and
places to get a meal or a treat. Hungry and have some time? I
recommend
communal,
Noodle King,
India Palace,
Black Sheep Café, or
Guru's. If you need a
treat go to
Sodalicious (scotcharoos, Man),
Sweet Tooth Fairy (right across the
street from the temple!), grab some gelato at
Gloria’s, or try
Rockwell IceCream. Here’s a
map. Provo's cool.
*#HAMILTON
