Does each temple have a Holy of Holies?

The term Holy of Holies comes from the Old Testament. In the ancient tabernacle built under Moses, and later in Solomon’s Temple, the Holy of Holies was the most sacred room in the structure. It was separated from the rest of the temple by a veil and symbolized God’s presence.

The book of Exodus describes the sacred separation:

And thou shalt hang up the veil under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony: and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. (Exodus 26:33)

Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (see Hebrews 9:7). Inside rested the Ark of the Covenant, representing the Lord’s presence among Israel.

For Latter-day Saints, this ancient pattern helps illustrate an eternal principle: temples are places where heaven and earth symbolically meet.

Unlike the ancient temple in Jerusalem, most modern temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not contain a designated room officially called the Holy of Holies. However, for clarity, a room could be temporarily designated as the Holy of Holies if the need arose.

However, a few temples do have such a room. The most well-known is in the Salt Lake Temple. Historical records also indicate that sacred rooms serving a similar purpose existed in earlier temples, such as the Kirtland Temple and the Nauvoo Temple, though not necessarily under the exact same formal designation used today.

The Holy of Holies in the Salt Lake Temple is a small, highly sacred room used by the President of the Church when needed for especially solemn prayer and spiritual seeking.

President Joseph Fielding Smith explained:

“In the Salt Lake Temple there is a room which is reserved for the president of the Church, where he may go to inquire of the Lord… This room is called the Holy of Holies.” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. (1954–56), 3:112.)

That statement has fueled a lot of curiosity over the years, sometimes leading to exaggerated ideas online. But Church leaders have generally treated the subject with reverence and simplicity rather than mystery or sensationalism.

One important aspect of LDS theology is that the entire temple is holy. While certain rooms may have particular purposes, every ordinance room, sealing room, celestial room, and instruction space is dedicated to sacred worship.

Elder Boyd K. Packer taught:

“It is in the ordinances of the temple that we are placed under covenant to Him…” Temple Quotes

The purpose of temples today is centered primarily on ordinances and covenants for both the living and the dead. These include baptisms for the dead, endowments, sealings, and other sacred ordinances connected to salvation and exaltation.

Because of that focus, modern temples are designed differently from the ancient temple in Jerusalem. Ancient Israelite temples centered heavily on sacrificial worship under the Law of Moses. Modern temples center on Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice, which fulfilled that older system.

The New Testament explains:

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Hebrews 9:11–12)

Latter-day Saints believe Christ fulfilled the symbolic meaning of the ancient Holy of Holies. Through Him, all faithful covenant disciples may eventually enter the presence of God.

Church leaders have said relatively little publicly about the room, which is understandable given its sacred nature. But enough has been shared historically to clarify that it is primarily a place for especially sacred prayer and meditation.

President Heber J. Grant once referred to the Holy of Holies as:

“The most sacred room in the temple.” (Quoted in Francis M. Gibbons, Heber J. Grant: Man of Steel, Prophet of God (1979), p. 288.)

Importantly, Latter-day Saints do not believe the room itself is magical or that revelation can happen only there. Revelation can come anywhere according to God’s will. Joseph Smith received revelations in homes, fields, upper rooms, and prisons.

Still, sacred spaces can help foster reverence and spiritual focus. That principle appears throughout scripture.

The Lord said:

“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house… a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:119)

Temples are built to help people draw closer to God, and certain rooms within them may serve specific sacred purposes.

For most temple-going Latter-day Saints, the closest experience symbolically resembling the ancient Holy of Holies is probably the celestial room.

Celestial rooms are designed to represent peace, holiness, and the presence of God. Members often sit quietly there after participating in temple ordinances to pray, ponder, and feel spiritually closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

President Howard W. Hunter taught:

“The temple is a place of revelation. When I have burdens, when I have difficulty, when I am perplexed, I go to the house of the Lord and there receive guidance and direction.” (paraphrasing)  (Church News)

That blessing is not limited to Church presidents or apostles. Every worthy member can seek revelation in the temple.

Because the phrase “Holy of Holies” sounds mysterious, rumors sometimes circulate claiming secret rituals or hidden practices. LDS theology, however, points to something much simpler and more meaningful: sacred communion with God through Jesus Christ.

The Church does not emphasize the Holy of Holies as a central feature of temple worship because its focus is covenant discipleship, ordinances, and drawing closer to the Savior.

President Russell M. Nelson has repeatedly emphasized that the purpose of the temple is to connect individuals with Christ and eternal covenants:

“Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house.” Prepare for the Blessings of the Temple, Ensign, Oct. 2010.

That is ultimately the key idea. Whether or not a particular temple contains a designated Holy of Holies, every dedicated temple is considered a house of the Lord.

In the end, the real focus of temple worship is not a particular room—it is the Savior Himself.

 

Gramps