The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship

A veil of secrecy surrounds Mormon temple worship. While officially intended to preserve the sacredness of the experience, this silence often leaves Latter-day Saints mystified.

Until now there has been no scholarly examination of the derivation and development of the temple—something David John Buerger suggests all Mormons should know. By grounding the ceremony’s meaning in symbolism and context, Latter-day Saints should find the ritual more enriching. Non-Mormons, too, may better appreciate the syncretic interweaving of old and new traditions in this highest form of Mormon devotion.