Temples are not used by Latter-day Saints for Sunday worship services, and unlike the church’s more common meeting houses, are not open to the general public. They are generally open only to members who have a current “temple recommend,” a card that verifies they believe in the church’s doctrines and obey certain rules such as tithing and abstaining from alcohol. Members visit temples for a variety of rituals, including proxy baptisms for the dead.
“Temples are the most important sacred sites in contemporary Mormonism, so restricting access to temples to people wearing masks sends a big message about how important masks are to the leaders of our church,” said Jana Riess, a senior columnist for Religion News Service who writes about the church.
Although the letter says that the church only “asks” members to wear masks in temples, Ms. Riess said that it is likely to be interpreted as “instruction that’s not to be violated.”
In August, Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, announced that students and staff members would be required to wear masks on campus. The private school, which is sponsored by the church, also urged students to get vaccinated “so that fall semester can proceed as planned.”
The letter on Wednesday emphasized that there is ample precedent for the church urging members to protect themselves from the spread of the disease. In 1900, church leaders urged members to be vaccinated against smallpox, and in 1957 released a similar message about the polio vaccine.