The most sacred place of worship of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the temple, is open to the residents of Casperi for a limited time.
The tours offer a glimpse into the inner rooms of the temple, each of which plays a special role in the lives of the devotees.
“The temple is decorated as befits a house of the Lord,” said Camille Johnson, president of the Relief Society and director of the church’s women’s philanthropic and educational organization. “So inside the temple you will see Indian paintbrush and Wyoming sagebrush as part of the design motifs.”
“The Casper Temple is a spiritual gathering place where families can be united forever through sacred ceremonies we call ordinances,” she added before entering the local temple.
The members of this religious community use the temple for these special occasions; weekly worship services are held in the meetinghouses.
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There is the baptistery, a room for Holy Mass, primarily for teaching and instruction, a sealing room where marriages are performed and sealed, which according to the Church’s belief unites man and woman in marriage forever, and a reception area.
And then there is the heavenly room. This is where church members can come to pray, reflect, and meditate on their faith. It is considered the most sacred room in the temple, and followers believe that God is fully present there once the temple is dedicated.
Apart from the official dedication, there is no ceremony to invite God’s presence into the temple.
“It’s just individual members doing their best to prepare themselves, in a sense, to come before God,” said Elder James Rasband, assistant executive director of the Temple Department.
Like the still waters of the as-yet-unused baptistery, the heavenly room was pristine and serene on Monday. Chairs line the walls and two sofas face each other, with an ornate table in the center, above which hangs a multi-tiered chandelier that’s almost too bright to look at. The room is lit by subtle lamps and stained-glass windows.
Although the temple is not yet consecrated, the church asked that no photos be taken inside. There is a video tour of a similar worship space on the church’s website.
During the tour, mannequins demonstrated the prescribed attire for those entering the temple: a white cotton jumpsuit for baptisms; a white shirt with white dress pants and belt for men; and a white maxi dress with lace trim for women. The garments are a way to “put off the world.”
The walls are decorated with paintings of Wyoming landmarks and landscapes, some by local artists.
About one in nine Wyoming residents is a Latter-day Saint, and the Church sought to build the temple in the center of the state.
Construction on a temple cannot begin until church leadership receives a revelation from Jesus Christ. It was announced that Casper would get its temple in April 2021, and groundbreaking occurred just months later in October 2021. At the time, Afton was the only place with a temple in the state.
The temple will be dedicated on November 24. After the dedication, access to the temple will be permitted only to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have a temple recommend issued by local leaders.
Prior to the dedication, the Casper Temple will be open to the public, except on Sundays, through September 14. No tickets are required for a guided tour.
Jordan Smith covers Casper and the surrounding communities for the Casper Star-Tribune and can be reached at 307-266-0513, [email protected] or @jordansmith_js.