Preparing for the Endowment

The endowment is the central ordinance of the temple, and for most Latter-day Saints, receiving it for the first time — usually as an adult, often before a mission or a temple marriage — is a major milestone. It can also feel unfamiliar, because much of it is symbolic and some of it is kept sacred. This guide goes a step deeper than our first-visit vocabulary page: it explains, in the general terms the Church itself uses, what the endowment is, how to prepare, and what to expect — without disclosing the parts members covenant to keep sacred.

What “endowment” means

The word endowment means a gift. Latter-day Saints believe the temple endowment gives — or “endows” — participants with knowledge, covenants, and spiritual strength, often described as “power from on high.” During it you receive instruction about the plan of salvation and the purpose of life, make a series of covenants with God, and are promised blessings tied to keeping them. It is one of the saving ordinances Latter-day Saints associate with exaltation.

Getting ready

A recommend and a worthiness interview. You’ll need a full temple recommend, obtained after worthiness interviews with your bishop and a member of the stake presidency.
The temple preparation class. Most wards offer a short course that walks through covenants, symbolism, and what to expect. It’s the best place to ask questions before you go.
Someone to go with you. A family member or trusted friend who has been before typically accompanies a first-timer as an escort, staying beside you through the session.
Clothing. Everyone dresses in white. You’ll receive the garment for the first time at the temple, and wear temple clothing during the ceremony. Most temples rent the clothing on site, or you can buy it from a distribution center — you don’t have to have everything in advance.
Come unhurried and rested. A first endowment is a good deal longer than a baptism session — plan for roughly two hours inside, and leave the day open rather than rushing in and out.

What happens, in order

Temple workers guide you through every step; nothing is left for you to figure out on your own. In general terms, a first visit unfolds like this:

Arrive and present your recommend at the front desk, then change into white in the dressing room.
Initiatory — a short preparatory ordinance of symbolic washing and anointing, where you’re clothed in the garment for the first time and promised blessings.
The endowment session — you’re taught through symbolic instruction, make the covenants below, receive a new name you’re asked to keep sacred, and put on additional ceremonial temple clothing at points along the way.
The veil — near the end, you symbolically pass through the veil representing the divide between this life and God’s presence.
The celestial room — a quiet, beautiful room where you can sit, ponder, and pray afterward. There’s no rush to leave.

The covenants you’ll make

The Church publicly summarizes the covenants of the endowment. You covenant to live:

The law of obedience — to obey God and keep His commandments.
The law of sacrifice — to sacrifice for, and support, the Lord’s work.
The law of the gospel — to strive to live the higher standard Jesus Christ taught.
The law of chastity — to reserve sexual relations for marriage and be faithful within it.
The law of consecration — to dedicate your time, talents, and resources to building God’s kingdom.

Each covenant is paired with a promised blessing. These commitments — not any secret information — are the real substance of the endowment.

What’s kept sacred (and what isn’t)

A few specific parts of the ceremony — the new name, certain signs and tokens, and the exact wording of some portions — participants covenant not to discuss outside the temple. That’s why members can seem vague, and it isn’t meant to shut anyone out. The covenants above, the blessings promised, the symbolism’s broad meaning, and how the temple makes you feel are all things you can talk about freely with leaders, family, and friends who have been.

If it feels unfamiliar at first

Many people find their first endowment overwhelming or puzzling — the symbolism is dense and unlike an ordinary church meeting. That reaction is common, and it’s okay. Leaders encourage first-timers to focus on the covenants and on Jesus Christ rather than on decoding every symbol at once, and to return often. Most members say the meaning unfolds gradually over many visits rather than all at once.

Later: receiving it for the dead

Once you’ve received your own endowment, you can return to receive it by proxy for deceased ancestors — the grown-up counterpart to the baptisms for the dead that youth perform. Family names can be found and prepared through FamilySearch.

New to the temple entirely? Start with our guide to going to the temple for the first time, or the words to know for baptisms for the dead. You can also browse the full Mormon Jargon dictionary of 470+ terms or suggest a term or correction.