"[Temple building] is the art of arts," states Commentary on the Book of Mormon (Vol. 1, p. 275), by Elder George Reynolds, a member of the First Council of the Seventy from 1890-1909, and Janne M. Sjodahl, Deseret News editor and associate editor from 1890-1913.
"Not only architecture, but all other arts - sculpture, painting, music, poetry, etc., are its humble servants. Wherever the Lords has a temple, He has a palace, a dwelling, of His own. And where He dwells, there is a portion of heaven, where glorious hosts are in attendance, carrying out the least bidding and praising Him continually with songs of everlasting joy."The dictionary in the 1979 LDS edition of the King James Bible states: "whenever the Lord has had a people on the earth who will obey His word, they have been commanded to build temples in which the ordinances of the gospel and other spiritual manifestations that pertain to exaltation and eternal life may be administered."
The Book of Mormon has numerous references to temples, but no indication is given of their exact number or locations. Temples are mentioned in the:
- Land of Nephi. In 2 Ne. 5:16, Nephi tells of the construction of the first Nephite temple.
- Land of Zarahemla. In Mosiah chapters 2-5 is an account of King Benjamin's address to the people gathered around the temple.
- Land of Lehi-Nephi. In Mosiah 7:17, Limhi sends a proclamation among all his people "that thereby they might gather themselves together to the temple."
- Land of Bountiful. In 3 Ne. 11:1 is an account of how "a great multitude gathered together . . . round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful." This was the occasion on which the resurrected Savior appeared to the people on the American continent.