By contrast, LDS temples are not used for regular weekly meetings and are closed on Sundays, but are reserved for special ordinances for LDS who live certain standards of belief, practice, and ethics. Traditionally, these buildings have been large and more ornate than churches, though in the last ten years, a smaller design has been embraced to increase geographic availability. Prior to the dedication of a new temple, anyone can tour it.

Here from left to right, we have the Salt Lake Temple, Hong Kong Temple, and San Diego Temple.

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Though temples come in a variety of designs and sizes, one external element shared by temples is a capstone with the trumpeting angel of Revelation 14:6:  "I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." Mormons often identify this angel as Moroni, the last writer in the Book of Mormon who later appeared to Joseph Smith as an angel and told him of the Book of Mormon.

If you see a Mormon building with a Moroni on a spire, it's a temple. If the building is Moroni-free, it's probably a chapel.

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