El Santo Gringo from La Jolla, California:

Hi friend. Churches (chapels) and temples are distinct. Chapels are the buildings Mormons use every week during our weekly worship services. These meetings are open to the public. In fact, Mormons love it when people visit our chapels to see how we worship.

Temples are usually larger buildings where Mormons perform private, sacred ordinances (ceremonies) like marriages and ceremonies to honor our ancestors. The temples are open for anyone who is wiling to prepare themselves. Preparation includes a lot of study and prayer. Preparatory ceremonies like baptism are also essential.

If you'd like to learn more about about the LDS Church, I suggest you chat with the Mormon missionaries. There are over 50,000 Mormon missionaries in the world who visit people in their homes to teach them more about Jesus Christ. Most people who are interested in Mormonism learn about our basic beliefs from these missionaries. You can request a missionary visit online.

You can also learn the address of the Mormon chapel nearest your house online. Please don't hesitate to visit us any Sunday morning (9:00) to see how we worship! Mormons love visitors.

I hope this answer helps. Contact me if you have any more questions. I'm happy to help.

---