A meetinghouse is the building where weekly worship services are held. Temples are reserved for special ordinances, such as proxy baptism and eternal marriage.

A Mormon temple is a sacred house of God that only worthy members are allowed to enter after receiving a recommend from their local leaders. Mormons view this as the place that God resides when he visits earth. Its design is meant to represent not just Man's ascension to heaven but man's progression to becoming a god himself. Mormon temples have only very small chapels in relation to the size of the building itself. Individual rooms make up the majority of temple design and are dedicated to a specific purpose. These include baptisms, confirmations and ordinations, which are done only by proxy for those that have died and for washings and anointings, endowments, and sealings (eternal marriages), which are done for the living and the dead by proxy. The celestial room is usually the focal point of the building and represents heaven or being in the presence of God. Those who attend the temple wear all white clothing to represent purity in the presence of God. Members are encouraged to make at least one trip in their lifetime to participate in their own ordinances and return as often as they are able to do work for their ancestors. Temple design and use has changed dramatically from the origins of the church. Meetinghouses are the daily center of activity for Mormons. Beyond Sunday meetings that include sacrament meeting (worship service), Sunday school and other classes, many other activities are held almost every other day of the week. Scouting and other youth activities make up the bulk of the use, but others include Relief Society (women's organization), sports, Primary (children's group), social and cultural activities and ecclesiastical meetings. Monday is about the only day that the church is not in use because that day has been set aside for Family Home Evening. Most Mormon meetinghouses look like the chapel makes up the bulk of the building, but often the cultural hall (multipurpose area that often includes a stage and basketball and volleyball standards) is larger and classrooms and other meeting space take up just as much room, if not more. The cultural hall and chapel are usually connected so that one large space can be created for large meetings. The chapel is reserved for reverent use and those who use the building for any use are required to dress modestly. Mormons, unlike other faiths, provide the use of their buildings without charge to others in the community except for business or political use. Another type of meetinghouse is called a stake center. It is larger and includes offices for the stake leadership that direct the activities of a group of wards.