Katie answered...

I used to play in a Balinese Gamelan ensemble here in Washington, DC on weeknights and had some of my friends ask me this question. First, I pointed out that anyone can go into the temple during the open house to see what it is like. After it is dedicated, it becomes holy ground and you have to make yourself clean or holy to go in. I told them that EVERYONE can go to the temple, as long as they are wiling to go through that process of becoming clean. I reminded them that you can't just waltz in to the White House either (much to the chagrin of many tourists here). You have to go through a background check that takes 6 weeks and that is just to get into the East Wing, the West Wing requires a job and security clearance. Our protectiveness of the temple is not a sign of secrecy, it is more a manifestation of how special and important the the building and its rituals are.

And I hope people don't get intimidated by the word "ritual", everyone who has gone through a school graduation has experienced a ritual. It just means that we are participating in life-changing experiences that turn our hearts to God, our families and our fellow men. The real difference is that we believe that process of making devotional promises to God in a sacred place is necessary for our salvation. That is why we encourage everyone to join with us and make their way to the temple.