Farmington — The public will be able to get a rare glimpse into one of the Mormons' most sacred places of worship, normally open only to the most dedicated of church members.

Connecticut's first Mormon temple is opening its doors to the public starting this Friday to provide a deeper understanding of the religion and its practices.

For Mormons, a temple is the only place where baptism ceremonies can be performed on behalf of those who have died and where couples are married for eternity, a practice known as sealing.

Members of the media on Tuesday were led on a walk-through of the Hartford Connecticut Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at the corner of Route 4 and Melrose Drive, in advance of daily public tours that will start Friday and last through October 22, excluding Sundays and Oct. 1.

Before entering the 32,000-square-foot temple, inspired by Georgian architecture typical of New England, members of the media were required to put on shoe coverings to protect the ornate interior. More than 75,000 visitors are expected over the course of the public tours.

The temple was built "way beyond" building codes, and required a fair amount of "doing and redoing to get it to the level you see here," said Elder Larry Y. Wilson, executive director of the church's Temple Department.

The intent was to construct a building that will stand for more than 1,000 years and that will remain in pristine condition throughout that time.  Wilson, who led the tour Tuesday, would not specify how much the temple cost to build, saying only that it was "very expensive." Construction began in August 2013.

Members pay 10 percent of their annual salary, known as a tithe, to the church. Their tithe goes into a centralized pool of money that is used, in part, to pay for the construction and upkeep of temples.

It's not just the construction of the temple that is held to a high standard.

Once it is dedicated on Nov. 20, only faithful members of the church will be allowed inside. Faithful members are those who have met with the bishop of their congregation and have answered a prescribed series of questions about their efforts to live up to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Upon entry to the temple, members will be required to show their temple recommend — a laminated card, signed by the individual and his or her bishop, that must be renewed every two years.

"We're trying to keep the temple at a higher level in terms of the individuals who come in here and the conduct, the standards that they're striving for and living up to in their lives," Wilson said.

Most active church members have a temple recommend, he said.

The outside of the temple is covered with about 9,500 pieces of granite panels quarried in China. A gilded statue of the Book of Mormon prophet Moroni tops the temple, which is 117 feet tall.

On the inside, special ceremonies are performed in different rooms, including the elaborate baptistry where members can come to get baptized on behalf of a deceased ancestor or ancestors. Mormons believe the dead are still conscious beings and can choose whether or not to accept the baptism.

The baptismal font, which holds the water, sits on the backs of 12 fiberglass oxen, a design inspired by the Molten Sea, a large basin in Solomon's temple used by priests for ceremonial washing. The oxen represent the 12 tribes of ancient Israel.

There are rooms for instruction and reflection, such as the Celestial Room, which is representative of heaven. A 9,500-piece Austrian Swarovski crystal chandelier hangs from its ceiling.

The temple will serve about 27,000 church members in Connecticut, western Rhode Island, western Massachusetts and eastern New York. More than 800 members will work there to volunteer, assist with events and perform maintenance.

The church's membership is growing, with most living outside of the United States. In Connecticut, growth hasn't been as dramatic as in other places, but it's remained steady. There are currently about 16,000 Mormons in the state.

Growth in membership led to the creation in June of a new stake — a grouping of congregations similar to a diocese — called the New London Stake. It's the first new stake in New England in 18 years and comprises eight congregations in eastern Connecticut.

Rich Hutchins of Ledyard, president of the New London Stake, called the newly constructed temple a "tremendous gift to members in this area."

Previously, members went to the temple in Boston.

"This is where families will go to have their children married, make the sacred ordinances that mean so much to us, go for direction and inspiration, make important covenants and help our ancestors," Hutchins said.

In addition to the new temple, Connecticut is home to a couple dozen meeting houses, the first of which opened in 1952.

"People are finding something in the message of the church that brings them closer to God, that brings them greater peace and happiness in their lives, that enables them to have a dimension of greater love and unity in their families," Wilson said of the growing membership not only in Connecticut but worldwide.

The public will be able to tour the temple for free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays. To make a reservation, visit templeopenhouse.lds.org or call 1 (855) 537-2000.

Hutchins, the president of the New London Stake, has reserved coach buses for members of the local community who need a ride.

A bus will leave from Ledyard High School at 4:30 p.m. Thursday; from the Ocean State Job Lot in Gales Ferry at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 6; and from the Mormon church in Groton, 1230 Flanders Road, at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 13. Contact Hutchins at (860) 625-9108 for more information.

j.bergman@theday.com