Do I have to be a member of the LDS Church to attend?

No. LDS funeral services are open to everyone. Friends and family of any faith are welcome to attend.

What should I wear to a Mormon funeral?

Modest dark clothing. Sunday best is the simple guide. Bright colors are usually avoided.

Is the casket open or closed?

Both are common at the viewing. The casket is closed for the funeral service itself in the chapel.

Should I bring food or flowers?

Flowers are welcome at the chapel and graveside. Food is usually coordinated by the ward Relief Society.

All guides

Mormon (LDS) funeral customs

What to expect at a Latter-day Saint funeral service. Ward-based logistics, family prayer, the order of the meeting, and how to attend as a non-member.

If you have been invited to a funeral at an LDS ward chapel, or if your family is planning one, you may want to know what to expect. This page is a gentle, accurate walk-through. It is written for both members and for friends of any faith who want to attend with grace.

The ward is the unit of care

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the local congregation is called a ward. The ward is led by a bishop, and the Relief Society and Elders Quorum take on most of the practical work when a family loses someone. Within hours of a death, food appears, cousins are picked up from the airport, and the chapel is reserved.

Most LDS funerals are held in the family's home ward building rather than at a funeral home. The chapel seats two hundred to four hundred. There is usually no charge for use of the building.

The order of the service

An LDS funeral service runs about an hour. The structure is consistent across wards, with light variation by family preference. For background on how a printed program is laid out, see our piece on the funeral program template.

Family prayer in a private room before the public service
Opening hymn and prayer
Family speakers, often three to five
Musical numbers between speakers
Sermon from the bishop or a member of the family
Closing hymn and prayer
Procession to the cemetery for the dedication of the grave

The viewing is held either the evening before or in the hour before the service in a side room of the chapel.

The speakers and the tone

Family talks at an LDS funeral are not strictly eulogies. They are usually a mix of remembrance and short doctrinal reflection on the plan of salvation. A speaker might share three small memories of the deceased, then close with a brief testimony about the resurrection. The tone is hopeful, not somber. Tears are welcome, and so is laughter.

If you are speaking and not a member of the Church, simply share what you knew of the person. No one expects doctrinal content from a non-member friend. For general guidance, our piece on religious eulogy examples has openings that fit faith services of many traditions.

Casket, burial, and the dedication of the grave

Burial is the norm in LDS funerals, though cremation is not forbidden and is becoming more common in some regions. After the service, a priesthood holder offers a short dedicatory prayer over the grave. This is the dedication. Anyone is welcome to stay for it.

After the service: the Relief Society meal

In nearly every ward, the Relief Society organizes a meal for the family in the cultural hall after the burial. Funeral potatoes, baked ham, rolls, salads, and pies appear without anyone seeming to have asked. Guests are welcome. For more, our cultural and religious customs resource covers other traditions side by side.

Common questions

Do I have to be a member of the LDS Church to attend?: No. LDS funeral services are open to everyone.
What should I wear to a Mormon funeral?: Modest dark clothing. Sunday best is the simple guide.
Is the casket open or closed?: Both are common at the viewing. The casket is closed for the service.
Should I bring food or flowers?: Flowers are welcome. Food is usually coordinated by the ward Relief Society.