Inasmuch as the concepts of sacred and profane have reference to two antithetical powers—the profane that contaminates, the sacred that sanctifies—the two must be strictly separated. Profane dust and unholy articles and temporal clothing must not enter the sacred. Man must not mix the mundane with the holy. Recently healed lepers, men and women with fresh uncleannesses, and hands that have touched a corpse must not enter into holy space without heeding the laws of approach. Similarly, the sacred must not be taken out into profane space. The two cannot be fused. "Any attempt, outside the prescribed limits, to unite sacred and profane brings confusion and disaster." Therefore, those who wish to leave profane space in order to approach sacred temple space must participate in a purifying ritual, a gesture or rite of approach; for example, the removal of shoes, the washing of hands, the anointing with oil.
This concept is not limited to Israelite temples. I'm reminded of the extensive sweeping I saw during a visit to a Shinto shrine in Japan--it stood out to me as a show of extreme respect for the holiness of the sanctuary. Apparently this is also an annual ritual. We were also invited to participate in a ritual washing at a basin outside the courtyard.
In the words of Christ during His visit to the Nephites:
36 And then shall be brought to pass that which is written: Awake, awake again, and put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
37 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.