The real difference between term and whole is the cost. As one poster stated with whole you end up with something at the end. However, that savings will be next to nothing in real terms when the policy matures. When you look at the difference in premimum you will pay and what you could have invested that difference between the cost of whole life and term yourself, You will end up on the short end by buying whole life. This is exactly why insurance agents tend to push it as part of those higher premimums and rate of return you should have been making on the extra your paying, goes to pay the agent and broker nice annual residual income. With term, you are only paying for the insurance (not the savings) and it can be any number of years.
The thing to remember about insurance is you are insuring your income to protect your family during the time your assests are to small to do it. As time passes and you invest prudently, pay down your mortgage, your children grow up so there are fewer years you'll need to protect them, etc. your need to insure your income dimishes. By then, your investments should have grown which will take over the income protection as your liabilites will have reduced.
Most people view insurance as a way to protect your assests. Assests are self insured so its actually the other way around when it comes to life insurance. You need insurance to protect your liabilities (unpaid mortgage balance, monthly bills, underfunded future college needs for your children, etc.)
Buy term and invest the difference, you'll be way ahead of those who buy whole life. The key is to make sure you do invest the difference and more if possible! Also you need to look at your needs. You may need term for only a few years or if you are young with young children, maybe 20 years. Again, insurance is only temporary until you can be self insured by your assessts.
Used to sell insurance years ago! Man, that was almost like being a used car salesman (probably worse).