Scriptures and Temple

                As parents and grandparents, we can provide spiritual armor for our children and grandchildren by daily family scripture study and frequent temple attendance.  Our rising generation is growing up in a world with much more wickedness than it had in previous generations.  We must prepare the rising generation to face evils that we did not have to face.

                Elder Daniel L. Johnson of the First Quorum of the Seventy spoke at our stake conference last weekend.  He reminded us that we would not send our sons and daughters off to fight a war in a foreign nation without weapons and other equipment because we know they would not survive it.  He then spoke of the spiritual war raging on earth today, a war that started in our pre-earth life and continues in our day.  It is a war of evil against righteousness.  We won the war in heaven with righteousness and testimony.   The war in heaven ended with Satan and his followers being cast down to earth without the opportunity to ever receive bodies – and they want our bodies.

                The war continues on earth because Satan and his followers are miserable and desire misery to be the lot of all of us.  They wage war on us as individuals and as families.  Elder Johnson said, “If you want your children to be strong enough to survive the onslaught of Satan, you must send them out to battle with knowledge of the scriptures and a testimony of their truthfulness.  This is more important than anything else you can do.  They will not remember what you study, but they will remember that family scripture study was important to you.  Read the scriptures with your family every day.”  He added, we will not lose those who grow up reading the scriptures every day.  Let your children know that family scripture study is important to you.  Search the scriptures because you cannot know the Lord without studying the scriptures.”

                Elder Johnson then changed topics and said, “If you really want to know the Lord, go to the temple as often as you can to be taught by the Lord in His house.  He quoted a statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith with the promise that the eternal sealing of faithful parents will save their wandering children.  He closed his talk with four reminders:  (1) Read the scriptures with your family every day, (2) Go to the temple as frequently as possible, (3) Have an influence for good on your posterity, and (4) Pray for your wandering children.

                I know that family scripture study can prepare the rising generation to face the evils of our world today.  I know that frequent temple attendance blesses and strengthens families.  I know that we can strengthen our families, communities and nations by studying the scriptures in our families and going to the temple as frequently as our schedules allow.