Why Is Temple Service Important?

 Families are stronger when they start with a covenant made with God, and strong families strengthen communities, states, and nations. Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I am partial to marriages that begin in a holy temple. Marriages are stronger when both members of the couple continue to attend the temple as often as possible and preferably together.

It is important that I admit that not all marriages that start with a church or temple wedding succeed. However, a greater percentage of them do, and they are more likely to stay strong when both members of the couple attend the temple frequently.

I would like to share my own temple experiences. My husband and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple, and I returned as frequently as possible – not as often as I should have but maybe monthly. We moved to Alaska where there was no temple for the next twenty-six years. Therefore, my trips to the temple coincided with trips to other states – Hawaii and Utah.

When I made my annual trip to Utah, I allocated at least one entire day to attending the temple. I would go early in the morning and do as many sessions as possible before returning to my parents’ home for dinner. I felt a great need to “soak up the temple experience” because I knew that I could not return until the next trip.

During those twenty-six years, I had a wise bishop who counseled the members of the ward (congregation) to maintain a current temple recommend. He said that holding a current temple recommend would increase our opportunities to attend the temple. Therefore, I began to keep my temple recommend current, and I learned that my bishop was incredibly wise with his counsel.

In January 1999, the new Anchorage Alaska Temple was dedicated and opened for temple service. For the past twenty-five years, I have completed weekly temple service as frequently as possible.

Attendance at this temple has not been as easy as at other temples. First, it is necessary to make appointments to attend and only one appointment can be made per type of session (initiatory, endowment, or sealing). Now that a new temple is being built to replace the current temple, I make my next appointment soon after completing my weekly temple session. Making appointments early is necessary because participants in each session are limited due to parking restrictions. (The new temple is being constructed near the current temple and restricts the available parking spaces.)

In addition to the need to be organized and to plan early, the number of sessions is restricted to only two or three sessions per day for four days per week. Despite the challenges involved in attending the temple, I attend as frequently as possible because I need the experience.

I strongly advocate for temple attendance because I know that temple service makes us better disciples of Christ. Temple service strengthens marriages, and strong marriages lead to stronger families, communities, states, and nations.