What Blessings Come from Temple Service?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 109-110 in a lesson titled “It Is Thy House, a Place of Thy Holiness.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

The doors to the Kirtland Temple weren’t supposed to open until eight o’clock on the morning of March 27, 1836. But Saints who were hoping to attend the dedication services started lining up as early as seven. An overflow location and then a second session were needed to accommodate everyone. And it wasn’t just the living who were eager to be present. Multiple witnesses saw angels inside the temple and even on the roof, during and after the dedication. It really did seem that “the armies of heaven” had come to “sing and [to] shout” with the Latter-day Saints (“The Spirit of God,” Hymns, no. 2).

Why the great excitement—on both sides of the veil? After centuries, there was a house of the Lord again on the earth. The Lord was fulfilling His promise to endow His Saints “with power from on high” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:32). And this, He declared, was only “the beginning of the blessing” (Doctrine and Covenants). The era we now live in—with accelerated temple work and ordinances available to millions of the living and the dead—had its beginning in Kirtland, when “the veil o’er the earth [was] beginning to burst” (“The Spirit of God”).

Principles found in this scripture block include: (1) The Lord offers me rich blessings through temple covenants (Doctrine and Covenants 109), (2) Prayer is communication with Heavenly Father (Doctrine and Covenants 109), (3) The Lord can manifest Himself to me in His house (Doctrine and Covenants 110:1-10), and (4) The Savior directs His work through priesthood keys (Doctrine and Covenants 110:10-16). This essay will discuss principle #1 about blessings and temple covenants.

The Kirtland Temple was different from the more than 200 temples in operation today. For example, the Kirtland Temple did not have any altars or baptismal font, which are both in every temple today. However, the blessings described in the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple (see Doctrine and Covenants 109) are available in our temples today as shown in the following verses:

·         Verses 5, 12-13 (see also Doctrine and Covenants 110:6-8): In the Lord’s house, He can manifest Himself to me, and I can feel His power.

·         Verses 9, 15-19, 26, 78-79:

Receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost.

No combination of wickedness will overpower you.

·         Verses 21-23:

Repent and return to God, and find favor with God, have blessings restored.

God’s servants to go forth from temple armed with God’s power.

God’s servants to carry the name of Jesus Christ and have God’s glory round them and angels watching over them.

Know that this is God’s work.

·         Verses 24-33, 42-46:

Standing in temple established to all generations and for eternity.

No weapon formed against them shall prosper.

Protection from enemies and combinations of wickedness.

God will fight their battles.

Enemies brought to confoundment, astonishment, shame, and confusion.

Works of enemies be brought to naught and swept away.

Receive a full and complete deliverance from enemies.

Delivered from wicked.

Be prepared against the day of burning.

I have been serving in temples since I was twelve years old with my first baptisms for the dead. The blessings that I receive from temple service are many, but I will name only a few: (1) feeling peace in a world that is spinning out of control, (2) confidence in asking for blessings from God, and (3) assurance that God will keep His covenants with me.

The hymn “The Spirit of God” was written for the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, and it has been sung at every temple dedication since that day. This hymn lists several other blessings – visions, understanding, knowledge, power of God, blessings, and see glories of God. The words to this hymn are as follows (Hymns, 2; text by William W. Phelps (1792-1872) (sung at the Kirtland Temple dedication in 1836); music by Anon., ca. 1844): 

1. The Spirit of God like a fire is burning!

The latter-day glory begins to come forth;

The visions and blessings of old are returning,

And angels are coming to visit the earth.

We’ll sing and we’ll shout with the armies of heaven,

Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!

Let glory to them in the highest be given,

Henceforth and forever, Amen and amen!

2. The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding,

Restoring their judges and all as at first.

The knowledge and power of God are expanding;

The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst.

We’ll sing and we’ll shout with the armies of heaven,

Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!

Let glory to them in the highest be given,

Henceforth and forever, Amen and amen!

3. We’ll call in our solemn assemblies in spirit,

To spread forth the kingdom of heaven abroad,

That we through our faith may begin to inherit

The visions and blessings and glories of God.

We’ll sing and we’ll shout with the armies of heaven,

Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!

Let glory to them in the highest be given,

Henceforth and forever, Amen and amen!

4. How blessed the day when the lamb and the lion

Shall lie down together without any ire,

And Ephraim be crowned with his blessing in Zion,

As Jesus descends with his chariot of fire!

We’ll sing and we’ll shout with the armies of heaven,

Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!

Let glory to them in the highest be given,

Henceforth and forever, Amen and amen!