What Are Your Sacred Times and Sacred Spaces?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Exodus 1-6 in a lesson titled “I Have Remembered My Covenant.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

The invitation to live in Egypt saved Jacob’s family. But after hundreds of years, their descendants were enslaved and terrorized by a new pharaoh who “knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). It would have been natural for the Israelites to wonder why God allowed this to happen to them, His covenant people. Did He remember the covenant He had made with them? Were they still His people? Could He see how much they were suffering?

There may be times when you’ve felt like asking similar questions. You might wonder, “Does God know what I’m going through? Can He hear my pleas for help?” Israel’s deliverance from Egypt answers such questions clearly: God does not forget His people. He remembers His covenants with us and will fulfill them in His own time and way. “I will redeem you with a stretched out arm,” He declares. “I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under [your] burdens” (Exodus 6:6-7).

The scripture block contains numerous principles, including (1) God can work through me to fulfill His purposes (Exodus 1-2); (2) Jesus Christ is my Deliverer (Exodus 1-3); (3) I can show reverence for holy things and places (Exodus 3:1-6); (4) God gives power to people He calls to do His work (Exodus 3-4); (5) The Lord’s purposes will be fulfilled in His own time (Exodus 5-6). All of the principles are worthy of discussion, but I feel prompted to discuss principle #3 about showing reverence for holy things and places. The scripture verses that are applicable for this principle are as follow: Exodus 3:1-6.

1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Have you ever experienced an awe-inspiring experience? How did you react when feeling awe and wonder? Could you describe the emotions you felt?

Moses first wondered why a bush would burn without being consumed, so he climbed the mountain to look closer. Once he arrived, God spoke to him out of the burning bush and told him that the ground where he stood was holy ground. After the Lord introduced himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses responded by hiding his face because he was afraid to look upon God. What connections do you see between his actions and reverence for sacred things?

While reading these verses, think about the holy things and holy places in your life. Why are they sacred to you? How do you treat them differently from things that are common?

In his October 2017 General Conference talk titled “Exceeding Great and Precious Promises” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 91-93), Elder David A. Bednar taught the following information about sacred things and sacred places in the section of his talk “Remembering the Promises.” 

President Lorenzo Snow warned, “We are too apt to forget the great object of life, the motive of our Heavenly Father in sending us here to put on mortality, as well as the holy calling with which we have been called; and hence, instead of rising above the little transitory things … , we too often allow ourselves to come down to the level of the world without availing ourselves of the divine help which God has instituted, which alone can enable us to overcome [those transitory things].”

The Sabbath day and the holy temple are two specific sources of divine help instituted by God to assist us in rising above the level and corruption of the world. We initially may think that the overarching purposes of keeping the Sabbath day holy and attending the temple are related but distinctive. I believe, however, that those two purposes are precisely the same and work together to strengthen us spiritually as individuals and in our homes.

The Sabbath

After God created all things, He rested on the seventh day and commanded that one day each week be a time of rest to help people remember Him. The Sabbath is God’s time, a sacred time specifically set apart for worshipping Him and for receiving and remembering His great and precious promises.

The Lord has directed in this dispensation:

“That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;

“For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High.”

Thus, on the Sabbath we worship the Father in the name of the Son by participating in ordinances and learning about, receiving, remembering, and renewing covenants. On His holy day, our thoughts, actions, and demeanor are signs we give to God and an indicator of our love for Him.

An additional purpose of the Sabbath is to elevate our vision from the things of the world to the blessings of eternity. Removed during this sacred time from many of the regular routines of our busy lives, we can “look to God and live” by receiving and remembering the great and precious promises whereby we become partakers of the divine nature.

The Holy Temple

The Lord always has commanded His people to build temples, holy places in which worthy Saints perform sacred gospel ceremonies and ordinances for themselves and for the dead. Temples are the most holy of all places of worship. A temple literally is the house of the Lord, a sacred space specifically set apart for worshipping God and for receiving and remembering His great and precious promises.

The Lord has directed in this dispensation, “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” The principal focus of temple worship is participating in ordinances and learning about, receiving, and remembering covenants. We think, act, and dress differently in the temple than in other spaces that we may frequent.

A principal purpose of the temple is to elevate our vision from the things of the world to the blessings of eternity. Removed for a short time from the worldly settings with which we are familiar, we can “look to God and live” by receiving and remembering the great and precious promises whereby we become partakers of the divine nature.

Please note that the Sabbath day and the temple, respectively, are a sacred time and a sacred space specifically set apart for worshipping God and for receiving and remembering His exceeding great and precious promises to His children. As instituted by God, the principal purposes of these two divine sources of help are exactly the same: to powerfully and repeatedly focus our attention upon our Heavenly Father, His Only Begotten Son, the Holy Ghost, and the promises associated with the ordinances and covenants of the Savior’s restored gospel.

Our Homes

Importantly, a home should be the ultimate combination of time and space wherein individuals and families remember most effectively God’s great and precious promises. Leaving our homes to spend time in Sunday meetings and to enter the sacred space of a temple is vital but insufficient. Only as we bring the spirit and strength derived from those holy activities back with us into our homes can we sustain our focus upon the great purposes of mortal life and overcome the corruption that is in the world. Our Sabbath and temple experiences should be spiritual catalysts that imbue individuals and families and our homes with continual reminders of key lessons learned, with the presence and power of the Holy Ghost, with ongoing and deepening conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ, and with “a perfect brightness of hope” in God’s eternal promises.

The Sabbath and the temple can help us to establish in our homes “a more excellent way” as we “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” What we do in our homes with His sacred time and with what we learn in His sacred space is pivotal to becoming partakers of the divine nature.

 

Why Does God Command His Saints to Build Temples?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 124 in a lesson titled “A House unto My Name.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

As difficult as the last six years had been for the Saints, things started to look better in the spring of 1839: The refugee Saints had found compassion among the citizens of Quincy, Illinois. Guards had allowed Joseph Smith and other Church leaders to escape captivity in Missouri. And the Church had just purchased land in Illinois where the Saints could gather again. Yes, it was swampy, mosquito-infested land, but compared to the challenges the Saints had already faced, this probably seemed manageable. So they drained the swamp and drafted a charter for a new city, which they named Nauvoo. It means “beautiful” in Hebrew, though it was more an expression of faith than an accurate description, at least at first. Meanwhile, the Lord was impressing His Prophet with a sense of urgency. He had more truths and ordinances to restore, and He needed a holy temple where He could “crown [His Saints] with honor, immortality, and eternal life” (Doctrine and Covenants 124:55). In many ways, these same feelings of faith and urgency are evident in the Lord’s work today.

This scripture block teaches numerous principles including (1) I can invite others to come unto Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 124:2-11), (2) I can be a disciple whom the Lord trusts (Doctrine and Covenants 124:12-21), (3) The Lord wants me to welcome and accept others (Doctrine and Covenants 124:22-24, 60-61), (4) We build temples unto the Lord to receive sacred ordinances (Doctrine and Covenants 124:25-45, 55), (5) The Lord blesses people who strive to obey His commandments (Doctrine and Covenants 124:45-55), and (6) The Lord can guide me through my patriarchal blessing (Doctrine and Covenants 124:91-92).

This essay will discuss principle #4 about temples and ordinances. I will begin by sharing the applicable scripture block.

25 And again, verily I say unto you, let all my saints come from afar.

26 And send ye swift messengers, yea, chosen messengers, and say unto them: Come ye, with all your gold, and your silver, and your precious stones, and with all your antiquities; and with all who have knowledge of antiquities, that will come, may come, and bring the box tree, and the fir tree, and the pine tree, together with all the precious trees of the earth;

27 And with iron, with copper, and with brass, and with zinc, and with all your precious things of the earth; and build a house to my name, for the Most High to dwell therein.

28 For there is not a place found on earth that he may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood.

29 For a baptismal font there is not upon the earth, that they, my saints, may be baptized for those who are dead—

30 For this ordinance belongeth to my house, and cannot be acceptable to me, only in the days of your poverty, wherein ye are not able to build a house unto me.

31 But I command you, all ye my saints, to build a house unto me; and I grant unto you a sufficient time to build a house unto me; and during this time your baptisms shall be acceptable unto me….

38 For, for this cause I commanded Moses that he should build a tabernacle, that they should bear it with them in the wilderness, and to build a house in the land of promise, that those ordinances might be revealed which had been hid from before the world was.

39 Therefore, verily I say unto you, that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments, for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house, which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name.

40 And verily I say unto you, let this house be built unto my name, that I may reveal mine ordinances therein unto my people;

41 For I deign to reveal unto my church things which have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world, things that pertain to the dispensation of the fulness of times.

42 And I will show unto my servant Joseph all things pertaining to this house, and the priesthood thereof, and the place whereon it shall be built.

43 And ye shall build it on the place where you have contemplated building it, for that is the spot which I have chosen for you to build it.

44 If ye labor with all your might, I will consecrate that spot that it shall be made holy.

45 And if my people will hearken unto my voice, and unto the voice of my servants whom I have appointed to lead my people, behold, verily I say unto you, they shall not be moved out of their place….

55 And again, verily I say unto you, I command you again to build a house to my name, even in this place, that you may prove yourselves unto me that ye are faithful in all things whatsoever I command you, that I may bless you, and crown you with honor, immortality, and eternal life.

The Lord desires that all His Saints receive all the ordinances necessary to return to the presence of Heavenly Father. However, He wants the ordinances to be performed in temples – buildings erected unto His holy name and for this purpose.

Since the building of the Nauvoo Temple in the 1840s, more than 300 temples have bene built or announced. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “We know that our time in the temple is crucial to our salvation and exaltation and to that of our families…. The assaults of the adversary are increasing exponentially, in intensity and in variety. Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater” (“Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 114). 

 

What Kind of People Live in Zion?

            My Come, Follow Me lesson for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 94-97. There are numerous principles in the revelations that now make up these sections.  The introductory material for these sections is as follows:

When the Lord commanded Moses to build a tabernacle, He told Moses to “make all things according to the pattern shewed to [him] in the mount” (Hebrews 8:5; see also Exodus 25:8-9). The tabernacle was to be the center of Israel’s wilderness camp (see Numbers 2:1-2). Later, God commanded Solomon and his people to build a temple according to a pattern He revealed (see 1 Chronicles 28:12, 19).

As the Lord restored the fulness of the gospel, He commanded Joseph Smith to build temples according to a revealed pattern. “Let the house be built, not after the manner of the world,” the Lord declared. “Let it be built after the manner which I shall show” (Doctrine and Covenants 95:13-14; see also 97:10). Like the tabernacle in the wilderness, the temple was meant to be a central feature in Kirtland (see Doctrine and Covenants 94:1).

Today houses of the Lord are found around the world. Even if they are not at the center of our cities, they can be central in our lives. Though each temple differs in appearance, within them we learn the same divine pattern – a heavenly plan to bring us back into the presence of God. Sacred, eternal ordinances help us build our lives and strengthen our families “not after the manner of the world” but after the pattern God shows us. (Doctrine and Covenants Come, Follow Me – For Individuals and Families [2021]).

            One of the main reasons that the Lord commands His people to build temples is that He wants to bless them and endow them with power to overcome their tests, trials, and tribulations. He uses His temples as universities of higher education for lessons on preparing for eternity. One of those lessons is how to become the type of people who are prepared to enter the presence of God. The principle for this essay is that Zion is “the pure in heart” (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21).

            The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 186). To the Saints in the 1830s, Zion was a place, the literal “city of our God” (Doctrine and Covenants 97:19). However, the Lord opened the eyes of the Saints and expanded their understanding when He taught them that the word Zion also describes a people who are “the pure in heart” (verse 21).

            Joseph Smith also taught the Saints, “Anyplace where the Saints gather is Zion, which every righteous man [or woman] will build up for a place of safety for his [or her] children” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 186). This means that any family can experience a Zion-like atmosphere in their home even though the world outside is raging with wickedness.

            The Lord told other people about Zion as being both a place and a condition of the heart. Moses 7:18 reads, “And the Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.”

            The Lord declared that Zion is both a place and a group of people who are “pure in heart” (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21). A pure heart is one that is free from the contamination of evil and the stain of sin. Those who are pure in heart have received a remission of their sins through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to the principles and ordinances of the gospel. President Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985) taught the role that purity of heart plays in building Zion today:

The length of time required “to accomplish all things pertaining to Zion” [Doctrine and Covenants 105:37] is strictly up to us and how we live, for creating Zion “commences in the heart of each person.” ([Brigham Young, in] Journal of Discourses, 9:283.) …

… Zion can be built up only among those who are the pure in heart, not a people torn by covetousness or greed, but a pure and selfless people. Not a people who are pure in appearance, rather a people who are pure in heart. Zion is to be in the world and not of the world, not dulled by a sense of carnal security, nor paralyzed by materialism. No, Zion is not things of the lower, but of the higher order, things that exalt the mind and sanctify the heart (“Becoming the Pure in Heart,” Ensign, May 1978, 80-81).

            Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are a temple building and a temple loving people. They consider temples to be among the holiest places on earth. Temple attendance helps us to draw closer to God and to learn more about Him and His plan for our happiness. The temples are places where we can receive the essential ordinances for our exaltation and perform vicarious service for people who have died without the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is in the temple that families can be sealed for both time and eternity. It is in the temple that we learn how to become pure in heart and how to prepare to live in Zion.

 

What Direction Does Your Door Face?

            Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when there is a temple in their vicinity. It seems that whenever The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints builds a temple, the real estate surrounding the temple increases in value. The reason is that a temple blesses the whole community, not just members of the Church of Jesus Christ.

            Some years when I was visiting my daughter who was living in Spring, Texas, I decided to drive over to the temple for an endowment session. This was my first time to visit the Houston, Texas Temple, so I did not know exactly where to go. However, I had some general directions from my daughter, and I knew what the temple looked like.

            When I arrived in the area where I thought that the temple should be, I could not see it. I stopped at a convenience store to ask for directions. There were several people in the store, so I just threw out a general question. A black lady knew exactly where the temple was and how to get there. She gave me directions and then indicated that the entire community claimed the temple as their own.

            Temples are always beautiful buildings with lovely landscaping surrounding them. However, it is the spirit of Elijah in the temple that attracts members and non-members to it. When we direct our lives towards the temple, we receive blessings.

            In ancient America, there was a prophet-king by the name of Benjamin. When he was aged, he decided to ordain his son Mosiah to be the next king. He sent a notice to all his people to come to the temple, and the people came to hear their king because they loved him. In Mosiah 2, we read that the people pitched their tents around the temple because the king would be speaking from the temple.

5 And it came to pass that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family, consisting of his wife, and his sons, and his daughters, and their sons, and their daughters, from the eldest down to the youngest, every family being separate one from another.

6 And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them.

            We do not know all the reasons why the people pitched their tents with the doors toward the temple. They might have done so because they wanted shade from the hot sun. The important thing is that the door was towards the temple, so the people could hear the words of the king. Contrast this experience of real people in the scriptures to another scriptural story of real people, the story of Lot and his family.

            We read in Genesis that Abraham and his nephew Lot had too many animals for all of them to be able to graze. The two men decided to divide the land of Canaan.  Ted Gibbons explained that “Abraham stayed in the rocky hills of upper Canaan, but Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom in the Jordan River Valley” (see Genesis 13:12). Some years later, Lot and his family were living in Sodom when the Lord told Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom because the people were so wicked. It is only natural that Abraham was concerned about his family members. He bargained with the Lord. Would the Lord destroy Sodom if there were 50 righteous people? No. How about 45? No. How about 40? No. Abraham continued until he got down to 10 righteous people, and the Lord agreed that he would not destroy Sodom if there were ten righteous people living in it. (See Genesis 18:20.)

            When the three messengers of the Lord came to destroy the city, they went to Lot’s house. Lot sent messengers to call his children and their families to come, but they did not. The wicked men of the city wanted to use and abuse the three messengers and Lot’s two unmarried daughters. The three messengers took hold of Lot, Lot’s wife, and their two daughters and took them to the area outside Sodom. They told Lot and his family to not look back. The story says that Lot’s wife looked back and was turned to a pillar of salt. She may have turned around and headed back to Sodom to find her children. At any rate, Lot’s wife died with the rest of the inhabitants of Sodom. Lot’s daughters, thinking that the three of them were the only people left on earth, got their father drunk on two separate nights, and both became pregnant by their father. So, how many righteous people were living in Sodom?

            Lot’s problems started when he decided to live near Sodom – he pitched his tent “toward Sodom” (Genesis 13:12.) Something drew him into Sodom, and his family was destroyed. Parents must be careful where they “pitch their tent.” Those who orient their “door” toward the temple will bring great blessings upon their family, community, and nation.

Gordon B. Hinckley

            My VIP for this week is Gordon B.Hinckley who served the Lord from the time that he was a young man until his death. He served in many offices in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving as Stake President, Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, Apostles, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, counselor to several Presidents, and as President of the Church from March 12, 1995, until his death.

            President Hinckley was born on June 23, 1910, and he passed away on January 27, 2008, at the age of 97. There are many reasons why I honor President Hinckley, and one of those reasons is his faith in God and his enthusiasm for life. No matter the problem that arose, he had the attitude that everything would work out. He prayed as though everything depended on God, and then he worked as though everything depended on him.

            Recognizing the need for members of the Church to have temples within easy traveling distance, he took the problem to the Lord and came away with an idea to build smaller temples in areas where Church membership is smaller. On October 4, 1997, he announced the plan for smaller temples to be built throughout the world, and on October 1, 2000, he dedicated the Boston Massachusetts Temple, the 100^th temple in operation. The Anchorage Alaska Temple was one of the first smaller temples built, and it was dedicated on January 9, 1999. I am especially grateful for this temple because it is within a mile of my home, and I can attend it weekly. This has been a great blessing in my life.

            I remember many of the teachings of President Hinckley and appreciate the opportunity to study his life and teachings during 2017. One experience of listening to him speak was in the October 2001 general conference of the Church. Terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, and killed approximately 3000 people in the attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. Everyone was concerned about what would happen next. Just prior to President Hinckley’s remarks, he received word that the United States was at war in Afghanistan. He spoke about the nature of terrorism and evils found in the world, and then he told us how we could find peace even in a wicked world. I remember the feeling of peace that swept over me as I listened to his words and again whenever I listen to them. These words from the prophet of God continue to bring solace to my soul and can help others in times of turmoil and war.

Now, brothers and sisters, we must do our duty, whatever that duty might be. Peace may be denied for a season. Some of our liberties may be curtailed. We may be inconvenienced. We may even be called on to suffer in one way or another. But God our Eternal Father will watch over this nation and all of the civilized world who look to Him. He declared, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12). Our safety lies in repentance. Our strength comes of obedience to the commandments of God.

Let us be prayerful. Let us pray for righteousness. Let us pray for the forces of good. Let us reach out to help men and women of goodwill, whatever their religious persuasion and wherever they live. Let us stand firm against evil, both at home and abroad. Let us live worthy of the blessings of heaven, reforming our lives where necessary and looking to Him, the Father of us all. He has said, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Are these perilous times? They are. But there is no need to fear. We can have peace in our hearts and peace in our homes. We can be an influence for good in this world, every one of us.

            As a prophet of God Gordon B. Hinckley led the Church through difficult times, but he was always full of faith in God and enthusiastic about the future. He is a very important person in the eyes of God and the people who love him.

Temples and Immortality

                Debbie Reynolds passed away just a day after the death of her only daughter, Carrie Fisher. Reynolds’ last words have caused numerous people to think about life after death and immortality. As Reynolds and her only son, Todd Fisher, were planning a funeral for Carrie Fisher, Reynolds said to her son, “I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie.” Todd Fisher said that those were his mother’s last words before she became ill and died a few hours later.

                Several days after posting the above information, the Huffington Post published an article written by Mary Bell, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sharing some of the Church’s beliefs about life after death. Bell’s article drew attention from several directions. What is it about a mother’s desire to be with her dead daughter that has caused so much interest in the next world? 

                The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that there is life after death and that we will see our loved ones again in the next world. The Church also teaches that marriage and family relationships can continue beyond the grave under certain conditions. This is the reason why the Church builds temples and encourages members to go to the temple.

                Latter-day Saint leaders teach that everything members do in this life leads to the temple and that the temple is the pinnacle of the faith. President Gordon B. Hinckley states, “Every temple that this Church has built has in effect stood as a monument to our belief in the immortality of the human soul, that this phase of mortal life through which we pass is part of a continuous upward climb, so to speak, and that as certain as there is life here, there will be life there. That is our firm belief. It comes about through the Atonement of the Savior, and the temple becomes, as I have indicated, the bridge from this life to the net. The temple is concerned with things of immortality. We wouldn’t have to build a temple for marriages if we didn’t believe in the eternity of the family. We build it so the family may be eternal. All of the ordinances which take place in the house of the Lord become expressions of our belief in that fundamental and basic doctrine. The temple therefore becomes the ultimate in our system of worship and therefore is of great and significant importance to us” (interview with Vern Anderson of the Associated Press, 20 April 1999). 

                I believe that it is very possible that Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher are together in the next world. I believe that they are happy to be together and hope to be together forever. I also believe they will have the opportunity to have the gospel of Jesus Christ taught to them in its simplicity. If they accept the gospel, they will have to wait for some mortals to go to a temple to complete their ordinances for them. How long will they have to wait? That is a big question that I cannot answer. I simply know that they will have opportunities presented to them to continue to progress. I hope they accept those opportunities!

Temples and Family History

                    Temple work and family history help us to obtain and keep eternal perspectives.  Eternity is plainly shown when we stand before the mirrors in our temples.  The mirrors on opposite walls reflect images back and forth into what seems like eternity.  By looking into the mirror in front of us, we are reminded of all the generations of our posterity following us.  When we turn around and look in the other mirror, we are reminded of all our ancestors who preceded us.

                    In the October 1902 General Conference, Joseph F. Smith, then President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, expressed the hope that one day we would "have temples built in the various parts of the [world] where they are needed for the convenience of the people." 

The hope of President Smith and other prophets is currently being fulfilled because temples now dot the earth.  The Church now has 134 temples operating throughout the world with more in the planning and building process.  Every temple has the same functions and identical ordinances and blessings.  Each one is a house of God.

President Thomas S. Monson reported in the April 2011 General Conference that "Eighty-five percent of the membership of the Church now live within 200 miles (320 km) of a temple, and for a great many of us, that distance is much shorter" (Ensign, May 2011, p. 92).

He also said, "Temples are more than stone and mortar. They are filled with faith and fasting.  They are built of trials and testimonies. They are sanctified by sacrifice and service."

I remember when President Spencer W. Kimball encouraged parents to plant the love of temples in the hearts of their children.  He said, "It seems to me it would be a fine thing if every set of parents would have in every bedroom in their house a picture of the temple so the boy or girl from the time he is an infant could look at the picture every day and it becomes a part of his life.  When he reaches the age that he needs to make this very important decision, it will have already been made" (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 301).

We teach our children from the time they are babies that temples are important and sacred buildings.  Our Primary children sing about temples.  The following song was written by Janice Kapp Perry, "I Love to See the Temple," Children's Songbook, 95).

I love to see the temple.

I'll go inside someday.

I'll cov'nant with my Father;

I'll promise to obey.

                    The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that we have a Heavenly Father who wants all of His children to return to His presence.  The gospel also teaches that the Atonement of Jesus Christ provides the means to be resurrected and to live forever with our families in God’s presence.  In order to put the Atonement into effect in our lives, we must obey all that the Savior commands.  His commandments include being baptized and confirmed as well as receiving the temple ordinances.

                    Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have each been baptized and confirmed by one holding proper priesthood authority. Each adult member also may go into the temple to receive the saving priesthood ordinances performed there.

                    Many people have lived on the earth that did not have these same opportunities.  They did not live at a time or in a place when the gospel was available to them.  Because Heavenly Father loves all of His children and wants all of us to return to live with Him, He provided a way for those who have died without baptism or the temple ordinances to receive them.  Members of the Church act as proxies to perform temple ordinances for our ancestors.

                    Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are special buildings built and dedicated to the Lord. Worthy Church members have the opportunity to go inside the temples to receive sacred ordinances and to make covenants with God.  These ordinances and covenants, like baptism, are necessary for our salvation and must be performed in the temples of the Lord.

                    Part of the temple experience is instruction about Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.  Visitors to the temple gain better understanding of our purpose in life and our relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  There we learn about our life before we came to earth, why we are here, and what life after death is like.

                    All temple ordinances are performed by the power of the priesthood.  Ordinances performed on earth by this power are sealed, or bound, in heaven as the Savior taught His Apostles, “Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

                    The temple is the only place where families can be sealed together forever.  Baptism and all other ordinances prepare us for marriage in the temple where a man and a woman are joined as husband and wife for eternity if they honor their covenants.

                    When a man and a woman are married in the temple, any children born after the sealing are automatically part of their eternal family.  Couples who were previously married by civil authority can receive these same blessings by preparing themselves and their children to go to the temple and be sealed to each other.  Parents who legally adopt children may have those children sealed to them.

                    Many of our ancestors died without the opportunity to hear the gospel on earth and now live in the spirit world where they are taught the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Those who accept the gospel there in the spirit world are waiting for the temple ordinances to be performed for them here on earth.  We can feel the joy of our ancestors as we perform these temple ordinances for them.

                    In order to do temple work for our ancestors, we must identify them by doing family history.  When we have sufficient information, we can take the names of our ancestors to the temple to be sealed into the family relationship.  The experience of doing temple work for an ancestor is a special and sacred experience.


                   Families can be together forever when they are sealed together by temple ordinances.  Becoming a forever family is not easy, but it is worthwhile.  "Together Forever" tells how to become eternal families.

Temple Work

The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that we have a Heavenly Father who wants all of His children to return to His presence. The gospel also teaches that the Atonement of Jesus Christ provided the means to be resurrected and to live forever with our families in God’s presence. In order to put the Atonement into effect in our lives, we must obey all that the Savior commands. His commandments include being baptized and confirmed as well as receiving the temple ordinances.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have each been baptized and confirmed by one holding proper priesthood authority. Each adult member also may go into the temple to receive the saving priesthood ordinances performed there.

Many people have lived on the earth that did not have these same opportunities. They did not live at a time or in a place when the gospel was available to them. Because Heavenly Father loves all of His children and wants all of us to return to live with Him, He provided a way for those who have died without baptism or the temple ordinances to receive them. Members of the Church act as proxies to perform temple ordinances for our ancestors.

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are special buildings built and dedicated to the Lord. Worthy Church members have the opportunity to go inside the temples to receive sacred ordinances and to make covenants with God. These ordinances and covenants, like baptism, are necessary for our salvation and must be performed in the temples of the Lord.

Part of the temple experience is instruction about Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Visitors to the temple gain better understanding of our purpose in life and our relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. There we learn about our life before we came to earth, why we are here, and what life after death is like.

All temple ordinances are performed by the power of the priesthood. Ordinances performed on earth by this power are sealed, or bound, in heaven as the Savior taught His Apostles, “Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

The temple is the only place where families can be sealed together forever. Baptism and all other ordinances prepare us for marriage in the temple where a man and a woman are joined as husband and wife for eternity if they honor their covenants.

When a man and a woman are married in the temple, any children born after the sealing are automatically part of their eternal family. Couples who were previously married by civil authority can receive these same blessings by preparing themselves and their children to go to the temple and be sealed to each other. Parents who legally adopt children may have those children sealed to them.

Many of our ancestors died without the opportunity to hear the gospel on earth and now live in the spirit world where they are taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who accept the gospel there in the spirit world are waiting for the temple ordinances to be performed for them here on earth. We can feel the joy of our ancestors as we perform these temple ordinances for them.

In order to do temple work for our ancestors, we must identify them by doing family history. When we have sufficient information, we can take the names of our ancestors to the temple to be sealed into the family relationship. The experience of doing temple work for an ancestor is a special and sacred experience.