Preparing to Enter and Worship in the Temple
Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults
Sunday, February 18, 2024
Elder Ulisses Soares: We have received many good questions related to one of President Russell M. Nelson’s favorite subjects: “preparing to enter and worship in the temple.”
Brother and Sister Webb, would you please share your thoughts on this topic too after listening to these recorded questions?
CANADA EDMONTON—QUESTION 1
Elder Soares, my question is, How can I prepare to go to the temple for the first time and receive my endowments?
CANADA EDMONTON—QUESTION 2
Elder Soares, how do I know when I am ready to receive my endowments?
CHILE CONCEPCIÓN—QUESTION 2
Hello, Elder Soares. I have a question. How can I make temple attendance more significant and a more central part of my life?
Brother Chad H Webb: That is such a wonderful and important question.
The first thing I would suggest is to prepare spiritually. Learn to hear the voice of the Lord and respond to promptings. Strive to be morally clean and avoid those things that would limit the Spirit in your life. If you have made mistakes, repent and become worthy to be in the Lord’s house. No matter where you have been in your life, the Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to you. Because of Him, you can be worthy. He will help you.
Sister Kristi Webb: Another suggestion is to talk about the temple with trusted family members, leaders, or friends. The temple is sacred, but not everything about it is confidential, and we can talk more about the temple than we sometimes do. And I think that can be helpful both before and after you attend for the first time. It’s great to have questions; that’s how we learn, so take your questions to people you trust, who love the temple and hold it sacred. Most of all, take your questions to the Lord. Having questions is the best way for the Lord to teach us through revelation. And the more you attend the temple, the more He will teach you.
Brother Webb: One last suggestion is to study. Learn all you can about the temple. One great place to do that is ChurchofJesusChrist.org/temples, where you can learn more about the endowment, the temple garment, and especially learn about each of the covenants you will be making in the temple. That site is very helpful.
As part of your study, learn all you can about the symbolism of the temple. For me, one of the best ways to prepare to understand the temple has been to learn about the ancient tabernacle described in the Old Testament. The symbols in modern temples are different from ancient days, but the principles and purposes are very similar and can help us prepare for our own temple experience.
Those who entered the ancient tabernacle first approached an altar, where they offered sacrifices in similitude of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. They were washed in the laver and anointed with oil and given sacred clothing.1 Also in the tabernacle was a tent called the Holy Place where they held the menorah, which symbolized living with the Spirit or the light of God. The table of shewbread and wine, similar symbols to the sacrament. It also had the altar of incense, representing prayer. The last part of the tabernacle was the Holy of Holies, which held the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat. Only the high priest could pass through the veil and enter the Holy of Holies, and that was only one day a year, on the day of Atonement. The outer courtyard represented the telestial kingdom; the Holy Place, the terrestrial kingdom; and the Holy of Holies, the celestial kingdom. This progression through the tabernacle taught ancient Israel about their journey through mortality, with the ultimate aim to enter the presence of God.
In what I think is one of the greatest symbols in the history of the world, when Jesus was crucified, there was an earthquake and the veil of Herod’s temple was torn in half, symbolizing that now that the Atonement was completed, all have the opportunity to enter the celestial kingdom, or the presence of God.
Even the colors in the tabernacle—blue, purple, red, and white—can have symbolic meaning. Blue is often thought of to represent heaven, purple is an ancient symbol of royalty, red reminds us of the blood of Jesus Christ, and white has often been used as a symbol of purity. Put together on the curtains of the tabernacle and the robes of the priests, they can point our minds to the idea that it is through heaven’s royal blood that we are made pure.
That is why we go to the temple—to learn how to access the full power of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ in our lives. We learn that through temple covenants and ordinances, and through the Savior, we can prepare to return to the presence of God, clean and pure. In the temple we learn about Adam and Eve and how they were cast out of the presence of God and how they prepared to return to Him. Through their story we learn how we can prepare for that wonderful day. President David O. McKay said the temple “is the step-by-step ascent into the eternal Presence. If our young people could but glimpse it, it would be the most powerful spiritual motivation of their lives.”2
So when you go to the temple, look for Jesus Christ and look for what you are learning about preparing to be in the presence of Heavenly Father, and you will have a wonderful experience.
Sister Webb: May I respond to the question “How do I know when I am ready to receive my endowments?”
For some reason, this question made me think of the prophet Abraham. There came a time in Abraham’s life when he felt an inspired desire for more spiritual light and knowledge. He wanted to have a closer relationship with God and a greater capacity to serve Him. In Abraham 1:2 he says: “And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers.” Abraham describes himself here as “a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge … and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God.”
This is how I felt when I began to think about going to the temple to receive my endowment. I was already fully engaged in living the gospel. I was learning so much from my scripture study; and I was growing and serving joyfully in my ward. But I felt a deep hunger to learn even more about Heavenly Father and His plan for me. This was more than curiosity; I felt a strong desire to learn how to draw closer to God and to become a more steadfast disciple of Jesus Christ. I truly wanted to let God prevail more in my life. My close friends and my bishop recognized that I was ready to make temple covenants and helped me to prepare to receive my own endowment.
Elder Soares: Excellent. Thank you very much for your wonderful comments, Brother and Sister Webb. My dear friends, like President Nelson taught, “Individual worthiness to enter the Lord’s house requires much individual spiritual preparation. … Individual worthiness requires a total conversion of mind and heart to be more like the Lord, … to be a better example, and to be a holier person.”3 Therefore, if we righteously focus on our preparation to enter the temple, we will change our experience in the temple, which will transform our lives outside of the temple.