The Temple—I’m Going There Someday

By Cheryl Esplin

“I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

One Sunday in testimony meeting, nine-year-old Angie told the congregation that her favorite song was “Families Can Be Together Forever.” Angie said how great it is that Heavenly Father has a wonderful plan for us to be together forever.

Angie’s parents had not been sealed in the temple. Soon after that day, Angie’s sister Katie left a letter on their parents’ pillow, urging them to go to the temple.

Angie and Katie wanted so much for their family to be sealed together. Their parents prayed about going to the temple. Their family worked hard to prepare. When the time was right, their family was able to go to the temple and be sealed together forever.

Even if your family has not been sealed, someday you will be able to go to the temple. After you turn 12, you can perform baptisms for the dead in the temple. You can begin preparing now by keeping the commandments and living My Gospel Standards.

Activity

Cut out the wordstrips on page F8, and put them in a bowl, bag, or jar. Use pebbles or buttons for game pieces. Taking turns, choose a wordstrip, and read it out loud. Then count how many words it has, and move your game piece that many spaces. Continue until everyone’s game piece has reached the temple.

Illustration by Thomas S. Child

Be baptized and confirmed

Attend church

Take the sacrament

Repent

Follow the prophet

Be obedient

Be kind

Have good thoughts

Pay tithing

Study the scriptures

Pray

Obey the Word of Wisdom

Be honest

Forgive others

Honor your parents

Have faith in Jesus Christ

Show love to your family

Love the Lord

Serve others

Keep the Sabbath day holy

Sharing Time Ideas

My family can be together forever through the ordinances of the temple. While you read Doctrine and Covenants 138:48, have the children listen for what work is done in temples that would make it possible for families to be together forever (“sealing of the children to their parents”). Show Gospel Art Picture Kit 417 (Elijah Restores the Power to Seal Families for Eternity). Teach about the prophet Elijah’s appearing in the Kirtland Temple to restore the sealing power (see D&C 110:13–15). To help the children understand “sealing power,” show a picture of the temple in your area and explain that if couples are married in the temple and keep the promises they make there, they will still be married after they die. Tell the story of Angie and Katie’s family’s being sealed in the temple (at left). Have each child draw a large picture of a temple. Then have them turn their papers over and draw a small picture of their family or their future family. When they have finished, have them hold their pictures up to the light so they can see their families in the temple. Share your testimony that families can be together forever.
Family history and temple work bless all the generations of my family. Have seven children come to the front of the room. Tape the label Me on the child in the center. Label the children on his or her left Parent, Grandparent, Great-grandparent. Label the children on his or her right Child, Grandchild, Great-grandchild. Explain that each person represents a family generation. Tell the children that when Heavenly Father established families, He planned for us to help each other return to live with Him forever. Read Malachi 4:6. Explain that turning “the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” means to seal all the generations of our family together forever through temple ordinances. That verse also refers to the love we feel for our ancestors when we learn about them. With the bishop’s or branch president’s permission, invite a grandfather or grandmother of one of the children to come to Primary. Beforehand, write questions on pieces of paper, and let the children take turns choosing and asking a question for the grandparent to answer. Start each question with “When you were my age …” (Possible questions: What was your favorite family tradition? What did you and your friends do for fun?) Encourage the children to ask their parents and grandparents questions to learn more about them.