Area Leadership Message
Temple Blessings
When the Lord instructed Adam about the plan of happiness, Moses wrote: “And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.”1
The most sacred places we have on earth are the temples that bear witness of the centrality of the Savior in our worship. The following sentences are written at the entrance of the temple: “Holiness to the Lord” and “The House of the Lord”.
When the Savior Jesus Christ appeared to the Nephites, He invited all the children to join Him and the account describes: “So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him.”2
One of the blessings of the temple is to be brought to Him, to be in His midst, and to be able to learn from Him and with Him, in order to become like Him.
In the temple we learn about the purpose of life, who we are, where we came from, why we are here, and where we will go after this life.
By applying these teachings throughout our lives as temple patrons, each of us also makes sacred promises with the Lord called covenants.
Such covenants include obeying God, following Jesus Christ, being morally clean, and dedicating our time and talents to the Lord's service.
These commitments become guiding principles for our daily life. Honoring these sacred covenants brings us more peace, joy, and blessings in this life as we strive to return to live with God forever.
One of the blessings of attending the temple is the feeling of serenity, prayer and thoughtfulness, sent to heaven, where we can live forever with our family in the presence of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Another great blessing is the fulfillment of the prophet Malachi’s prophecy: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”3
When Jesus Christ was baptized, He demonstrated His commitment to obey all of God’s commandments. Later, Jesus taught that baptism is necessary to enter the kingdom of God. So, what about those people who died without having been baptized?
In the temple, baptism and other essential ordinances are performed on behalf of people who have died without this opportunity. Such ordinances bring the saving grace of Jesus Christ to all people. This service in behalf of others is done with love and because Latter-day Saints believe that life continues after death, they also believe that people who have died are aware of the ordinances done for them and are free to decide to accept them or not.
Through family history research, Latter-day Saints search information about their ancestors and take names to the temple to perform the ordinances for them.
When the current First Presidency was called, President Russell M. Nelson said: The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with power in a house of the Lord, sealed as fami-lies, faithful to covenants made in a temple that qualify us for the greatest gift of God—that of eternal life. … Your worship in the temple will … bless you with increased personal revelation.”.4
I invite everyone to enjoy these blessings and promises by attending the temple.