The Temple Is a Happy Place

By Judy Edwards

“Let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have … built this house to my name” (D&C 110:6).

What makes you happiest? If you could choose between something that would last for just a little while and something that would last forever, which would it be—an ice-cream cone, or a friend? a paper plane or doll, or a Book of Mormon? a baseball game, or a trip with your family?

Ice-cream cones and dolls and baseball games are all fun, but they don’t give the lasting happiness that friends, scriptures, and family do.

The temple shows us how to choose the happiest things in life—long-lasting things like goodness and kindness and love. The temple helps us learn more about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and why we are here on earth. And temple ordinances make it possible for the best things in life to last forever.

Here is what five Primary children said about the temple:

“A temple is a happy place, because we learn about Jesus there” (Nicole, age 6).

“People go there to do baptisms for the dead. You have to be twelve years old, you have to go to church, and you have to live the commandments. I want to go to the temple someday” (Melissa, age 11).

“It’s happy in the temple because you get married there. I’m going to, because that means you’ll always be sealed to your true husband” (Amanda, age 9).

“A temple is a place where you can get a baby sealed to your family. It was pretty inside. It was quiet. I felt happy. Sometimes you have happy tears because you’re getting a baby sealed to you that you love very much” (Corbyn, age 8).

“The temple is a place where it is always reverent. It’s a sacred place, not like any other place. It is Heavenly Father’s house” (Joseph, age 11).

Sharing Time Ideas

Ask children to tell that makes them happy; list their responses on a chalkboard. Help the children decide if the things make them happy for a short time or a long time. Draw or place a star by those things that are eternal, and have the children draw pictures of them.
Invite a child who has had a happy temple experience to share his or her feelings about it.
Invite a Primary leader or teacher to share with the children his or her feelings concerning a happy temple experience.
Using Doctrine and Covenants 88:119 [D&C 88:119] as a reference, discuss with the children how they can be like temples themselves—full of prayer, fasting, faith, learning, glory, order, and the Spirit of God.
Help each child create a personal temple book, using pictures from old Church magazines, photos, special journal entries, and so forth. The children can add to their books as the year progresses.

Instructions

To make a mobile to remind you of happy things that happen in the temple, remove pages 6–7 and mount them on lightweight cardboard.

Illustrated by Crystal Dutson

Your Own Temple

Temple Marriage

Temple Sealings

Learning about Jesus

Baptisms for the Dead

God’s House

Next, in the space provided, draw a picture of the temple nearest your home, then color and cut out each picture, and punch holes where indicated. On the back of each picture, write about how that temple blessing makes you happy. Use string or heavy thread to tie the smaller pictures beneath the picture of your own temple and hang the mobile.