The Blessings of Going to the House of the Lord

Elder Hoi Seng Leonard Woo

Of the Seventy

One of the most beautiful doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that families can be together forever. Combining this with the promises of Elijah “of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers” (D&C 27:9) makes the temple, or the house of the Lord, so important and precious to all Latter-day Saints.

The first blessing of going to the house of the Lord is receiving the endowment and sealing ordinances essential for one’s own salvation. This is a matter of the highest priority. It is of such importance that the Church has established a temple patron assistance fund to help faithful members who need financial assistance to go to the temple to receive their own ordinances and to be sealed to their families.

Worthy members can enjoy several other blessings as they go to the house of the Lord. These blessings include:

A deeper understanding of the plan of salvation, especially principles and doctrine related to the Creation of the earth and the Fall of Adam. In the endowment ordinance, a member is also endowed with greater light and knowledge which enable him/her to see more clearly Satan’s efforts in obstructing our path back to our Heavenly Father. President Howard W. Hunter (1907–95) has taught, “The temple is a place of instruction where profound truths pertaining to the Kingdom of God are unfolded.”¹
We live in a noisy, turbulent, and chaotic world where Satan has vast influence and dominion. Besides our homes and chapels, the temple is the best place for faithful Church members to remove themselves from the world. The quiet, peaceful, and reverent atmosphere in the temple is ideal for reflecting on personal issues and for receiving personal revelation.
For members who are burdened with the pressures of life or facing great personal trials, going to the house of the Lord can provide the needed break or solace. This allows them to gain a clearer perspective of their trials or to regain their perspective of life. Most challenges in life can be handled better if we can take a long-term, even eternal, perspective of them. Almost all the teachings, covenants, and ordinances performed in the temple point to the eternities.
The youth of today face challenges and temptations greater than any prior generations. Active involvement in baptism for their ancestral dead as proxy is a powerful way to fortify our youth. Even greater blessings will flow to our youth if they combine proxy work of baptism in the temple with their own personal efforts in family history work. As youth perform temple ordinances together, it will also strengthen their bond with each other.
Temple prayer roll is a unique privilege given to members attending the temple. Members may call upon the collective faith and prayers of those attending the temple to assist their families or friends who need special blessings.
Another great blessing happens when ward members attend the temple together. They will return to their ward with greater unity and love for one another. Members should make every effort to participate in ward temple excursions or ward temple night activities.

President Russell M. Nelson, after being set apart as the 17th President of The Church on January 14, 2018, delivered these remarks during a live broadcast from the annex of the Salt Lake Temple. He said, “As a new Presidency, we want to begin with the end in mind. For this reason, we’re speaking to you today from a temple. The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with power in a house of the Lord, sealed as families, faithful to covenants made in a temple that qualify us for the greatest gift of God—that of eternal life. The ordinances of the temple and the covenants you make there are key to strengthening your life, your marriage and family, and your ability to resist the attacks of the adversary. Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.”²

Anyone who attends the temple will leave with a greater desire to do good, to be a better parent, to be a more loving and forgiving individual, and to have a greater desire to resist worldly temptations. We will always be a better person after attending the temple.