AREA PRESIDENCY MESSAGE
The Blessing of Temple Ordinances in our Lives—Now and Forever
“A remarkable experience recorded by my great-grandfather helps us recognise that when we help our ancestors with their temple ordinances, their joy is great.”
For over 40 years, my great-grandfather, J. Hatten Carpenter, served as the recorder for the Manti Utah Temple. Each day he would walk from his home in Manti to the temple to fulfil his duties and responsibilities there. As the temple recorder, he was aware of sacred spiritual experiences that occurred in the temple.
One such experience he shared involved a patriarch watching vicarious baptisms being performed in the temple one day.
He recounts that the patriarch saw “the spirits of those for whom they were officiating in the font by proxy. There the spirits stood awaiting their turn, and, as the Recorder called out the name of a person to be baptized for, the patriarch noticed a pleasant smile come over the face of the spirit whose name had been called, and he would leave the group of fellow spirits and pass over to the side of the Recorder. There he would watch his own baptism performed by proxy, and then with a joyful countenance would pass away [to] make room for the next favored personage who was to enjoy the same privilege”1.
As time went on, the patriarch noticed that some of the spirits looked very sad. He realised that the people in the temple were finished with baptisms for the day. The unhappy spirits were those whose baptisms would not be performed that day.
My great-grandfather said, “‘I often think of this event … for I so often sit at the font, and call off the names for the ordinances to be performed which means so much to the dead.’”2
My great-grandfather had a profound testimony of the importance of each soul receiving sacred ordinances. These ordinances are essential for those accountable before God on this side of the veil and for those on the other side of the veil. The ordinances enable them to progress on their path to live with God for all eternity.
The scriptures confirm, “Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
“And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
“For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.”3
Receiving these ordinances is not the requirement of man—it is the requirement of God. Not only is it important to receive the ordinances, but it is also essential that once we have received them, we remain true and faithful to the covenants we make when we participate in these sacred ordinances.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles provided this encouragement: “Begin the process now to become ‘recommended to the Lord’ so that His Spirit will be with you in abundance and His standards will bring you ‘peace of conscience.’ . . .
“Let me emphasize, whether you have access to a temple or not, you need a current temple recommend to stay firmly on the covenant path.”4
Worthily holding a current temple recommend means your testimony of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ is firm. You have a testimony today of the Restoration of His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You support and sustain living prophets and apostles and your local Church leaders. And you are keeping sacred commandments and are true to covenants you have made. It does not mean that you are perfect, but it does mean you are staying on the covenant path and trying to apply the teachings of Jesus Christ in your life.
My dear brothers and sisters, God has provided His Church with His priesthood authority to help us make and keep sacred covenants that will bring us back into His presence. The holy temples provide a place for us to receive exalting ordinances that will lead us to eternal life if we are true and faithful. These same holy temples also provide a way for our deceased ancestors to benefit from the same exalting ordinances. We must help them. Their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation. As Paul says concerning the fathers—“that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.”5
Just as my great-grandfather witnessed, when we help our ancestors with these ordinances, their joy is great. As we help them, we also are helped in our own journey towards perfection.
President Nelson, in the April 2021 general conference, added this admonition:
“Temples are a vital part of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness. Ordinances of the temple fill our lives with power and strength available in no other way. We thank God for those blessings.”6
May we each live worthy to hold a current temple recommend. May we seek to always hold a current recommend. And may we attend the temple as often as our personal circumstances allow. As we do, I add my witness to President Nelson’s that our lives will be filled with more power and strength than is available in any other way.
Matthew L. Carpenter was called as a General Authority Seventy in March 2018. He is married to Michelle (Shelly) Kay Brown; they are the parents of five children.