Spiritual Doors Will Open: Messages about the Temple from President Nelson

You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven.

“Now let’s turn to the topic of temples,” said our prophet and President Russell M. Nelson at the October 2018 general conference.

In his sacred instruction for how we can become exemplary Latter-day Saints, he had just encouraged us to turn our homes into centers of gospel learning and reminded us about the importance of using the correct name of our Saviour’s Church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Then, he tenderly appealed for the worldwide congregation to make the temple a priority.

“We know that our time in the temple is crucial to our salvation and exaltation and to that of our families,” he said:

“After we receive our own temple ordinances and make sacred covenants with God, each one of us needs the ongoing spiritual strengthening and tutoring that is possible only in the house of the Lord. And our ancestors need us to serve as proxy for them.

“Consider the great mercy and fairness of God, who, before the foundation of the world, provided a way to give temple blessings to those who died without a knowledge of the gospel. These sacred temple rites are ancient. To me that antiquity is thrilling and another evidence of their authenticity.

“My dear brothers and sisters, the assaults of the adversary are increasing exponentially, in intensity and in variety. Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater. I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you spend your time. Invest time in your future and in that of your family. If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with the Lord—to be in His holy house—then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples.”¹

In another inspired address, President Nelson declared, “Whenever any kind of upheaval occurs in your life, the safest place to be spiritually is living inside your temple covenants!”²

He began his talk by describing the complex construction work needed to reinforce the historic Salt Lake Temple—into the Millennium—against the forces of nature. Then, he explained how crucial it is for us to strengthen our own personal spiritual foundations, because now, more than ever before, our eternal salvation is threatened by the storms of life.

“My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ” (See Helaman 5:12).

“So I ask each of you, how firm is your foundation? And what reinforcements to your testimony and understanding of the gospel are needed?

“The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ. His essential ordinances bind us to Him through sacred priesthood covenants. Then, as we keep our covenants, He endows us with His healing, strengthening power (See Doctrine and Covenants 109:15, 22). And oh, how we will need His power in the days ahead.

“We have been promised that ‘if [we] are prepared [we] shall not fear,’ (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30; see also Doctrine and Covenants 10:55). This assurance has profound implications today. The Lord has declared that despite today’s unprecedented challenges, those who build their foundations upon Jesus Christ, and have learned how to draw upon His power, need not succumb to the unique anxieties of this era.”³

President Nelson continues, “to each of you who has made temple covenants, I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently—to understand temple covenants and ordinances. Spiritual doors will open. You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven. Your diligent efforts to do so will reinforce and strengthen your spiritual foundation. . . .

“Please believe me when I say that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power. Then, when spiritual earthquakes occur, you will be able to stand strong because your spiritual foundation is solid and immovable.”⁴

President Nelson wants us to remember that temples are essential in our lives as Latter-day Saints because, ultimately, they guide us to our Saviour Jesus Christ.

In a recent video celebrating the rededication of the Washington D.C. Temple, our prophet said:

“We’re so blessed to have temples. We’ll have increasing numbers of temples as the Church grows. But it’s not the number, and it’s not the location. It’s not the architecture. It’s the ordinances inside.

“When you look at a temple, you should realize it is a symbol of Jesus Christ, as He is our Mediator with the Father. Only by Him and through Him can we reach our Heavenly Father.

“It is also a sign of our faith in life after death, and each temple stands as a step, a sacred step to eternal life for us and our families.”⁵