Member Voices
The Heavens Open
“The General Temple Patron Assistance Fund began in 1992 as a way to provide a one time visit to the temple for members living outside the United States and Canada who otherwise would not be able to attend. The fund is entirely member generated” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) encouraged members in the October 2011 general conference to donate to the fund. Members using the fund are required to contribute what they can. President Monson stated that “those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings” (“The Holy Temple—a Beacon to the World”, Apr. 2011 general conference, Gospel Library). But, he noted, for many members the sacrifice was still out of reach.
In the Africa Central Area, a recent emphasis on using this fund has resulted in over 1,700 members being cleared to go to the temple in 2024. Those who have made temple covenants return to their wards and branches and encourage other members to attend. The growth in spirituality is positively affecting the whole area.
Those who have been able to attend a temple and make the covenants associated with the ordinances there consider it a life-changing experience. They experience the blessings spoken of by President Russell M. Nelson in his April 2024 general conference address:
“We are … promised that in the temple we may ‘receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost’ [Doctrine and Covenants 109:15]. Imagine what that means in terms of having the heavens open for each earnest seeker of eternal truth.
“We are instructed that all who worship in the temple will have the power of God and angels having ‘charge over them’ [Doctrine and Covenants 109:22]. How much does it increase your confidence to know that, as an endowed woman or man armed with the power of God, you do not have to face life alone? What courage does it give you to know that angels really will help you?” (“Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys”, Gospel Library).
Because of the generosity of Church members in funding the Temple Patron Assistance Fund, and the desire of many Saints in the Africa Central Area to receive and experience the blessings of the temple, hundreds and hundreds of lives have been spiritually enriched forever.
Our Temple Experience
By Screven Omondi, Langata Ward Nairobi
Temple worship is as ancient as the hills. Whenever the Lord has had a covenant people upon the earth, He has always commanded them to erect temples or holy sanctuaries akin to the tabernacle (see Exodus 25), where He can come and dwell and instruct His children in the ways of righteousness. All sincere seekers of truth who enter these sacred edifices with a broken heart and a contrite spirit have the opportunity to make and keep sacred covenants that are both salvific and binding in nature.
In Doctrine and Covenants 109:8, we read about the special purpose of temples. Each temple serves as “a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God,” making temples the pinnacle of our worship.
Our Sealing
My wife and I had the privilege of visiting the Accra Ghana Temple, thanks to the Temple Patron Assistance Fund. The whole process was an exercise in patience and faith. We learned to pray earnestly and wait on the Lord for the righteous desires of our hearts. Our prayers were answered when we got word from the Africa Central Area that our application had been approved. Our flight to and from the temple was safe and uneventful.
My wife and I got sealed for time and all eternity on 29 May 2024. It was an unforgettable experience—one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. After spending the day in the temple, I wrote that evening in my journal: “I felt a great outpouring of the Spirit today during Annet and my sealing ceremony. The blessings pronounced upon us are too great to fathom, yet we are grateful that the good Lord has deemed us worthy to receive the choicest blessings that heaven and earth has to offer. Eternal life is within reach.
“I am so lucky to have my wife as my eternal companion. Couldn’t ask for a better partner. She is my fellow traveler on the path that leads back home to our Father’s presence. I have a tangible witness of God’s love and mercy, and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
The Spirit of Elijah
What added to our joy as the opportunity we had to perform proxy work for my paternal grandfather and my maternal grandmother. There was a special presence in the air as my wife and I were baptized and endowed on their behalf. I know they are smiling down on us. I also had the singular privilege of performing the initiatory ordinances for ancestors of two members of my ward.
Some of the progenitors of our ward members lived in the 1700s. I feel a special connection to these individuals even though I do not know them. This must be the what the spirit of Elijah feels like with hearts turning to fathers and mothers—to our ancestors. I have a firm hope that the deceased individuals we did the proxy work for have been safely gathered into the fold on the other side of the veil. The gathering is truly the greatest work we can engage in right now, and it’s happening on both sides of the veil.