Lesson 110: Doctrine and Covenants 94–97

Doctrine and Covenants 95

“The Building of Mine House”

As part of the Restoration of His gospel, Jesus Christ commanded the Saints to build a temple in Kirtland, Ohio. Months later, when the Saints still had not started construction, the Savior lovingly chastened them and restated His commandment to build His house. Obediently, the Saints labored diligently to construct the Kirtland Temple. This lesson can help students feel an increased desire to worship the Lord in His temple.

Possible Learning Activities

Making temple worship a priority

To help students think about the importance of worshipping the Lord in His temples, you could help students create a scenario of a fictitious young person who had plans to attend the temple but chose not to. One way to do this is to display the following prompt and ask students to fill in the blank with reasons someone might give for not attending the temple. Discuss why we sometimes fail to prioritize temple attendance.

If you and your students live too far away from a temple to be able to prioritize temple attendance, you could just begin the lesson with the self-assessment that follows the fill-in-the-blank activity.

I wanted to attend the temple. However, because of , I didn’t go.

Use the following scale to reflect on how important you feel it is to worship the Lord in the temple.

Encourage students to seek personal revelation during the lesson to know ways they can prioritize temple worship.

If your students do not have access to a temple nearby, adapt the lesson accordingly to help students feel the importance of preparing to attend the temple someday.

The Lord chastens those He loves

In late December 1832, the Savior commanded His people to build the temple, or “a house of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:119). When the Lord revealed Doctrine and Covenants 95 in June 1833, the Saints had purchased land, but construction had not yet begun.

• Read Doctrine and Covenants 95:1–3, looking for what the Lord told His people.

• What do these verses teach about the Lord’s feelings for the temple?

• How did the Lord show His love for His people?

It may be good to ask students if they know what “chasten” means. If needed, explain that “chasten” means to correct with the intent of improving behavior.

The Lord commanded His people to build a temple

Read Doctrine and Covenants 95:4, 8–9, looking for reasons the Lord commanded the Saints to build His house.

• How would the Saints be blessed for obeying the Lord’s commandment to build a temple?

• What specifically did Heavenly Father promise them?

  As students share the reasons the Lord commanded the Saints to build His house, help them identify a principle such as Jesus Christ commands His people to build temples to fulfill Heavenly Father’s promise to endow them with power.

• What do you think it means to be endowed with God’s power?

  As needed, explain that “endow” means to provide someone with a gift. To be endowed in the temple means to receive a gift of spiritual knowledge and power.

  Ask questions that encourage discussion: The following questions could be used to create a meaningful class discussion. For more practice on how to do this see the training titled “Help Learners Take Responsibility for Their Learning”, found in the Teacher Development Skills. Consider practicing the skill, “Resist the tendency to respond to every comment and question and invite class to respond”.

• What are some different ways God might choose to bless us with His power through His temples?

• How do you think receiving God’s power through His temple would impact you at home, school, or in other aspects of your life?

“You shall have power to build it”

Read Doctrine and Covenants 95:11–14, looking for words or phrases that may have motivated the Saints to obey the Lord’s commandment to build a temple.

• What did you find? How might this have been motivating?

Consider dividing the class into small groups. You could give each group a copy of the handout “Sacrifices Made to Build the Kirtland Temple.” Invite students to read about building the Kirtland Temple on the handout or in Saints, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 210–11, 221.

Students could list on the handout or on the board some sacrifices the Saints made for the Kirtland Temple. Then they could discuss and list sacrifices we can make to attend the temple or prepare to worship the Lord in His temples in our day.

Sacrifices Made to Build the Kirtland Temple

Immediately after section 95 was received, Hyrum Smith began clearing the field where the temple would be built. Building the temple was a difficult challenge. There were only about 150 Church members in the area. They did not have the experience or skills to oversee such a large building. Constructing the temple would also put a financial strain on the Church and the members. Nevertheless, they went to work, and the Lord fulfilled His promise to give them “power to build it” (Doctrine and Covenants 95:11). Artemus Millet, a convert from Canada and an experienced masonry builder, moved to Kirtland and supervised the construction. Another convert, John Tanner, provided financial assistance at a critical moment. Men, women, and children in the area donated, time, labor, and resources to build the temple. (See Lisa Olsen Tait and Brent Rogers, “A House for Our God,” in Revelations in Context [2016], 167; Saints, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 210–11.)

• What are some sacrifices the Saints made to build the Kirtland Temple? What impresses you about these sacrifices?

• What are some sacrifices we can make to attend the Lord’s house?

After sufficient time, invite students to share what they learned. Prayerfully consider when you might share with students the following statement from President Nelson that reiterates the importance of making sacrifices to worship the Lord in the temple.

President Russell M. Nelson blessed us to make a sacrifice to worship in the temple:

My dear brothers and sisters, construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will. In that spirit, I bless you to identify those things you can set aside so you can spend more time in the temple. (Russell M. Nelson, “Let Us All Press On,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 119)

• How have you or others you know been blessed by making sacrifices to worship the Lord in His temple?

  If you have had experiences worshipping the Lord in His temple, consider sharing ways the Lord has blessed you as a result. If you or any students have not had the opportunity to attend the temple, the video “Temples Are A Beacon” (2:50) can help students feel a desire to worship the Lord in the temple, no matter the sacrifice.

  Students may benefit from recording their answers to the following questions in their study journals. You could then invite willing students to share their thoughts.

• How do you think the teachings in Doctrine and Covenants 95 can apply to you today?

• What have you learned about the importance of worshipping the Lord in His temples?

Additional Resources

What were some of the initial thoughts the Saints had about building the temple?

Lucy Mack Smith, mother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, recalled: “A council was called and Joseph requested the brethren, each one, to rise and give his views, and after they were through he would give his opinion. … Some thought that it would be better to build a frame [house]. Others said that a frame [house] was too costly … , and the majority concluded upon the putting up [of] a log house and made their calculations about what they could do towards building it. Joseph rose and reminded them that they were not making a house for themselves or any other man but a house for God: ‘And shall we, brethren, build a house for our God of logs? No, brethren. I have a better plan than that. I have the plan of the house of the Lord given by Himself. You will see by this the difference between our calculations and His ideas.’” The Prophet then provided the “plan in full of the house of the Lord at Kirtland,” which “highly delighted” the brethren. After the meeting, they walked to the building site and began to work—removing a fence, clearing the ground, and digging a trench for the wall. (“Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–1845,” book 14, pages 1–2, josephsmithpapers.org; spelling, punctuation, and capitalization standardized)

Doctrine and Covenants 95:4. What is the Lord’s “strange act”?

Isaiah prophesied that before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the Lord would “do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act” (Isaiah 28:21). The “strange act” mentioned by Isaiah, and reaffirmed in the revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 95, refers to the Restoration of the gospel (see Doctrine and Covenants 95:4; 101:95). As part of this work, the Lord promised to “pour out [His] Spirit upon all flesh” (Doctrine and Covenants 95:4; see also Joel 2:28–32). Those who do not believe in heavenly visitations, revelation, visions, gifts of the Spirit, and other spiritual matters may view the restored gospel as “strange.”

How did the Lord fulfill His promise in Doctrine and Covenants 95:14?

“A few days [after the revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 95 was received], the Lord fulfilled His promise, giving Joseph Smith and his counselors in the First Presidency a remarkable vision in which they saw detailed plans for the temple. Frederick G. Williams, the Second Counselor in the First Presidency, later recalled: ‘Joseph [Smith] received the word of the Lord for him to take his two counselors, [Frederick G.] Williams and [Sidney] Rigdon, and come before the Lord, and He would show them the plan or model of the house to be built. We went upon our knees, called on the Lord, and the building appeared within viewing distance, I being the first to discover it. Then all of us viewed it together. After we had taken a good look at the exterior, the building seemed to come right over us’ [Frederick G. Williams, quoted by Truman O. Angell, in Truman Osborn Angell, Autobiography 1884, pp. 14–15, Church Archives, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah]” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 271).

Was the endowment promised in the Kirtland Temple the same as the temple endowment today?

The endowment spoken of in the revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 95 is not identical to the endowment ordinances administered in later temples. The endowment received by the Church members in Kirtland, Ohio, included some ordinances similar to those performed in temples today but also included occasions when the Lord poured out His Spirit and endowed them with spiritual power (see Doctrine and Covenants 109; 110 and Church History Topics, “Endowment of Power,” Gospel Library). The first complete temple endowment in this dispensation was introduced by the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois, in May 1842. It included some of that which was administered in Kirtland but also many additional components.

Where can I learn more about the construction of the Kirtland Temple?

• See Church History Topics, Kirtland Temple

• See Lisa Olsen Tait and Brent Rogers, in “A House for Our God,” Revelations in Context (2016)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Doctrine and Covenants 95:1. “Whom I love I also chasten”

Consider helping students learn about the Savior’s character by understanding why He chastens us. After discussing what it means to chasten, students could search the following verses, looking for reasons the Savior chastens His people:

• Hebrews 12:5–7, 9

• Mosiah 23:21

• Doctrine and Covenants 98:19–22

• Doctrine and Covenants 105:2–6

Ask students to reflect on how they typically respond when they are chastened. Then you could ask them to share ways we can faithfully respond when the Lord chastens us.

For more information on chastening, see Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 97–100; or watch the video “The Will of God” (3:02) on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Doctrine and Covenants 95:6. “Walking in darkness at noon-day”

This activity can help students understand the importance of keeping the Lord’s commandments. You might invite students to describe what they think the phrase “walking in darkness at noon-day” means. Then consider discussing the following questions:

• How might ignoring the Lord’s commandment to build a temple be like “walking in darkness at noon-day”?

• How might we be “walking in darkness at noon-day” if we choose to ignore other commandments? (see also Doctrine and Covenants 95:12).

Titles of Jesus Christ

This activity can help students learn more about Jesus Christ by focusing on His titles. Invite students to find the Savior’s titles in Doctrine and Covenants 95:7, 17. Students can share what they learn about the Savior from these titles.

As needed, explain the following:

In verse 7, the Lord gives an interpretation of what the name “Lord of Sabaoth” means. This is also a Hebrew word meaning “hosts” or “armies.” The hosts include the angelic armies of heaven (see Bible Dictionary, “Sabaoth”).

According to Joseph Smith, the word Ahman is the name of God in the pure language of Adam, and “Son Ahman” (verse 17) is the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ (see The Joseph Smith Papers, Documents, Volume 2: July 1831–January 1833, ed. Matthew C. Godfrey and others [2013], 213–15). He also explained that Ahman means “the first man or first God” (“Minutes, 5 April 1844,” page 84, josephsmithpapers.org; see also Doctrine and Covenants 78:20).

Alphus (Alpha) and Omegus (Omega) are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. They describe “the all-encompassing nature of Christ, being the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Bible Dictionary, “Alpha”).