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.
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1 to 5 scale
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.
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.
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.
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:
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President Russell M. Nelson
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.