Seminary
Lesson 204—Jesus Christ Is at the Center of All Temple Worship: “Jesus Christ Is the Reason We Build Temples”


“Lesson 204—Jesus Christ Is at the Center of All Temple Worship: ‘Jesus Christ Is the Reason We Build Temples,’” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual (2025)

“Jesus Christ Is at the Center of All Temple Worship,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual

Lesson 204: Temple Preparation

Jesus Christ Is at the Center of All Temple Worship

“Jesus Christ Is the Reason We Build Temples”

lady viewing a statue of the Savior

Throughout time, the Lord has commanded His people to build temples. In our day, we have seen a great increase in temple building. Jesus Christ is at the center of all we do in the temple. This lesson can help students feel a greater desire to worship Jesus Christ in His house.

Possible Learning Activities

The Savior at the center of our worship

Consider displaying pictures of people partaking of the sacrament, youth attending church, and young adults serving as full-time missionaries.

taking the sacrament
entering church on the Sabbath
missionaries teaching a family
  • How do you think Jesus Christ is at the center of partaking of the sacrament, attending Church, or serving a full-time mission?

  • How would someone’s experience be impacted if they didn’t focus on the Savior while participating in these activities?

Show students an image of a temple near you along with a picture of the Savior. Invite students to reflect on the following questions. They may benefit from writing their responses in their study journals.

Reflect on your own experiences in the temple or preparing for the temple.

  • To what degree is the Savior at the center of your preparation to participate in the temple and the experiences you have when you are there?

  • How might focusing more on the Savior impact your temple experience?

Encourage students to invite the Spirit to guide them as they seek to learn more about how the Savior is at the center of temple worship.

The Lord commands His people to build temples

The following pictures are depictions of some of the holy places and temples the Lord commanded His people to build anciently. Consider displaying them and asking students if they can identify the buildings depicted (the tabernacle Moses built in the wilderness [see Exodus 25:8], Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem [see 1 Kings 6:12–13], the Nephite temple in the city Bountiful [see 3 Nephi 11:1]).

the tabernacle of Moses
King Solomon’s temple
the Nephite temple in Bountiful

In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord commanded the Saints to build temples (see Doctrine and Covenants 57:3; 109:2; 115:7–8; 124:26–27). This command follows the pattern the Lord established anciently.

The First Presidency has declared:

Whenever the Lord has had a people on the earth who will obey His word, they have been commanded to build temples. (“First Presidency Releases Statement on Temples,” Jan. 2, 2019, ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

Read Doctrine and Covenants 109:2, 5, 12–13, looking for what the Lord teaches about the temple.

  • What did you discover?

  • How would you describe verse 13 in your own words?

    One truth students might identify is that the temple is the house of the Lord, a place of His holiness.

  • What blessings can come to us knowing this truth for ourselves?

As appropriate, encourage students to share experiences they have had where they have felt close to the Lord in the temple or have felt that the temple is a holy place. Sharing your own experiences can help students share theirs too.

The Savior is at the center of the temple

The following statements can help students understand how the Savior is at the center of the temple. As students read the statements, invite them to look for a central purpose of the temple.

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

18:59

The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation

President Russell M. Nelson

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. (Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 93–94)

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified:

Elder David A. Bednar

Everything that is learned and all that is done in the temple emphasize the divinity of Jesus Christ and His role in Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness. (David A. Bednar, “Let This House Be Built unto My Name,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 86)

  • What do you feel is important about these statements?

  • Why do you think it is important to know that the temple helps us understand and come to know Jesus Christ better?

If possible, invite students to search temple photos at temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and to explain how a certain image reminds them of Jesus Christ. You may also want to discuss the importance of the phrases “Holiness to the Lord” and “The House of the Lord,” found on each temple.

The following prompts are intended to help students discuss ways they can see the Savior at the center of their temple experience. Invite students to complete these prompts together as small groups. Each group can complete these prompts together on a single sheet of paper.

As you complete the following prompts, think about how the temple reminds you of Jesus Christ.

  1. The white clothing we wear in the temple reminds us of Jesus Christ because …

  2. What we see in the temple reminds us of Jesus Christ because …

  3. What we do in the temple reminds us of Jesus Christ because …

  4. How I prepare to go to the temple reminds me of Jesus Christ because …

When groups finish, you could invite them to share what they wrote with another group in class. By sharing what they learned, they can deepen their understanding and strengthen their testimonies of the Savior.

A desire to be with Jesus Christ in the temple

Consider inviting students to respond to the following questions in their study journals. If possible, you may want to play soft music that can help students think of the temple. Music can help invite the Spirit in gospel learning. You could play music from a hymn about the temple. Or you could play a video of a choir of young women performing “In That Holy Place,” available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

4:36

In That Holy Place

  • What have you discovered or felt today about the Savior as the center of our temple worship?

  • How might what you learned or felt influence the way you prepare for and worship the Lord in His house?

Ensure that students have had sufficient time to respond before inviting willing students to share their thoughts. You may also share ways you make the Savior the center of your temple experience.