Q&A:
Questions and Answers

Answers are intended for help and perspective, not as pronouncements of Church doctrine.

My family is getting ready to be sealed in the temple. Everyone says it is wonderful, but I’m nervous about what is going to happen. Could you help me understand the sealing process so I will be better prepared?

New Era

• Prayer is key to preparation for entering the temple. Specifically pray for a good experience at the temple.

• Study Doctrine and Covenants 131 and 132. Discuss any questions you might have with your family.

• Write a letter to your family expressing why you are happy to be sealed to them. Keep a copy in your journal.

• Prepare yourself continuously by maintaining high standards—worthiness is key to a good experience at the temple.

Most new experiences are a legitimate cause for apprehension, and as exciting as it is to be sealed as a family, it’s natural that you might also be a bit worried.

In the temple we make covenants and receive instruction for this life and the next. Covenants are promises we make with God and thus are very sacred and important. Because of the sacred nature of these covenants, most of the things that take place in the temple are only discussed in very general terms when we are outside the temple. Because of that, some people speculate that there is something scary or mysterious happening there. Nothing could be further from the truth. President Howard W. Hunter said, “The temple is a place of beauty, it is a place of revelation, it is a place of peace. It is the house of the Lord. It is holy unto the Lord. It should be holy unto us” (Ensign, July 1994, 5).

At the temple, there is always someone nearby to help you or answer questions. While you are in the temple to be sealed to your parents, you will be with either an escort or your parents at all times.

Knowing that the temple is a safe, welcoming place is a large part of feeling good about going there. The other part is up to you. To have a good experience at the temple, you must be prepared.

First, let’s talk about worthiness, which is a very important part of preparing for the temple. Your bishop will interview you before you go to the temple and ask you questions about how you live your life. If you’ve been to the temple to do baptisms, you’re familiar with those questions. If this is your first trip to the temple, talk to your bishop about what the interview will be like. He can also answer questions you might have.

Here are some suggestions you might want to think about as you prepare to go to the temple:

• Pray always. Being prayerful will keep you close to our Father in Heaven.

• Read your scriptures. The more familiar you are with the scriptures, the more familiar the temple will seem.

• Attend your church meetings. Pay special attention to the sacrament.

• Read about the temple. Your meetinghouse library should have some books you can borrow. The Holy Temple, by Elder Boyd K. Packer, is a great book. Also look into the booklet Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, available through Church distribution.

• If possible, visit the grounds of the temple the day before the sealing. Think about the sacredness of the temple and the blessings you and your family will receive through the sealing ordinances.

• Write your feelings about your family in your journal. List reasons you are grateful you will be sealed to them.

• Ask your father or your home teachers for a blessing. The power of the priesthood can help you understand the importance of what takes place in the temple and can reassure you before you take this important step.

Readers

When I was 13 my family was sealed in the Cardston Alberta (Canada) Temple. I don’t remember much, but I do remember the feeling I had while I was there. Always remember that being sealed to your family is one of the greatest blessings you can have.

Melissa Johnson, 16
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Getting sealed in the temple is very special. My family was sealed in the temple when I was nine years old. While we were in the temple, we were taught that we had to continue to live worthy if we wanted to be together forever. That teaching has stayed with me and motivated me to try my best to do what is right. I want to be with my family forever.

Betphina Mathipa, 15
Potgietersrus, South Africa

I have found that reading the scriptures and praying for confidence and courage will better prepare you for anything. Read about the ordinance of sealing and pray for the comfort of the Holy Ghost.

David Graney, 16
Kent, Washington

Don’t be nervous about heeding the Lord’s commandments. Prepare yourself to go to the temple by trusting in Heavenly Father and by reading the scriptures. Remember that your family is very important to you.

Lisa Bell, 18
Tucson, Arizona

If you and your parents are going to be sealed, that is wonderful! I am sealed to my family, and it helps our relationship in many ways. It is normal to be nervous, but remember that being sealed is a wonderful thing.

Shalauna Morgan, 13
Boise, Idaho

Photography by Welden Andersen; posed by models

In 1832, Joseph Smith received this instruction from the Lord about building temples: “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even 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” (D&C 88:119). The same guidelines exist for all temples today, which makes them comfortable, wonderful places for those who are prepared and worthy. (Painting Brother Joseph by David Lindsley.)