2014
Questions and Answers: Making the Temple Part of My Life
February 2014

“Questions and Answers: Making the Temple Part of My Life,” New Era, Feb. 2014, 42–43

Questions & Answers

“The temple is so far away that I don’t get to attend very often. How can the temple be a bigger part of my life today?”

If you do your best to attend as often as you can, the Lord will be pleased with your efforts. When you can’t attend the temple, there are many things you can do to make the temple a bigger part of your life:

  • Live worthy to enter the temple. Living up to the standards needed to enter the Lord’s house means we are always ready to be in His presence.

  • Plan to receive your own endowment and be married in the temple. Setting a goal to receive these essential ordinances will keep you focused on the temple.

  • Dress modestly. This will help prepare you to receive your own endowment.

  • Study scriptures relevant to the temple (for example, Exodus 26–29; Leviticus 8; D&C 97; 109; 110; 124:25–42; Moses 2–5). The October 2010 Ensign was all about the temple too.

  • Learn about your ancestors (visit FamilySearch.org) and see that temple ordinances are performed for them.

  • Ask others what the temple means to them and share your testimony that the temple truly is the house of the Lord.

  • Help make your home like the temple: “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 109:8).

You could prayerfully choose one or two of these ideas to try this month. They will help you feel the Spirit and learn more about the temple.

Think How Temples Bless Your Life

If we take temples for granted, they are far from our hearts. We need to think of the blessings the temple can bring us and go when we can. Even if you are only able to make a few visits a year, you can make them more meaningful by bringing family names or fasting. The Spirit in the Lord’s house is special—you want to make your visit count.

Benjamin S., 18, Utah, USA

Remain Pure and Worthy

The temple brings happiness in my life today. As I go to the temple, I learn more about our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. My labors in the temple strengthen and refine my spirituality. I gain a better understanding of our purpose in life. The temple brings me courage in handling trials and temptations and gives me strength to overcome my weaknesses. The temple is the only place where we can be sealed together as eternal families, so I will prepare to enter the temple and remain pure and worthy.

Mickaella B., 16, Philippines

Keep the Spirit of the Temple

It takes seven hours for me to get to the Frankfurt Germany Temple, so my family and I can go only twice a year for one week at a time. But when I have an additional opportunity to go, I take it because I know that it will be a great blessing. I keep the spirit of the temple by reading my scriptures every day. I use my temple recommend as a bookmark. Each time I see my recommend, I ask myself questions to make sure I am worthy of attending the temple. This strengthens me and helps me feel the Spirit. Even though the temple is far from home, I can still strive to live as if I could enter every day.

Lise G., 17, France

Prepare Yourself

Attending the temple two or three times a year is good, so long as we do so with a sincere and pure heart. We can encourage our Church leaders to organize trips to the temple. When we are not able to attend, let’s try to prepare ourselves so that when the time comes, we can go with great joy. Our lives are busy, but prophets have promised that if we go to the house of the Lord, we will be blessed.

Krista L., 16, Paraguay

Display a Picture of the Temple

Try framing your favorite picture of the temple with the words “I will go inside someday!” Put it in your room so you can see it every day. Make a list of things you will do and not do so you can be worthy to enter the temple. Put the list next to the picture.

Christian J., 13, Idaho, USA

Read in Your Journal about Past Temple Visits

Write in your journal about your time at the temple and then read these pages when you are home. This will help you remember the feelings you had. It is especially important to record personal revelation. When I was attending the temple, I tried to listen to the Spirit very carefully because He is always ready to help us learn. Every time I listened, I discovered new truths about Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father as well as about temple work. When I focus on spiritual things while in the temple, I value it even more and the temple becomes very meaningful in my life.

Ol’ga Z., 18, Belarus

Do Family History

I think that doing family history work is about as close as you can get to being in the temple without being in the temple. You can give the names that you find to people in your family or ward to take to the temple. If you do family history and keep your house a holy place, you are going to be close to the temple while you are still miles away from it.

Katelyn B., 13, Utah, USA