Temple Work Brings Blessings. Lesson 3

Transcription

1 Temple Work Brings Blessings Lesson 3

2 The Lord has always commanded his people to build temples He has revealed work to be done in them

3 Tabernacle of Moses ~1480 BC

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5 Solomon s Temple - ~950 BC

6 The Temple of Herod 19 to 4 BC

7 The Temple of Herod 19 to 4 BC

8 The Nephites had Temples (This might not actually be one of them)

9 Temples are built to surround altars Adam & Eve built an altar Abraham built an altar Abraham built an altar

10 Because of apostasy, all of these temples eventually lost their true purposes and were destroyed. Temple work in its fulness has been restored in our day through the Prophet Joseph Smith

11 Command to build a Temple In December 1832 the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that he should build a temple "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

12 Building the Kirtland Temple

13 The command to build a temple Construction of the temple became the main priority of the Church in Kirtland between 1833 and 1836, although the Saints lacked both workers and money. Eliza R. Snow said: "At that time... the Saints were few in number, and most of them very poor. Had it not been for the assurance that God had spoken, and had commanded that a house should be built to his name, of which he not only revealed the form, but also designated the dimensions, an attempt towards building that Temple, under the then existing circumstances, would have been, by all concerned, pronounced preposterous." Our Heritage A Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, p.21

14 A Trial of Faith For three years they labored on the building. Besides the construction skill and effort provided by the men, the women spun and knit in order to clothe those who were working. Later they made the curtains that partitioned the rooms. Construction was made more difficult by mob threats to destroy the temple, and those who worked by day guarded the temple by night. But after the Saints' immense sacrifices of time and resources, the temple was finally completed in the spring of Our Heritage A Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, p.21

15 The Dedication A spiritual feast Vision Angels The Spirit filled the Saints

16 The Dedicatory Prayer The Dedicatory Prayer (D&C 109) was revealed to the Prophet Joseph. In it, the Lord refers to guidance he gave in Section 88 when he asked Joseph to build a House. And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith; 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 Why, after the temple has been completed, should the Lord say: Organize yourselves? Prepare every needful thing?

17 The Dedicatory Prayer How can we liken these verses to us? Joseph organized to build a temple Joseph prepared every needful thing to build a temple Joseph established the temple as a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, and a house of learning Joseph instituted the School of the Prophets in the Kirtland temple. They assembled a library and taught the doctrines of the gospel in the temple We must organize to attend the temple We must prepare every needful thing to attend the temple We must do more than attend the temple. For us, the temple should be considered a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, and... A house of learning We won't be studying books in the temple. But we can study them beforehand and after, inspired by what we learn in the temple, and we can seek learning even by study and even by faith

18 Blessings of the temple I picture you coming to the temple to be sealed for time and for all eternity. I yearn to talk to you about the sacred sealing ordinance, but this we do not do outside those sacred walls. The transcendent nature of all that is conferred upon us at the marriage altars so marvelous that it is worth all of the waiting and all of the resisting... The exalted concept of marriage and courtship and of romantic love as taught in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that they are ordained of God It has no bounds. Love like this may have a beginning, but never, throughout all eternity need it have an end. Boyd K. Packer, Eternal Marriage, BYU Devotional 1970

19 Enjoy the temple!!

20 Doctrine & Covenants 109:10 12, 22 23, 59, 67, 72, 75 Consider these blessings mentioned by the Lord The Lord s glory will be upon His people. The Lord s servants will leave the temple with the Lord s power, name, and glory, and angels will have charge over them. The Lord s servants will take the truth of the gospel from the temple to the ends of the earth. Stakes will be organized so that the Lord s people may be gathered. All of scattered Israel will learn the truth and rejoice. The families of the Saints and all of their sick and afflicted will be remembered before the Lord. The Lord s kingdom will fill the whole earth. The Lord s servants will someday be caught up to meet the Lord and will be with Him forever. How do you feel when you consider these wonderful blessings promised to those who attend the temple worthily and honor their covenants?