Principles in the temple

Monday, March 9, 2009

Welcome

Wonderful blessing to be so close to the temple, and to be able to have these special stake temple days

I asked my wife what thought she has about the temple which I could share with you tonight. She only hesitated slightly and then said…"Just go. Don't think about it and worry about it…just go. You'll be glad you did." This from a woman who goes to the temple every week and has for a couple of years now. It's always amazing to me how quickly her temple visit comes up. But she is always happy when she returns.

So I could end my thoughts at that - "Just go!..you'll be glad you did." But I thought I'd touch on a couple of additional concepts that are not unique to temple worship, but which have special meaning in the temple. Those include the concepts of Authority, Covenants, Atonement, and Endowment.

The first concept which has special meaning in the temple is AUTHORITY
○ Sacred authority has been restored in these latter days. President Hinckley explained that “no king, no president of a nation, no official of any entity in the world of which we are a part has any authority over matters beyond the grave. Everyone is helpless before the reach of death, but the humblest, good, righteous high priest who has received the sealing authority may bind in the heavens that which is bound on the earth.”
○ A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I were able to visit the country of Morocco, where we were able to visit the 2nd largest Mosque in the world is located. It was palacial in size, and spectacular in it's intricate design and construction. It occurred to me, what marvels man can create, but without authority from God, there is nothing which is being built by the hands of man which will remain beyond the scope of this life. All is vain - Only by doing that which we are commanded to do, by those in authority, will the things we build haveany eternal consequence. That includes building families which will last for eternity.
○ Today we have served and will continue to serve amongst those with this eternal sealing power…the only authority which reaches beyond the grave. What a blessing it is for us to be here together.

The second concept which has special meaning is COVENANT.
We need to remember that a covenant is a promise.
○ Elder Russell M Nelson teaches us that A covenant made with God should be regarded not as restrictive but as protective. Covenants with Him protect us from danger.
○ This concept is not new. If our water supply is of questionable quality, for example, we filter the water. In this way, only the clean and pure water comes through to nourish us. Similarly, divine covenants shield us, or filter us, from the garbage of the world, and from harm. When we choose to deny ourselves of all ungodliness, we lose nothing of value and gain glory known only to those who obtain eternal life. Keeping a temple covenant is not constraining but enabling. It elevates us beyond limits of our own perspective and power. It is like the difference between plodding through a muddy field and soaring through the skies in a supersonic jet. Keeping a covenant with God is both protective and enabling."
○ In the temple as we make covenants, may we remember what a joy it is to filter out the garbage of the world, enabling us to focus on the glorious things of the kingdom.

A third concept which has important meaning in the temple is Atonement
○ The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the central act of all human history. It is the core of the plan of salvation. Without the infinite Atonement, all mankind would be irretrievably lost. Temple ordinances and covenants teach of the redeeming power of the Atonement. " When we receive the ordinances of the temple, we receive the fullness of the promises available to us through the power of the atonement.
○ The promises we receive in the temple are what motivate us, or entice us to draw closer to the Christ even in a world where human nature would draw us further from him. In the temple, the eternal promises and covenants which tie us to the fullness of the atonement our realized. What a blessing to ponder on the atonement in the temple.

And last, a concept of great meaning in the temple is Endowment.
○ An endowment literally means a gift. This gift is the set of promises and covenants we enter into to learn the conditions and the bounds that the Lord has set for us to live our lives. As we live within these bounds that the Lord has set, then the blessings made available through the atonement take effect in our lives.
○ We receive the endowment as individuals. And only two endowed adults as man and woman are able to be sealed together, forming an eternal family.
○ The temple endowment was given by revelation. Thus, it is best understood by revelation, vigorously sought with a pure heart. President Brigham Young (1801–77) explained that “your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, … and gain your eternal exaltation.” 6

May we all "Just go to the temple"…and not think about it. But when we get here, may we all ponder on authority, on covenants, on the Atonement, and on the Endowment. That we may realize the protective powers of these eternal promises we have made.