Today, being the first Sunday of the month, we have a new theme, that being "Temples" and, appropriately enough, Sister Julie Kirk presented the Presidency message from this talk given by Elder Bednar in 2009 which focuses on preparation for and individual worthiness to receive and honor temple covenants.
Sister Kirk began by showing us a video (the name of which I, unfortunately did not capture). The video depicted a group of Young Women in Southern Utah as they participated in a 15-mile hike in the terrain around Manti. As the girls and their leaders walked together, the difficulties they encountered were compared with the obstacles which may stand in our way in reaching the goal of gaining a temple recommend. There may have been some who had not prepared themselves quite enough for the hike, maybe there were rough patches, places where they felt they could not continue on, physical limitations and various other examples. These young women demonstrated great comaraderie and a willingness to detour on their personal journey and all go back up the trail to lend aid to one who was struggling, so that no one was left behind. As they completed 7 miles of the hike and began coming down the canyon, the beautiful Manti temple was in their sight for the next 8 miles. All they had to do for strength, inspiration and encouragement was look ahead to that glorious beacon where their journey would be complete with peace, love and the knowledge that they were where they belonged.
As we travel on our life journey, we need to keep the temple always in our sights, work on those things that may be holding us back and watch out for each other along the way.
Elder Bednar speaks in his talk of the time when he was called to be a stake president. He asked his friend, now a temple worker, who had just been released as a stake president to teach him what he might do to become an effective stake president. The response given was one, it turns out, that had a powerful impact on Elder Bednar's service in his new office. His friend shared that his wish would be that he could have been a temple worker prior to his own service as a stake president, because he would have done things much differently. He was a good stake president, but he said: "...serving in the temple has expanded my vision. If I were called today to serve as a stake president, my primary focus would be on worthiness to receive and honor temple covenants. I would make temple preparation the center of all that we did. I would do a better job of shepherding the Saints to the house of the Lord."
This conversation helped Elder Bednar, as a stake president, "to teach...about and testify of the eternal importance of the blessings of the temple worship." His presidency had the desire for "every member of the stake to ...receive the blessings of the temple, to be worthy of and to use frequently, a temple recommend."
Under Sister Kirk's direction, we continued to share and discuss Elder Bednar's thoughts on preparing for and partaking of the blessings of the temple ordinances. He pointed out that the Prophet Joseph Smith declared, "that...the divine purpose of gathering the people of God is to build temples so His children can receive the highest ordinances and thereby gain eternal life...This essential relationship between the principle of gathering and the building of temples is highlighted in the Book of Mormon:
"Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor, and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted." (Alma 26:5)
Elder Bednar specifies that 'sheaves' represent the gathering of the Saints, the newly baptized members in particular, and the 'garners' represent the holy temple. The house of the Lord is a protective area which helps to guard against the influences of the world. This is expressed in Alma 26:6, "Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them."
A quotation from Elder Dallin H. Oaks reveals that as we renew our baptismal covenant by partaking of the Sacrament, we "do not witness that we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. [Rather], we witness that we are willing to do so. (Doc. & Cov. 20:77). The fact that we only witness to our willingness suggests that something else must happen before we actually take that sacred name upon us in the [ultimate and] most important sense." As Elder Bednar expressed, baptism is only the first step that points clearly to future events and looks forward to the temple.
Modern day revelation has made it clear that temples are houses built unto the Lord. Elder Bednar reminds us of the Dedicatory Prayer for the Kirtland temple in which the Prophet Joseph Smith asked the Father: "...that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them." Also, a blessing was sought "over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house."
Our participation in the Gospel is a continual progression. We must ever move forward so that we will not begin to slide backwards. As we rise from the waters of baptism, we should be looking to the temple where the process of taking upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ can be continued and enlarged. In partaking of the sacrament we pledge to always remember the Savior and keep His commandments. This pledge will prepare us to participate in the temple ordinances to receive the highest blessings available through "the name and by the authority of the Lord, Jesus Christ."
Elder Bednar, in interviews with former members of the Seventy who have subsequently been called as temple presidents, frequently asks them, "what have you learned as a temple president that you wish you had better understood when you were a General Authority?" He has found a consistent theme in their answers that expresses a better understanding of the protection available through our temple covenants and what it means to make an "acceptable offering of temple worship."
"There is a difference between church-attending, tithe-paying members who occasionally rush into the temple to go through a session and those members who faithfully and consistently worship in the temple."
In class, we read Elder Bednar's quotations from the Dedicatory Prayer at the Kirtland temple in which the Prophet Joseph Smith said, "We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship, and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity..."
This request is followed by a number of specific blessings sought to be bestowed upon the people of the church if they were faithful to their covenants and promises made in the temple. Elder Bednar urges us all to consider the verses in Doc. & Cov. 109:24-28 which relate to the efforts of the adversary in our lives. He offers that the covenant blessings of the temple are to all generations and for all eternity. He encourages all to study and ponder prayerfully the implication these scriptures may have on each of our lives and that of our families. Also, we should consider Doc. & Cov. 101:65 which entreats us to gather together and garner for celestial glory.
Even though we may face challenges and trials, we can seek refuge from the storms of adversity in the temple of our Lord where we will find a peaceful, calm spirit to soothe our wounds and worries.
Elder Bednar issues invitations to all within the church to receive the blessings available only in the holy temple. Young men, Young women and children are encouraged to be worthy, steadfast and to look forward to the day they will be able to receive the ordinances and blessings of the temple. Those individuals who should have, but have not yet received these ordinances are encouraged, regardless of the reason for delay, to begin making the spiritual preparations that will enable them to enter the temple to receive the blessings available only in that holy place. For individuals who have received the ordinances of the temple, but for various reasons have not returned, he urges them to repent, prepare and do whatever needs to be done so they can again worship in the temple, remember and honor their sacred covenants. To those members who hold current temple recommends and strive to worthily use them, he commends their faithfulness and devotion.
For those of us in class today, Sister Kirk handed out copies of the Oakland Temple Dedicatory Prayer given by President David O. McKay. She encouraged each of us to become acquainted with the unique history of the Oakland temple and how it came to be where it is. Sister Martin mentioned that there is a binder available at the recommend desk upon entering the Oakland temple that details this impressive history. We are so fortunate to have a temple so close to where we live and we should make a strong effort to go there frequently to provide service to our ancestors and to partake of the Spirit for ourselves.
It was suggested, as has been mentioned before, that if we will consecrate the days we plan to attend the temple to that purpose, the Lord will help deflect the obstacles and difficulties that frequently beset us when we simply decide that maybe we should go. Each and every time we attend the temple we receive blessings. All we need is to ask for our eyes and hearts to be opened to these blessings, no matter how large or small, and they will be made apparent to help us gain a stronger testimony of the special service we are rendering.
A quotation from President Brigham Young reminds us that even though the early Saints faced many trials and made much sacrifice in building the temples, it was well worth it. We, too, in making the necessary sacrifices of our modern lives in order to attend the temple will find that it is worth it, as well.
In closing, Sister Kirk played another short video of President Monson in a general conference address where he spoke about the sacrifices, faith and fasting displayed by a family in their efforts to reach their goal of temple attendance far away from their homeland to receive sacred blessings and seal their families for eternity. It took them 4 long years of separation, hard labor and deprivation, but they made it happen. The story of these dedicated Saints serves as an inspiration for each of us to renew our efforts to do what is needed to receive the ordinances, make holy covenants and insure the blessings of eternal importance to ourselves and our families in the house of the Lord.
May we all work to embrace temple attendance in our lives as often as possible.
Your bloggess,
Karen
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