The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has built over a hundred beautiful temples all around the world. With spires reaching toward the heavens, these buildings look like mighty cathedrals. What is the purpose of the temple?
The temple is a holy place where the Spirit of God feels free to dwell. Only the finest materials are used in the construction. The building is dedicated to the worship of God, and while there, patrons make promises to Heavenly Father and renew the promises they’ve already made. A feeling of peace pervades the atmosphere as the patrons put aside their worries for a time and concentrate on the things of the spirit.
In order to enter a temple, you must have a temple recommend. This is a card much like a driver’s license which indicates that you have met with your bishop and stake president to determine your worthiness to go to the temple. Your leaders ask you a series of questions, ranging from moral cleanliness to the Word of Wisdom, and they specifically ask you about your testimony of Jesus Christ.
Once you have obtained the recommend, you can go through the temple for yourself, meaning that you promise Heavenly Father that you will be obedient to His commandments. After that, when you attend the temple, you will go through in behalf of a deceased person. We believe that there are many who have passed on who would like their temple work done for them, but as they are dead, cannot do it for themselves. As we go to the temple, we give them the chance. They can then accept or reject the work that has been done for them.
Many mistakenly believe that the temple ordinances are secret – they aren’t secret, but are sacred. Just as we wouldn’t cheapen the name of the Lord through constant repetition, we choose to preserve the sacredness of the temple ordinance by leaving the things of the temple within the temple. This is why we don’t speak of them.
Attending the temple brings great peace, and great blessings. One of the most wonderful blessings of the temple is the chance to be sealed to our loved ones for eternity. We believe that when a man and woman go to the temple and are married by one who holds authority, they can be husband and wife forever, and not just for this life. They can also go later, after having been married civilly, should they choose to do so. I’ll blog in more detail on this at another time.
The temples are a choice blessing to us, a sacred, holy place where we can feel the spirit more abundantly than anywhere else on earth. How grateful I am to have them.
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