Joint RS/Priesthood/Laurels
Why Temples?
Temples focus our attention by their appearance and also by what is taught within them.
In the temple we learn fundamental things on how to be like Heavenly Father.
When temples are dedicated they are given to Heavenly Father and He is invited to come there.
“I have a session with the missionary groups as they go out, in the temple, where they are permitted to ask intimate questions that wouldn’t be proper to be discussed elsewhere. They sometimes ask, Could you tell us a certain place in the temple where the Savior has been seen? My answer is, ‘Keep in mind that this is the house of the Lord; this is the place that we try to keep as pure and holy and sacred as any building we have. This is the most likely place he would come when he comes on earth. Don’t ask for a certain place because he has walked these halls. How do you know but what he is here in your midst?” (Harold B Lee, Ensign, Nov. 1971, pp. 12–13.)
John 17:3
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Doctrine and Covenants 109:15
15 And that they may grow up in thee, and receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost, and be organized according to thy laws, and be prepared to obtain every needful thing;
John A Widsoe, in Conference Report, Apr. 1922, pp. 97–98
“Temple work … gives a wonderful opportunity for keeping alive our spiritual knowledge and strength. … The mighty perspective of eternity is unraveled before us in the holy temples; we see time from its infinite beginning to its endless end; and the drama of eternal life is unfolded before us. Then I see more clearly my place amidst the things of the universe, my place among the purposes of God; I am better able to place myself where I belong, and I am better able to value and to weigh, to separate and to organize the common, ordinary duties of my life so that the little things shall not oppress me or take away my vision of the greater things that God has given us.”
The Priesthood and You, Melchizedek Priesthood Lessons—1966, Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1966, page 293
“The temple is a place of instruction where profound truths pertaining to the Kingdom of God are unfolded. It is a place of peace where minds can be centered upon things of the spirit and the worries of the world can be laid aside. In the temple we take covenants to obey the laws of God, and promises are made to us, conditioned always on our faithfulness, which extend into eternity”
Attending the temples helps us overcome selfishness.
We empower ourselves at the temple. We empower those we pray for there. We empower our dead, who have not received all that God had for them in this life.
If everyone was allowed in the temple the environment would be less peaceful and more of a tourist experience.
The temple is also about commitment. It would be disruptive if uncommitted people were allowed to walk around in there.
From a handout from the teacher:
Transcribed:
We live below our previous existence...Worldly natural man-immorality, criticism, hate, envy, competition, pride, murder, iniquity, lying, strife, contention, hypocritical, bondage, despising others, costly apparel, robbings, whoredoms, popularity, lazy, selfishness (what's in it for me?), love of money, priestcraft, vanity, unrighteous judgement and dominion, apathy, flattery, idolatry, dissension, hardened hearts (Alma 1 and 5)
Preoccupied with things of the world, too often watching our clocks and our pocketbooks, looking down and not up, we find our "love" and focus on worshipping the works of our hands (3 Nephi 21:17), on class and rank (Mosiah 27), being critical of others, judging them to be a thing of naught. We try to climb the worldly ladder to be smarter or richer or prettier than our neighbor and seek for the praise of the worlds lowly standard.(1 Nephi 13:9).
Sunday School
Old Testament Lesson 32
What kind of man was Job?
He avoided evil, was wealthy and humble, had integrity, strengthened the weak, had compassion, walked in the way of the Lord, and prayed for his enemies.
What were Job's trials?
He lost his wealth and children, had extreme pain, had friends turn on him, was confused as to why these things were happening to him, people delighted in his downfall, and had a feeling of being forsaken.
Was Heavenly Father surprised that Satan presented this plan to go against Job? Did Father already know what trials Job would have to go through in our lives?
Could the story of Job give us a peek into how trials work behind the scenes? Does Satan need permission from God to afflict us? Are there boundaries Father gives?
We are told we are given no more than we can handle. Are we not only given what will be for our own good? To see that good we have to look beyond our current condition and even beyond the existences of this mortal life. What may be for our good in the long term, may be terribly painful in the here and now. Satan would have you believe that God is cruel. God has the perspective that nothing lasts forever in mortality. Pain and suffering all pass, even death is a temporary thing.
If there is always adequate moisture for a plant, then there is no need for the plant to grow strong roots. Without strong roots a plant can be blown over or in times of severe drought, it will die. Short periods of drought and suffering is good for the plant in the long term.
If things always go well in our lives, then we will never have need to grow stronger and little things will be massive trials in our perspective. We will also not grow the character of God within us.
Elder Joseph B Wirthlin, PERSONAL INTEGRITY, April 1990 General Conference
"I have felt impressed to speak today about the need for integrity—old-fashioned, personal, practical integrity. To me, integrity means always doing what is right and good, regardless of the immediate consequences. It means being righteous from the very depth of our soul, not only in our actions but, more importantly, in our thoughts and in our hearts. Personal integrity implies such trustworthiness and incorruptibility that we are incapable of being false to a trust or covenant."
Integrity is always doing what is right even when no one is around.
A building that has integrity holds up to the forces around it.
Sacrament Service
Several people that worked on the play Savior of the World spoke of their experiences.
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