Lesson 3

Temple Work

Brings Blessings

The Lord has always commanded his

people to build temples

He has revealed work to be done in them

Tabernacle of Moses – ~1480 BC

Solomon’s Temple - ~950 BC

The Temple of Herod – 19 to 4 BC

The Temple of Herod – 19 to 4 BC

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

Temples are built to surround altars

Abraham built an altar

Adam & Eve built an altar

Abraham built an altar

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

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

Building the Kirtland Temple

The command to build a templeConstruction 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

A Trial of FaithFor 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 1836.

Our Heritage A Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, p.21

The Dedication … A spiritual feast

Vision

Angels

The Spirit filled

the Saints

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?

Joseph organized to build a temple We must organize to attend the temple

Joseph prepared every needful thing to build a temple

We must prepare every needful thing to attend the temple

Joseph established the temple as a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, and a house of learning

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

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 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

How can we liken these verses to us?

The Dedicatory Prayer

Blessings of the templeI 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

Enjoy the temple!!

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?