TEMPLES

"I express my profound thanks to a loving Heavenly Father who gives to you, to me, and to all who sincerely seek, the knowledge that death is not the end, that His Son--even our Savior Jesus Christ--died that we might live. Temples of the Lord dot the lands of many countries. Sacred covenants are made. Celestial glory awaits the obedient. Families can be together forever." ~ President Thomas S. Monson, "The Profound Power of Gratitude", Ensign, September 2005

"Any work you do in the temple is time well spent, but receiving ordinances vicariously for one of your own ancestors will make the time in the temple more sacred, and even greater blessings will be received." ~ Elder Richard G. Scott, "The Joy of Redeeming the Dead", Ensign, November 2012

"My brothers and sisters, temples are more than stone and mortar. They are filled with faith and fasting. They are built of trials and testimonies. They are sanctified by sacrifice and service." ~President Thomas S. Monson, "The Holy Temple - A Beacon to the World", Ensign, May 2011

"The attributes by which we shall be judged one day are all spiritual. These include love, virtue, integrity, compassion, and service to others. Your spirit, coupled with and housed in your body, is able to develop and manifest these attributes in ways that are vital to your eternal progression. Spiritual progress is attained through the steps of faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, including the endowment and sealing ordinances of the holy temple." ~ Elder Russell M. Nelson, "Thanks Be to God", April 2012 General Conference

"Worthiness to hold a temple recommend gives us the strength to keep our temple covenants. How do we personally gain that strength? We strive to obtain a testimony of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the reality of the Atonement, and the truthfulness of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration. We sustain our leaders, treat our families with kindness, stand as a witness of the Lord’s true Church, attend our Church meetings, honor our covenants, fulfill parental obligations, and live a virtuous life. You may say that sounds like just being a faithful Latter-day Saint! You are right. The standard for temple recommend holders is not too high for us to achieve. It is simply to faithfully live the gospel and follow the prophets." ~ Elder Robert D. Hales, "Coming to Ourselves: The Sacrament, the Temple, and Sacrifice in Service", April 2012 General Conference


"The all-important and crowning blessings of membership in the Church are those blessings which we receive in the temples of God"
~President Thomas S. Monson, "The Holy Temple—a Beacon to the World", 2011 General Conference

"There is nothing that has come or will come into your family as important as the sealing blessings. There is nothing more important than honoring the marriage and family covenants you have made or will make in the temples of God." ~President Henry B. Eyring, Families under Covenant, April 2012 General Conference

“Melchizedek Priesthood holders who are fathers in sealed families have been taught what they must do. There is nothing that has come or will come into your family as important as the sealing blessings. There is nothing more important than honoring the marriage and family covenants you have made or will make in the temples of God.” ~President Henry B. Eyring, Families under Covenant, General Conference, Apr. 2012

"The greatest of all the blessings of the priesthood are bestowed in holy temples of the Lord. Fidelity to covenants made there will qualify you and your family for the blessings of eternal life." ~Elder Russell M. Nelson , Face the Future with Faith, General Conference, April 2011

"When we keep the temple covenants we have made and when we live righteously…, we have no reason to worry or to feel despondent."~Elder Richard Scott, Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need, General Conference, Apr 2009

CAPSTONE:

When I was in my early teens, I used to memorize all of the temples. Even though we were told that one day temples would dot the earth, I never realized I would be around to witness that. Now as the number of temples exceed 100, I also realize the importance of having so many. Elder Nelson tells us that "the greatest blessings of the Priesthood are bestowed in holy temples of the Lord." If I want to keep progressing in this mortal life and onto the next life as a resurrected being, I must learn all that I can by attending the temple regularly. Each time I go to the temple, I look for new things to learn. In the temple after receiving our own endowment, we then return and act as proxy's for those who have gone before. This is a service and sacrifice that will make us happy and give us peace. The happiest times in my life have been in the temple. Surrounded by the ones I love, I feel closest to my Savior while in the temple. It is a glimpse of heaven here on earth. I am so grateful for this sacred opportunity to make covenants with my Heavenly Father and to serve those that have gone before me.