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In the Bible the children of Israel would set up their tents surrounding the tabernacle. By doing so, the tabernacle was central to their camp and also to their lives. Symbolically, the temple is central to our lives today. It is in the temple that we receive the greatest blessings that our Heavenly Father has in store for us, his children, and where we are able to perform some of the our most important work. Below you will find testimonies of saints about the blessings that come from visiting the House of the Lord.
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Dear brothers and sisters i want to share with you my testimony about the temple. first time i was there when i was 18. before this trip i had a lot of trials. i wasn't able to pay whole check. but God never leave us alone with our problems. parents of one missionary in my branch helped me and my sister to go to the Temple. it was so important for us. my mother died when i was 10 and since 14 when i first came to church, i wanted to go to the temple and do a work for her and we could be together someday. it was an amazing trip. temple is the best place in the world. i was so happy to be there. me and my sister did a lot of baptisms for people. and finally my older sister made work for our mother. i realized how amazing this work! we can be with our families for eternity. it is so important to go to the temple. we're doing God's work. it is the best blessing to know that my family can be together forever..
it passed almost 4 years since i was in the temple last time. now i feel so strong that i need to go to the temple as soon as i can!! i love temple, i miss temple. i want it come back to my "home". the Holy Ghost there is much stronger than in any place in the world.
Jesus Christ is in my heart.. He is my lovely brother, He is my Saviour. and He loves me. i feel it everyday. gospel blessed my life.
i love my Heavenly Father with all my heart and i'm so thankful that i had an opportunity to find true church! i found the happiness..
"I want to see the Temple
I'll go there someday..."
Kristina Nikogosyan, Russia
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Dear Reader
Needless to say it would be impossible in two paragraphs to adequately express my deep feelings and testimony about the Temple, its place and value in the lives of members of the church or potential members. I personally hold this testimony as one of my most valued possessions in life.
According to the scriptures and revealed word to His prophets, our Father in Heaven has commanded His people in every dispensation including our own last one to build Temples. We know in this dispensation through revelation, we are to attend the Temple frequently to be instructed. You may wonder why?
Much information in the Temple is regarded as sacred and Holy and not intended for the ‘world’. It is reserved for those who are spiritually prepared to receive it and live it. It is wonderfully simple and simply wonderful. It is truly an honor and a life-long possibility to qualify for a recommend to attend the Temple.
Our priority, He instructs, is to first secure for ourselves the critical ordinances, covenants and promised blessings available therein. Our second instruction is then to do the same for our beloved ancestors and any and all others who have lived and passed away without knowledge of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ or binding covenants of the Temple. The Lord’s law of free agency to accept or reject will apply. With implicit instructions like these from a loving and impartial Father in Heaven who knew us and loved us from our pre-mortal beginning with Him, and planned and prepared a way for each of us to return again, we can know for a surety that what we learn and covenant to do in the Temple is precisely what is needed to thwart the constant power of Satan in this world. We can use the marvelous gift of our Savior’s Atonement as we make changes and constantly lift ourselves to become more like the Savior. This is why regular, worthy Temple attendance throughout life, together with the application of the spiritual knowledge we will gain, becomes such an important factor in our earthly progress towards our Heavenly home. It is vital, it is crucial!
Every person living or dead will one day decide what he believes and whom he will follow. Life is so short—it must not be wasted on indecision. My greatest desire and goal in my imperfect way, is to follow the Savior’s plan of Salvation and return to my Father in Heaven having done my very best to become a worthy daughter. I look forward with humble anticipation and gladness to the promised Temple blessings, both here in mortality and in the life to come with my eternal family.
I invite all who read this to earnestly and honestly ponder now where you are spiritually in life and find out for yourself why the Lord commanded us to attend the Temple. I testify it will be a life changing experience—one that will make an eternal difference.
Most sincerely,
Jill L.Jolley, Idaho
_________________________________________________________________Jill L.Jolley, Idaho
Temple worship is our highest form of worship. How we attend and treat the House of the Lord is indicative of our real faith and testimony. Regular attendance at the temple goes to the heart of our true conversion, which is more than just a testimony. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to learn and understand the difference. The beauty of the temple is that all that takes place within its walls is centered on the life and mission of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is much symbolism in the temple. That is how the Savior taught. Our understanding of the importance and meaning of the symbolism in the temple is enhanced by our going to the temple often and permitting the Holy Ghost to teach us the meaning of all that takes place in the temple. (1 Nephi 10:17,9)
Our spiritual self deepens as we find ourselves in that special setting found only in the temple. A spiritual transformation occurs within, if we will let it. Something happens to us that is sometimes difficult to explain. But it is real. Eventually, and hopefully sooner than later, we learn that the power of Godliness is manifest in the temple ordinances. (D&C 84:20-22) We have an inherent right to achieve that power, and to retain that power and let it become a permanent part of us. That is true conversion.
The thing that happens to us eventually, if we so desire and so seek, we become or start to become what we need to become, that is, true disciples of Jesus Christ. Once we embark on that path of discipleship we are anxious to constantly stand in holy places (D&C 101:22), the most important of which is the Holy Temple. We then go to the temple often, not because of a temple assignment we have received from the ward but because of what we are or what we are trying to become.
As we understand and feel the importance of temple worship we come to understand that temple ordinances are inseparably connected with and an extension of the baptismal ordinance and the covenants we make at the time of our baptism, As we partake of the sacrament each week to renew our baptismal covenants, in a real sense we renew the covenants we have made in the temple. I wish I had served as temple president prior to being called as a general authority. Had that been the case, my focus in my work and in all my teachings would have been on temple worthiness, temple ordinances and keeping the sacred covenants we have made in the temple.
All this is true and very important because the true Church has been restored to the earth again. In the name of Jesus Christ – Amen.
J. Kent Jolley, Idaho
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I am just a plain, middle aged woman who is on the second half of her life. I don't come from royalty, from money or from high society. I am not highly intellectual, nor a celebrity, in fact I am no one of consequence and yet I, even I in my lowly state have been visited by God and I know He lives. What is even more amazing is that I don't just know about God ---I HAVE COME TO KNOW GOD. He has been so generous with his Spirit. He has comforted me in my sorrows, He has lifted me in my despairs, He has guided me when I was lost, He has encouraged me in my fears, He has assisted me in my inabilities, He has loved me even though I am imperfect. How grateful I am, beyond my ability to convey, for my Father and My Savior in my life. I have come to KNOW for myself that THEY are the plan of happiness. How I love them.
My trust and faith in God have bloomed within the walls of the temple. That is where I've been tutored from on high, had countless personal revelations, experienced paradigms being enlarged, enjoyed great personal conversions, and found a constant outpouring of love and acceptance from God. When I am in the temple I truly feel like I am home.
Susan Williams, Ohio
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Since the beginning of time God, our eternal Father, has provided sacred places for His children to find peace, comfort, knowledge and personal revelation. The first setting was the Garden of Eden. Since then the locations and grandeur of these settings have varied. They have been in simple places such as the top of a mountain (Sinai was such a place for Moses and the children of Israel) and other times these sacred locations were in elaborate buildings specifically dedicated to God such as Solomon’s Temple. In modern times, these locations have expanded and are located throughout the world.
These “Houses of the Lord” built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are sacred buildings dedicated to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In them we make sacred covenants to serve God. We also promise to keep ourselves clean and pure which enables us to more fully serve God in the way in which he desires us to serve. By doing this he provides among other things, the opportunity to be sealed to our family for time and eternity. As a result, family relationships do not cease at death but stay connected forever.
It is my personal testimony that preparing to attend the temple is a purifying experience and brings one closer to God. As one takes this journey they become more aware of their purpose in life. They come to understand that staying focused on eternity enables them to become the person God intended them to be. In addition, preparing to enter the temple teaches us how to overcome any obstacle that crosses our path. The blessings that come during this journey applies to all who choose to take it. Whether it is the first time we attend, or the 101st time we are attending, the blessings of the journey are the same.
It is also my testimony that in addition to the blessings that come by preparing to enter the temple, there are greater blessings waiting inside. As we cross the temple threshold we literally are entering into God’s house. His Holy Spirit fills the temple and provides peace, comfort, knowledge and personal revelation that can enhance our lives and provide direction on how to find greater happiness and joy.Jay Williams, Ohio
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The temple is the most sacred place on earth. It acts as a portal for our Father to send to righteous individuals revelation and inspiration. When a worthy individual enters the temple, our Father is allowed by eternal law to bless that individual with the things he knows that individual needs. He can only bless us according to our worthiness. In the temple we have the opportunity to be closer to our Father and open our hearts and mind to his promptings. There is no other place on the earth that we can receive that kind of inspiration that we receive in the temple. I am just starting to understand how great that inspiration is. I have learned what a great opportunity it is to be able to feel the spirit and be in the best spiritual environment to commune with Jesus Christ and God the Father.
I am grateful for the opportunity to receive the endowment and sealing the Lord has provided for our spiritual and eternal welfare. It is evident that a loving Heavenly Father wants us to grow and succeed in this life, that we can return to live with him. After this life I want to be with my family and friends for eternity. I also know that I can only be truly happy by obeying the commandments that have been given to help us purify ourselves for the life the Lords wants us to have. We can learn to understand that blessing by attending the temple.
I have a testimony of the temple. It can bless anyone who has the desire to be worthy to enter the temple. I have felt the spirit there and wish that everyone could feel the spirit there. Attending the temple will provide us with the strength and inspiration we need to endure the trials that are ahead of us. It will also prepare us for the life to come. I know these things are true and bear witness of the great blessings we receive in the temple, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Deann Oakey, Utah
What a glorious and wonderful place the temple is. It is a house where we can find peace and instruction. It is a place where we can commune with our Father in Heaven. It is a place where we can feel love, and gain understanding. It is a place where we can find comfort and guidance. I know this to be true because I have experienced all of these blessing and many more while I have sat inside the sacred walls of the temple. I have felt my Heavenly Fathers Spirit and have communed with him. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to experience the closeness of my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ, and have felt the spirit and love of my departed loved ones, as I have sat and ponder and prayed in the temple.
I know that it is vitally important to live a worthy life, to keep the commandments of God and to always listen to and obey the Spirit as it guides us. I know that by doing so I will be reunited with my family and live with them forever. What better promise could we have than to be with our families and to live in the presence of God and our Savior forever?
How blessed we all are to live in a time when we have temples dotting the earth. It is our job to be worthy to attend the temple and then to make sure that we attend. I am grateful for my testimony of the gospel and of temples. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has provided me with the opportunity to gain this knowledge. I know that my Father in Heaven loves me and knows me. I know these things to be true, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Vicki Williams, Utah
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The temple is often called the “Mountain of Lord.” I think this is significant because, like the geological formation we call a mountain, the Mountain of Lord is the highest point on earth, not it terms of altitude, but in holiness. When you are in the temple, you are in the most holy and sacred place on earth. It is no wonder then that while in the temple you feel the strongest personal impressions of revelation. Indeed, the Lord’s prophets gather regularly in the temple to receive revelation because of its holy nature.
It is also significant to me that the temple is dedicated as the “House of the Lord.” I was once asked by a district president in the MTC whether or not I understood why feeling the spirit is different in the temple than it is outside the temple. I told him I did not. He explained that it is different because outside the temple we can feel the Holy Ghost, but when we are in the temple, because it is the Lord’s house, we are actually feeling the Spirit of Christ. What a remarkable blessing that is! Now, whenever I’m in the temple, I pay close attention to the difference I feel in the spirit that is unique to the temple; it is such a warm and loving and powerful spirit. When I consciously focus on the spirit I’m feeling while in the temple, I feel that I’m being wrapped in the loving arms of Jesus Christ. This opportunity to feel of Christ’s spirit is one of the primary reasons why everyone who is worthy to go to the temple absolutely loves being there.
Finally, the temple allows us to accomplish one of the most profoundly merciful and beautiful aspects of the gospel: completing saving ordinances for the dead. Learned men have struggled for centuries with the problem of reconciling the need to follow to the letter the Lord’s commandment to complete saving ordinances such as baptism with the obvious problem that billions of persons have missed the opportunity for such ordinances and countless more will yet miss this opportunity. The great St. Augustine concluded that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob must unfortunately be damned. We have the truth. Just like the atonement, the temple provides a remedy that satisfies both justice and mercy. In the temple, we members of the church complete these saving ordinances in proxy for the dead, so that they may receive the seal of baptism and other ordinances that allow them to continue their progression back to God. What a remarkable doctrine. This is a doctrine that existed in the Early Christian Church and was restored through Joseph Smith in fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, and each of us has the opportunity to be “Saviors on Mount Zion” for our decedent ancestors.
I am so grateful for the gospel which provides a solution to all the problems that we face. I know that doctrine of the temple and the ordinances performed therein are ordained of God and even designed by God. I know that anyone who renders himself or herself to the temple in a worthy state will be rewarded with the most sublime experience of feeling the spirit of Christ. I know that persons who endeavor to complete saving ordinances on behalf of their ancestors will feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction in helping those dear souls that have passed on. That we may all have the opportunity to go to the temple and to return often is my prayer.
Brantley Oakey, Florida
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I don't know that it will help anyone, but I have had difficulty being motivated to go to the temple. My mother asked me if I wanted some family names to do. I agreed. I was very busy when I went in and just thinking about myself and how I needed to do the sessions because of my own lack of spirituality. I received the names in the mail and went to do the initiatories. As I was dressing a strong sensation came over me of someone standing at my shoulder crying and saying thank you over and over. It still affects me to think about it even as I write this. I said that everything was okay, that I was glad to do it for him. I also committed to him that I would do his endowment the next day which I did. I still sense this relative's gratitude and it has led me to believe that the people for whom we do the work have a special interest in us. I would not be surprised to find that Roy checks in on me regularly now and even watches over my family. I do believe that the temple is a place where the people of heaven and the people of earth do meet. That is my simple testimony for whatever it is worth to someone else.
David Vanderbeek, Nevada
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