Sunday Report

The lesson this Sunday was a continuation of the 3rd hour joint discussion on temple worship from last Sunday and was given by Becky Sandoval.

Temples provide the sacred opportunity to enter into the house of the Lord and make covenants on our own behalf, to provide ordinances for those who have gone beyond the veil and to bind families for eternity and is a place of personal revelation and inspiration.

David O. McKay in an address (click HERE to read his address) to missionaries receiving their endowment, spoke of some being disappointed in their first visit to the temple because they were not used to the symbolic nature of the teachings in the temple and were so focused on the mechanics of the endowment and not the spiritual nature of the temple. We likened it to the many ways a flag symbolizes a country. It is much more than fabric on a stick, it represents freedom, sacrifice, liberty and many more layers of meaning. We participate weekly in a symbolic act in partaking of the sacrament in remembrance of the body and blood of Christ and His atoning sacrifice. It also represents the bread of life and living waters.
Baptism also has symbolism of a bath to wash us clean from sin, a new life and rebirth in Christ and a tomb in the burial of the natural man and resurrection through Jesus Christ.

The scriptures are a great source for gaining better understanding of the covenants made in the temple.

In the 47th chapter of Ezekiel, he saw in vision the living waters flowing out of the temple and everywhere it flowed, it brought living, healing water. Ezekiel was instructed to wade into the water and it came to his ankles. He was told to walk farther down the river and the water rose to his loins. Upon entering again and again, the waters rose over his head, cool, refreshing, healing water to swim in and immerse himself in.
In our first visit to the temple, we barely get our feet wet, but as we wade in again and again, we will find great meaning and waters to swim in.
If we continue to attend the temple, even if it is only out of faith and service to others, we will eventually need to focus less and less on the mechanics and more on the spiritual teachings in the temple.

We can receive guidance for ourselves and our family and find answers to our questions both spiritual and temporal that can come to us in serving in the temple.
The temple is a place of peace, love and refuge from the world. Let us renew our efforts to learn and grow in our temple experience.