My husband and I finally had a chance to do an endowment session this past weekend after almost two years, and boy did I need it.
I wanted to be very selfish about my temple experience.
Life has been… all over the place right now. I try not to be that person who complains the whole time they are pregnant, but man, does it take a toll on my body and my mind.
So I prayed to feel peace.
I prayed to get some guidance.
I prayed to feel some joy and learn something new.
But the whole entire time, I could not stop looking away from the name I held on a little piece of paper in my hand.
Marguerite.
From France in the 1770s.
I don’t know who she is, but my mind kept going back to her.
I was making very real, very essential covenants on her behalf.
If she wanted to accept these covenants and ordinances, her eternal progression would be completely changed.
Did she have kids?
What was her relationship like with her parents?
What were her hopes and dreams, her interests?
What was she doing literally right now?
This little service that I was doing for her could possibly bring her closer to her family members.
And no matter what, it could allow her to return to God’s presence.
“Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.” -The Family: A Proclamation to the World
The temple is all about uniting families, AND allowing individuals to enter into God’s presence.
I tried to focus on finding solutions to my own problems in the temple, but instead I spent the whole session thinking about someone I’ve never met before.
Temple worship is certainly for our own benefit.
But every time we perform an ordinance for someone, whether it’s a baptism or a sealing, we are actually making it possible for someone else to receive a completely transformed future, too.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
3 Responses
True temple worship is not about a temple of brick and mortar [scripturally that is called “The House of the Lord” (Exodus 23:19; 1 Kings 6:1; D&C 58:9; 84:31; 88:137; 109] with all its ordinances and ceremonies created for the living and the dead. True temple worship is about our body temple, whether in mortality or the world of spirits. If we are spiritually awake then we will see the symbolism found in “The House of the Lord,” [temple of brick and mortar]; which is to remind us where the true temple of God really is, which is you and complete its construction!
A temple of brick and mortar [“The House of the Lord”] is important in a telestial and terrestrial (millennial) era where initiates come to learn and gain a knowledge from the Spirit about true temple worship. The point of a temple of brick and mortar [called “The House of the Lord”] is to help each individual awaken from formalism and idolatry and realize that they “are the temple of the living God” [2 Corinthians 6:16]. The “living temple body” is the true temple we are each responsible to create for ourselves! Our “body temple” is the only one needing a conversion into godliness and holiness and every other divine and holy attribute until all our “dead works” [our fallen and carnal nature] are rooted out and our true temple is then manifest through our thoughts, words and deeds via holiness of character!
The Temples of brick and mortar are a beautiful symbol of our living body temple.
There is a phrase on the East side of every LDS Temple, that says: “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” and “THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.” Our own LDS Bible Dictionary defines “HOLINESS” as: [brackets added for clarity]
“According to the Old Testament, things or places were holy that were set apart for a sacred purpose; the opposite of holy is therefore common or profane (1 Sam. 21:5; Ezek. 22:26; 42:20; 44:23; 48:13–15). Similarly, a holy person meant one who held a sacred office. The Israelites were a holy people because they stood in a special relationship to Jehovah. Under the guidance of the Prophets it was seen that what distinguished Jehovah from the gods of the heathen was His personal character. The word holy therefore came to refer to moral character (Lev. 11:44; 19:2; 21:8; Isa. 6:3–8). Israel must be holy in character because the God of Israel was holy (Jer. 7:4–7; see also Matt. 5:48). The Law of Holiness (Lev. 17–26) shows how the attempt was made by means of ceremonial observances to secure this holiness of character. The attempt failed [it will always fail] because the later Jews observed the letter and neglected the spirit; they attached more importance to the ceremonial than to the moral; and the result was a lapse into formalism [a type of idolatry; is modern day Israel doing the same?]. In the writings of the Prophets, it is clearly laid down that the value of worship in the eyes of God depends upon the personal character of the worshipper.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/holiness?lang=eng
Thank you for sharing such a personal experience…
What if we attended the temple, attended sacrament meeting, attended classes, quorum, and Relief Society with focused intention. Especially the intention to bless someone other than ourselves.
We talk about baptisms for the dead and other temple ordinances so often without the realization…or intention…that on the other side of that ordinance is a very real person, hopefully choosing to accept it and maybe very excited about what is being done for them in that moment!
Yes, being both in the temple and in church on Sundays is great, but it is so much better when our focus is on helping others…on both sides of the veil. It can make all the difference.
Wonderful story…thank you again.
I love that idea of focused intention! Thank you for sharing!