Relief Society Lesson: Sunday, Mar 2nd

We had such a touching lesson given by Sister Lisa Lara this week.  So many thoughts and emotions were stirred and there weren't many dry eyes in the room.  The temple is such a blessing in our lives and we so appreciate the reminder of the importance of having temples here on earth this day.  We left feeling truly uplifted!

In preparation for the Stake Temple Day on March 19th, the lesson was given on Temples. Elder Franklin D. Richards gave a wonderful talk in 1984 entitled 'Happiness and Joy in Temple Work'.  He teaches us that there are three reasons for having temples. The first is for the living so that we can receive saving ordinances such as the endowment, eternal marriage and sealing ordinances. These all must be performed in a temple. Through the instruction in the temple many answers are given to the question "What is the purpose of life?" President Boyd K. Packer reminds us that the covenants we make in the temple are "credentials for admission into God's presence. To worthily receive them is the quest of a lifetime; to keep them thereafter is the challenge of mortality."

The second reason we have temples is for the dead. Temple worship allows us to do this same ordinance work for our kindred dead and for others, an opportunity to serve. Together with family history work, this service for the dead gives us eternal satisfaction as we help those on the other side of the veil. Sis. Colleen Wagner shared her joy with us as she excitedly told us about her ability to be able to do temple work for her deceased brother. 

The final reason we have temples on the earth is to provide us a retreat from the vicissitudes of life, a place of prayer and meditation providing an opportunity to receive inner peace, inspiration, guidance, and, requently, solutions to the problems that vex our daily lives. President Monson has said, "I think there is no place in the world where I feel closer to the Lord than in one of His holy temples. To paraphrase a poem:

How far is heaven?
It's not very far.
In temples of God,
It's right where we are."

There were so many wonderful comments from Deanna Allred, Pat Jentzsch, Kathy Hall, and Carol Petersen about their tender feelings for the temple and the work we do there. Elder Richards reminds us that "The story of temple work is a story of love - the love of God for man, and of men for God and for each other."

You can see the entire talk given by Elder Richards HERE