"Temples, Houses of the Lord Dotting the Earth"

Last updated on June 23rd, 2024 at 09:06 pm

General Conference Applied

S3 E9 – Sunday, June 16, 2024 | “Temples, Houses of the Lord Dotting the Earth” by Elder Neil L. Andersen; April 2024 General Conference

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Podcast Episode Outline

Introduction

Doctrine: Ordinances: “Other saving ordinances—the endowment and the marriage sealing—are performed only in temples. The temple is one of the most sacred places on earth. It is the house of the Lord. All of the saving ordinances can also be performed vicariously for the dead in the temple. Vicarious ordinances become effective only when the deceased persons accept them in the spirit world and honor the related covenants (see D&C 138:32–34, 58).”

Principle: Temple Work and Family History: “Mario Cannamela married Maria Vitta in 1882. They lived in Tripani, Italy, where they raised a family and shared many wonderful years together. Mario and Maria did not hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ during their lifetimes. They were not baptized. They did not have the opportunity to go to the temple and be sealed together as an eternal family. At death, their marriage ended.

“Over a century later a great reunion took place. Descendants of Mario and Maria went to the Los Angeles Temple, where a great-grandson and his wife knelt at an altar and served as proxies for the sealing of Mario and Maria. Tears filled their eyes as they shared in Mario and Maria’s joy.

“Many of our ancestors are among those who died without hearing about the gospel while on the earth. They now live in the spirit world. There they are taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who have accepted the gospel are waiting for the temple ordinances to be performed for them. As we perform these ordinances in the temple for our ancestors, we can share their joy.”

Christlike Attribute: Faith in Jesus Christ: “Faith is a principle of power. As you exercise faith in Jesus Christ, you will be blessed with His power suited to your circumstance. You will be able to experience miracles according to the Lord’s will. (See Jacob 4:4–7; Moroni 7:33; 10:7.)”

Questions

“Have you wondered why the Lord would direct His prophet to now dot the earth with His holy temples? Why would He, at this specific time, give the needed prosperity to His covenant people that through their sacred tithes, hundreds of houses of the Lord could be built? … Across the globe, houses of the Lord are coming closer to us. Why in our day? … Why is the Lord now bringing hundreds of His temples closer to us?”
- “One reason is that amid the turmoil and temptations of the world, He has promised to strengthen and bless His covenant Saints, and His promises are being fulfilled!”
- “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation“, President Russell M. Nelson, October 2021 General Conference: “Ponder these three truths:
  
  “[1] The Restoration is a process, not an event, and will continue until the Lord comes again.
  
  “[2]The ultimate objective of the gathering of Israel is to bring the blessings of the temple to God’s faithful children.
  
  “[3] As we seek how to accomplish that objective more effectively, the Lord reveals more insights. The ongoing Restoration needs ongoing revelation.”
- Church News Podcast Episode 189: Salt Lake Temple renovation update with Brent Roberts and Andy Kirby: [Sarah Jane Weaver] “I’m so glad you mentioned that some temples are being built in places that are not easy to get to; I think of Papua New Guinea and other fairly remote locations. How do you undertake a project like that?
  
  [Brent Roberts] “You know, the process is very similar. But when you look at Papua New Guinea, or you look at Tarawa, Kiribati, for an example, we have to ask ‘What is the easiest way to do that?’ and ‘What is the most effective way?’ There’s not the skills on the island of Kiribati to build a temple, which means either I have to bring a construction company in or we have to build a modular temple, haul it in and then assemble it there. We’ve chosen to go the modular route, and we will there. Just weeks ago, we spoke to them, and our contractor’s wonderful, but there’s not a crane on the island that can help us. So, we will ship a crane in for a little while to be able to accomplish that. And then we’ll ship it to another project. And those are difficult builds, but they’re not impossible to do.
  
  “The manufacturing technology and the construction knowledge in the world right now, I believe, has been advanced to the point where we can build temples. And that’s what it’s for. Yes, of course we can build beautiful hotels and beautiful everything else throughout the world. But what we have worldwide, I believe, is for the building up of the kingdom, and we have the ability to do those things. He doesn’t make it easy. Doors aren’t always open. We receive opposition. Satan is still strong, you know. … We have to pray as much as anyone else the doors will be open to us. But we just never give up, and we keep moving forward.”
“How do these holy houses strengthen, comfort, and protect us?”
- “We find an answer in the pleadings of the Prophet Joseph Smith in the dedication of the Kirtland Temple. … On that sacred occasion in the Kirtland Temple, the Prophet prayed that in the Lord’s holy house, the Saints would be armed with the power of God, that the name of Jesus Christ would be upon them, that His angels would have charge over them, and that they would grow up in the Lord and ‘receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost.’ These powerful supplications are fulfilled in our lives as we faithfully worship in the house of the Lord.”
- “‘Be Still, and Know That I Am God’“, Elder David A. Bednar, April 2024 General Conference: “During a recent open house and media day for a new house of the Lord, I led a group of journalists on a tour through the sacred structure. I described the purposes of temples in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and responded to their many excellent questions.
  
  “Before entering the celestial room, I explained that this particular room in the house of the Lord symbolically represents the peace and beauty of the heavenly home to which we can return after this life. I indicated to our guests that we would not speak while in the celestial room, but I would be happy to answer any questions after we moved to the next stop on the tour.
  
  “After exiting the celestial room and as we gathered at the next location, I asked our guests if they had any observations they wanted to share. One of the journalists said with great emotion, ‘I have never experienced anything like that in my entire life. I did not know quiet like that existed in the world; I simply did not believe such stillness was possible.’
  
  “I was struck by both the sincerity and the starkness of this person’s statement. And the journalist’s reaction highlighted one important aspect of stillness—overcoming and tuning out the commotion of our external environment.”

What is the speaker inviting me to do, and how might I consider taking action?

Invitations

1: “Regularly performing ordinances for our ancestors in the temple brings a sweet and sure confirmation that life continues beyond the veil.”

Strive to perform ordinances for our own ancestors when we serve in the house of the Lord.
Temple Work and Family History: “Mario Cannamela married Maria Vitta in 1882. They lived in Tripani, Italy, where they raised a family and shared many wonderful years together. Mario and Maria did not hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ during their lifetimes. They were not baptized. They did not have the opportunity to go to the temple and be sealed together as an eternal family. At death, their marriage ended.

“Over a century later a great reunion took place. Descendants of Mario and Maria went to the Los Angeles Temple, where a great-grandson and his wife knelt at an altar and served as proxies for the sealing of Mario and Maria. Tears filled their eyes as they shared in Mario and Maria’s joy.

“Many of our ancestors are among those who died without hearing about the gospel while on the earth. They now live in the spirit world. There they are taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who have accepted the gospel are waiting for the temple ordinances to be performed for them. As we perform these ordinances in the temple for our ancestors, we can share their joy.”
FamilySearch – Ordinances Ready
- For quite a few years, my mom would write down the names of those for whom she completed ordinances in the temple in her journal. Now, with FamilySearch, an electronic list of all those family members for whom you have completed ordinances is available.
This is one way we connect with the Global Church.

2: “Each week as we worthily partake of the bread and water in remembrance of our Savior, we are promised His Spirit will always be with us.”

Partake of the sacrament every week, no matter where we are in the world.
Church News Podcast Episode 122: Cotopaxi founders Davis and Asialene Smith on stepping away from their company to serve as mission leaders in Brazil: [Asialene Smith] “When we were newly married, we did an internship in Grand Cayman in the Caribbean on a small island. And there was just a small branch. There was no church, we met in the courthouse. And we had a wonderful branch president, but the counselor there was called after two months of being a member of the Church. And so just a lot of new members there. But they did a great job. There’s one young man, one young woman, no Primary. But obviously, it’s a beautiful island in the Caribbean, and so there are a lot of tourists. And every Sunday, we always had tourists come.

“And the ones that stood out to us were the ones that were in their Sunday best and stayed for the full three hours, back then it was three hours. And that was such a great example to us, because when you’re on vacation, you don’t have much time anyway, and there are the beautiful beaches and the sun. It was not only just seeing them but what it was was seeing how they contributed to the branch, because the branch relied upon those members. They would give wonderful comments in the lessons. They would bear their testimonies. And this is what the branch needed, because there were so few members, and they were just learning how the Church works. And so that always stood out to us. And that’s something that we try to do when we travel.”
This is another way we connect with the Global Church.

3: “My beloved friends, if we are able and have not already increased our attendance at the temple, let us regularly find more time to worship in the house of the Lord.”

Increase our attendance at the house of the Lord.
“The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation“, President Russell M. Nelson, October 2021 General Conference: “Should distance, health challenges, or other constraints prohibit your temple attendance for a season, I invite you to set a regular time to rehearse in your mind the covenants you have made. … To each of you who has made temple covenants, I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently—to understand temple covenants and ordinances.”
In “The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives,” authors William Stixrud PhD and Ned Johnson share how advances in technology actually lead to less time. This is because tasks become so convenient that we do them more often. How might we cut back on time spent grocery shopping, doing laundry, ironing, or engaging in yard work, and instead spend that time in the house of the Lord?
“Although many of our experiences in the house of the Lord are too sacred to share publicly, some we can share. Forty years ago, while living in Florida, Kathy and I traveled to the temple in Atlanta, Georgia. On Wednesday night, May 9, 1984, as we completed a session in the temple, an ordinance worker approached me and asked if I had time to do just one preparatory initiatory ordinance. The name of the person I represented was unusual. His name was Eleazer Cercy.

“The next day, the temple was full of Saints. As I prepared to perform my second endowment of the day, I was given the name of the person I would represent. Surprisingly, the name was the same individual from the night before, Eleazer Cercy. I felt the Spirit of the Lord as the endowment was completed. Later in the afternoon, still in the temple, Kathy saw an elderly family friend, Sister Dolly Fernandez, who now lived in Atlanta. With no male members of her family with her, she asked if I could possibly assist in the sealing of her father to her father’s parents. I was of course honored.

“As I knelt at the end of the altar for this sacred ordinance, I heard once again the name that was now inscribed in my mind, her father, Eleazer Cercy. I fully believe that following this life, I will meet and embrace a man known in his mortal life as Eleazer Cercy.

“Most of our experiences in the house of the Lord bring joyful peace and quiet revelation more than dramatic intervention. But be assured: angels do have charge over us!”
This is another way we connect with the Global Church (on both sides of the veil).

4: “Let us pray for the temples that have been announced, that properties can be purchased, that governments will approve plans, that talented workers will see their gifts magnified, and that the sacred dedications will bring the approval of heaven and the visit of angels.”

Make successful temple construction a regular part of our personal and family prayers.
Church News Podcast Episode 189: Salt Lake Temple renovation update with Brent Roberts and Andy Kirby: [Sarah Jane Weaver] “Now, Brent, these historic renovation projects are just a small portion of the temple work that is occurring across the globe. The Church now has 350 temples that are dedicated, announced or under construction; 153 of those temples have been announced by President Nelson, making this the greatest era of temple building in the history of the Church. Can you comment on this worldwide, very accelerated temple-building construction, dedication, that we are seeing unfolding right now?

[Brent Roberts] “As you’ve said, it is unprecedented. And I remember when I was graduating from Sunday School — we used to have little graduations — I had a picture of the Salt Lake Temple, and around the Salt Lake Temple were all the other temples of the world. And in order to graduate from that class, I had to memorize all of those. And, boy, that would be a task now, wouldn’t it? It’d be an incredible test now. But I remember looking at that, and I found that photo just a little while ago, one that is very similar to it, and realized that many of those temples that are on there have also been renovated and updated. But just expansive work that we are involved in.

“I am just grateful for wonderful people who have been schooled, who have gone out and learned the trades that they need to learn to be able to be in a position that they can be useful at this time. We have an incredible team. We understand that President Nelson and the First Presidency, under the direction of the Lord, will continue to announce temples. And if you notice, they’re not announcing them in the easiest places to build. Some are easier, some are not. But we know that they are truly directed, you know, the President is truly directed to these locations because of being able to find or to get to temples rapidly.

“Is it a major effort? I think that would be an understatement to say that it’s a major construction effort. It is a phenomenal effort. But it is manageable because the Lord is there with us, and He’s helping us. And we have great people put in a great position with thousands and thousands of great contractors out there who are building and designing buildings for us that never knew they would be, and they’re stepping up, and it’s just making a huge difference.

“I think in a report I did to the First Presidency just a week ago, we have over 160 active temple projects, between design and construction and remodels. One hundred sixty ongoing, of which every month I show them a picture of everything under construction and an update to them where we’re at worldwide so they understand that, and it’s just — it’s amazing the way that it’s taken off. And some people say, you know, ‘Brent, what is your favorite temple, since you’ve been involved in so many?’ My favorite temple is the last temple we dedicated. That’s what it is, because they’re all so meaningful to me. And there are so many out there, but every one is unique to the individual, and the uniqueness comes to them when they go into that temple and receive covenants.”
Fortaleza Brazil Temple
- Announced – October 3, 2009
- Groundbreaking – November 15, 2011
- Dedicated — dedicatory prayer – June 2, 2019
  - “We are also grateful, Father, for the efforts made by all those who, through these last ten years since the announcement of the construction of this temple, have contributed and worked so hard in so many ways, in order for this building to be constructed and now dedicated to Thee.”
“Closing Remarks“, President Russell M. Nelson, October 2019 General Conference: “Individual worthiness to enter the Lord’s house requires much individual spiritual preparation. But with the Lord’s help, nothing is impossible. In some respects, it is easier to build a temple than it is to build a people prepared for a temple. Individual worthiness requires a total conversion of mind and heart to be more like the Lord, to be an honest citizen, to be a better example, and to be a holier person.

“I testify that such preparatory work brings innumerable blessings in this life and inconceivable blessings for the life to come, including the perpetuation of your family unit throughout all eternity ‘in a state of never-ending happiness.'”
Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days: Volume 3: Boldly, Nobly, and Independent: 1893–1955: Chapter 38: More Power, More Light: “Early in September 1955, about a week before the Swiss Temple dedication, Gordon B. Hinckley carefully placed two suitcases in the hands of airline employees at the Salt Lake City airport. The bags contained the completed temple film in all seven languages. He hated to let the thirty thousand feet of film out of his sight, but the suitcases were too bulky to bring into the cabin of the airplane that he and his wife, Marjorie, would take on the first leg of their trip to Switzerland. At least the accompanying audio tracks, stored separately in two compact canisters, were small enough that he could carry them himself.

“Gordon had been anxious about protecting the sacred content of the film from the moment he sent it off to a lab in California for final processing. He had asked a close friend who worked in Hollywood to take the film to the lab and stay there to ensure its privacy while it was processed. Gordon now needed to see the film safely through airports in New York and London before delivering it personally to the Swiss Temple.

“William Perschon, the new president of the Swiss-Austrian Mission, greeted the Hinckleys as they stepped off the plane in Basel. They retrieved the film, and Gordon filled out a customs declaration form, noting the film materials among his possessions. A customs official looked over the form and said, ‘I can’t let this in. We don’t permit the entry of film into Switzerland without clearance through the federal film board.’

“‘I have to get it in some way,’ Gordon said. ‘You certainly permit film to come into Switzerland?’

“‘With proper clearance, yes,’ the official replied. He then explained that the Swiss film board needed to review and approve the film before releasing it back into Gordon’s care. The official, meanwhile, would send it to the customs office in Bern. Since it was Saturday, Gordon would not be able to retrieve the film from customs until the office opened on Monday morning.

“Gordon thought about trying to persuade the official to simply let him take the film to Bern himself, but he worried that an argument would make matters worse. So he and Marjorie left with President Perschon for the mission home, deeply concerned about the safety of the temple film. The following day, they fasted and prayed that the film would not fall into the wrong hands.

“Early on Monday, Gordon and President Perschon picked up the reels at the customs office and took them directly to the film board. There a man ushered Gordon into a private room. ‘What is the title of this film?’ he asked.

“‘It doesn’t have a title,’ Gordon replied. ‘It’s just music and instruction to be used in this temple out here.’ He offered to let the man listen to the audio track. As a precaution, he had put a long recording of organ music at the beginning of the film to deter any unauthorized person from accessing its sacred contents.

“The man listened to the music for a while. ‘Well,’ he finally said, ‘what is it?’

“‘It’s just church instruction,’ Gordon repeated. ‘It’s church music, dull organ music.’

“A look of friendly understanding then came over the man. ‘All right,’ he said. Without asking to hear or see more, he took out a stamp and approved the film.”
Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days: Volume 3: Boldly, Nobly, and Independent: 1893–1955: Chapter 39: A New Era: “It had been quite a week for Gordon B. Hinckley. Once the endowment film cleared customs, he had overseen the installation of the temple’s projection and sound equipment, synchronized the sound and film in each language to assure that they were working properly, and trained the new temple engineer, Hans Lutscher, who would take on the full-time responsibility after he was endowed himself.

“Gordon and his team enjoyed a brief reprieve from their hectic schedule during the five days of the dedication, but as soon as President McKay announced his desire to begin ordinance work in the temple immediately, they went right back to work.

“Since early Friday morning, Gordon had spent nearly two days operating the projector and sound system. Sleep was hardly an option. And Bern’s damp fall climate had aggravated a case of the flu Gordon had caught. His eyes and nose would not stop running, his head felt heavy, and his body ached.

“Still, as the sessions went on hour after hour, Gordon was amazed by how well the filmed endowment functioned. The temple workers experienced few problems with the new process, despite the challenges of accommodating people from so many different countries. Watching the ordinance unfold, Gordon realized how difficult it would have been to present it in seven languages in the traditional manner.

“When the final endowment session ended late Saturday, Gordon was exhausted. But beyond his red eyes and sore throat, he felt a rush of something far more significant. Since coming to Bern, he had seen hundreds of Saints from the nations of Europe enter the temple. Many of them had made great sacrifices to come to the dedication. Some of them, he could see, were very poor. Others had borne the loss of family and other loved ones during the two world wars. They shed tears as they received the endowment and witnessed their families sealed together for eternity.

“More than ever before, Gordon knew with certainty that the Lord had inspired President McKay to bring temple blessings to the women and men of Europe. Seeing their joy was worth all the long nights and stressful days Gordon had experienced over the past two years.”
This is yet another way we connect with the Global Church.

Conclusion

“The Sacred Life of Trees: How Each of Us Can Protect and Support Physical and Spiritual Forests“, Sister Sharon Eubank, BYU-Idaho Speech, February 15, 2024: “I am occasionally asked, ‘Why doesn’t the Church spend more money on humanitarian work? Why doesn’t it stop building expensive temples and focus its resources on relieving the poor?’ This is a legitimate question for the Church of Jesus Christ. But is it money that solves society’s ills? The world has poured two trillion dollars into addressing chronic issues in Africa. Why isn’t the situation better? Because money isn’t really the issue. Lasting progress comes through trusted relationships, infrastructure, reducing corruption, and the ability of people to work together. Money doesn’t necessarily create those things. They must be developed alongside the resources and, frankly, it is much harder work.

“I will never discount the one thing this Church does that lifts entire communities in rapid development. It invites men and women of all social classes and backgrounds to enter sacred buildings and make the most binding and important promises of their mortal lives. In those buildings, they promise not to steal or lie, they promise to be faithful to their spouse and children. They vow they will seek the interest of their neighbors and be peacemakers and become devoted to the idea that we are all one family—all valued and alike unto God. If those promises made in holy temples are kept, it transforms society faster than any aid or development project ever could. The greatest charitable development on the planet is for people to bind themselves to their God and mean it. So, thank goodness the Church builds 335 temples and counting. It is the greatest poverty alleviation system in the world.

“The most important thing you can do as a humanitarian is to keep your covenants with God. The second most important thing you can do is connect in goodness with others around you.

“I testify of the power of keeping covenants with Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. He is the vine, and we are the branches. He overcomes every single thing blocking our progress.”

Take Action

How will you take action on the invitations extended in this General Conference address?

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