I
have heard the counsel to “begin with the end in mind” in both secular and
religious venues. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, everything
we do leads us to the temple. Temples are a place where we worship in a higher
and holier way than even our Sunday worship services. In the temple, each adult
receives a gift of spiritual knowledge and makes sacred covenants with God in an
ordinance called an endowment. In each endowment session, we watch a movie
which depicts God’s creation of the earth and then we learn more about the
experience of Adam and Eve. The whole ordinance is centered on the Savior and His
atoning sacrifice for each of us. It is a place where couples are married “for time
and all eternity” by the power of the Priesthood in an ordinance which is
called a sealing. The words “until death do you part” are not included in that
ceremony. After we have received our own endowment and made our covenants
personally, we are able to then act as proxy for our ancestors who died without
receiving these ordinances. We give them this gift because we love them, but
they are under no obligation to accept these ordinances in their behalf. A high
standard of morality in thought and action are required of each person who
enters these holy buildings and we wear a sacred undergarment to remind us throughout
each day of the covenants we’ve made there. Every temple is dedicated to the
Lord after an open house for the general public. Next to the entrance of each
temple is inscribed “The House of the Lord – Holiness to the Lord.” Each person
who enters the temple, changes into white temple clothes to symbolize purity.
It also limits worldly distraction and helps us feel equal with each person
there. I love being in the temple. A feeling of peace washes over me when I
enter those doors and I feel very close to the Savior when I’m there.
In April 2014, I had a special
experience in the temple which let me know unmistakably that God, who I call my
Heavenly Father, was aware of me and my circumstances. I attended the sealing of a friend’s daughter in the Mt. Timpanogos
Temple. I was considering staying to do an endowment session, but I decided to
return home instead. On the drive home, I was strongly prompted that I needed
to briefly stop at our house to pick up my temple clothes and one of my friend’s
family names, and go to the Provo Temple instead. That seemed strange to go
from one temple to another, but I have learned not to doubt when I feel those
promptings. For some reason, I had a question about a doctrinal issue during
the session that I haven’t been bothered by before or since. At the end of the
session, I asked one of the temple workers about it and her response was that I
needed to talk to the temple president. That seemed a little drastic to me, but
another temple worker responded the same way. A third temple worker explained
that I needed to sign my name on a list and they would try to fit me into
President Stone’s busy schedule. It turned
out that he was just sitting at his office desk with no appointments for 20
minutes and he immediately invited me in.
I knew that he would probably
ask me to share my thoughts about this concern and so I had come to a decision on
what I would tell him. That is exactly how the conversation went. When I told
him what I had decided, he leaned back in his chair and looked at me for a few
long seconds as he thought about what I had said. Then he smiled with a twinkle
in his eye and surprised me by saying I had been given a gift and I should go
with that inspiration. His reaction and counsel immediately wiped the concern
from my mind. So I decided to be brave and ask him one more question about how
I could best deal with the situation of my husband no longer believing or
attending the temple with me. He “just happened” to have a brother and
sister-in-law with a very similar circumstance and she was dealing with it in
the same way I was – trying to continue on with my personal belief and worship.
We talked about that for a few minutes as he continued to lean back in his
chair. He then leaned forward, looked in my eyes, and very clearly told me that
the Lord was pleased with me and that He knew I was doing the best I could with
a difficult circumstance. I really needed to hear that because it was the day
before General Conference and I have often felt discouraged in the past when
I’m not able to follow the counsel that the prophet and apostles give as well
as I would like to. As I walked out of the temple that afternoon, I realized I
had just experienced another “divine intersection.” If I had stayed longer at
home, I would have missed that 20 minute window of time where the temple
president was available in his office. I was grateful for the reassurance I was
given and felt it was coming straight from the Lord.
As I mentioned before,
the temple endowment is centered on the Savior’s atonement. On the last day I
attended class in November 2018, one of my institute teachers encouraged me to
focus specifically on the crucifixion of Christ (and its emphasis in modern
scripture) in relation to the temple endowment. She challenged me to begin by
reading a passage in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
Jesus visited the people on the American continent after His crucifixion and
taught them, “Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel
which I have given unto you—that I came into the world
to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me
that I might be lifted up upon the cross: and after that I had been lifted up
upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me…” (3
Nephi 27:14-15).
I took her
challenge seriously and that was the beginning of a very spiritual
month filled with personal revelation as I tried to discover what aspect of the
crucifixion she was referring to. On November 14th, I asked for some
further light and knowledge as I sat in the temple baptistry waiting for some
ordinances to be completed. I was immediately reminded of another passage in The
Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, which brought tears to
my eyes. “...They may
forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually
before me. (1
Nephi 21:15-16; see also Isaiah 49:15-16). I have loved that imagery ever
since I discovered it earlier in my life.
On November 16th, I was
waiting in the temple again and I looked up two other passages in The Book
of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. “...Moses... hath spoken concerning
the coming of the Messiah. Yea, did he not bear record that the Son of God should come?
And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be
lifted up who should come. And as many as should look upon that serpent should live,
even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a
contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal”
(Helaman
8:13-15). I have loved
that symbolism ever since I first learned of it many years ago
also. Christ being crucified and lifted
up on the cross to suffer for our sins was a fulfillment of prophesy. I also love
the power of looking to Him to live.
During
His visit to the people on the American continent, Christ invited them to “Arise and come forth unto me, that
ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of
the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of
Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the
world. And it came to pass that the multitude went forth… and this they did do,
going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their
eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear
record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should
come. And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they
did cry out with one accord, saying: Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most
High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him” (3
Nephi 11:14-17). The marks of the nails are proof of His suffering and love
for each of us individually. I look
forward to the day that I can worship Him in person as they did.
I
returned to the temple on November 17th and, this time, I will share
the exact words from my journal that evening. “I just finished an endowment
session and I am so grateful for the answers I was given! I don't think they
would have come had I not been so intent on looking for them the last two times
I was at the temple…Here are my basic thoughts: The blessings of Christ's name,
physical blessings, and blessings of Melchezidek Priesthood power in our
families come through the nail marks of the Savior's crucifixion. It was His
ultimate sacrifice to give us all the blessings that the Father has. And it's
the last thing we think about before we enter into the presence of the Father. Wow!
Personal revelation is so interesting. It seems so obvious after it comes. All
of a sudden it is just placed in our mind.
It
makes these promises in the Doctrine and Covenants even more powerful: ‘And all
saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the
commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And
shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And
shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give
unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the
children of Israel…’ ( Doctrine
and Covenants 89:18-21).
The
importance of the Savior's name is emphasized in The Book of Mormon: Another
Testament of Jesus Christ. ‘…There shall be no other name given nor any
other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only
in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent…. Believe that salvation
was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the
Lord Omnipotent. For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the
fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings
of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint
through the atonement of Christ the Lord…’ (Mosiah
3:17-19). As we submit our will to Heavenly Father, we are more fully
following the example of Christ. As we follow the example of Christ and take
upon us His name, we become more qualified to dwell in the presence of Him and
the Father forever.
I
just looked up another passage in Doctrine and Covenants and almost fell out of
my chair. ‘And the Lord confirmed a priesthood also upon Aaron and his seed, throughout
all their generations, which priesthood also continueth and abideth forever
with the priesthood which is after the holiest order of God. And this greater
priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the
kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances
thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances
thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not
manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face of
God, even the Father, and live’ (D&C
84:18-23). I have never made these connections before, especially since I
usually stop before the last verse of that passage. Also, I didn't realize it
until my card was stamped, but today is the 26th anniversary of when I received
my endowments for the first time in the Jordan River Temple prior to my
mission. My mom also received her endowments on this day 25 years earlier than
I did. It's a big day in so many ways.”
I
returned to the temple on November 26th to find out if there was
anything else I needed to learn during this time of discovery. I realized that,
as we consecrate all that we have and are, the blessings that Heavenly Father
promises us are sure. The other thought I had during the session is that Christ
had seven different wounds from the crucifixion: one on each hand, one on each
wrist, one in his side, and one on each foot. For many years, I have associated
the number seven with symbolizing eternal things. I was grateful to have this association
validated by Alonzo Gaskill. “Seven is the most common of all symbolic numbers….It
represents fulness, completion, wholeness, spiritual perfection, and (entirety
or) totality. In Egypt it symbolized eternal life.” (The Lost Language of
Symbolism: An Essential Guide For Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols of the
Gospel, 343, 839). I attended another endowment session in the Mt.
Timpanogos Temple on December 21st. As I passed through the veil and
entered the celestial room, I noticed the other thing my teacher had mentioned
to me. The molding on the ceiling looks very much like a huge cross. That was a
neat way to end that learning experience – especially before celebrating Christmas.
My good friend and ministering sister sent me a quote in May 2019. It is from a chapter titled The Atoning Christ written by Terry and Fiona Givens. We previously discussed some of the a-ha moments I had experienced in the temple that year and this quote beautifully described what I learned. “The author of Hebrews invites the Christian to complete the pilgrim’s journey by entering into the presence of God himself—'to enter into the holiest.’…Entry into God’s presence can only be ‘by the blood of Christ.’… We effectively pass through Christ’s broken body… back into God’s presence. The Atonement is the pain-drenched portal through which alone access is to be found… The temple veil…becomes the physical counterpart to the body of Christ, through which we pass into the holiest place…. In our temples, as in the Jewish temple, the veil represents the portal into the divine presence. The temple veil, the emblem of Christ’s own flesh, was torn at the crucifixion, suggesting that only through the broken body of the atoning Savior was access into God’s presence possible for all” (The Christ Who Heals, 62). I also appreciated this insight about Christ’s crucifixion from Alonzo Gaskill’s book, “ The Gospel of Mark records… And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom….Now we may by faith boldly enter into God’s presence” (The Lost Language of Symbolism: An Essential Guide For Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols of the Gospel, 749-750).
Just as the endowment ordinance focuses
on the crucifixion of the Savior, so does the sacrament ordinance during our
worship service each Sunday. D. Todd Christofferson explains, “The symbolism of the sacrament of the
Lord’s Supper is beautiful to contemplate. The bread and water represent the
flesh and blood of Him who is the Bread of Life and the Living Water, poignantly
reminding us of the price He paid to redeem us. As the bread is broken, we
remember the Savior’s torn flesh. Elder Dallin H. Oaks once observed that ‘because
it is broken and torn, each piece of bread is unique, just as the individuals
who partake of it are unique. We all have different sins to repent of. We all
have different needs to be strengthened through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus
Christ, whom we remember in this ordinance.’ As we drink the water, we
think of the blood He shed in Gethsemane and on the cross and its sanctifying
power…. We resolve to be
among ‘those who have washed their garments in [the Savior’s] blood, because of
their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto
the end.’… If we yearn to
dwell in Christ and have Him dwell in us, then holiness is what we seek,
in both body and spirit. We seek it in the temple, whereon is inscribed ‘Holiness
to the Lord.’…We seek it each week as we delight in the Lord’s holy day. We
seek it even in the details of daily living…Partaking of the (sacrament) means
to put out of our lives anything inconsistent with a Christlike character and
to make His attributes our own. This is the larger meaning of repentance: not
only a turning away from past sin but also ‘a turning of the heart and will to
God’ going forward… (“The
Living Bread Which Came Down from Heaven,” Ensign, Nov. 2017).
The temple endowment and the sacrament are interconnected ways to internalize and immerse ourselves in Christ's atonement. As a bishop once explained to me, these ordinances are “vertical” experiences. It is a sacred time to personally commune with the Savior. I'm grateful that Heavenly Father sent His Son to save us. I'm grateful that the Savior's love and power can help us overcome any difficulty. I'm grateful for the Holy Ghost who testifies of both of them in powerful ways.
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