The Blessings of the Temple

I’m impressed by the story of the Saints who received their temple ordinances before being forced out of Nauvoo.  President Young described his work in the temple shortly before leaving Nauvoo: “Such has been the anxiety manifested by the saints to receive the ordinances [of the Temple], and such the anxiety on our part to administer to them, that I have given myself up entirely to the work of the Lord in the Temple night and day, not taking more than four hours of sleep, upon an average, per day, and going home but once a week.”  Brigham realized by early 1846 that they had to leave without delay as their enemies were rapidly coming upon them.  He announced in early February that the temple work had to cease so they could depart.  Then on February 3^rd he recorded, “Notwithstanding that I had announced that we would not attend to the administration of the ordinances, the House of the Lord was thronged all day, the anxiety being so great to receive, as if the brethren would have us stay here and continue the endowments until our way would be hedged up, and our enemies would intercept us. But I informed the brethren that this was not wise, and that we should build more Temples, and have further opportunities to receive the blessings of the Lord, as soon as the saints were prepared to receive them. In this Temple we have been abundantly rewarded, if we receive no more. I also informed the brethren that I was going to get my wagons started and be off. I walked some distance from the Temple supposing the crowd would disperse, but on returning I found the house filled to overflowing.  Looking upon the multitude and knowing their anxiety, as they were thirsting and hungering for the word, we continued at work diligently in the House of the Lord. Two hundred and ninety-five persons received ordinances” (History of the Church, 7:579).

               The natural question that comes out of this story is this: What did the early Saints know about the temple that we don’t?  I’m not sure there are many of us, myself certainly included, who would have the devotion to temple work like Brigham Young to get four hours of sleep on night for days on end in order to be in the temple.  And I don’t know that I’ve ever had the eagerness to be in the temple like those Saints who insisted on receiving their ordinances in the temple even with enemies knocking on their doors.  Perhaps they understood better than us of the power that the temple covenants can bring into our lives.  We know that their temple experience gave them great power as they faced the tremendous difficulties on the plains.  For example, Sarah Rich said this about how the temple strengthened them: “If it had not been for the faith and knowledge that was bestowed upon us in that temple... our journey would have been like … taking a leap in the dark.”  The Prophet Joseph had prayed at the dedication of the Kirtland temple for that very blessing: “And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them” (D&C 109:22).  So perhaps what we need is a better understanding of how our own personal experiences in the temple have given us power to overcome adversity.  Perhaps we are sometimes like the servant of Elisha who feared the encompassing Syrian host and for whom Elisha prayed, “Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see” (2 Kings 6:17).  His eyes were opened and he saw “the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire.”  As we continue to attend the temple in our day and seek to receive of the Lord there, it may be that what we need is to have our eyes opened so we can see the great blessings that the temple really brings us.