Armed With Thy Power

April 2, 2018

After President Nelson announced the seven new temples yesterday, he made this statement, “The construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will.  In that spirit I bless you to identify those things you can set aside so you can spend more time in the temple.”  As we consider the changes to programs such as home teaching that will be taking place, I’m reminded that there is so much that simply doesn’t change in the gospel, and the vital role of temples in our lives is one of them.  Organization and structure and programs have changed from time to time throughout the history of the church to accommodate the needs of the time, but the temple has remained constant.  The Prophet Joseph taught, “What was the object of gathering the … people of God in any age of the world? … The main object was to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation; for there are certain ordinances and principles that, when they are taught and practiced, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose.”  From Joseph’s time until now the Saints have sought to build houses unto the Lord, and the explosion of temples available to us now across the world is nothing short of miraculous. 

               Clearly the call for all of us from general conference is to make the temple a more significant part of our lives.  One of the themes that I see from President Nelson’s recent conference addresses is that of power: we need to develop great spiritual power.  The scriptures teach us that this is exactly what we will obtain as we go to the temple.  One revelation, given prior to a temple being built, speaks of being “endowed with power from on high” (D&C 38:32, 38).  Two other revelations invite us in these words, “Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power,” and “this cannot be brought to pass until mine elders are endowed with power from on high” (D&C 43:16, 105:11).  Another revelation confirms that being endowed with power does indeed refer to the temple: “Yea, verily I say unto you, I gave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high” (D&C 95:8).  At the dedication of the Kirtland Temple the Prophet Joseph prayed as well for power to come into our lives from the temple: “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; And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth” (D&C 109:22-23).  We have the great privilege in our dispensation to have so many temples that we can attend in order to be endowed with the power of the Lord, and having so many opportunities gives us all the more responsibility to serve the Lord in His house and receive His blessings.  As President Monson so powerfully stated, “Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings.”