Armed With Power

To my son,

           In the most recent general conference, President Nelson gave us an invitation to learn more about the temple. He said, “Study and pray to learn more about the power and knowledge with which you have been endowed—or with which you will yet be endowed.” To be endowed means to be given an important gift, and in the temple we are given gifts of knowledge and covenants that we make with the Lord. The first covenant you made was at baptism as you promised to try your best to follow Jesus Christ. In the temple you will make other covenants to keep your life in harmony with His teachings, and you will also receive knowledge and light from our Father in Heaven. One of the ways that you can follow President Nelson’s invitation is to learn about the experience of the Saints building the first temple of this dispensation in Kirtland. You can read about it here—the stories and spiritual manifestations received around the time of the consecration of the temple are incredible with the visitation of angels, people speaking in different languages, and even heavenly fire resting upon the temple. During the dedicatory prayer Joseph prayed, “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” (Doctrine and Covenants 109:22). I know that the Lord does indeed give us power when we go to the temple—we can get help and strength and the wisdom that we need in our lives. I have greatly missed the opportunity to go to the temple in these recent months and can feel the void of not having that extra power in my life. When you are old enough, I hope you will make it a goal to go as often as you can to the temple to receive His help in all your challenges.

                When Nephi built up his society, he wrote that they “lived after the manner of happiness.” Part of that manner of living was having a temple in which to worship the Lord; he described, “And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon…. The manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine” (2 Nephi 5:16, 27). Having that temple among them where they could sacrifice to the Lord was a key part of living after the manner of happiness. We have the great blessing to have a temple being constructed close to us, and I know that as we focus on the temple and living worthy to be in the Savior’s house, it will likewise help our family to find happiness together. I thank the Lord that we are sealed together in the temple and that you will always be my son!

 

Love,

Dad