A Modern Day Haggai

Haggai taught the people at Jerusalem that they needed to focus on the temple in his powerful message to “consider your ways.” In discussing this ancient text, Brother Anthony Sweat made this comment: “We have a modern day Haggai named Russell M. Nelson who is following this prophetic pattern that you see from ancient and modern prophets to do so.” Indeed, President Nelson has focused significantly on the temple since he became the 18^th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His very first message came from the temple and he said this, “As a new presidency, we want to begin with the end in mind. For this reason, we're speaking to you today from a temple. The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with power in a house of the Lord, sealed as families, faithful to covenants made in a temple that qualify us for the greatest gift of God, that of eternal life. The ordinances of the temple and the covenants you make there are key to strengthening your life, your marriage and family, and your ability to resist the attacks of the adversary. Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.” Since then he has continued to focus on the temple and the covenant path we take there. In his first general conference as the prophet he announced seven new temples and then said this, “My dear brothers and sisters, 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.” In total he has now announced plans to build 118 new temples since that April 2018 general conference, showing in a dramatic way that the church is committed to temples and that we should be too. In every general conference he has encouraged us to focus on the temple in our lives—indeed, he is a modern-day Haggai.

                In the most recent general conference President Nelson announced 18 new temples and again encouraged us to increase our commitment to the temple. He said, “It is significant that the Savior chose to appear to the people at the temple. It is His house. It is filled with His power. Let us never lose sight of what the Lord is doing for us now. He is making His temples more accessible. He is accelerating the pace at which we are building temples. He is increasing our ability to help gather Israel. He is also making it easier for each of us to become spiritually refined. I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can.” He summarized with this invitation: “My dear brothers and sisters, may you focus on the temple in ways you never have before.” Like the people of Haggai, we live in our “ceiled houses” and spend our time with so many non-essential distractions from sports to movies to social media and so much else. Both Haggai and President Nelson invite us to consider our ways and put some of those things aside so that we can put the temple at the center of our lives—our time there should be more important than increasing or enjoying our own possessions. In a message a year ago President Nelson also encouraged us in these words, “The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ. His essential ordinances bind us to Him through sacred priesthood covenants. Then, as we keep our covenants, He endows us with His healing, strengthening power. And oh, how we will need His power in the days ahead.” I know that there is power in the temple that we get nowhere else; we find more clarity of purpose in our lives and more power to confront our problems. I have challenges that I don’t know how to handle, and I know that more than ever I need the blessings of the temple to guide me through them. I pray that the promise of the dedicatory prayer on the Kirtland Temple can be ours as we focus on the Savior’s house: “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).