I have always loved the temple. I remember living in Utah and going up to Idaho to visit family. Every time we drove through Idaho Falls my mother would get our attention and we would have a contest to see who could find the temple first. As a missionary, I was able to serve in the Chihuahua Mexico Mission, which contained two Temples--Cuidad Juarez and Colonia Juarez. On my mission, one of the other missionaries I worked with had a great enthusiasm for the temple. He would get excited every time he saw it. Watching his enthusiasm made me more enthusiastic about going to the temple.
Then, a few years ago, Elder David A. Bednar gave a talk that helped give me some more perspective on temples and making it a focus in church service. Here are a couple of stories that he shared that I still reflect on today.
"Shortly after I was called to serve as a stake president in
1987, I talked with a good friend who recently had been released as a
stake president. During our conversation I asked him what he would teach
me about becoming an effective stake president. His answer to my
question had a profound impact upon my subsequent service and ministry.
"My
friend indicated he had been called to serve as a temple worker soon
after his release. He then said: 'I wish I had been a temple worker
before I was a stake president. If I had served in the temple before my
call to serve as a stake president, I would have been a very different
stake president.'
"I
was intrigued by his answer and asked him to explain further. He
responded: 'I believe I was a good stake president. The programs in our
stake ran well, and our statistics were above average. But serving in
the temple has expanded my vision. If I were called today to serve as a
stake president, my primary focus would be on worthiness to receive and
honor temple covenants. I would strive to make temple preparation the
center of all that we did. I would do a better job of shepherding the
Saints to the house of the Lord.'”And
"For
many years Sister Bednar and I hosted faithful men and women as
devotional speakers at Brigham Young University–Idaho. Many of these
speakers were emeritus or released members of the Seventy who had served
as temple presidents following their service as General Authorities. As
we talked with these stalwart leaders, I always asked this question: 'What have you learned as a temple president that you wish you had
better understood when you were a General Authority?'
"As
I listened to their answers, I discovered a consistent theme that I
would summarize as follows: 'I have come to understand better the
protection available through our temple covenants and what it means to
make an acceptable offering of temple worship. There is a difference
between church-attending, tithe-paying members who occasionally rush
into the temple to go through a session and those members who faithfully
and consistently worship in the temple.'”
I wish that I had heard this talk before my mission because I think it would have changed the way I served and taught as a missionary. Regardless, as I serve in the church now, when I get a chance to testify and teach about the temple I remember this talk. I was even just called in to the primary so now I am working with children who are preparing to go t the temple. What an opportunity!
In D&C 110:7 the Lord says, “For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house.” There are powerful revelations awaiting us in the temple. Go there! If you are not worthy to go there, get worthy and go! Life is so challenging as it is, do not go through it with less help than is available to you. The pain and the sorrow are just not worth it when peace, happiness, and tender mercies await you.
Here is a link to the talk that was given by Elder Bednar:
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/04/honorably-hold-a-name-and-standing?lang=eng
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