Blessings of the Temple

By President Thomas S. Monson he temple Sixteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints T provides purpose In the temple we can feel close to “For where your treasure is, there for our lives. It brings the Lord will your heart be also.” 1 peace to our souls— I think there is no place in the world To members of The Church of Jesus not the peace provided where I feel closer to the Lord than in Christ of Latter-day Saints, the temple by men but the peace one of His holy temples. To paraphrase is the most sacred place on earth. It a poem: is the house of the Lord, and just as promised by the Son of How far is heaven? the inscription on the exterior of the God when He said, It’s not very far. temple states, the temple is “holiness to “Peace I leave with the Lord.” In temples of God, you, my peace I give It’s right where we are. The temple lifts and exalts us unto you.” The Lord said: In the temple, the precious plan of God “Lay not up for yourselves trea- is taught. It is in the temple that eternal sures upon earth, where moth and rust covenants are made. The temple lifts doth corrupt, and where thieves break us, exalts us, stands as a beacon for all through and steal: to see, and points us toward celestial “But lay up for yourselves treasures glory. It is the house of God. All that in heaven, where neither moth nor rust occurs within the walls of the temple is doth corrupt, and where thieves do not uplifting and ennobling. break through nor steal:

◀ Lima Peru Temple. Dedicated Jan. 10, 1986.

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As we touch the temple and love the temple, our lives will reflect our faith. As we go to the holy house, as we remember the covenants we make therein, we will be able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation.

The temple is for families, one of the house of the Lord. She had touched greatest treasures we have in mortal- the temple, and the temple had ity. The Lord has been very explicit in touched her. talking to us fathers, indicating that we have a responsibility to love our wives The temple brings peace to our souls with all of our hearts and to provide As we touch the temple and love the for them and for our children. He has temple, our lives will reflect our faith. indicated that the greatest work we As we go to the holy house, as we parents can do is performed in our remember the covenants we make homes, and our homes can be heaven, therein, we will be able to bear every particularly when our marriages are trial and overcome each temptation. sealed in the house of God. The temple provides purpose for our The late Elder Matthew Cowley, lives. It brings peace to our souls—not who was a member of the Quorum of the peace provided by men but the The Lord has indicated the Twelve Apostles, once recounted peace promised by the Son of God that the greatest work the Saturday afternoon experience of when He said, “Peace I leave with you, we parents can do is a grandfather as hand in hand he took my peace I give unto you: not as the performed in our homes, his small granddaughter on a birthday world giveth, give I unto you. Let not visit—not to the zoo or to the mov- your heart be troubled, neither let it be and our homes can be ies but to the temple grounds. With afraid.” 2 heaven, particularly when permission of the groundskeeper, the There is great faith among the our marriages are sealed two walked to the large doors of the Latter-day Saints. The Lord gives us in the house of God. temple. He suggested that she place opportunities to see if we will follow her hand on the sturdy wall and then His commandments, if we will follow on the massive door. Tenderly he then the pathway that Jesus of Nazareth said to her, “Remember that this day followed, if we will love the Lord you touched the temple. One day you with all our heart, might, mind, and will go inside.” His gift to the little strength, and love our neighbors as one was not candy or ice cream but ourselves. 3 an experience far more significant and everlasting—an appreciation of the

◀ St. George Utah Temple. Dedicated Apr. 6, 1877. Rededicated Nov. 11, 1975.

15 I believe in the proverb “Trust in proxy for those who have died without Worthy young men and the Lord with all thine heart; and lean the blessings of baptism. This would be young women as young not unto thine own understanding. In our Heavenly Father’s desire for you all thy ways acknowledge him, and he and for me. as 12 years of age can shall direct thy paths.” 4 be proxy for those who So it has always been; so it shall A miracle occurred have died without the always be. If we do our duty and Many years ago, a humble and faithful patriarch, Brother Percy K. Fetzer, was blessings of baptism. trust fully in the Lord, we will fill His temples, not only doing our own called to give patriarchal blessings to ordinance work, but also having the Church members living behind the privilege of doing work for others. We Iron Curtain. will kneel at sacred altars to be proxies Brother Fetzer went into the land in sealings that unite husbands and of Poland in those dark days. The wives and children for all eternity. borders were sealed, and no citizens Worthy young men and young women were permitted to leave. Brother Fetzer as young as 12 years of age can be

▲ Manila Philippines Temple. Dedicated Sept. 25, 1984. ▶ Bountiful Utah Temple. Dedicated Jan. 8, 1995.

16 met with German Saints who had wanted you to do.” The two of us knelt been trapped there when the borders down beside my desk and poured out were redefined following World War our hearts to our Heavenly Father, in- II and the land where they were living dicating that promises had been given became part of Poland. to a devoted family pertaining to the Our leader among all of those Ger- temple of God and other blessings now man Saints was Brother Eric P. Konietz, denied to them. Only He could bring who lived there with his wife and chil- forth the miracle we needed. dren. Brother Fetzer gave Brother and The miracle occurred. A pact was Sister Konietz and the older children signed between the leaders of the patriarchal blessings. Polish government and the leaders When Brother Fetzer returned to the of the Federal Republic of Germany, United States, he called and asked if he permitting German nationals who could come visit with me. As he sat in had been trapped in that area to move my office, he began to weep. He said, to West Germany. Brother and Sister “Brother Monson, as I laid my hands Konietz and their children moved to If we do our duty and upon the heads of the members of the West Germany, and Brother Konietz trust fully in the Lord, Konietz family, I made promises which became the bishop of the ward in cannot be fulfilled. I promised Brother which they resided. we will fill His temples, and Sister Konietz that they would be The entire Konietz family went to not only doing our own able to return to their native Germany, the holy temple in Switzerland. And ordinance work, but also that they would not be held captive who was the temple president who having the privilege of by the arbitrary decisions of conquer- greeted them in a white suit with open ing countries and that they would be arms? None other than Percy Fetzer— doing work for others. sealed together as a family in the house the patriarch who gave them the prom- of the Lord. I promised their son that ise. Now, in his capacity as president of he would fill a mission, and I prom- the Bern Switzerland Temple, he wel- ised their daughter that she would be comed them to the house of the Lord, married in the holy temple of God. You to the fulfillment of that promise, and and I know that because of the closed sealed the husband and wife together borders, they will not be able to receive and the children to their parents. the fulfillment of those blessings. What The young daughter eventually have I done?” married in the house of the Lord. The I said, “Brother Fetzer, I know you young son received his call and ful- well enough to know that you have filled a full-time mission. done just what our Heavenly Father

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In the temple, the precious plan of God is taught. It is in the temple that eternal covenants are made. All that occurs within the walls of the temple is uplifting and ennobling.

“We’ll see you in the temple!” One year later I had the opportu- For some of us, our journey to the nity to greet the Nield family in the temple is but a few blocks. For others, Salt Lake Temple. In a peaceful sealing there are oceans to cross and miles to room I had the privilege to unite for go before they enter the holy temple of eternity, as well as for time, Brother God. and Sister Nield. The doors were then Some few years ago, before the opened, and those beautiful daughters, completion of a temple in South Africa, each of them dressed in spotless white, while attending a district conference entered the room. They embraced in what was then Salisbury, Rhodesia, mother, then father. Tears were in their I met the district president, Reginald J. eyes, and gratitude was in their hearts. Nield. He and his wife and lovely We were next to heaven. Well could In a peaceful sealing daughters met me as I entered the each one say, “Now we are a family for chapel. They explained to me that they eternity.” room I had the privilege had been saving their means and had This is the marvelous blessing that to unite for eternity, as been preparing for the day when they awaits those who come to the temple. well as for time, Brother could journey to the temple of the Lord. May each of us live worthy lives, with and Sister Nield and their But, oh, the temple was so far away. clean hands and pure hearts, so that At the conclusion of the meeting, the temple may touch our lives and our daughters. Tears were in the four lovely daughters asked me families. their eyes, and gratitude questions about the temple: “What is How far is heaven? I testify that in was in their hearts. We the temple like? All we have seen is the holy temples it is not far at all—for a picture.” “How will we feel when it is in these sacred places that heaven were next to heaven. we enter the temple?” “What will we and earth meet and our Heavenly remember most?” For about an hour Father gives His children His greatest I had the opportunity to talk to four blessings. girls about the house of the Lord. As I Notes departed for the airport, they waved to 1. Matthew 6:19–21. me, and the youngest girl said, “We’ll 2. John 14:27. see you in the temple!” 3. See Matthew 22:37–39. 4. Proverbs 3:5–6.

◀ Bern Switzerland Temple. Dedicated Sept. 11, 1955. Rededicated Oct. 23, 1992. ▲ Sealing room, Salt Lake Temple.

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