A Temple-Motivated People

By President Howard W. Hunter (1907–95) eep a picture Fourteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints K of a in your home that your The temple is the great symbol pointed us toward in the counsel He of our membership gave to the Kirtland Saints through the children may see it. What a glorious thing it is for us to Prophet Joseph Smith as they were pre- Teach them about the have the privilege of going to the paring to build a temple. This counsel purposes of the house temple for our own blessings. Then is still applicable: of the Lord. after going to the temple for our own “Organize yourselves; prepare blessings, what a glorious privilege to every needful thing; and establish a do the work for those who have gone house, even a house of prayer, a house on before us. This aspect of temple of fasting, a house of faith, a house of work is an unselfish work. Yet when- learning, a house of glory, a house of ever we do temple work for other peo- order, a house of God” (Doctrine and ple, there is a blessing that comes back Covenants 88:119). Are these attitudes to us. Thus it should be no surprise to and behaviors indeed reflective of what us that the Lord does desire that His each of us desires and seeks to be? people be a temple-motivated people. It is the Lord Himself who, in His All of our efforts in the Church lead to the holy temple revelations to us, has made the temple the great symbol for members of the All of our efforts in proclaiming the Church. Think of the attitudes and gospel, perfecting the Saints, and righteous behaviors that the Lord

◀ Temple. Dedicated June 29, 1985. Rededicated Sept. 7, 2002.

37 redeeming the dead lead to the holy The temple is holy unto the Lord; The Lord told the Kirtland temple. This is because the temple it should be holy unto us Saints as they were pre- ordinances are absolutely crucial; we Let us be a temple-attending and a cannot return to God’s presence with- temple-loving people. Let us hasten to paring to build a temple, out them. the temple as frequently as time and “Establish a house, even a Truly, the Lord desires that His means and personal circumstances al- house of prayer, a house people be a temple-motivated people. low. Let us go not only for our kindred It would be the deepest desire of my dead, but let us also go for the personal of fasting, a house of heart to have every member of the blessing of temple worship, for the faith, a house of learn- Church be temple worthy. I would sanctity and safety which is provided ing, a house of glory, a hope that every adult member would within those hallowed and consecrated house of order, a house be worthy of—and carry—a current walls. The temple is a place of beauty, temple recommend, even if proximity it is a place of revelation, it is a place of of God.” to a temple does not allow immediate peace. It is . It is or frequent use of it.

▲ Kirtland Temple. Dedicated Mar. 27, 1836. ▶ Logan Temple. Dedicated May 17, 1884. Rededicated Mar. 13, 1979.

38 holy unto the Lord. It should be holy commandments of our Lord. If we can unto us. pattern our life after the Master, and Let us share with our children take His teaching and example as the the spiritual feelings we have in the supreme pattern for our own, we will temple. And let us teach them more not find it difficult to be temple worthy, earnestly and more comfortably the to be consistent and loyal in every walk things we can appropriately say about of life, for we will be committed to a the purposes of the house of the Lord. single, sacred standard of conduct and Keep a picture of a temple in your belief. Whether at home or in the mar- home that your children may see it. ketplace, whether at school or long after Teach them about the purposes of the school is behind us, whether we are house of the Lord. Have them plan acting totally alone or in concert with a from their earliest years to go there and host of other people, our course will be to remain worthy of that blessing. clear and our standards will be obvious. The ability to stand by one’s prin- It is pleasing to the Lord when we go ciples, to live with integrity and faith Let us be a temple- worthily to the temple according to one’s belief—that is what attending and a temple- It is pleasing to the Lord for our youth matters. That devotion to true prin- loving people. Let us to worthily go to the temple and ciple—in our individual lives, in our perform vicarious baptisms for those homes and families, and in all places hasten to the temple as who did not have the opportunity that we meet and influence other frequently as time and to be baptized in life. It is pleasing people—that devotion is what God is means and personal to the Lord when we worthily go to ultimately requesting of us. It requires the temple to personally make our commitment—whole-souled, deeply circumstances allow. own covenants with Him and to be held, eternally cherished commitment sealed as couples and as families. And to the principles we know to be true it is pleasing to the Lord when we in the commandments God has given. worthily go to the temple to perform If we will be true and faithful to the these same saving ordinances for Lord’s principles, then we will always those who have died, many of whom be temple worthy, and the Lord and eagerly await the completion of these His holy temples will be the great sym- ordinances in their behalf. bols of our discipleship with Him. To have the temple indeed be a Adapted from ­Ensign, Oct. 1994, 2–5; Feb. 1995, 2–5 symbol unto us, we must desire it to be so. We must live worthy to enter the temple. We must keep the

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