By Elder Ronald A. Rasband Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Recommended to the Lord

Begin the process now to become “recommended to the Lord” so that His Spirit will be with you in abundance.

Good morning, brothers and sisters. more than the setting, I will always As a disciple of our Savior, Jesus treasure the dignity of the people Christ, I have been looking forward to who were so well prepared to enter gathering virtually from all corners of that sacred edifice. They came ready the world for this conference. to partake of one of the crowning This has been a most unusual blessings of the Restoration: the year. For me it began with an assign- dedication of a house of the Lord. ment from the First Presidency to They came with hearts filled with dedicate a holy temple to the Lord in love for Him and His Atonement. Durban, South Africa. I will never for- They came filled with thanks to get the grandeur of the building. But our Father in Heaven for providing

Sugar City, Idaho, USA

22 SATURDAY MORNING SESSION sacred ordinances that would lead to As we greeted the bishop, I thought, Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. exaltation. They came worthy. “What a nice bishop. He’s here doing In your interview you have the Temples, no matter where they his ministering to a faithful member of opportunity to search your soul are, rise above the ways of the world. his .” about your personal faith in Jesus Every Latter-day Saint temple in the I mentioned to Blaine, “Wasn’t that Christ and His Atonement. You have world—all 168 of them—stand as nice of the bishop to come visit.” the blessing to express your testi- testaments to our faith in eternal life Blaine looked at me and mony of the restored gospel; your and the joy of spending it with our responded, “It was far more than willingness to sustain those whom families and our Heavenly Father. that. I asked for the bishop to come the Lord has called to lead His Attending the temple increases our because I wanted my temple recom- Church; your faith in the doctrine of understanding of the Godhead and mend interview. I want to go recom- the gospel; your fulfillment of family the everlasting gospel, our commit- mended to the Lord.” And he did! responsibilities; and your qualities ment to live and teach truth, and our That phrase, “recommended to of honesty, chastity, fidelity, obedi- willingness to follow the example of the Lord,” has stayed with me. It has ence, and observance of the Word of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. put a whole new perspective on Wisdom, the law of tithing, and the On the outside of every temple being interviewed regularly by our sanctity of the Sabbath day. Those are in the Church are the fitting words Church leaders. So important is a bedrock principles of a life devoted “Holiness to the Lord.” The temple is temple recommend that in the early to Jesus Christ and His work. the Lord’s house and a sanctuary from Church, until 1891, each temple Your temple recommend reflects the world. His Spirit envelops those recommend was endorsed by the a deep, spiritual intent that you are who worship within those sacred President of the Church.1 striving to live the laws of the Lord walls. He sets the standards by which Whether for youth or adults, your and love what He loves: humility, we enter as His guests. temple recommend interview is not meekness, steadfastness, charity, My father-in-law, Blaine Twitchell, about do’s and don’ts. A recommend courage, compassion, forgiveness, and one of the best men I have ever is not a checklist, a hall pass, or a obedience. And you commit yourself known, taught me a great lesson. ticket for special seating. It has a to those standards when you sign Sister Rasband and I went to visit him much higher and holier purpose. To your name to that sacred document. when he was nearing the end of his qualify for the honor of a temple rec- Your temple recommend opens the mortal journey. As we entered his ommend, you must live in harmony gates of heaven for you and others room, his bishop was just leaving. with the teachings of The Church of with rites and ordinances of eternal

NOVEMBER 2020 23 significance, including baptisms, President Russell M. Nelson endowments, marriages, and sealings. recalled President Hunter’s words: To be “recommended to the Lord” “On that day, June 6, 1994, the temple is to be reminded of what is expected recommend that we carry became a of a covenant-keeping Latter-day different object in my wallet. Before Saint. My father-in-law, Blaine, saw it that, it was a means to an end. It was as invaluable preparation for the day the means to allow me to enter a when he would humbly stand before sacred house of the Lord; but after he the Lord. made that declaration, that became an Consider when Moses climbed the Nephites, He commanded, “Be end in itself. It became my badge of Mount Horeb and the Lord Jehovah sanctified by the reception of the Holy obedience to a prophet of God.”7 appeared to him in a burning bush. Ghost, that ye may stand spotless If you have yet to receive a rec- God told him, “Put off thy shoes from before me.”4 “What manner of men ommend or if your recommend has off thy feet, for the place whereon ought ye to be?” asked the Lord and lapsed, line up at the door of the thou standest is holy ground.”2 then answered, “Even as I am.”5 To be bishop just as the early Saints lined Putting off our shoes at the door “recommended to the Lord,” we strive up at the door of the Nauvoo Temple of the temple is letting go of worldly to be like Him. in 1846.8 My ancestors were among desires or pleasures that distract us I remember hearing President those faithful. They were abandoning from spiritual growth, setting aside Howard W. Hunter in his first their beautiful city and going west, those things which sidetrack our general conference address as the but they knew that there were sacred precious mortality, rising above con- 14th President of the Church. He experiences awaiting them in the tentious behavior, and seeking time said: “It is the deepest desire of my temple. Wrote Sarah Rich from the to be holy. heart to have every member of the rugged trail in Iowa, “If it had not By divine design, our physical Church worthy to enter the temple. been for the faith and knowledge body is a creation of God, a temple It would please the Lord if every that was bestowed upon us in that for our spirit, and should be treated adult member would be worthy temple . . . , our journey would have with reverence. So true are the words of—and carry—a current temple been like . . . taking a leap in the of the Primary song: “My body is recommend.”6 I would add that a dark.”9 That is what we are missing if a temple [that] needs the greatest limited-use recommend will set a we are going through this life alone care.”3 When the Lord appeared to clear path for our precious youth. without the inspiration and peace promised in the temple. Begin the process now to become “recommended to the Lord” so that His Spirit will be with you in abun- dance and His standards will bring you “peace of conscience.”10 Your youth leaders, elders quorum president, president, and ministering brothers and sisters will help you prepare, and your bishop or branch president lovingly will guide you. We have been experiencing a time when temples have been closed or limited in use. For President Nelson and those of us who serve at his side, Provo, Utah, USA the inspired decision to close the

24 SATURDAY MORNING SESSION temples was “painful” and “wracked Department, I heard with worry.” President Nelson found President Gordon B. himself asking, “What would I say Hinckley refer to this scrip- to the Prophet Joseph Smith? What ture spoken by the Lord would I say to Brigham Young, about the Nauvoo Temple: Wilford Woodruff and the other “Let the work of my temple, Presidents, on up to President Thomas and all the works which I S. Monson?”11 have appointed unto you, be Now, we gradually and gratefully continued on and not cease; are reopening temples for sealings and let your diligence, and and endowments on a limited scale. your perseverance, and Being worthy to attend the temple, patience, and your works however, has not been suspended. be redoubled, and you shall Let me emphasize, whether you have in nowise lose your reward, access to a temple or not, you need saith the Lord of Hosts.”12 a current temple recommend to stay Our work in the temple firmly on the covenant path. is tied to our eternal reward. Late last year Sister Rasband and I Recently we have been put were on assignment in New Zealand to the test. The Lord has speaking with a large group of young called us to work in the single adults. They had no easy access temples with “diligence, Salzburg, Austria to a temple; the one in Hamilton . . . perseverance, and was being renovated, and they were patience.”13 Being “recommended to Holy Ghost guiding you, you will be still awaiting the groundbreaking for the Lord” requires those qualities. We grateful for your sacred covenants, the temple in Auckland. However, I must be diligent in living the com- and you will feel peace knowing you felt prompted to encourage them to mandments, persevere in our atten- are “recommended to the Lord.” In the renew or receive temple recommends. tion to our temple covenants, and be name of Jesus Christ, amen. ◼ Even though they could not pre­ grateful for what the Lord continues NOTES sent them at the temple, they would to teach about them and be patient 1. See James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the be presenting themselves before the as we wait for temples to reopen in First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1833–1964, Lord pure and prepared to serve Him. their fulness. 6 vols. (1965–75), 3:229. Being worthy to hold a current temple When the Lord calls for us to 2. Exodus 3:5. recommend is both a protection from “redouble” our efforts, He is asking 3. “My Body Is a Temple,” The Children Sing (1951), no. 99. the adversary, because you have made that we increase in righteousness. For 4. 3 Nephi 27:20. a firm commitment to the Lord about example, we may expand our study 5. 3 Nephi 27:27. your life, and a promise that the Spirit of the scriptures, our family history 6. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter (2015), 180. will be with you. research, and our prayers of faith that 7. Teachings of Russell M. Nelson (2018), 373. We do temple work when we we may share our love for the Lord’s 8. See Saints: The Story of the Church of search for our ancestors and submit house with those preparing to receive Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 (2018), their names for ordinances. While our a temple recommend, our family 582–83. temples have been closed, we have members in particular. 9. Sarah P. Rich, Autobiography, 1885–1890, still been able to research our families. I promise you as an Apostle of the Church History Library, Salt Lake City, 66. 10. Mosiah 4:3. With the Spirit of God in our hearts, Lord Jesus Christ that as you strive to 11. Sarah Jane Weaver, “President Nelson we are, by proxy, standing in for them redouble your righteous efforts, you Talks about the ‘Painful’ Decision to Close to be “recommended to the Lord.” will feel renewed in your devotion Temples amid COVID-19,” Church News, July 27, 2020, thechurchnews.com. When I was serving as the to God the Father and Jesus Christ, 12. Doctrine and Covenants 127:4. Executive Director of the Temple you will feel an abundance of the 13. Doctrine and Covenants 127:4.

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