Current Lessons
Lesson No. Thirty Four

Easter and At-One-Ment Through Temple Worship

Just prior going to the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed for at-one-ment for all believers:

- “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
- “That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:
- “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one, even as we are one:
- “I in them, and thou in me that they be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
- Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am…” (John 17:20-24).

The atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ opened heaven’s gate so we can be at one with the Father – “The word (atonement) describes the setting ‘at one’ of those who have been estranged and denotes the reconciliation of man to God” (Atonement, LDS Bible Dictionary). The definition of ment is “the action or process of doing something” (Britannica Dictionary, MENT). Atonement means setting “at one” man and God through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Temple worship is how we walk through heaven’s gate and do our part in the at-one-ment with the Father and the Son and with our family – Temple worship is keeping temple covenants for ourselves and participating in temple ordinances for ourselves and for others who are in the spirit world.

The second most important Easter – On Easter, April 3, 1836, the Lord accepted the Kirtland Temple as His House. (See Lesson 33 regarding the dedication of the Kirtland Temple) The keys of the priesthood needed to prepare for His Second Coming were restored on this Easter in 1836. The keys, power and blessings received at this time, as recorded in D&C 110, are enjoyed in every subsequent temple:

- The Lord appeared and said (The Lord’s words are bolded): “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” (Vs 7). I testify that the Lord does manifest Himself in mercy to His people in the temple.
- “Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice…” (Vs 8). When we served in the presidency of the Salt Lake Temple every third week Susan and I greeted the First Presidency and the Twelve when they came for their Thursday morning council meetings. We know that in the temple the Lord personally directs His servants.
- “Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this house” (Vs 9). We can experience rejoicing every time we worship at the temple.
- “And the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands; and this is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. Even so. Amen” (Vs 10). More and more people on both sides of the veil are experiencing the blessings of temple worship. This will continue to accelerate through the Millennium.
- Moses appeared (Vs 11) – Moses brought the priesthood keys to gather Israel in the latter days.
- Elias appeared (Vs 12) - Elias brought the priesthood keys necessary to restore the Holy Order of Matrimony, which is God’s Law concerning marriage between a man and a woman (Vs 12).
- Elijah appeared and brought the priesthood keys necessary to seal and make eternal all the blessings of the gospel, especially marriage and families (Vs 13-16). It was not a coincidence that April 3, 1836 was Passover. At Passover Jewish people continue to look forward to the coming of Elijah. Elijah has come, and the sealing power he brought is used in temples worldwide.

An acceptable sacrifice to worship in the temple usually requires time and depends on individual circumstances. In earlier days the Saints built temples with their hands and paid for them with their labor or donations to a temple building fund. Today it is different. However, sacrifice is still an essential part of temple worship. Members who are raising families or who live a distance from a temple an acceptable sacrifice of time is less than for members who live close to a temple or who are retired. I believe that we should worship at the temple often enough that it is a sacrifice, and this sacrifice must be offered freely and with joy.

In the temple we receive all the blessings of the at-one-ment – Near the end of the temple endowment we covenant to give all that we have to the Lord and His work. Then we are symbolically invited into the Celestial kingdom. This is individual salvation. But temple blessings do not end with individual salvation. The greatest blessings of the gospel are received as we take the final step into the sealing room where family exaltation is possible. In the sealing ordinance we receive all that the Father has. We previously consecrated all that we have to the Lord. Now He gives us all that He has. This is the greatest of all exchanges. We are bankrupt and have nothing to offer except willing obedience. He has everything, and He will share it all if we are faithful to the end. This is the ultimate at-one-ment.

These greatest blessings are available to all of the Father’s children, regardless of circumstances, whether in this life or in the next – The light of Christ, or a conscience, along with the opportunity to repent in this life or the next, is given to every child of God at birth. These greatest blessings are available to all of God’s children, regardless of circumstances, if we endure to the end, with obedience and desire, consistent with all the light we have been given.

Released on March 31st. 2024.