Lessons on the Temple
Lesson No. Sixty-Two

Temple Worship Requires Sacrifice

Temple worship is our objective – In the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple we are introduced to the blessings of temple worship: “And do thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house…that they may grow up in thee, and receive a fullness of the Holy Ghost, and be organized according to thy laws, and be prepared to obtain every needful thing” (D&C 109:14, emphasis added).

Continuing, “We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship, and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity; That no weapon formed against them shall prosper…That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house” (D&C 109:24, emphasis added).

We should not just go to or attend the temple, but our objective should be to worship in the temple. 
 

Temple worship requires sacrifice - President Thomas S. Monson in a keynote general conference sermon gave several examples of people and families who made great sacrifices in order to receive their temple blessings.  Then he observed:  "Some degree of sacrifice has ever been associated with temple building and with temple attendance. Countless are those who have labored and struggled in order to obtain for themselves and for their families the blessings which are found in the temples of God.

"Why are so many willing to give so much in order to receive the blessings of the temple? Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. There are never too many miles to travel, too many obstacles to overcome, or too much discomfort to endure. They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort" (The Holy Temple - a Beacon to the World, Ensign, May 2011). 

Temple worship requires regular temple attendance – We cannot worship at sacrament meeting if we do not attend.  Likewise, temple worship requires regular temple attendance. 

President Monson continued:  "Today most of us do not have to suffer great hardships in order to attend the temple. Eighty-five percent of the membership of the Church now live within 200 miles of a temple, and for a great many of us, that distance is much shorter.  If you have been to the temple for yourselves and if you live within relatively close proximity to a temple, your sacrifice could be setting aside the time in your busy lives to visit the temple regularly" (Ibid, emphasis added).
 

Regular temple attendance varies depending on our circumstances – While serving in a temple presidency regular temple attendance is almost every day.  For temple workers it may once or more a week.  For some couples raising families it may be monthly.  Everyone has the privilege and responsibility to decide for themselves how often they should attend the temple, and then work hard to keep that commitment.  We may fall short on occasion, but we press on with real intent and desire.  
 

Testimony – We should attend the temple often enough that it is a sacrifice – In the early days of the Church members gave their time and effort to build temples.  It took 40 years to build the Salt Lake Temple.  Today we do not donate our time to build temples, but the sacrifice that is required of most of us, as President Monson suggests, is to set aside time in our busy lives for regular temple worship.

We should put temple worship high on our priority list and attend regularly.  This may require setting aside some other discretionary interests and things that we like to do in order to worship at the temple.  This sacrifice will be acceptable to the Lord, and we will be blessed richly for it.