Lessons on the Temple
Lesson No. Eighty
The Lord Comes Personally to His Temple
The annual Salt Lake Temple devotional held on 14 October 2007 – The speaker was Elder Dallin Oaks, chairman of the Church Temple and Family History Committee. I saw Elder Oaks a few days later in the temple and spoke to him about the message he gave at the devotional. I asked him for a copy of the quote he used from Joseph F. Smith, shown below. He sent it to me the next day.
A summery video of the media tours and conference of the Richmond, Virginia Temple; prior to its general public open house and prior to its consecration into full service. The words of Rev. Leonard Covington of the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church are very profound about the temple in general.
“The Lord Comes Personally to His Temple” was the theme of Elder Oaks’ message. He quoted the Lord and applied the following scripture to the temple: “But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me” (D&C 38:7).
Elder Oaks explained: “The temple is the House of the Lord and he comes personally to his temples. Not only does the Lord come to his temples but other righteous people from the spirit world and beyond may come to the temples as the need may be. We should remember that righteous spirits from the spirit world are among us during the course of our lives.” In this regard Elder Oaks quoted President Joseph F. Smith’s conference message in April 1916:
“I have a feeling in my heart that I stand in the presence not only of the Father and of the Son, but in the presence of those whom God commissioned, raised up and inspired to lay the foundations of the work in which we are engaged. Accompanying that sense or feeling, I am impressed with the thought that I would not this moment say or do one thing that would give offense to any of my former associates and co-laborers in the work of the Lord….Surely those who have passed beyond can see more clearly through the veil back here to us than it is possible for us to see to them from our sphere of action. I believe we move and have our being in the presence of heavenly messengers and heavenly beings.”
The closeness of the spirit world was spoken of frequently in the past – This doctrine was taught frequently in the Church in the past. Henry Lunt, the first member of the Church from the Lunt family, gave a Patriarchal Blessing to his son George Albert Lunt, my grandfather, in which Henry said, “a holy angel hath charge concerning thee.” While we do not know much about guardian angels, what Henry said is consistent with the teachings of Joseph F. Smith quoted above.
Photo of The Christus statue at the Visitor’s Center at the Rome, Italy Temple. The statue is accompanied by statues of the other twelve apostles appointed during Christ’s living ministry. (Photo sourced from lds.org.)
Also, several hymns that were written in earlier days of the Church speak of “Angels above us are silent notes taking of every action; then do what is right” (Do What Is Right, Hymn # 237). Also, “Dearest children, holy angels watch your actions day and night, and they keep a faithful record of the good and bad you say” (Dearest Children, God is Near You, Hymn #96).
Testimony – The temple is the House of the Lord and he is present there. Mortal witnesses are required to attest to the work that is done. Likely, witnesses in the spirit world are also required. On many occasions we feel the presence those whose work is being done.
We should always remember the importance of the work we do in the House of the Lord, and remember that those names we take to the temple are real people who live in the spirit world. Most of them greatly rejoice in the work we do in the House of the Lord on their behalf.
Furthermore, when I first heard Elder Oaks quote President Joseph F. Smith about those in the spirit world being able to see more clearly through the veil than we do I was impressed by the Spirit that it was true. We should have the same desire President Smith had not to do anything that would give offense to those on the other side who care about us and how we are living our lives.