Current Lessons
Lesson No. Forty-Five

The Temple Arms Us with Righteousness and the Power of God in Great Glory

Introduction: Over 3,000 years ago Nephi wrote of a vision he was given about the latter days as recorded in 1 Nephi 11-14. This vision was conducted by an angel. Nephi’s and the angel’s words, found in 1 Nephi 14, are bolded, and my commentary follows the recitation of Vs 7 and 14.

Vs 7: “For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other—either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken.” These are the words of the angel.

“A great and marvelous work” is the doctrine of restoration of the gospel which began with the Prophet Joseph Smith and it continues today. The doctrine of restoration is the great sieve that sifts the people. If people accept this doctrine it will lead them to “peace and eternal life.” If they reject the doctrine of restoration they will eventually be “brought down into captivity…according to the captivity of the devil. As a young missionary and also as a mission president I saw this was absolutely true. People believed in Christ and the Bible but the doctrine of restoration, living prophets, additional scripture, etc., was the pivot point. If they accepted the doctrine of restoration they would join the Restored Church which led them to the blessings of the temple. If they rejected this doctrine they would remain in captivity to false beliefs.

In Vs 8-13 Nephi beheld that the devil and his followers would greatly oppose the Lord’s church. Specifically, Nephi “beheld the “church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few” compared to the world, and this was because of the devil and his followers. “Nevertheless, [Nephi] beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their [congregations] upon the face of the earth were small because of the wickedness” of the world (Vs 12). Nephi then beheld that the devil “had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people” (Vs 13).

Vs 14: “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.”

“The saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord” refers to temple worthy people, who have and use a current temple recommend, and who keep their covenants. These covenant people are “scattered upon all the face of the earth” and are “armed with righteousness and the power of God in great glory” (Vs 14).

President Russell M. Nelson speaks often about the importance of the temple. What he taught in October 2024 general conference is in partial fulfillment of the promises found in 1 Nephi 14:14:

- After announcing 17 new temples worldwide he said: “My dear brothers and sisters, do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work.”

- “Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace? Why? Because the Lord has instructed us to do so.

- “Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority. In a world filled with dizzying distractions, how can we do this?

- “Regular worship in the temple will help us. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. We learn of Him. We make covenants to follow Him. We come to know Him. As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power. In the temple, we receive protection from the buffetings of the world. We experience the pure love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father in great abundance! We feel peace and spiritual reassurance, in contrast to the turbulence of the world.

- “Here is my promise to you: Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple. You will feel His mercy. You will find answers to your most vexing questions. You will better comprehend the joy of His gospel.”

At the Atlanta Temple President Ezra Taft Benson spoke of the protecting power of the temple: “Yes, there is a power associated with the ordinances of heaven which can and will thwart the forces of evil….This community will be protected, our families will be protected, our children will be safeguarded….This temple will be a light to all in this area” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 236).

Testimony: Susan and I know that “in the ordinances of [the priesthood] the power of godliness is manifest” (DC 84:20). We also know the truth of what Presidents Nelson and Benson taught:

- On 15 September 1991 our son John was a missionary in Ukraine when President Boyd K. Packer dedicated that country for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Less than 20 years later on 29 August 2010 President Thomas S. Monson dedicated the Kyiv Ukraine Temple. Hundreds of thousands of ordinances for both the living and the dead have been performed in that temple even after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Russian forces advanced to within 3 kilometers or 1.8 miles of the temple. Then, for no apparent reason, they stopped, and the power of godliness was manifested. We do not know the detail of how this war will end, but we are certain the Kyiv Ukraine Temple will continue to perform scared ordinances, regardless.

Released on November 30th. 2024.