Lessons on the Temple
Lesson No. Eighty-Six

The Temple Covenant People of the Lord in Ukraine are Armed with the Power of God

Nephi’s vision of the latter days, given over 2,500 years ago, is being fulfilled in Ukraine – One of the last things Nephi saw and was permitted to write about in his vision of the latter days was that the temple “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” (1 Nephi 14:14).

The war waged on Ukraine by Valdimar Putin of Russia has been going on for 21 months and the Kyiv Ukraine Temple continues to specifically bless and protect the temple covenant people of the Lord in Ukraine, and also the country and people of Ukraine in general.

Being “gathered into the garners” (Alma 26:5)  applies to temple covenant people in Ukraine – The dictionary defines “garner as a granary or grain bin.”  It is a place where grain is stored and protected from the elements.  (Opposite is a picture of a modern granary in Texas)  In the temple the people of the Lord in Ukraine make covenants with Him, and they “shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; year neither shall they be driven with fierce winds wheresoever the enemy listeth to carry them.  But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day” (Alma 26:6-7).

The dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple, given to Joseph Smith by revelation (see headnote to D&C 109), is a pattern for dedicatory prayers of all modern temples, and is being fulfilled in Ukraine – “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 he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself;  That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in thy house” (D&C 109:24-26, emphasis added).

The Kyiv Ukraine Temple has been and will be protected against the “combination of wickedness” – The Kyiv Ukraine Temple was dedicated on 29 August 2010 by President Thomas S. Monson (See Dedicatory Prayer)  As part of that dedicatory prayer President Monson petitioned the Lord to:  “Protect [the Kyiv Ukraine Temple] from any devastating influence, destruction or defacement.”    

The “combination of wickedness” at work today in Ukraine and in the middle east is obvious, but it will not prevail – The Lord reminded Joseph Smith of this at a difficult time:  “The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught.  For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.  Remember,  that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men” (D&C 3:1-3)

Testimony of the importance of the Kyiv Ukraine Temple – Thirty years ago our son, John, was one of the first missionaries to serve in the Kyiv, Ukraine Mission.  John is currently in Ukraine with a humanitarian organization helping to provide housing for those whose homes were destroyed by Russian bombs.  He recently had the opportunity to attend the Kyiv Temple.  John is also the bishop of our ward, and he wrote the following to the ward about the Kyiv Ukraine Temple:   “It is a beacon of hope during a challenging time.  As I have visited with Ukrainian members of the Church, they have told me it is the temple and temple covenants that have given them the strength to persevere during the war.  The temple has truly pointed their hearts to the Savior.  It has helped them to ‘Think Celestial.’"  I add my testimony that the temple “covenant people of the Lord, who [are in Ukraine and those] scattered upon all the face of the earth; [are] armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Nephi 14:14).