The common discussion in gospel doctrine, priesthood meetings, and Relief Society classes with respect to the temple, centers on the temple as a place to feel the spirit and to escape the world.
Feeling the spirit and escaping the world are benefits of being in the Lord’s House, but not the purpose for attending the Lord’s House.
D&C 42:36 and the 109th section with specific reference to verses 7 and 14 describe the function and purpose of the temple much the same as those of a university. We learn about the Plan of Happiness and other doctrines in the temple by various means.
- The temple is a house where all seek learning by study and faith
- We learn by a discriminating search among the best books
- Not just the scriptures
- No official list is given
- You must search for them
- By constant discussion
- Not just Gospel Doctrine
- With family and friends
- By diligently teaching “one another words of wisdom”
- Telling and lecturing in church is not the same as teaching
- Teaching is a discussion
- All are involved in the learning process
- Everybody seeks greater light and knowledge
- This is an action sentence and not to be confused with relaxing and watching a film
- The American mind is not trained in symbolism and metaphors
- The temple is a figurative story and lesson with multiple layers of meaning depicted
- All things are to be gathered in one
- Only those who understand and are prepared are invited
- Parable of the Ten Virgins
- Parable of the Marriage of the King’s Son
The very clothing of the temple sets the patrons who enter therein apart from the world. All are attired to be equal in the site of God. Our service is only unequal in our ability to acknowledge, feel, respond, and learn from the spirit already present.
We don’t attend the Temple and pray the spirit will be present. He already has a permanent residence there and we are his guests. It is incumbent upon us to abide by his rules. Coming to the temple to sample the benefits of feeling the spirit and escaping the world is like going to Ruth’s Cris steakhouse and only drinking the ice water.
The ice water may quench the parched palate, but the opportunity of dining from the finest cuisine is lost. The chef is willing to give us every succulent dish in the kitchen if we are hungry enough.
A part of the temple depicts the creation story, but which version is it? From the pages of Genesis, Moses and Abraham, the insightful student who has studied out of the best books will discover there are three Epoch creations.
Where does the temple fit into this? Did Adam and Eve fall by design? Was Eve really deceived? Was there a veil over their eyes in the garden? What role did Lucifer play in the garden?
These and hundreds of other like questions are answered in the temple for the student who samples the incredible cuisine of the chef. How much better does the ice water taste and refresh after a sumptuous bite of tender beef?
For those anticipating the opportunity of attending the temple in the future, allow me a word of caution: don’t buy into all the hype that it will the greatest experience of your life. It wasn’t for me and it isn’t for many others who have called me seeking help and understanding after their first visit.
We as a people are wholly unprepared for what the temple has to offer. Imagine going to your father requesting a drink of water. Your expectation is that he will hand you a glass of water, perhaps with ice. Consider your surprise when he returns armed with a fire-hydrant size hose fully equipped with nozzle and valve and drenches you with water.
You can have all the water you want or as little, even down to the drips rolling out of the nozzle. It’s all a function of what you want.
Temple preparation starts with personal study and ends with constant discussion. The temple is sacred not secret and although discretion is necessary for certain aspects, the purpose and the doctrine is open for learning and study outside those sacred walls.
