Much as the synagogues of ancient Israel, these temples hold sacred and
precious truths which are revealed to those worthy to receive them.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, the living prophet, seer and revelator of God, and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) said of temples:
“The work that goes on in these buildings sets forth God’s eternal purposes with reference to man — God’s child and creation. For the most part, temple work is concerned with the family, with each of us as members of God’s eternal family and with each of us as members of earthly families. It is concerned with the sanctity and eternal nature of the marriage covenant and family relationships.
“It affirms that each man and woman born into the world is a child of God, endowed with something of His divine nature. The repetition of these basic and fundamental teachings has a salutary effect upon those who receive them, for as the doctrine is enunciated in language both beautiful and impressive, the participant comes to realize that since every man and woman is a child of Heavenly Father, then each is a member of a divine family; hence, every person is his brother or sister.” (Why These Temples, Gordon B. Hinckley
My husband and I were sealed in one of these temples, the Bountiful Temple located in Bountiful, Utah in the United States of America.
Why did we choose to live our lives in such a fashion that we were worthy of entering into a temple of the Lord and be married? Simply because we knew that within the walls of that holy and sacred temple, one holding the sacred keys of the priesthood, would unite us for all time and eternity.
We are, my husband and I, as President Hinckley said, filled with a divine spark. In nurturing our testimonies, studying the gospel of Jesus Christ and learning of the eternal aspects of our natures, we loved each other so much that we wanted to be sealed through all eternity, not just for this brief moment we call mortality. And so we lived by the gospel principles, practices and precepts so that we would be worth to enter that temple.
President Hinckley continued:
“Was there ever a man who truly loved a woman, or a woman who truly loved a man, who did not pray that their relationship might continue beyond the grave? Has a child ever been buried by parents who did not long for the assurance that their loved one would again be theirs in a world to come? Can anyone believing in eternal life doubt that the God of heaven would grant His sons and daughters that most precious attribute of life, the love that finds its most meaningful expression in family relationships? No, reason demands that the family relationship shall continue after death. The human heart longs for it, and the God of heaven has revealed a way whereby it may be secured. The sacred ordinances of the house of the Lord provide for it.
“But all of this would appear to be unfair indeed if the blessings of these ordinances were available only to those who are now members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The fact is that the opportunity to come into the temple and partake of its blessings is open to all who will accept the gospel and be baptized into the Church. For this reason, the Church carries forward an extensive missionary program in much of the world and will continue to expand this program as widely as possible, for it has the responsibility, under divine revelation, to teach the gospel to “every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” (Why These Temples, Gordon B. Hinckley
And so this is the purpose of the holy temples of God which have been built across the world: To unite families, to redeem our dead (perform the saving ordinances for them that they were not able to do in life) and to build upon our own testimonies and knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
