The House of the Lord

 “[The temple]…is a creation of beauty— A symbol of strength A haven of peace A sanctuary of service A school of instruction A place of revelation A fountain of truth A house of covenants A temple of God.

“Inside the temple a… sense of peace is experienced. The world is left behind with its clamor and rush. In the house of the Lord there is tranquility. Those who serve here know that they are dealing with matters of eternity. All are dressed in white. Speech is subdued. Thoughts are elevated.

“This is a sanctuary of service….

“[The temple is] a school of instruction in the sweet and sacred things of God. Here we have outlined the plan of a loving Father in behalf of His sons and daughters of all generations. Here we have sketched before us the odyssey of man’s eternal journey from premortal existence 

“The temple is… a place of personal inspiration and revelation. Legion are those who in times of stress, when difficult decisions must be made and perplexing problems must be handled, have come to the temple in a spirit of fasting and prayer to seek divine direction. Many have testified that while voices of revelation were not heard, impressions concerning a course to follow were experienced at that time or later which became answers to their prayers.

“[The] temple is a fountain of eternal truth…Here are taught those truths which are divine in their substance and eternal in their implications.

“For those who enter these walls, this house becomes a house of covenants. Here we promise, solemnly and sacredly, to live the gospel of Jesus Christ in its finest expression. We covenant with God our Eternal Father to live those principles which are the bedrock of all true religion.

“This is a temple of God. The entablature on its face declares “Holiness to the Lord—The House of the Lord.” The first phrase of this statement is a declared recognition of the Almighty and a pledge of holiness and reverence before Him. The second is a statement of ownership. This is His house….

“And here I have entered to do that for which this house was designed, always leaving a better man than I was when I entered.

“So it has been with countless thousands of those who have come to…[the] temple where is felt the divine love of the Redeemer of the world." (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Salt Lake Temple” Ensign, March 1993)

Come to the Temple

“Come to the temples worthily and regularly….[So that] you may freely partake of the promised personal revelation that may bless your life with power, knowledge, light, beauty, and truth from on high, which will guide you and your posterity to eternal life. What person would not want these blessings…..” (David B. Haight, “Come to the House of the Lord,” Ensign, May 1992).

The Temple--A Place of Personal Revelation

“Temples are places of personal revelation. When I have been weighed down by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the House of the Lord with a prayer in my heart for answers. The answers have come in clear and unmistakable ways.” Ezra Taft Benson

A Blessing of the Temple

In a revelation given to Joseph Smith in August 1833, the Lord said:

“And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it; Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God.” (Doctrine and Covenants 97:15-16)

Speaking of this promised blessing, John A. Widstoe said:

“It is a great promise that to the temples God will come, and that in them man shall see God. What does this promised communion mean? Does it mean that once in a while God may come into the temples, and that once in a while the pure in heart may see God there; or does it mean the larger thing, that the pure in heart who go into the temples, may, there by the Spirit of God, always have a wonderfully rich communion with God? I think that is what it means to me and to you and to most of us. We have gone into these holy houses, with our minds freed from the ordinary earthly cares, and have literally felt the presence of God. In this way, the temples are always places where God manifests himself to man and increases his intelligence. A Temple is a place of revelation.” ( Elder John A. Widstoe, “Temple Worship,” October 12, 1920)