The House of the Lord

by Laurel Rohlfing

Blessed at they that keep my ways. -Proverbs 8:32

The sun shone brightly as nineteen-year-old Matthew put on his new suit. Today was the day eh would attend the temple for the very first time in preparation for serving a mission. As he came into view of the beautiful building, it looked exactly like the picture that had been hanging in his room since he was in Primary. He had looked at that picture many time through the years and was thankful to Heavenly Father that he had lived worthily to enter this holy place.

The temple is the house of the Lord. It is the most sacred place on the earth. When you are in the temple, you can feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus. In the temple, you receive an endowment that help you become more like Heavenly Father and prepares you to live in the celestial kingdom. As part of the endowment, you make covenants, or promises, with Heavenly Father and He makes covenants with you.

In the temple, you can be sealed to your family for time and all eternity. You can also be baptized, endowed, and sealed for people who have died and cannot physically participate in these ordinances for themselves. Heavenly Father wants all His children to be worthy to enter the temple. Jesus said: "Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in . . . the blessings which shall be poured out . . . in this house" (Doctrine & Covenants 110:9). The temple is one of the greatest blessings we have as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.