John A. Widtsoe called temple work “the keystone of the wonderful Gospel arch. If this center stone is weakened, and falls out, the whole arch falls into a heap of unorganized doctrinal blocks. It is a high privilege for young or old to be allowed to enter the House of the Lord there to serve God and to win power.”
“To win power.” What kind of power? The power to do what?
The Doctrine and Covenants teaches us that we will be “endowed with power from on high.” (D&C 38:32) This power comes from the spirit of the Lord. I believe a partial list of what this endowment of power enables us to do includes; the power to resist temptation; the power to endure well our trials; the power to do what's right. The power to share the gospel and do missionary work.
Nearly 38 years ago, in February of 1978, I traveled with my parents to enter the Language Training Mission /LTM — now known as the MTC or Missionary Training Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Provo, Utah. I had been called by Spencer W. Kimball to serve as a missionary in the São Paulo North, Brazil Mission.
Upon arriving in Salt Lake City we drove downtown and visited the Salt Lake City temple. I had seen many pictures of it and even walked the grounds as a youth. But now as a set apart missionary my parents and I went inside. Later that day we drove less than an hour to the LTM. Directly across the parking lot, a short ways up a gradually sloping hill was the Provo Temple. I remember the special feelings I felt to have a temple so close to the LTM. Each week my companion and I walked across the street wearing our long black overcoats (it was winter) with our missionary name tags proudly displayed.
We attended the temple weekly as missionaries. A welcome break from learning Portuguese and the rigors of memorizing the discussions in a foreign language.
After several months in the LTM I was sent to work in San Antonio Texas under President Vaughn J. Featherstone, while I waited for my visa to enter Brazil. After nearly two months of learning Spanish, working to remember the gospel discussions I had memorized in Portuguese, and trying to keep the two languages separate in my mind, I finally received permission to enter Brazil. It was June of 1978 and I was assigned to work in Itu, in the interior of the State of São Paulo.
Before I get too far ahead of myself, and to provide proper perspective, let me roll back the clock and share a very brief history of the church in Brazil. The first church members were two German families that immigrated to São Paulo in the early 1900’s. In 1966 the first stake of the church in South America was organized in São Paulo. Twelve years later, in 1978 there were 15 stakes in Brazil, with just over 54,000 members of the LDS church in the entire country. Not bad right? Seems like pretty reasonable growth.
In 1976 Elder James E. Faust, who served as a missionary in Brazil from 1939-1942, stood on a beautiful plot of land on the west side of the city of São Paulo and dedicated it for the building of a temple, The House of the Lord. Latin American members made numerous sacrifices of time, money, and material treasures to raise money for the Temple.
Two years later, October of 1978, my companion as well as all of the Brazilian elders in our mission were invited to attend the dedication and to enter the temple to receive their own endowments.
The excitement of the members in the months leading up to this long anticipated event was palpable. Everywhere we went the members spoke of the temple and the great blessing it was to finally have one close enough to visit.
Prior to this time the closest temple was the Washington DC temple. The majority of the members were of humble circumstances and it wasn’t feasible for them to travel with their families to a temple in the United States. And those that could, did so by making great personal sacrifices.
Over a three day period (October 30- November 2), Spencer W. Kimball dedicated the temple.
São Paulo Brazil Temple
Following the dedication, over the next 12 years, an incredible 41 additional stakes were organized, putting national membership at more than 300,000.
It’s amazing what can happen when faithful members of the Lord’s church are endowed with power from on high.
But how is this power bestowed, or through what means is it obtained? Have you ever heard the phrase, “Knowledge is power.” But the real power of knowledge is only realized in its proper application.
The temple is a house of learning, the highest form of learning available to man. In the temple we receive knowledge, but in order for this knowledge to become powerful in our lives we must apply it. And for this we rely on the Holy Ghost. When we humble ourselves and exercise our faith the Holy Ghost will show us all things we must do. (2 Nep 32:5)
In the temple the spirit is the teacher, and the symbols are the teaching aids. In the temple we are often instructed in groups, but true learning is individual. Michael Wilcox described temple scholarship this way, “Each soul is invited to have his or her own personal tutor, that of the Spirit, who will tailor the symbols to specific needs and levels of maturity while inviting the active participation of each individual in the learning process.”
In speaking about temple service President Hunter counseled: “We must think more of holy things and act more like the Savior would expect his disciples to act. We should at every opportunity ask ourselves, ‘What would Jesus do?’ and then act more courageously upon the answer. . . .
“Let us make the temple, with temple worship and temple covenants and temple marriage, our ultimate earthly goal and the supreme mortal experience.
“Let us share with our children the spiritual feelings we have in the temple. And let us teach them more earnestly and more comfortably the things we can appropriately say about the purposes of the house of the Lord” (“Follow the Son of God,” Ensign, November 1994, pp. 87-88; Italics added).
Only in the temple do all of our efforts to proclaim, perfect and redeem come together. Through temple service we can become saviors on Mount Zion. Temples, temple service, and keeping temple covenants are essential to our happiness. It is therefore essential that we teach our children about the temple.
Our example of faithful temple service can provide the thrust and direction for our children’s future desires for temple service. I am reminded of a dear sister living in Campo Grande Brazil. She owned and operated a "pensão", a service where business travelers could eat meals within her home. On any given day many would stop in for breakfast, lunch or dinner. She worked very hard to support her three teenage daughters, who often could be found working side by side with her serving their guests and preparing food in the kitchen. In addition, as a single mom she assumed all of the roles in providing for, looking after and being an example of faithfulness to her girls.
She was successful, but not wealthy by any means. Once a month she would close down her business and with little more than an overnight bag, a temple clothing bag and her scriptures she would board a bus to São Paulo, a journey that lasted more than 24 hours each way. Upon her arrival at the temple she would immediately enter and commence her service. She would attend to her duties within the temple for two days and then make the long return trip home.
No big fanfare, no crowds to see her off. Just three teenage girls who walked their mom to the bus station each month and then awaited her return several days later. I can think of no better way, no more effective method of teaching our children about the importance of the temple than by our constant and consistent example of temple service.
When our children were young we planned a temple trip and drove from California to Utah, stopping at each temple along the way. We marveled at the beautifully unique architecture and pristine grounds of temples.
Over the years, together with our children, we've visited temple open houses in San Diego, Newport Beach and Redlands. Thoughtfully touring the inside of these buildings we were reminded of the sacred significance of temples. We pondered the symbolism of the murals adorning the walls, walked the halls, looked in on bridal areas, and felt reverence for the sacred ordinances that are only performed in the sealing rooms.
This past week we nostalgically visited the Provo City Center Temple. The historic Provo Tabernacle was where Billie and I had attended stake conferences and firesides when we were newlyweds living in South Provo. Following a devastating fire that nearly destroyed the building, leaving only the four walls standing, President Monson announced that the building would be restored and become the second temple in Provo. What wonderful symbolism, rising from the ashes of destruction and tragedy, a new building with all of its beauty and grandeur is raised up and dedicated to the service of God. Constructed from the finest materials available, clean and pure, a holy temple, even a House of the Lord.
We toured the soon to be dedicated temple with two of our children, their spouses and several grandchildren. The majestic sweeping staircase, adorned with intricately detailed wood moldings, was fashioned and installed by a great-grandson of the master carpenter who fitted the Manti temple with its beautiful spiral staircase. Thirty-five years ago, February of 1981, Billie and I were sealed in the Manti temple.
It was a tender moment for us to hear our granddaughter whisper to her mother that this is where she would like to be married someday. At that moment a flood of memories rushed into my heart. I remembered similar proclamations, even tender promises, made by each of our children as we visited temple open houses when they were her same age, that someday they too would be married in the temple.
