Living here in the heart of Happy Valley, Utah I am so often pleased with how busy the temples seem to be. In the last week alone I had to wait over an hour to do baptisms, almost two hours to get into initiatory, and they took three rooms full of people before I got into an endowment session. And that was on a Thursday afternoon and evening!
Of course, I always go to the temple with my own family names in hand. But, since I had some time to sit and people watch, I decided to pay attention to how many others do the same. I noticed that not very many others follow the same practice. And, that got me to wondering about a few things...
Do people not know that the commandment is to attend the temple for their own kindred dead?
If they do know that - why aren't they?
If they don't know that - why do they go to the temple?
I'd love to hear what you think!
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I go to the Temple for several reasons. I have gone quite a few times to do work for my kindred dead (parents, grandparents, etc). Sometimes I go te receive answers to prayers, sometimes to be taught by the spirit, and sometimes just because I love to be there. Most recently, I am an ordinance worker, so I go to serve. Please don't discourage anyone from going, just because they don't have a name ready. There is a need for patrons who can do the work for extracted names, too!
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ReplyDeleteWhen you say we're not doing the work for our own kindred, in retrospect aren't we all Children of God? And doesn't every one of our brothers and sisters that have passed on need their work done? Like Margaret said everyone goes to the temple for different reasons but one thing is for sure, the temples around the world are the most wonderful place and coming from someone who has seen both sides of the fence, it is so much better to be on the inside being so close to the Lord then it is to not have that amazing blessing. Any one who can go to the temple. take advantage no matter what your reason is go to the temple and speak your heart out to The most wonderful God we could ever have he really listens and in His time he will answer you.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to take some of my own family names to the temple and am working toward that. In the meantime, I guess I'll have to be satisfied with "half" blessings. The half blessings are pretty great in my opinoin, though! And if going to do work for my own family will be that much better, I can't wait!!
ReplyDeletePS - The new familysearch.com site is helping me a ton, I may have some family names ready to go sooner than I think!!!
The Temple is a place for peace and divine guidence, it is a place to become centered and to come closer to Jesus Christ. It saddens me, you write in a way that discourages saints from attending the temple. Please do not do this. President Hunter did give a talk about how family names are important and they should be done first, this is because in order for us to be with our families forever they must be baptized and have their endowments recieved. The temple is also a place for ones self, to pray and come closer to God. We must prepare ourselves to enter the presence of God. Saints should readily enter the temple with out hesitation. Here is the talk from President Hunter, read it carefully and quote the talk as a whole.
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I am homesick, that's why I 'attend' the temple. This earth is not my home, it's just the summer camp or college that Heavenly Father sent us to for an education and when we have graduated, we go home. I miss my Dad so I go to his house to connect again with that wonderful peaceful non-stressful feeling and to disconnect from this fretful worrisome world. I also am forgetful and need reminding of what I need to know and do to get back home. I also want to help others rejoin their families in paradise after being trapped in spirit prison with no way to get out and go to paradise without someone here on earth letting them out through proxy. Each soul is special to God. While it is important to do the work for your won people, we are all brothers and sisters and all the names we take through the temple are related to us. I get a full blessing each time I go.
ReplyDeleteOOps. Typo in the above post - it should read 'own people' not 'won people'. To prepare for the temple I read my scriptures daily, attend church and do charity work for www.ReliefShare.org and when I go to the temple I can reinforce everything I have learned to be able to apply it to my life.
ReplyDeleteThe talk from President Hunter was from the February Ensign 1995, p.2 First Presidency Message, A Temple-Motivated People
ReplyDeleteI go to the Temple to reconnect with who I really am and why I'm really here.
ReplyDeleteSome might go to have babies ... :)
[Click my name to read story: "Miracle Birth at Tonga Temple"]