Temple Power in This Life

One of the blessings for the Lord’s servants who worship Him in His temple is to “go forth from this house armed with thy power” (D&C 109:22).  While reading this verse several years ago, I realized I could not point to that power in my life.  Although I had attended the temple regularly for years, and although I had hope in an eternal family and other temple blessings in the next life, I felt a need to discover what the power of the temple meant or could mean for me in this life.
         
After studying, pondering, and praying about this for a few years, I am beginning to see temple power in my life.  In fact, spiritual sight, or discernment, is one of the powerful blessings to come through faithful temple attendance.  Discernment is “to understand or know something through the power of the Spirit” (lds.org, The Guide to the Scriptures), and the temple endowment is like an upgraded gift of the Spirit.  In the temple our vision of the spiritual gifts available to us—including discernment—is expanded, and we are taught more about the principles we must live to invite those gifts into our lives now and in eternity.  All of this comes through Jesus Christ.  Just as Jesus does “not judge after the sight of his eyes . . . but with righteousness shall he judge” (Isaiah 11:3), so He can empower us to start to see in His way, which He said is “higher than your ways” (Isaiah 55:9). 
         
The gift of discernment comes as the mighty, or powerful, or full-of-power change of heart (Alma 5:12) progresses in us, and the Lord’s power flows through the Holy Spirit in the temple to help that change along.  It seems like I check out a pair of spiritual glasses when I attend the temple, and those glasses enable me to look at life and people differently.  When I attend the temple regularly, I am able to look on others—especially my family members—and myself with more hope and compassion and less condemnation.  I am able to see the Lord’s hand at work when I might otherwise fail to notice.  I recognize more clearly the consequences of living or not living the principles that Jesus taught.  These glasses have become more powerful over years of temple attendance.
         
For example, as I have studied and shared the stories of my ancestors, my temple glasses have enabled me to discern more about them.  I know through the confirmation of the Spirit in my mind and heart (D&C 8:2) that many of my ancestors are aware of and love me and my family.  This feeling was especially strong one day when I was scanning photos of my paternal grandmother’s parents and uploading them to Family Search.  As I sat in front of the computer and looked at their eyes, I was surrounded with a powerful feeling of love from my great-grandfather Nephi and my great-grandmother Emma, both of whom died before I could get to know them.  From my research I knew already that they loved their children and grandchildren, and that day I learned through the Spirit that their love extended to their great-grandchildren, including me, and to my children as well.  I was reminded that both of them experienced chronic health problems in their lives, and I felt they empathized with the health challenges I experience now.  I could see how they still looked on my grandma as their little girl, even though she is now old and widowed, and I felt they were pleased with my family’s efforts to cheer and honor her in this lonely time of her life. 
   

Emma and Nephi Swenson

       
In the scriptures we are taught that “the faithful . . . continue their labors” (D&C 138:57) in the next life.  Of course that includes missionary work for faithful elders.  When we consider that President Harold B. Lee taught “the most important of the Lord’s work that you will ever do will be the work you do within the walls of your own home” (Strengthening the Home, pamphlet, 1973, p. 7), then we see that the important labor of strengthening family must continue even after death.  Could we really believe that the loving grandmothers who come help at the birth of grandbabies, kiss boo-boos and attend the piano recitals of grandchildren, and who remember the birthdays of dozens of loved ones would just stop this labor of love at death?  President Spencer W. Kimball taught, “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs” (Gen. Conf. Dec. 1974).  We see even greater truth in his statement when we discern that God often answers our prayers for comfort, guidance and encouragement through our good family members who know and love us but have already passed on to the spirit world.  Of course we do not often see these loved ones, but we may feel their words in our hearts since “angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 32:3).   
         
The power of temple glasses has also helped me be more filled with gratitude by the lives of my ancestors.  As I look at the hundreds of names on a nine generation genealogy fan chart hanging in our home, I am overwhelmed with the realization that every one of the women on that chart had to endure pregnancy and childbirth before my husband and I could have the opportunity to be born.  Many of the men sacrificed physical or mental health as they fought to protect their families and country.  Both women and men endured miserable voyages across the ocean in the 1600’s, 1700’s and 1800’s when they came to America to build better lives for themselves and their families—which include me.  Many of our pioneer ancestors left familiar comforts, sacrificed their own health and even buried children as they journeyed across the plains to answer God’s call and gather with members of their church.  Every opportunity and blessing in my life has come through their work and sacrifice.  My little family today is the fruit of their labors, and I feel them encouraging me to continue to rejoice in and build on the strong foundation they have given us. 
         
The power of discernment flowing through the Lord’s temple has enabled me to better know and love my ancestors and to feel their concern and love for me.  This is a fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6).  Through these experiences and others, I can now say with confidence that I see the power of the temple in my life.  The truths I discern with my temple glasses bring strength and joy, and I look forward to continuing to learn more of the Lord and His higher ways through the power of the temple.

Change of Heart, Change of View

In recent months I have been pondering about how our vision is affected by the change of heart that Christ works in us as we make and keep covenants with Him (Ezekiel 36:26, Alma 5:14). We see the connection between a new heart and a new view in the story of Enoch and the city of Zion. As Enoch and his city grew in righteousness, they began to see what and Who they could not see before. God came to walk with Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and dwell with His people in Zion (Moses 7:16). These people received the change of heart that Ezekiel described as being given “one heart” (Ezekiel 11:19-20), for “the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). Eventually they were taken up to heaven “and the Lord said unto Enoch: Behold mine abode forever” (Moses 7:21). They experienced a profound change of view.
         
The story of Samson underscores how our vision is affected by breaking the covenants we have made with God. Despite his acceptance of the Nazarite covenant whereby Samson separated himself unto the Lord (Numbers 6:2), Samson was not true to God. He used his great strength in pursuit of his own vain ambitions (Judges 14-16) and arrogantly flirted with danger until he was finally brought down by his enemies. They put out his eyes shortly before his tragic death. His experience corresponds to the loss of spiritual sight that occurs when we reject God’s covenants.
         
These stories demonstrate in a dramatic way the increase or decrease in our capacity for Spirit-enhanced vision, or discernment, that comes based on our response to covenants with the Lord. We invite the Holy Spirit to be our constant companion through keeping our baptismal covenant to always remember Jesus, be willing to take upon us His name and keep His commandments (D&C 20:77, 79). Then the Spirit enables us to see everything and everyone around us more as God sees them, “for the Spirit . . . speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly” (Jacob 4:13). We also receive the heart-changing power of Christ’s Atonement through the Spirit (Mosiah 3:19). Even greater blessings pour out of the Atonement and flow into our lives through the Spirit as we make and keep covenants with the Lord in His temples.
         
As I invite Jesus Christ to change my heart by keeping the covenants I have made with Him, I am experiencing the change in perspective as well. I find it easier to be humble as the Lord shows me my weakness (Ether 12:27) and because I see with greater clarity that opportunities and talents are gifts from Him (James 1:17, Moroni 10:3, 18). I perceive that in the past my thinking has sometimes been influenced by ideas that are not true, like the idea that worldly prominence equates with importance. This error is especially damaging to mothers, since much of our work is accomplished without worldly fanfare and yet it has great importance in God’s plan for His children. I am coming to see how my labors as a mother encompass much more than fulfilling my children’s physical needs. I recognize that God has assigned me the responsibility to introduce them to and nurture their capacity to feel His love, upon which love the entire gospel rests (Matthew 22:36-40).
         
Some time ago I was reading in Doctrine & Covenants 93 where Christ promises that “every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am” (D&C 93:1). While recognizing that God answers such prayers in His own time and way (D&C 88:68), I decided to be bold in exercising my faith and pray to have that promise fulfilled in my life. As I continued to ponder about it over a period of weeks, the inspiration came that of greater worth than a vision of His physical features would be to see, know and comprehend Christ’s love. This ability to really understand charity – both Christ’s love for us and what our love must be for Him and for our neighbors – is the highest expression of spiritual sight, and it enables us to fulfill the two great commandments (Matthew 22:36-40). It leads us to view each person as having the greatest worth because of their status as children of God with infinite potential through Christ’s grace (Moroni 10:32, 2 Nephi 25:23), regardless of their current accomplishments or rank. Eventually this vision or knowledge of Christ’s character will lead us to God’s greatest blessings, for “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent” (John 17:3).
         
As I grow in the knowledge of Christ’s character, I have greater spiritual sight to perceive my children as the Lord sees them. I have one daughter who is especially feisty, which is difficult for me to manage because my personality is so much like hers. The Lord has helped me perceive that she has a great capacity to be sensitive and responsive to the Spirit, but along with that gift comes the tendency to be very sensitive and loudly responsive to the provocations of her older brother and other adverse circumstances. Being able to recognize the blessing as well as the challenge of this aspect of her character helps me to be more patient with her. I am a better mother to all my children as the Spirit helps me see and remember that how they act now does not always reflect who they really are and what they really can become. I also see that the “small and simple things” I accomplish as a mother really will bring great things to pass (Alma 37:6).
         
Isaiah prophesied about a marvelous work and wonder where the wisdom of the wise shall perish and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and darkness (Isaiah 29:14-18). The result of this work will be apparent when Christ returns and “all shall know me, who remain . . . and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye” (D&C 84:98). The prophet Mormon links spiritual sight with charity: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ . . . that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (Moroni 7:48). The gift of spiritual sight is essential to enable us to serve the Lord now – as mothers or in any other capacity – and prepares us for that great day when our eyes shall see Him with joy in our hearts because we have already come to know Him.

Ask and It Shall Be Given You

One of the oft-repeated promises in scripture is “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7, KJV, 3 Nephi 27:28-29). Speaking of our day, the Lord promised, “and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit" (Joel 2:29). Every time I read those words, I feel the Lord inviting me to seek the fulfillment of those blessings in my life. Over the years I have had many questions about my roles of woman, wife, mother and daughter of God, so I have accepted the Lord’s offer to teach me by the Spirit as I ask, seek and knock. I pray repeatedly that I will discern my place in His plan – my worth, roles and responsibilities – more as He views them and less as the world views them.  
         
The woman at the well (John 4:5-30, 39-42) is an inspiring example of Jesus responding to a woman’s questions, encouraging her growing faith, and revealing Himself to her. Jesus’ disciples and the woman herself were surprised that He would speak with her. Sometimes even faithful women today do not expect the Lord to actually communicate with them, but Jesus demonstrated that He is ready and willing to teach us. The woman at the well expressed her witness to her neighbors and brought many of them to Jesus so they could gain their own testimonies. We can follow her example of asking the Lord our questions and sharing our witness of His answers to help others come to Him.
         
The scriptures teach how we can approach the Lord with confidence that we will receive the answers we seek. John wrote, “if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God" (1 John 3:21). When we are full of charity (Christlike love) and virtue (moral cleanliness), the Lord promises “then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine . . . shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45). Selfish attitudes or degrading thoughts create a barrier between us and the Lord and block the answers He would like to give to us. As I have sought understanding from God, I have learned that answers come as I quickly turn away from thoughts or actions that are offensive to Him and instead find ways to serve others – especially my family – with love.
         
One answer came to me through the Spirit when I was assigned to teach a Primary class consisting entirely of 10- and 11-year old girls. I knew they wouldn’t long remember many details from individual lessons, but I felt they might remember a consistent theme if I made it part of all the lessons. I prayed to know what this overarching message should be. As I pondered about different ideas over many days, I began to see a mental picture. I saw myself standing next to my Savior with His arm around me. Though I could not see Jesus’ face clearly, as I looked up at Him I knew He had a big smile on His face. I could feel that He was delighted in the good things that I am and that I do. I knew that He also felt this way toward the girls in my class, and this was the message I most needed to teach them.
         
Many of the answers we seek in life cannot be had from Facebook posts or discussion groups or even from statements of church doctrine by themselves. We each need personal revelation from the Lord to help us understand the mission He has for us. We need Him to teach us through the Spirit how to view and respond to our individual challenges. We need His power to transfer the doctrine of His gospel from stone, ink or screen onto the “fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3:3). As we develop our ability to learn through the Spirit, we are guided by the assurance that all truth harmonizes together because it all comes from God. I find that General Conference acts as a check for the inspiration I receive. As I hear ideas in conference that parallel and echo the inspiration I am receiving, then I know I am on track.    
         
As beloved daughters of God, we can approach Him with the confidence born of charity and virtue to ask Him our pressing questions. Though answers generally come slowly, “line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little" (D&C 128:21, Isaiah 28:10), we wait with the assurance that the Lord “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not" (James 1:5). Ask, seek, knock.

All references to the Bible are from the King James Version. References may be read in full by going to lds.org and typing the reference into the search box.