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An Endowment of Love: Embracing Christ's Covenant Way of Living and Loving
There are countless ways we might figuratively approach the House of the Lord - some shaped by prior experiences there, others influenced by thoughts parents, teachers, or friends have shared, and yet others formed by our personal worldview. In An Endowment of Embracing Christ's Covenant Way of Living and Loving, author Melinda W. Brown invites us to join her in a unique approach to the temple that is specifically focused on developing a loving relationship with the Lord and learning His way of loving God and others.
This book looks expansively at the Christlike characteristics we learn to love and emulate as we worship in the Lord's holy house. Framing the five key covenant commitments of the temple endowment as eternal principles of divine relationships, Melinda W. Brown spotlights love - love for God and love for one another - as the heart of obedience, sacrifice, the gospel of Jesus Christ, chastity, and consecration, as she reminds us that embracing these core commitments can bless our every relationship, not just in the distant eternities but here and now.
This book looks expansively at the Christlike characteristics we learn to love and emulate as we worship in the Lord's holy house. Framing the five key covenant commitments of the temple endowment as eternal principles of divine relationships, Melinda W. Brown spotlights love - love for God and love for one another - as the heart of obedience, sacrifice, the gospel of Jesus Christ, chastity, and consecration, as she reminds us that embracing these core commitments can bless our every relationship, not just in the distant eternities but here and now.
112 pages, Hardcover
Published April 3, 2025
42 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 24, 2025
This is probably the most concise, understandable, gospel-relatable, practical book on the purpose, meaning, and symbolism of the temple for Church of Jesus Christ temple-goers I have ever read. It’s short and to the point and mine is now filled with underlined passages for review. 10/10!
September 27, 2025
Great book. Well done Melinda
September 4, 2025
Powerful book that opens your eyes to new perspectives and understanding. I love the emphasis on God’s love for us, our love for Him, and the love we share for our fellow brothers and sisters. I appreciate that it rises above what we so often tend to make prescriptive, and helps us see things within the contexts of symbolism that has always existed in one way or another to teach us, and relationships we build and cherish. Definitely something I will turn to again and again.
April 20, 2025
What a beautiful, beautifully written book. Melinda explains things in such a clear and loving way. I'm definitely going to listen to this again and again.
May 22, 2025
Really laid out the simplicity behind some of the covenants we make in the temple. I appreciated the focus on love.
August 7, 2025
I really loved her explanations and focus on Christ and love. This is the kind of book you need to read over and over . Good thing it's a short one .
July 9, 2025
Loved this book! Here are some good quotes:
"Sometimes it helps to back up a bit and approach a subject from a slightly different angle to find a new vantage point. A fresh perspective can reveal additional layers of meaning and insights well worth exploring (p. 2)."
"I've been amazed by how clearly I can now see God's love when I look at the ordinances and covenants of the temple... What I've discovered for myself is that approaching the temple with my eyes, ears, heart, and mind focused on Christ's covenant way of living and loving has hcanged how I approach my life (p. 2)."
"The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of love because God is love (p. 3)."
"We enter the temple to make covenants, we leave it to live them (p. 4)."
"Home is where the heart is... An ideal starting point for approaching the house of the Lord is recognizing it as a place of love and belonging (p. 5)."
"'Who can separate us from the love of Christ?... Neither death, nor life, nor angles, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature' (Romans 8:37-39, p. 6)."
"'God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there' (Thomas S. Monson, p. 6)."
"Though no famly is perfect, the family structure was designed to provide both a place to practice loving well and a place to feel safety, peace, and rest (p. 7)."
"Abide... 'a secure placement' (p. 7)."
"Relationships are the primary source of our secure sense of love and belonging (p. 8)."
"Just as my grandmother was the heart of her house, the Lord Jesus Christ is 'the beating heart of the eternal gospel,' and the love and belonging we are invited to feel in His house flows from our most sacred relationships (p. 9)."
"Our temple experience 'will mean little or nothing unless we find Jesus at the center of it all' (Jeffrey R. Holland, p. 9)."
"The image of Christ as the rock upon which we must build our spiritual foundation is particuarly fitting regarding the temple because Christ and His atoning love and sacrifice undergird everything we do there... ROCK offers an ideal acronym to explore the eternally significance and sacred rites and privileges that we are involted to participate in... Relationships, Ordinances, Covenants, and Knowledge (p. 10)."
"'Because He loves us, He neither compels us nor abandons us. Rather, He helps and guides us' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 11)."
"'Making a covenant with God changes our relationship with Him forever. It blesses us with an extra measure of love and mercy. It affects who we are an dhow God will help us become what we can become' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 11)."
"'God will not act to make us something we do not choose by our actions to become' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 12)."
"The familiar, earthbound symbols of baptism can be mined endlessly for deeper meanings. This primary ordinance at once signifies spiritual cleansing, death and rebirth, and submission and trust; it's a sacred experience with Divinity, and all those layers of significance are evident without even examining the languges of the ordinance (p. 15)."
"'Sporadic and shallow dipping in the doctrine of Christ and partial participation in His restored Church cannot produce the spiritual transformation that enables us to walk in a newness of life. Rather, fidelity to covenants, constancy of committment, and offering our whole soul unto God are required if we are to receive the blessings of eternity' (David A. Bednar, p. 16)."
"The conversion process is like any other kind of learning, but with amplified depth and significance since this is learning about God (p. 17)."
"Our closer relationship with Him, through the sacred ordinances and our associated covenant commitments, gives us meaningful, firsthand knowledge of God's compassion, and the Holy Ghost adds to that knowledge by generously providing additional light (p. 17)."
"No knowledge is more valuable and impactful than a true understanding of the power of His infinite love for each of us (p. 17)."
"'To love is to act' (p. 18)."
"Love's defining characteristic is that it is freely given. It cannot be coerced; the moment it is, it ceases to be love... it is always a choice (p. 18)."
"'The only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having' is 'the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other' (C.S. Lewis, p. 19)."
"In the temple we are invited to dedicate ourselves to five eternal principles of covenant relationship, and we call them laws... obedience... sacrifice... the gospel of Jesus Christ... chastity... consecration (p. 22)."
"The Lord wants us to understand our covenants with Him (p. 22)."
"These covenants mark the way to lasting happiness because they are God's way of living and loving. Studying, understanding, and embracing them is transformative because when we live His Way, we can become like Him (p. 22)."
"God's love starts in our hearts and then radiates outward, strengthening and deepening all our relationships as we practice these eternal principles (p. 23)."
"Loving His law transforms our actions as we cherish His way of living and loving and emulate it; simultaneoulsy, He grows our understanding, capacity, and capability. Through divine collaboration, we gather and build Zion (p. 24)."
"'When I experience love, it influences all of my needs positively. I am now freed to develop my potential. I am more secure in my self-worth and can now turn my efforts outward instead of being obsessed with my own needs (p. 24)."
"'Abide in me, and I in you' (John 15:4). Rather than our love being a transaction... it instead becomes a virtuous cycle--He loves us, which inspires us to love Him, which leads Him to love us, and so on (p. 26)."
"'When we make a covenantal bond with God, we share a convenant with Him. We experience and participate together in the covenant' (Dale G. Renlund, p. 26)."
"'When we feel His love and reciprocate that love by choosing Him every day, the gospel becomes less about checkboxes and more about love and desire' (Kristen Yee, p. 26)."
"How we receive a gift sends a strong message (p. 27)."
"The Lord offers us an incredible gift of love in His holy house. It is a divine gift of heavenly knowlege, power, and direction that comes with increased hope, comfort, and peace (p. 28)."
"'The whole intent of the gospel plan is to provide an opportunity for each of you to reach your fullest potential, which is eternal progression and the possibility of godhood' (Spencer W. Kimball, p. 28)."
"Because you are His child, there is no question of your infinite worth; God is reaching out to you constantly, offering His divine love and assistance (p. 29)."
"We are being invited by God to provide clear evidence of our sincere desire to participate in divine partnership (p. 30)."
"Carrying a load is not only easier when done with Him... it is only done with Him. Ultimately, it is only by humbly and submissively choosing to wear His yoke that we are able to accomplish the eternal tasks set before us... Putting on his yoke and submitting to His will is how we access His power (p. 31)."
"Though God's love is certain, access to His power is not. We access His power and thereby grow our capacity when we partner with Him, humbly and submissively choosing to enter into covenant relationship, and we signify that choice by participating in the ordinances of the priesthood offered within His holy house (p. 32)."
"The temple is also a place to contemplate, or to slow down and ponder more deeply (p. 33)."
"These multiple, successive covenants 'are not only sequential but also additive and even synergistic' (Dale G. Renlund, p. 34)."
"The covenant path is the phrase we commonly use to represent this sequential nature of covenant commitment (p. 35)."
"The Lord is teaching us how to use our personal rope of hope to follow His example and lift and support each of our loved ones, binding them to us horizontally even as we are being bound to Him vertically (p. 36)."
"'The temple tells a divine story about being entangled--entangled in a phsyical body and entangled in the lives of others. That entanglement, which shines brightly in the principles and ordinances of the gospel, is the great mystery of the universe, and it is our pathway to heaven' (Sam Brown, p. 36)."
"Wide treads and sturdy handrails comfortably allow for a side-by-side climb. Christ's atoning love for us does the same. His grace provdes room for each of us to move cooperatively at a unique pace and in an individual manner (p. 37)."
"'Your quiet, uncompromising determination to live a righteous life will couple you with inspiration and power beyond your imagination' (Richard G. Scott, p. 38)."
"We formally define obedience as 'striving to keep Heavnely Father's commandments,' but we can easily recognize it by its commitment, dedication, and fidelity--the key components of loyalty... President Jeffrey R. Holland taught, 'the crowing characteristic of love is always loyalty' (p. 38)."
"That divine strength of covenant partnership helps us keep climbing (p. 39)."
"When we live Their way, we can become like Them (p. 39)."
"Commitment carves out the time and space that transformation and growth require (p. 40)."
"'When we put God first... all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims on our affections, the demands on our time, and the interests we pursue' (Ezra Taft Benson, p. 39)."
"Another crucial facet of faithful obedience is humility (p. 41)."
"'Acts of obedience allow our faith to intersect with God's faithfulness. It is at that intersection that we see God work. And when we see Him work our faith gets bigger' (p. 41)."
"The law of obedience is an eternal law... it is the way things work (p. 41)."
"They way of obedience, encompasses countless Christlike attributes, including loyalty, commitment, dedication, fidelity, and humility; therefore, practicing, striving, and learning to live and love this way will naturally lift every relationship--our heavenly relationships as well as our earthly ones--eventulaly making them all divine (p. 42)."
"You might give up a few years of relative freedom to pursue higher education because you expect the eventual returns to be more fulfilling and satisfying than the benefits of sleeping in and bouncing between part-time jobs. Because of the finite nature of so many aspects of mortality--our time, our resources, and uor energy--we make these kinds of decisions frequently... value and investment are a few basic economic princpiles underlying our innate sense of what is 'worth it' (p. 43)."
"The only thing better than finding something worth sacrificing for is finding someone (p. 44)."
"That God-given feeling of love-fueled duty creates the momentum that lifts our relationships heavenward (p. 45)."
"The lovely relationships of family life are divinely designed to ripple outward, beyond the home, into eery realm. Christlike sacrifice can bles every relationship (p. 45)."
"'All things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily' (Ignatius of Loyola, p. 46)."
"We can still choose to make our small offering. As we do so, we are changed. 'We become disciples!... We become more sacred and holy--like our Lord!' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 47)"
"In humbly reciprocating God's gifts to us, however disproportiantely, our covenant relationship is strengthend, and He sanctifies us (p. 48)."
"'A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things neer has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation' (Joseph Smith, p. 48)."
"Our commitment to work on our relationship with the Lord opens the door for Him to step in and help us grow closer to Him (p. 48)."
"'The ultimate source of relief is... Jesus Christ' (Terrence C. Smith, p. 49)."
"We are asked to 'observe our covenants by sacrifice' because that is how He observed His. We can offer our whole heart to Him because He has laready offered His to us (p. 49)."
"Christ's gospel is the good news of love... 'We live in a world that is held together by love--organized by love, maintained by love, and nurtured by love. Ultimately it will be redeemed by love and een now it is in the process of being redeemed by the love and kindness that we offer each other' (Chieko Okazaki, p. 50)."
"Love is His law... 'the very essence of His gospel' (Thomas S. Monson, p. 50)."
"We tend to hear 'love' in the word 'gospel' but 'law' in the term 'doctrine' (p. 50)."
"'We endure to the end by repeatedly and iteratively 'relying wholly upon' the doctrine and 'merits' of Christ' (Dale G. Renlund, p. 51)."
"Living and loving His gospel means we practice the plan. Our covenant relationships flourish when we choose to commit, invest, and practice (p. 51)."
"What we practice shapes what we live (p. 52)."
"'It is only through learning how to take care of each other that we develop within us the Christlike love and disposition necessary to quailty us to return to His presence' (Marion G. Romney, p. 52)."
"'When I think of the Savior, I often picture Him with hands outstretched, reaching out to comfort, heal, bless, and love' (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, p. 52)."
"The simple diagram of a cross is an enlightening, multilayered symbol of divine love. At the most basic level, the shape illustrates the vertical, heavenward relationship of the first great commandment--to love God--and the horizontal, communal nature of the second--to love our neighbor... Being square with the Lord aligns our efforts with His, and the result is protection and power (p. 53)."
"Experiential learning is at the heart of mortality. This life is designed to provide the space and time to practice (p. 53)."
"We sometimes... focus so intently on exaltation's end goal that we inadverently overlook the way of life that will take us there. Heaven actually begins here, as we work to acquire the skill set that will equip us to eventually live comfortably there. 'Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom... Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made' (Marion G. Romney, p. 54)."
"A contract is carefully crafted to allow either party to walk away from truobles, while a covenant is generously designed to help both work through them (p. 55)."
"Gracious interdependence is naturally characterized by sharing, caring, and empathizing (p. 55)."
"None of us, as hard as we might try, could ever create a single blade of grass, but we have the capacity, when properly partnered, to create a child... life is sacred (p. 56)."
"Creating human life is soul work--the bringing together of sprit and body in the image of God... Not only are two mere mortals cocreating offspring, but they are simultaneously cocreating an eternal relationship with each other... Human sexuality, maturely managed, can be some of life's most dynamic, creative energy (p. 57)."
"'Our happiness in mortal life, our joy nad exaltation are dependent upon how we respond to these persistent, compelling physical desires' (Boyd K. Packer, p. 58)."
"Meekness is perfectly exemplified by our Savior and King (p. 61)."
"Our most cherished relationships are built on trust (p. 62)."
"Hesed is the ultimate term for loyal love (p. 62)."
"Total intimacy produces and provides abundance. God intends a 'fullness of joy.' Life is sacred; the power to create life is our most divine attribute and our most exalted power. The way of chastity provides safe passage through the natural and challenging norms of life (p. 63)."
"Consecration entails taking something mundane and making it holy... 'setting apart' something as sacred... The law of consecration calls for the dedication of our 'time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed us' to the sacred purpose of 'building up Jesus Christ's Church on the earth.'... Through consecration we partner and participate in God's great work (p. 64)."
"We do not make ourselves holy or sacred; rather, we weillingly offer ourselves--'our time, talents, and everything with wich the Lord has blessed' us--to God and allow God to sanctify our offering (p. 66)."
"'We need and depend upon the grace, strength, inspiration, and means that only the Lord can provide' (David A. Bednar, p. 67)."
"God invites us to give up the world's law of scarcity and adopt His law of abundance (p. 67)."
"Replace a premature mentality of ownership with a humble stance of stewardship, remembering 'where all came from and whose all is' (p. 68)."
"God can 'deepen our joys, expand our vision, quicken our minds, strengthen our muscles, lift our spirits, multiply our blessings, increase our opportunities, comfort our souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace' (Ezra Taft Benson, p. 68)."
"We can generously share our comforts (p. 69)."
"Effective community organizers... strive to reach up to God and bring heaven down to earth (p. 69)."
"Perhaps the law of consecration is as uch about receiving as it is about giving... When we give our time to our friends, we are blessed to receive theirs in return. When we share our talents with them, we enjoy theirs as well. The way of consecration, illustrates that 'we do not have to know it all, be it all, have it all, or do it all' to experience the greatness of God has created, given, and offered (p. 70)."
"His gifts are not dependent on our perfection; they are a function of input, not outcome... 'THough we may see our part in the matter of faithfulness going by fits and starts... God's part is sure and steady and supreme. We may stumble, but He never does' (Patricia Holland, p. 71)."
"When we offer our all to God, He gives us much more in return (p. 72)."
"God will 'gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him' (p. 73)."
"God's desire to daily dress our physical frame in a protective token of His love reminds us that our soul is so much more than spirit; it is interwoven spirit and body (p. 75)."
"We can return to the temple frequently to reignite that 'veritable explosion of spiritual, moral power' that President Holland described that vies us 'the ability, the capacity, the will, and the way' to love each other as God loves us. As we choose to take upon ourselves His name and His nature by embracing the eternal principles of loving relatinships, we gradually become like Him... The Lord invites us to delight in His abundant love... Living and loving His way, with our whole hearts, is how we build heaven on earth (p. 76)."
"Sometimes it helps to back up a bit and approach a subject from a slightly different angle to find a new vantage point. A fresh perspective can reveal additional layers of meaning and insights well worth exploring (p. 2)."
"I've been amazed by how clearly I can now see God's love when I look at the ordinances and covenants of the temple... What I've discovered for myself is that approaching the temple with my eyes, ears, heart, and mind focused on Christ's covenant way of living and loving has hcanged how I approach my life (p. 2)."
"The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of love because God is love (p. 3)."
"We enter the temple to make covenants, we leave it to live them (p. 4)."
"Home is where the heart is... An ideal starting point for approaching the house of the Lord is recognizing it as a place of love and belonging (p. 5)."
"'Who can separate us from the love of Christ?... Neither death, nor life, nor angles, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature' (Romans 8:37-39, p. 6)."
"'God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there' (Thomas S. Monson, p. 6)."
"Though no famly is perfect, the family structure was designed to provide both a place to practice loving well and a place to feel safety, peace, and rest (p. 7)."
"Abide... 'a secure placement' (p. 7)."
"Relationships are the primary source of our secure sense of love and belonging (p. 8)."
"Just as my grandmother was the heart of her house, the Lord Jesus Christ is 'the beating heart of the eternal gospel,' and the love and belonging we are invited to feel in His house flows from our most sacred relationships (p. 9)."
"Our temple experience 'will mean little or nothing unless we find Jesus at the center of it all' (Jeffrey R. Holland, p. 9)."
"The image of Christ as the rock upon which we must build our spiritual foundation is particuarly fitting regarding the temple because Christ and His atoning love and sacrifice undergird everything we do there... ROCK offers an ideal acronym to explore the eternally significance and sacred rites and privileges that we are involted to participate in... Relationships, Ordinances, Covenants, and Knowledge (p. 10)."
"'Because He loves us, He neither compels us nor abandons us. Rather, He helps and guides us' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 11)."
"'Making a covenant with God changes our relationship with Him forever. It blesses us with an extra measure of love and mercy. It affects who we are an dhow God will help us become what we can become' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 11)."
"'God will not act to make us something we do not choose by our actions to become' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 12)."
"The familiar, earthbound symbols of baptism can be mined endlessly for deeper meanings. This primary ordinance at once signifies spiritual cleansing, death and rebirth, and submission and trust; it's a sacred experience with Divinity, and all those layers of significance are evident without even examining the languges of the ordinance (p. 15)."
"'Sporadic and shallow dipping in the doctrine of Christ and partial participation in His restored Church cannot produce the spiritual transformation that enables us to walk in a newness of life. Rather, fidelity to covenants, constancy of committment, and offering our whole soul unto God are required if we are to receive the blessings of eternity' (David A. Bednar, p. 16)."
"The conversion process is like any other kind of learning, but with amplified depth and significance since this is learning about God (p. 17)."
"Our closer relationship with Him, through the sacred ordinances and our associated covenant commitments, gives us meaningful, firsthand knowledge of God's compassion, and the Holy Ghost adds to that knowledge by generously providing additional light (p. 17)."
"No knowledge is more valuable and impactful than a true understanding of the power of His infinite love for each of us (p. 17)."
"'To love is to act' (p. 18)."
"Love's defining characteristic is that it is freely given. It cannot be coerced; the moment it is, it ceases to be love... it is always a choice (p. 18)."
"'The only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having' is 'the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other' (C.S. Lewis, p. 19)."
"In the temple we are invited to dedicate ourselves to five eternal principles of covenant relationship, and we call them laws... obedience... sacrifice... the gospel of Jesus Christ... chastity... consecration (p. 22)."
"The Lord wants us to understand our covenants with Him (p. 22)."
"These covenants mark the way to lasting happiness because they are God's way of living and loving. Studying, understanding, and embracing them is transformative because when we live His Way, we can become like Him (p. 22)."
"God's love starts in our hearts and then radiates outward, strengthening and deepening all our relationships as we practice these eternal principles (p. 23)."
"Loving His law transforms our actions as we cherish His way of living and loving and emulate it; simultaneoulsy, He grows our understanding, capacity, and capability. Through divine collaboration, we gather and build Zion (p. 24)."
"'When I experience love, it influences all of my needs positively. I am now freed to develop my potential. I am more secure in my self-worth and can now turn my efforts outward instead of being obsessed with my own needs (p. 24)."
"'Abide in me, and I in you' (John 15:4). Rather than our love being a transaction... it instead becomes a virtuous cycle--He loves us, which inspires us to love Him, which leads Him to love us, and so on (p. 26)."
"'When we make a covenantal bond with God, we share a convenant with Him. We experience and participate together in the covenant' (Dale G. Renlund, p. 26)."
"'When we feel His love and reciprocate that love by choosing Him every day, the gospel becomes less about checkboxes and more about love and desire' (Kristen Yee, p. 26)."
"How we receive a gift sends a strong message (p. 27)."
"The Lord offers us an incredible gift of love in His holy house. It is a divine gift of heavenly knowlege, power, and direction that comes with increased hope, comfort, and peace (p. 28)."
"'The whole intent of the gospel plan is to provide an opportunity for each of you to reach your fullest potential, which is eternal progression and the possibility of godhood' (Spencer W. Kimball, p. 28)."
"Because you are His child, there is no question of your infinite worth; God is reaching out to you constantly, offering His divine love and assistance (p. 29)."
"We are being invited by God to provide clear evidence of our sincere desire to participate in divine partnership (p. 30)."
"Carrying a load is not only easier when done with Him... it is only done with Him. Ultimately, it is only by humbly and submissively choosing to wear His yoke that we are able to accomplish the eternal tasks set before us... Putting on his yoke and submitting to His will is how we access His power (p. 31)."
"Though God's love is certain, access to His power is not. We access His power and thereby grow our capacity when we partner with Him, humbly and submissively choosing to enter into covenant relationship, and we signify that choice by participating in the ordinances of the priesthood offered within His holy house (p. 32)."
"The temple is also a place to contemplate, or to slow down and ponder more deeply (p. 33)."
"These multiple, successive covenants 'are not only sequential but also additive and even synergistic' (Dale G. Renlund, p. 34)."
"The covenant path is the phrase we commonly use to represent this sequential nature of covenant commitment (p. 35)."
"The Lord is teaching us how to use our personal rope of hope to follow His example and lift and support each of our loved ones, binding them to us horizontally even as we are being bound to Him vertically (p. 36)."
"'The temple tells a divine story about being entangled--entangled in a phsyical body and entangled in the lives of others. That entanglement, which shines brightly in the principles and ordinances of the gospel, is the great mystery of the universe, and it is our pathway to heaven' (Sam Brown, p. 36)."
"Wide treads and sturdy handrails comfortably allow for a side-by-side climb. Christ's atoning love for us does the same. His grace provdes room for each of us to move cooperatively at a unique pace and in an individual manner (p. 37)."
"'Your quiet, uncompromising determination to live a righteous life will couple you with inspiration and power beyond your imagination' (Richard G. Scott, p. 38)."
"We formally define obedience as 'striving to keep Heavnely Father's commandments,' but we can easily recognize it by its commitment, dedication, and fidelity--the key components of loyalty... President Jeffrey R. Holland taught, 'the crowing characteristic of love is always loyalty' (p. 38)."
"That divine strength of covenant partnership helps us keep climbing (p. 39)."
"When we live Their way, we can become like Them (p. 39)."
"Commitment carves out the time and space that transformation and growth require (p. 40)."
"'When we put God first... all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims on our affections, the demands on our time, and the interests we pursue' (Ezra Taft Benson, p. 39)."
"Another crucial facet of faithful obedience is humility (p. 41)."
"'Acts of obedience allow our faith to intersect with God's faithfulness. It is at that intersection that we see God work. And when we see Him work our faith gets bigger' (p. 41)."
"The law of obedience is an eternal law... it is the way things work (p. 41)."
"They way of obedience, encompasses countless Christlike attributes, including loyalty, commitment, dedication, fidelity, and humility; therefore, practicing, striving, and learning to live and love this way will naturally lift every relationship--our heavenly relationships as well as our earthly ones--eventulaly making them all divine (p. 42)."
"You might give up a few years of relative freedom to pursue higher education because you expect the eventual returns to be more fulfilling and satisfying than the benefits of sleeping in and bouncing between part-time jobs. Because of the finite nature of so many aspects of mortality--our time, our resources, and uor energy--we make these kinds of decisions frequently... value and investment are a few basic economic princpiles underlying our innate sense of what is 'worth it' (p. 43)."
"The only thing better than finding something worth sacrificing for is finding someone (p. 44)."
"That God-given feeling of love-fueled duty creates the momentum that lifts our relationships heavenward (p. 45)."
"The lovely relationships of family life are divinely designed to ripple outward, beyond the home, into eery realm. Christlike sacrifice can bles every relationship (p. 45)."
"'All things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily' (Ignatius of Loyola, p. 46)."
"We can still choose to make our small offering. As we do so, we are changed. 'We become disciples!... We become more sacred and holy--like our Lord!' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 47)"
"In humbly reciprocating God's gifts to us, however disproportiantely, our covenant relationship is strengthend, and He sanctifies us (p. 48)."
"'A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things neer has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation' (Joseph Smith, p. 48)."
"Our commitment to work on our relationship with the Lord opens the door for Him to step in and help us grow closer to Him (p. 48)."
"'The ultimate source of relief is... Jesus Christ' (Terrence C. Smith, p. 49)."
"We are asked to 'observe our covenants by sacrifice' because that is how He observed His. We can offer our whole heart to Him because He has laready offered His to us (p. 49)."
"Christ's gospel is the good news of love... 'We live in a world that is held together by love--organized by love, maintained by love, and nurtured by love. Ultimately it will be redeemed by love and een now it is in the process of being redeemed by the love and kindness that we offer each other' (Chieko Okazaki, p. 50)."
"Love is His law... 'the very essence of His gospel' (Thomas S. Monson, p. 50)."
"We tend to hear 'love' in the word 'gospel' but 'law' in the term 'doctrine' (p. 50)."
"'We endure to the end by repeatedly and iteratively 'relying wholly upon' the doctrine and 'merits' of Christ' (Dale G. Renlund, p. 51)."
"Living and loving His gospel means we practice the plan. Our covenant relationships flourish when we choose to commit, invest, and practice (p. 51)."
"What we practice shapes what we live (p. 52)."
"'It is only through learning how to take care of each other that we develop within us the Christlike love and disposition necessary to quailty us to return to His presence' (Marion G. Romney, p. 52)."
"'When I think of the Savior, I often picture Him with hands outstretched, reaching out to comfort, heal, bless, and love' (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, p. 52)."
"The simple diagram of a cross is an enlightening, multilayered symbol of divine love. At the most basic level, the shape illustrates the vertical, heavenward relationship of the first great commandment--to love God--and the horizontal, communal nature of the second--to love our neighbor... Being square with the Lord aligns our efforts with His, and the result is protection and power (p. 53)."
"Experiential learning is at the heart of mortality. This life is designed to provide the space and time to practice (p. 53)."
"We sometimes... focus so intently on exaltation's end goal that we inadverently overlook the way of life that will take us there. Heaven actually begins here, as we work to acquire the skill set that will equip us to eventually live comfortably there. 'Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom... Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made' (Marion G. Romney, p. 54)."
"A contract is carefully crafted to allow either party to walk away from truobles, while a covenant is generously designed to help both work through them (p. 55)."
"Gracious interdependence is naturally characterized by sharing, caring, and empathizing (p. 55)."
"None of us, as hard as we might try, could ever create a single blade of grass, but we have the capacity, when properly partnered, to create a child... life is sacred (p. 56)."
"Creating human life is soul work--the bringing together of sprit and body in the image of God... Not only are two mere mortals cocreating offspring, but they are simultaneously cocreating an eternal relationship with each other... Human sexuality, maturely managed, can be some of life's most dynamic, creative energy (p. 57)."
"'Our happiness in mortal life, our joy nad exaltation are dependent upon how we respond to these persistent, compelling physical desires' (Boyd K. Packer, p. 58)."
"Meekness is perfectly exemplified by our Savior and King (p. 61)."
"Our most cherished relationships are built on trust (p. 62)."
"Hesed is the ultimate term for loyal love (p. 62)."
"Total intimacy produces and provides abundance. God intends a 'fullness of joy.' Life is sacred; the power to create life is our most divine attribute and our most exalted power. The way of chastity provides safe passage through the natural and challenging norms of life (p. 63)."
"Consecration entails taking something mundane and making it holy... 'setting apart' something as sacred... The law of consecration calls for the dedication of our 'time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed us' to the sacred purpose of 'building up Jesus Christ's Church on the earth.'... Through consecration we partner and participate in God's great work (p. 64)."
"We do not make ourselves holy or sacred; rather, we weillingly offer ourselves--'our time, talents, and everything with wich the Lord has blessed' us--to God and allow God to sanctify our offering (p. 66)."
"'We need and depend upon the grace, strength, inspiration, and means that only the Lord can provide' (David A. Bednar, p. 67)."
"God invites us to give up the world's law of scarcity and adopt His law of abundance (p. 67)."
"Replace a premature mentality of ownership with a humble stance of stewardship, remembering 'where all came from and whose all is' (p. 68)."
"God can 'deepen our joys, expand our vision, quicken our minds, strengthen our muscles, lift our spirits, multiply our blessings, increase our opportunities, comfort our souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace' (Ezra Taft Benson, p. 68)."
"We can generously share our comforts (p. 69)."
"Effective community organizers... strive to reach up to God and bring heaven down to earth (p. 69)."
"Perhaps the law of consecration is as uch about receiving as it is about giving... When we give our time to our friends, we are blessed to receive theirs in return. When we share our talents with them, we enjoy theirs as well. The way of consecration, illustrates that 'we do not have to know it all, be it all, have it all, or do it all' to experience the greatness of God has created, given, and offered (p. 70)."
"His gifts are not dependent on our perfection; they are a function of input, not outcome... 'THough we may see our part in the matter of faithfulness going by fits and starts... God's part is sure and steady and supreme. We may stumble, but He never does' (Patricia Holland, p. 71)."
"When we offer our all to God, He gives us much more in return (p. 72)."
"God will 'gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him' (p. 73)."
"God's desire to daily dress our physical frame in a protective token of His love reminds us that our soul is so much more than spirit; it is interwoven spirit and body (p. 75)."
"We can return to the temple frequently to reignite that 'veritable explosion of spiritual, moral power' that President Holland described that vies us 'the ability, the capacity, the will, and the way' to love each other as God loves us. As we choose to take upon ourselves His name and His nature by embracing the eternal principles of loving relatinships, we gradually become like Him... The Lord invites us to delight in His abundant love... Living and loving His way, with our whole hearts, is how we build heaven on earth (p. 76)."
July 10, 2025
A beautifully written and short book about the temple. I am a fan of some of Melinda Brown’s other writing and this did not disappoint. It deepened my understanding of covenants and motivates me to be in the temple more. Connecting it to characteristics of Christ that I can emulate and relationship-building helps me apply it to my daily life.
August 29, 2025
Great explanations of true love and how we can love like Him.
September 8, 2025
This book has a lot of good stuff in here about the temple. It’s not for the faint of heart though. I had to take it in chunks and think about some of the things that she was teaching. It gives you a lot of ponder material and aha moments if you do think deeply.
April 13, 2025
4.5 stars. This book explains how our temple covenants and service can strengthen our love and relationship with Jesus Christ and each other. She identifies love as the key factor in our temple covenants (obedience, sacrifice, the gospel of Jesus Christ, chastity, and consecration), and she utilizes this lens throughout the book to help us expand our understanding of the endowment and deepen our commitment to Jesus Christ. I loved learning more about covenantal relationships and appreciated this time to ponder ways I can access and utilize more of Christ’s love to become more like Him.
Lots of notes and quotes:
-Tracy Browning - “Jesus Christ is the purpose of our focus, and when we see our lives through Him we see more of Him in our lives.”
Chapter 1-Feeling at home in the house of the Lord
-Jesus is the heart of our temple home
Chapter 2-Building on the Rock
-Everything in the temple points to God’s grace (covenants-an empowering promise and ordinances-it’s sacred physical representation)
-“God will not act to make us something we did not choose by our actions to become.” Elder Christofferson
-Covenant commitment is a lifelong undertaking of conversion (1-we grow and change gradually and incrementally; 2-we build on our experience, increased understanding, and maturity; 3-we are transformed as we know better and do better); becoming requires prolonged commitment
Chapter 3-Becoming bilingual
-“As we act toward love, our movement in that direction acts on us…our actions can shape and form our love.”
-“As our love guides our actions, our actions grow our love.”
-Using our agency to practice and obey eternal laws sanctify us
-5 principles of covenant relationship we call laws/covenants of the temple - obedience, sacrifice, gospel of Jesus Christ, chastity, consecration
-Hebrew translation Shamar - from keep and obey commandments to guard, protect, treasure, or cherish them; “Shamar reflects one’s attitude or posture of embracing Christ’s covenant way of living and loving.”
-“Through divine collaboration we gather and build Zion.”
-divine law is divine love
Chapter 4 - Sharing the love and sharing the load
-Receiving a loving act and reciprocating grows a relationship (what happens when we “receive not the gift?”)
-Worth (great and infinite, and independent of our actions or attitudes) vs worthiness (are you reaching out toward Him, striving; what is your trending direction?)
-Preparing to receive our endowment and strengthen our relationship with the Lord allows us to practice patterns of commitment and growth before we more formally do so in the temple; this qualifying process shows great love and respects our agency – we are “invited by God to provide evidence of our sincere desire to participate in divine partnership”
-Yoke is symbolic of the covenant relationship; the outward sign of an inward relationship
-Exaltation must be completed in partnership with Christ (we can’t do it without Him and He can’t get us there without our active and willing participation); it’s a joint effort dependent on covenant relationship; “Putting on His yoke and submitting to his will is how we access His power.”
-“While God’s love is certain, access to His power is not.” We access His power (and grow our capacity) by partnering with Him.
Chapter 5-The way of obedience
-President Benson - “When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims on our affections, the demands on our time, and the interests we pursue.”
-“What matters most ought to be a function of who matters most.”
-“Acts of obedience allow our faith to intersect with God’s faithfulness. It is at that intersection that we see God work, and when we see Him work, our faith gets bigger.”
-“Keeping the commandments is not the cause of divine friendship but the sign; the sign both that God loves us and that we love God.” Thomas Acquinas (it’s not about a contractual agreement, it’s about a covenant relationship)
Chapter 6-The way of sacrifice
-“Sacrifice is formative. An act of sacrifice shapes our hearts and develops our capacity to hold more love.”
-“We are asked to observe our covenants by sacrifice because that is how He observed His. We can offer our whole heart to Him, because He has already offered His to us.”
Chapter 7-The way of Christ’s gospel
-Love is His law. Love is the very essence of His gospel.
-The gospel of Christ = The doctrine of Christ
-Love = law; we climb with Christ as we practice the plan; our covenants relationship flourish when we choose to commit, invest, practice
-Love is both a command and a Christlike attribute; what we practice shapes what we love; through divine design, it’s through doing that we become; actions often precede attributes
-“Heaven begins here as we work to acquire the skillset that will equip us to eventually live comfortably there.”
-“Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom, rather service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made.” Marion G Romney
Chapter 8-The way of chastity
-Our God-given ability to create mortal life - “Our most divine attribute and our most exalted power” President Oak
-Our procreative powers are governed and guided by the law of chastity and in partnership with God
-Life is sacred so we are asked to balance power (to create) and restraint (of our natural affections)
-Teaches our bodies and spirits to work together to serve higher, eternal purposes
-Foster loving relationships built securely on trust; objectification pushes away love
-“Love increases through righteous restraint and decreases through impulsive indulgence.” Bednar
Chapter 9-The way of consecration
-Taking something mundane and making it holy; setting apart something as sacred (Christofferson); a commitment to be developed for holy purposes (Bednar)
-The highest ideal with the furthest reach - we partner and participate in God’s great work
-The vital role of agency in consecration - we do not make ourselves holy or sacred, rather we willingly offer ourselves —our time, talents, and blessings to God, and allow God to sanctify our offering; we rely upon the grace the Lord provides
-All starts with any, and when given sincerely, it is enough
-Humble shift from ownership to stewardship
-An attitude of generosity that can be applied to every gift, talent, strength, or resource; Be more generous with our time, affection, compliments, apologies, attention
-Heaven begins here and we get to build it
Chapter 10-Atoning Love
-“We go to the temple to make covenants and then we leave to live them.”
Lots of notes and quotes:
-Tracy Browning - “Jesus Christ is the purpose of our focus, and when we see our lives through Him we see more of Him in our lives.”
Chapter 1-Feeling at home in the house of the Lord
-Jesus is the heart of our temple home
Chapter 2-Building on the Rock
-Everything in the temple points to God’s grace (covenants-an empowering promise and ordinances-it’s sacred physical representation)
-“God will not act to make us something we did not choose by our actions to become.” Elder Christofferson
-Covenant commitment is a lifelong undertaking of conversion (1-we grow and change gradually and incrementally; 2-we build on our experience, increased understanding, and maturity; 3-we are transformed as we know better and do better); becoming requires prolonged commitment
Chapter 3-Becoming bilingual
-“As we act toward love, our movement in that direction acts on us…our actions can shape and form our love.”
-“As our love guides our actions, our actions grow our love.”
-Using our agency to practice and obey eternal laws sanctify us
-5 principles of covenant relationship we call laws/covenants of the temple - obedience, sacrifice, gospel of Jesus Christ, chastity, consecration
-Hebrew translation Shamar - from keep and obey commandments to guard, protect, treasure, or cherish them; “Shamar reflects one’s attitude or posture of embracing Christ’s covenant way of living and loving.”
-“Through divine collaboration we gather and build Zion.”
-divine law is divine love
Chapter 4 - Sharing the love and sharing the load
-Receiving a loving act and reciprocating grows a relationship (what happens when we “receive not the gift?”)
-Worth (great and infinite, and independent of our actions or attitudes) vs worthiness (are you reaching out toward Him, striving; what is your trending direction?)
-Preparing to receive our endowment and strengthen our relationship with the Lord allows us to practice patterns of commitment and growth before we more formally do so in the temple; this qualifying process shows great love and respects our agency – we are “invited by God to provide evidence of our sincere desire to participate in divine partnership”
-Yoke is symbolic of the covenant relationship; the outward sign of an inward relationship
-Exaltation must be completed in partnership with Christ (we can’t do it without Him and He can’t get us there without our active and willing participation); it’s a joint effort dependent on covenant relationship; “Putting on His yoke and submitting to his will is how we access His power.”
-“While God’s love is certain, access to His power is not.” We access His power (and grow our capacity) by partnering with Him.
Chapter 5-The way of obedience
-President Benson - “When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims on our affections, the demands on our time, and the interests we pursue.”
-“What matters most ought to be a function of who matters most.”
-“Acts of obedience allow our faith to intersect with God’s faithfulness. It is at that intersection that we see God work, and when we see Him work, our faith gets bigger.”
-“Keeping the commandments is not the cause of divine friendship but the sign; the sign both that God loves us and that we love God.” Thomas Acquinas (it’s not about a contractual agreement, it’s about a covenant relationship)
Chapter 6-The way of sacrifice
-“Sacrifice is formative. An act of sacrifice shapes our hearts and develops our capacity to hold more love.”
-“We are asked to observe our covenants by sacrifice because that is how He observed His. We can offer our whole heart to Him, because He has already offered His to us.”
Chapter 7-The way of Christ’s gospel
-Love is His law. Love is the very essence of His gospel.
-The gospel of Christ = The doctrine of Christ
-Love = law; we climb with Christ as we practice the plan; our covenants relationship flourish when we choose to commit, invest, practice
-Love is both a command and a Christlike attribute; what we practice shapes what we love; through divine design, it’s through doing that we become; actions often precede attributes
-“Heaven begins here as we work to acquire the skillset that will equip us to eventually live comfortably there.”
-“Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom, rather service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made.” Marion G Romney
Chapter 8-The way of chastity
-Our God-given ability to create mortal life - “Our most divine attribute and our most exalted power” President Oak
-Our procreative powers are governed and guided by the law of chastity and in partnership with God
-Life is sacred so we are asked to balance power (to create) and restraint (of our natural affections)
-Teaches our bodies and spirits to work together to serve higher, eternal purposes
-Foster loving relationships built securely on trust; objectification pushes away love
-“Love increases through righteous restraint and decreases through impulsive indulgence.” Bednar
Chapter 9-The way of consecration
-Taking something mundane and making it holy; setting apart something as sacred (Christofferson); a commitment to be developed for holy purposes (Bednar)
-The highest ideal with the furthest reach - we partner and participate in God’s great work
-The vital role of agency in consecration - we do not make ourselves holy or sacred, rather we willingly offer ourselves —our time, talents, and blessings to God, and allow God to sanctify our offering; we rely upon the grace the Lord provides
-All starts with any, and when given sincerely, it is enough
-Humble shift from ownership to stewardship
-An attitude of generosity that can be applied to every gift, talent, strength, or resource; Be more generous with our time, affection, compliments, apologies, attention
-Heaven begins here and we get to build it
Chapter 10-Atoning Love
-“We go to the temple to make covenants and then we leave to live them.”
July 21, 2025
This book helped me understand the purpose of going to the temple, making covenants, and how they are relevant in our everyday lives helping our relationship with those around us and more especially with our relationship with Jesus and Heavenly Father.
pg 1-2 "Preconceived notions and prior experiences shape our expectations and influence how we understand and make meaning from them. Even the most sincere mentor can inadvertently instill sticks ideas that may obscure or limit our vision. When a well-meaning teacher offers their understanding of a certain religious symbol, an impressionable space where we receive specialized instruction on how to love as He loves-not just in the distant eternities but right here, right now. We enter the temple to make covenants, we leave it to live them. Divine love, grounded in core eternal principles, will bless every relationship, now and forever. As "The Living Christ" so beautifully concludesm "His way is path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come." As we approach His ways and His house together, I invite you see the boundless ways His love can bless your life."
pg 6 "Expounding on God's love for us, President Thomas S Monson echoed Paul's assuredness, declaring, "Your Heavenly Father loves you-each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply here. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there."
The book goes through the five covenants made in the temple.
There are so many insights in this book; it is one that needs to be read again and again. Meditated on. Pondered on. I like the chapers about consecration and atoning love.
Summary: https://www.deseretbook.com/product/P...
There are countless ways we might figuratively approach the House of the Lord—some shaped by prior experiences there, others influenced by thoughts parents, teachers, or friends have shared, and yet others formed by our personal worldview.
In An Endowment of Love: Embracing Christ's Covenant Way of Living and Loving, author Melinda W. Brown invites us to join her in a unique approach to the temple that is specifically focused on developing a loving relationship with the Lord and learning His way of loving God and others.
This book looks expansively at the Christlike characteristics we learn to love and emulate as we worship in the Lord's holy house. Framing the five key covenant commitments of the temple endowment as eternal principles of divine relationships, Melinda W. Brown spotlights love—love for God and love for another—as the heart of obedience, sacrifice, the gospel of Jesus Christ, chastity, and consecration, as she reminds us that embracing these core commitments can bless our every relationship, not just in the distant eternities but here and now.
"Melinda is an outstanding teacher and author. Her approach to the temple is both powerful and enlightening. The way she incorporates Hebrew words is wonderful and adds so much depth. Her fresh perspective on the temple reveals additional layers of meaning and insights that are well worth exploring."—Tammy Uzelac Hall
pg 1-2 "Preconceived notions and prior experiences shape our expectations and influence how we understand and make meaning from them. Even the most sincere mentor can inadvertently instill sticks ideas that may obscure or limit our vision. When a well-meaning teacher offers their understanding of a certain religious symbol, an impressionable space where we receive specialized instruction on how to love as He loves-not just in the distant eternities but right here, right now. We enter the temple to make covenants, we leave it to live them. Divine love, grounded in core eternal principles, will bless every relationship, now and forever. As "The Living Christ" so beautifully concludesm "His way is path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come." As we approach His ways and His house together, I invite you see the boundless ways His love can bless your life."
pg 6 "Expounding on God's love for us, President Thomas S Monson echoed Paul's assuredness, declaring, "Your Heavenly Father loves you-each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply here. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there."
The book goes through the five covenants made in the temple.
There are so many insights in this book; it is one that needs to be read again and again. Meditated on. Pondered on. I like the chapers about consecration and atoning love.
Summary: https://www.deseretbook.com/product/P...
There are countless ways we might figuratively approach the House of the Lord—some shaped by prior experiences there, others influenced by thoughts parents, teachers, or friends have shared, and yet others formed by our personal worldview.
In An Endowment of Love: Embracing Christ's Covenant Way of Living and Loving, author Melinda W. Brown invites us to join her in a unique approach to the temple that is specifically focused on developing a loving relationship with the Lord and learning His way of loving God and others.
This book looks expansively at the Christlike characteristics we learn to love and emulate as we worship in the Lord's holy house. Framing the five key covenant commitments of the temple endowment as eternal principles of divine relationships, Melinda W. Brown spotlights love—love for God and love for another—as the heart of obedience, sacrifice, the gospel of Jesus Christ, chastity, and consecration, as she reminds us that embracing these core commitments can bless our every relationship, not just in the distant eternities but here and now.
"Melinda is an outstanding teacher and author. Her approach to the temple is both powerful and enlightening. The way she incorporates Hebrew words is wonderful and adds so much depth. Her fresh perspective on the temple reveals additional layers of meaning and insights that are well worth exploring."—Tammy Uzelac Hall
April 17, 2025
This is a book better read than listened to. It took a lot of focus and concentration because there aren't many stories to keep you engaged. I did jot down occasional notes of things that stood out to me. I have never thought about the symbolism of not wearing shoes when being baptized, so that was new to me. Since the cross isn't a focus in our church, I haven't thought a lot about any symbolism there; the vertical and the horizontal relationships wasn't necessarily new, but something I haven't thought about in a long time. I appreciated how the author dived into the 5 covenants we make in the temple further. Some notes I jotted down:
-I need to do better at practicing loving
-The importance of sacrifice in religion
-Thoughts on chastity such as this quote: “Love increases through righteous restraint and decreases through impulsive indulgence.” -Bednar
-Consecration- taking something mundane and making it holy
-We need to change our outlook: instead of thinking in terms of ownership, we need to think of stewardship.
I loved her thoughts and reminders about wearing garments near the end.
-I need to do better at practicing loving
-The importance of sacrifice in religion
-Thoughts on chastity such as this quote: “Love increases through righteous restraint and decreases through impulsive indulgence.” -Bednar
-Consecration- taking something mundane and making it holy
-We need to change our outlook: instead of thinking in terms of ownership, we need to think of stewardship.
I loved her thoughts and reminders about wearing garments near the end.
May 17, 2025
This book will have little or no meaning to anyone with no interest in the Temple Endowment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first four chapters are introductory. The title of Chapter 3, "Becoming Bilingual," was a mystery to me a first, and is something about which I still have a lot to learn. The second language to be learned is true love. "Love's defining characteristic is that it is freely given. It cannot be coerced; the moment it is, it ceases to be love. That's what makes love so immensely powerful--it is always a choice. Therefore, a grand plan of love must be built on moral agency--the ability to choose and to act according to ones own choice. . . . Truly divine law is divine love. It is perfect love freely given." Chapter 6, "The Way of Sacrifice," was also very helpful to me. It clarified the difference between transactional and transformational relationships and provided more insight into becoming bilingual. There is much to be studied and appreciated in all of this book.
June 2, 2025
While I think this book is trying to be a temple preparation supplement for those who want to receive their endowments in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I think it should have been more explicitly mentioned. As it was, I found this to be about exactly what I expect from books at Deseret Book . . . lots of small insights, not a lot of super in-depth insights (although I did really like her definitions of "covenant" and "ordinance" from early on). But it's a short book, easily read in an afternoon, that will probably yield dividends if you jump down the footnote rabbit holes in each chapter on the covenants one makes in the temple. I don't feel I needed to do that, but I'm not the target audience (even though, again, that wasn't explicitly laid out anywhere), having been comfortably endowed for several decades at this point.
September 7, 2025
I really enjoyed how the author beautifully connects temple covenants to our relationship with God. I loved her analogy of Rahab’s cord—how our covenants are like that cord, strengthening us and becoming a lifeline when we’re falling. She reminds us that while we can’t create even a blade of grass, God has entrusted us with the divine gift of creating life, uniting us with His eternal purpose. I also appreciated her insights on God’s abundance—that when we bring Him whatever we can, He magnifies it. Her reflections on temple garments were especially powerful, showing how they symbolize God’s constant love and invite us to center our lives on Christ.
November 8, 2025
The subtitle of this book, "Embracing Christ's Covenant Way of Living and Loving," is such a beautiful thought related to being a covenant keeper in the Lord's true church.
Each of the five temple covenants is beautifully expressed in this small book: Obedience, Sacrifice, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Chastity, and Consecration--these five are the very foundation of the temple covenant.
The final words on page 76, "Christ's covenant way of living and loving is happiness. Living and loving His way, with our whole hearts, is how we build heaven on earth" --this makes me deeply desire to enjoy that happiness.
Each of the five temple covenants is beautifully expressed in this small book: Obedience, Sacrifice, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Chastity, and Consecration--these five are the very foundation of the temple covenant.
The final words on page 76, "Christ's covenant way of living and loving is happiness. Living and loving His way, with our whole hearts, is how we build heaven on earth" --this makes me deeply desire to enjoy that happiness.
September 2, 2025
I appreciate what the author was trying to do (frame the temple experience through a very specific lens of love), but I found the book to be too surface level and disjointed. I would have enjoyed a more in depth, thought provoking look at the temple experience… something more scholarly and focused. Unfortunately there wasn’t anything in this book that sparked my curiosity or desire for further study or contemplation. For some reason it was also difficult to follow the author’s train of thought… whole paragraphs felt tangential and had me asking “what are you trying to get at here?”
May 2, 2025
This was a really good short read. It covers the importance of connecting love for God and neighbor to LDS temple covenants and how to successfully act in bringing the two together. She has some great and fresh insights into the laws of obedience, sacrifice, gospel, chastity, and consecration which I found inspiring. Well done.
July 2, 2025
I really loved this book. It encourages to live and love as the Savior and our Father in Heaven does. It made me feel so good whenever I picked up this book. Really gave me a deep desire to live the covenants that we make in the temple. I will read this book over and over. I am so glad I got it.
July 7, 2025
Ehhh
It definitely was a simplified version of what we do in the temple and the importance of it. But it was very skim the top and a lot of broken up thoughts. I didn’t find that it flowed together well. And brought in a lot of examples that maybe need a little bit more depth to them to understand.
It definitely was a simplified version of what we do in the temple and the importance of it. But it was very skim the top and a lot of broken up thoughts. I didn’t find that it flowed together well. And brought in a lot of examples that maybe need a little bit more depth to them to understand.
April 23, 2025
A lovely collection thoughts on the endowment of the temple and the covenants made there. Some unique insights and helpful perspective. Whether you are new to the temple endowment or been there a while you will find worth in the teachings included in this book.
June 20, 2025
So beautifully written with so many nuggets! I was halfway done reading it when I started to pull out my red pencil to mark some of the nuggets I didn’t want to forget - so had to go back and read the first half again to mark those nuggets too. A book I will go back to again and again!
August 1, 2025
3.5 stars. This is a bite size look into how love shapes the covenants made in the temple. From hearing Brown speak in the past, I was hoping for a little bit more. I love that she included so many quotes from women!
August 21, 2025
Incredible book!! Everyone should read! One of my favorite lines:
An apology represents further investment in a relationship.
Seriously, this is a book I read to learn more about my temple covenants and instead learned a lot of valuable life lessons! Beautifully done!
An apology represents further investment in a relationship.
Seriously, this is a book I read to learn more about my temple covenants and instead learned a lot of valuable life lessons! Beautifully done!
March 30, 2025
A wonderful, expansive view of Christlike covenant keeping, relationship building, and LDS temple understanding.
April 11, 2025
This book is excellent. The content is 10/10. My only critique is the cover. When I got the book I thought I received a misprint. Apparently the smudges and blurred ink are on purpose?
April 27, 2025
Lots of good content but very Utah / all-LDS basis vs converts and mission field member perspective.
May 2, 2025
A lovely set of perspectives on the endowment and covenants. I should re-read this one sometime.
May 30, 2025
This had several new insights that I found really meaningful. And it’s a quick read.
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