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Understanding Your Temple Experience
The Lord invites you to meet with Him in His temple.
The words inscribed on the walls of temples throughout the world offer insight into the hallowed significance of these Holiness to the Lord, The House of the Lord. In His holy house, the Lord invites us to enter His presence to receive covenants, ordinances, knowledge, and experiences that will unlock His greatest blessings to us in time and eternity. Entering this sacred space to receive these blessings requires earnest preparation and continued learning. In Understanding Your Temple Experience, author Mark A. Mathews guides readers through this important step on the covenant path.
Featuring scripture-supported discussions of the sacred covenants made in the endowment, this volume offers valuable insights to all those entering the temple. Whether you’re receiving your endowment for the first time or seeking to expand your understanding of temple worship after a lifetime of attendance, you will gain a deeper appreciation for the transformative power of the temple experience as you come to understand the basic doctrines and principles of the temple.
The words inscribed on the walls of temples throughout the world offer insight into the hallowed significance of these Holiness to the Lord, The House of the Lord. In His holy house, the Lord invites us to enter His presence to receive covenants, ordinances, knowledge, and experiences that will unlock His greatest blessings to us in time and eternity. Entering this sacred space to receive these blessings requires earnest preparation and continued learning. In Understanding Your Temple Experience, author Mark A. Mathews guides readers through this important step on the covenant path.
Featuring scripture-supported discussions of the sacred covenants made in the endowment, this volume offers valuable insights to all those entering the temple. Whether you’re receiving your endowment for the first time or seeking to expand your understanding of temple worship after a lifetime of attendance, you will gain a deeper appreciation for the transformative power of the temple experience as you come to understand the basic doctrines and principles of the temple.
- GenresReligion
203 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 2, 2025
19 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 14, 2025
A very good book on the temple and it's ordinances. Written for those who are preparing to enter the temple for the first time, it still has value for long time temple attendees. There is a lot of meat here, with a very thorough look at temple ritual and practice through the ages.
September 27, 2025
I enjoyed listening to this book about temple endowments. It has been many years since I first received my own endowment and looked to learn how to receive even more understanding and power in my life through repeatedly attending and helping those who came before have the opportunity to receive the same blessings if they want them.
I appreciated the walk through the Biblical events to find the blessings received through temple experiences through the ages. I will be studying the Old Testament again next year and this gave me a substantial beginning to learning more through that study as well.
I appreciated the walk through the Biblical events to find the blessings received through temple experiences through the ages. I will be studying the Old Testament again next year and this gave me a substantial beginning to learning more through that study as well.
October 2, 2025
this was a good read. I recommend it for sure.
February 23, 2026
Great book about the purpose and power of the temple!
"'Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit' (Russell M. Nelson)."
"'I plead with you to seek--prayerfully and consistently--to understand temple covenants and ordinances' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 1)."
"'You need an endowment... in order that you may be prepared and able to overcome all things' (Joseph Smith, p. 2)."
"'Because we love the Lord, we always should speak about His holy house with reverence... The temple is the house of the Lord. Everything in the temple points us to our Savior Jesus Christ' (Ezra Taft Benson, p. 3)."
"'Let us share with our children the spiritual feelings we have in the temple. And let us teach them more earnestly and more comfortably the things we can appropriately say about the purposes of the house of the Lord' (Howard W. Hunter, p. 4)."
"I was shown the plan of salvation, made covenants with God, progressed, and advanced until I passed through the veil into the celestial room to be in the presence of God... I understood that it was a symbolic representation of our path to God in the plan of salvation (p. 9)."
"The endowment ordinance is a symbolic representation of your journey back to the presence of God (p. 10)."
"Students can get so distracted by some less important detail in a verse of scripture that they fail to understand its main message (p. 11)."
"The endowment ceremony begins by centering your attention on Jesus Christ because He makes the journey back to God possible (p. 12)."
"As you focus on Jesus Christ, the temple endowment will strengthen your faith in Him (p. 12)."
"Focusing on Jesus Christ will help you see the big picture of what the temple endowment is all about, because in many ways, Jesus Christ is the big picture of the temple endowment (p. 13)."
"'Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house' (p. 14)."
"'Sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God' (p. 15)."
"Through this temple ordinance, you will be endowed with spiritual power to teach the gospel and do miracles! You will be armed with the protection of God and His angels! You will be able to converse with the Lord and receive greater revelation! (p. 17)"
"You will know how to return to God and become like Him (p. 18)."
"Because I could not see past the way it was packaged and wrapped, I did not recognize the gift my parents were giving me (p. 19)."
"The word endowment means 'a gift.' The temple endowment is literally a gift from God through which He blesses His children... through... greater knowledge of the Lord's purposes... power... divine direction... increased hope, comfort, and peace... exaltation (p. 20)."
"The temple endowment is wrapped in ancient Old Testament-style wrapping paper that can seem different from what we are used to (p. 21)."
"The celestial room is simple and beautiful and filled with light (p. 21)."
"The endowment is symbolically an invitation to come into the presence of God and receive your exaltation! (p. 22)"
"'The purpose of the endowment in the House of the Lord is to prepare and sanctify his saints so they will be able to see his face, here and now, as well as bear the glory of his presence in the eternal worlds' (Bruce R. McConkie, p. 22)."
"Although it is certainly possible to visually see the Lord in the temple, for most of us it is much more subtle than that (p. 22)."
"The privilege of being in God's presence now is one of the greatest gifts made available to us in this life through the ordinance of the endowment (p. 22)."
"That is the kind of experience you can have in the temple... You can feel and sense that you are in the presence of God. You can feel that you are in your heavenly home (p. 23)."
"'I see Jesus not now upon the cross. I do not see His brow pierced with thorns nor His hands torn with the nails, but I see Him smiling, with extended arms, saying to us all: 'Come unto me!'' (p. 25)"
"Time spent with the Lord blesses you not only while you are in the temple but also while you are away from the temple... You are better able to face the challenges of life because you have been in the presence of God and been given promises and assurances from the Lord (p. 26)."
"Being invited into God's presence to be with Him spiritually and come to know Him in the temple is one of the greatest gifts God gives His children (p. 26)."
"'Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 28)."
"The blessing I received that day gave me a sense that God had a work for me to do and that I had a greater purpose and potential than I had ever considered before (p. 29)."
"Similar to a patriarchal blessing, the endowment begins with a person in authority pronouncing many great blessings and promises upon you that apply now and in the future (p. 29)."
"You can't just go into God's presence from off the street (p. 30)."
"Anciently, there was a three-step ritual performed to prepare a person to enter God's presence in the temple... washed with water... anointed with consecrated oil... clothed in holy garments and temple clothing (p. 30)."
"Olive oil is a symbol of Christ's Atonement and the anointing is a symbol of the outpouring of the Lord's spiritual power upon you in His service (p. 32)."
"They were symbolically being taught that Christ's Atonement would 'cover' them from the Fall. In Hebrew, the word Atonement literally means 'to cover,' and when you wear the garment you are symbolically choosing to be 'covered' by Christ (p. 35)."
"'Your garment is symbolic of the veil [of the temple]; the veil is symbolic of the Lord Jesus Christ. So when you put on your garment, you may feel that you are truly putting upon yourself the very sacred symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ' (Russell M. Nelson in "Meeting Jesus in the House of the Lord" by Allen D. Haynie, p. 35)."
"To put on your garment is to put on strength from God (p. 36)."
"You can find a description of these clothing items in Exodus 28 and the corresponding footnotes (p. 38)."
"They are a symbol of being clothed in royal clothing to be enthroned as kings and queens with God (p. 39)."
"Sanctification is 'the process of becoming free from sin, pure, clean, and holy through the Atonement of Jesus Christ' (p. 39)."
"I knew we would be all right if we could just get to the road and back on the path (p. 42)."
"As you learn about and live these covenants, you prepare yourself to be worthy to enter God's presence and receive His greatest blessings (p. 42)."
"These laws and covenants are not restrictions but directions and protections. They don't hold us down; they lift us up and exalt us! They show us the way to have the fulness of eternal joy (p. 43)."
"To arrive at that eternal joy with God, we must follow the path that leads to it... this covenant path consists of five divine laws we covenant to live:
1. the law of obedience
2. the law of sacrifice
3. the law of the gospel
4. the law of chastity
5. the law of consecration (p. 43)"
"'Obedience is the first law of everything. Everything that I know that matters requires that initial commitment to obey the word and the will of the Lord' (Jeffrey R. Holland, p. 46)."
"'The great test of this life is obedience' (Thomas S. Monson, p. 46)."
"Obedience is a chief attribute of Jesus Christ (p. 47)."
"The law of sacrifice means that you are willing to sacrifice, or give up, whatever the Lord asks as you obey and serve Him (p. 48)."
"'You can offer the Lord the gift of your broken, or repentant, heart and your contrite, or obedient spirit' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 49)."
"'If being a member of this Church becomes too easy, testimonies will become shallow, and the roots of testimony will not go down into the soil of faith as they did with our pioneer forefathers' (M. Russell Ballard, p. 50)."
"Jesus Christ is the perfect example of sacrifice. All sacrifice we make for Him are in similitude of His great atoning sacrifice for us (p. 51)."
"We covenant in the endowment to continue to follow the principles of the gospel throughout our lives by exercising our faith in Christ to come unto Him, repent of our sins, keep our baptismal covenant, and be sanctified by the companionship of the Holy Ghost (p. 52)."
"Jesus Christ taught that the two great commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor... He taught us to develop Christlike attributes like being meek, merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers (p. 52)."
"The law of chastity states that we are to have sexual relation only within a 'legal marriage between a man and a woman, which is according to God's law' (p. 53)."
"Because the power to create life is sacred and is an essential part of God's plan, it is safeguarded by the law of chastity (p. 54)."
"'As we choose to keep the commandments of God, including the law of chastity, we will experience joy' (Dale G. Renlund, p. 55)."
"To consecrate means to dedicate something to the Lord for His sacred use or purpose (p. 56)."
"As we promise to give all that we have and are to God, He promises to give us all that He has--the fulness of exaltation in His presence (p. 57)."
"Whenever you respond to a call to serve or help in the Church, you are consecrating your time and talents to the Lord. Consecration is showing up (p. 58)."
"'Making a covenant with God changes our relationship with Him forever' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 58)."
"Entering into covenants with God often requires sacred symbolic acts, like partaking of sacrament bread or being immersed in water at baptism (p. 62)."
"I now choose to focus on the things God has revealed and explained, rather than on the things He hasn't (p. 63)."
"One of the purposes of the temple endowment is to show us a vision of the plan of salvation to help us gain an eternal perspective of our divine identity and destiny (p. 65)."
"'Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would be reading all that ever was written on the subject' (Joseph Smith, p. 66)."
"The visions of Moses and Abraham both reveal that God has prepared a plan for you (p. 68)."
"'The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant--the heart of the plan of salvation--is the Atonement of Jesus Christ... The Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 69)."
"You lived with your Heavenly Father, knew of His plan, and sustained His choice to send Jesus Christ as our Savior (p. 71)."
"As a literal spirit child of God, created in His divine image spiritually and physically, you have the capacity to become like God! (p. 76)"
"'Each individual carries the divine image, but it is in the matrimonial union of male and female as one that we attain perhaps the most complete meaning of our having been made in the image of God--male and female' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 77)."
"'Adam and Eve were joined together in marriage for time and for all eternity by the power of the everlasting priesthood' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 79)."
"Men and women do need each other... they are created to complete, complement, and perfect each other in God's plan (p. 80)."
"Adam and Eve faced two major obstacles to their progression to become like God: 1) They couldn't have children. 2) They couldn't experience joy because they had never experienced misery; they couldn't do good because they couldn't do evil (p. 81)."
"'The earth was created that families might be' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 82)."
"Understanding the Fall will help you reframe the pains and sorrows you experience in mortality... We wanted this because we knew that only by experiencing sadness could we experience real happiness (p. 82)."
"Because it was Adam and Eve's choice to fall, we cannot blame God for the many challenges we face in mortality. He warned us it would happen (p. 83)."
"We must face the consequences of the Fall (p. 84)."
"Jesus Christ saves us from the eternal consequences of the Fall (p. 84)."
"Only because God provided a Savior can you come back into His presence and partake of eternal life (p. 86)."
"The Atonement of Jesus Christ saves us from the Fall and offers the path back to God with all the blessings we gained from the Fall and more. Only through Christ's Atonement can we communicate with God through the veil and return to His presence (p. 87)."
"They were praying for light and truth, and the Lord sent me to them. These honest truth-seekers were literally praying for God to send true Apostles to teach them the true gospel of Jesus Christ (p. 88)."
"Messengers of God can come in the form of ministering angels as they did to Joseph Smith (p. 89)."
"As true messengers of the Lord, the First Presidency continues to lead us on the path to salvation and eternal life (p. 89)."
"'Every time you worthily serve and worship in the temple, you leave armed with God's power' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 92)."
"One gift or blessing you will gain from consistent temple attendance is knowledge about God's plan (p. 92)."
"Learning in the temple is like studying the scriptures (p. 93)."
"As you pay attention to the thoughts, feelings, and impressions that come to you as you ponder, reflect, and listen in the temple, you will learn to better receive and recognize personal revelation from the Lord (p. 94)."
"As you regularly return to the temple, the Lord will consistently speak to you and give you the guidance you need, time after time (p. 95)."
"The temple is not just a building; it is the house of the Lord (p. 96)."
"Reverently prepare to enter the temple and maintain that reverence while you are there (p. 96)."
"The purpose of the temple is not to add stress but to take it away by inviting us to leave the busy world for a while so we can spend time with the Lord (p. 98)."
"Whenever you need special revelation or direction in your life, you can go to the temple and receive it (p. 99)."
"Please don't feel overwhelmed because you didn't understand it all the first time (p. 100)."
"'While salvation is an individual matter, exaltation is a family matter' (p. 103)."
"Celestial marriage enables us to become celestial parents (p. 104)."
"All these blessings are possible only through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (p. 106)."
"God reveals that these eternal family relationships are the source of his greatest joy and honor (p. 108)."
"'Eternal life is not simply a question of current marital status but of discipleship and being 'valiant in the testimony of Jesus'' (M. Russell Ballard, p. 111)."
"All the opportunities and blessings of eternal marriage and family will one day belong to all the faithful (p. 111)."
"'[God] will force no one into a sealing relationship against his or her will' (Dallin H. Oaks, p. 113)."
"Only those in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom will be organized, united, and connected in eternal marriage and family bonds (p. 115)."
"Temples have been around from the beginning. A careful study of the scriptures confirms this (p. 119)."
"Temple ordinances have also been around from the beginning (p. 120)."
"The Garden of Eden served them as a type of temple (p. 122)."
"We see more hints of the endowment as the people of Israel prepared to enter the Lord's presence (p. 128)."
"Mount Sinai was truly a temple for Moses and the people of Israel (p. 129)."
"After the children of Israel left Mount Sinai and before they settled in Jerusalem, they used a special tent as a portable temple... called the tabernacle (p. 130)."
"As the priests moved through the rooms of the tabernacle, they were symbolically ascending the holy mountain to come into the presence of God (p. 131)."
"Although temple sealings started with Adam and continued through Abraham and beyond... this is not recorded as having taken place in the Jerusalem temple (p. 133)."
"The rending of the veil symbolized that the Atonement of Jesus Christ had ended mankind's separation from God caused by the Fall of Adam (p. 133)."
"Alma seems to be referring to the temple endowment when he speaks of the people entering into the 'holy order' of the priesthood (p. 135)."
"The temple was central to worship (p. 139)."
"The doctrine of the temple was revealed gradually to the Prophet Joseph Smith (p. 141)."
"The Melchizedek Priesthood has the power, through its ordinances, to unlock the heavens so we can know God and enter His presence (p. 143)."
"They were not just gathered together as a people, or even just gathered to the temple; they were being gathered to God in His temple (p. 144)."
"The Lord's desire to bring us into His presence through temple ordinances is the same today as it was anciently (p. 146)."
"The Lord still invites His people into His presence (p. 146)."
"To 'sanctify yourselves' means to be cleansed for the presence of God (p. 150)."
"The Lord promised that if the Saints wash and sanctify themselves, He will 'unveil his face' (p. 150)."
"'The Savior made his appearance to some, while angels ministered to others, and it was a Pentecost and an endowment indeed, long to be remembered, for the sound shall go forth from this place into all the world... The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened. We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us' (Joseph Smith, p. 153)."
"'I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house. Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house' (D&C 110:6-8). This promise still stands today and is true of every one of the Lord's dedicated temples (p. 154)."
"'All people who shall enter upon the threshold of the Lord's house may feel thy power, and feel constrained to acknowledge... that it is thy house.'... The Lord's spiritual presence in the temple will be so powerful that people will feel it when they walk through the doors! (p. 155)"
"We can experience the presence of God, and we can return to experience His presence again and again. That is His holy invitation (p. 156)."
"The Kirtland Temple was where God revealed the future purpose and power of temples (p. 158)."
"Angels appeared in sequence to restore priesthood authority to Joseph Smith (p. 159)."
"Earthly temple ordinances rely explicitly on the power to seal or perform ordinances in order for them to take immediate effect in heaven or beyond the veil (p. 163)."
"The Saints were again commanded to gather together so they could build a new temple (p. 167)."
"Anticipating that he would die before the Nauvoo Temple was complete, the Prophet Joseph Smith began to administer temple ordinances to a select few men and women outside the temple (p. 169)."
"'Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit' (Russell M. Nelson)."
"'I plead with you to seek--prayerfully and consistently--to understand temple covenants and ordinances' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 1)."
"'You need an endowment... in order that you may be prepared and able to overcome all things' (Joseph Smith, p. 2)."
"'Because we love the Lord, we always should speak about His holy house with reverence... The temple is the house of the Lord. Everything in the temple points us to our Savior Jesus Christ' (Ezra Taft Benson, p. 3)."
"'Let us share with our children the spiritual feelings we have in the temple. And let us teach them more earnestly and more comfortably the things we can appropriately say about the purposes of the house of the Lord' (Howard W. Hunter, p. 4)."
"I was shown the plan of salvation, made covenants with God, progressed, and advanced until I passed through the veil into the celestial room to be in the presence of God... I understood that it was a symbolic representation of our path to God in the plan of salvation (p. 9)."
"The endowment ordinance is a symbolic representation of your journey back to the presence of God (p. 10)."
"Students can get so distracted by some less important detail in a verse of scripture that they fail to understand its main message (p. 11)."
"The endowment ceremony begins by centering your attention on Jesus Christ because He makes the journey back to God possible (p. 12)."
"As you focus on Jesus Christ, the temple endowment will strengthen your faith in Him (p. 12)."
"Focusing on Jesus Christ will help you see the big picture of what the temple endowment is all about, because in many ways, Jesus Christ is the big picture of the temple endowment (p. 13)."
"'Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house' (p. 14)."
"'Sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God' (p. 15)."
"Through this temple ordinance, you will be endowed with spiritual power to teach the gospel and do miracles! You will be armed with the protection of God and His angels! You will be able to converse with the Lord and receive greater revelation! (p. 17)"
"You will know how to return to God and become like Him (p. 18)."
"Because I could not see past the way it was packaged and wrapped, I did not recognize the gift my parents were giving me (p. 19)."
"The word endowment means 'a gift.' The temple endowment is literally a gift from God through which He blesses His children... through... greater knowledge of the Lord's purposes... power... divine direction... increased hope, comfort, and peace... exaltation (p. 20)."
"The temple endowment is wrapped in ancient Old Testament-style wrapping paper that can seem different from what we are used to (p. 21)."
"The celestial room is simple and beautiful and filled with light (p. 21)."
"The endowment is symbolically an invitation to come into the presence of God and receive your exaltation! (p. 22)"
"'The purpose of the endowment in the House of the Lord is to prepare and sanctify his saints so they will be able to see his face, here and now, as well as bear the glory of his presence in the eternal worlds' (Bruce R. McConkie, p. 22)."
"Although it is certainly possible to visually see the Lord in the temple, for most of us it is much more subtle than that (p. 22)."
"The privilege of being in God's presence now is one of the greatest gifts made available to us in this life through the ordinance of the endowment (p. 22)."
"That is the kind of experience you can have in the temple... You can feel and sense that you are in the presence of God. You can feel that you are in your heavenly home (p. 23)."
"'I see Jesus not now upon the cross. I do not see His brow pierced with thorns nor His hands torn with the nails, but I see Him smiling, with extended arms, saying to us all: 'Come unto me!'' (p. 25)"
"Time spent with the Lord blesses you not only while you are in the temple but also while you are away from the temple... You are better able to face the challenges of life because you have been in the presence of God and been given promises and assurances from the Lord (p. 26)."
"Being invited into God's presence to be with Him spiritually and come to know Him in the temple is one of the greatest gifts God gives His children (p. 26)."
"'Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 28)."
"The blessing I received that day gave me a sense that God had a work for me to do and that I had a greater purpose and potential than I had ever considered before (p. 29)."
"Similar to a patriarchal blessing, the endowment begins with a person in authority pronouncing many great blessings and promises upon you that apply now and in the future (p. 29)."
"You can't just go into God's presence from off the street (p. 30)."
"Anciently, there was a three-step ritual performed to prepare a person to enter God's presence in the temple... washed with water... anointed with consecrated oil... clothed in holy garments and temple clothing (p. 30)."
"Olive oil is a symbol of Christ's Atonement and the anointing is a symbol of the outpouring of the Lord's spiritual power upon you in His service (p. 32)."
"They were symbolically being taught that Christ's Atonement would 'cover' them from the Fall. In Hebrew, the word Atonement literally means 'to cover,' and when you wear the garment you are symbolically choosing to be 'covered' by Christ (p. 35)."
"'Your garment is symbolic of the veil [of the temple]; the veil is symbolic of the Lord Jesus Christ. So when you put on your garment, you may feel that you are truly putting upon yourself the very sacred symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ' (Russell M. Nelson in "Meeting Jesus in the House of the Lord" by Allen D. Haynie, p. 35)."
"To put on your garment is to put on strength from God (p. 36)."
"You can find a description of these clothing items in Exodus 28 and the corresponding footnotes (p. 38)."
"They are a symbol of being clothed in royal clothing to be enthroned as kings and queens with God (p. 39)."
"Sanctification is 'the process of becoming free from sin, pure, clean, and holy through the Atonement of Jesus Christ' (p. 39)."
"I knew we would be all right if we could just get to the road and back on the path (p. 42)."
"As you learn about and live these covenants, you prepare yourself to be worthy to enter God's presence and receive His greatest blessings (p. 42)."
"These laws and covenants are not restrictions but directions and protections. They don't hold us down; they lift us up and exalt us! They show us the way to have the fulness of eternal joy (p. 43)."
"To arrive at that eternal joy with God, we must follow the path that leads to it... this covenant path consists of five divine laws we covenant to live:
1. the law of obedience
2. the law of sacrifice
3. the law of the gospel
4. the law of chastity
5. the law of consecration (p. 43)"
"'Obedience is the first law of everything. Everything that I know that matters requires that initial commitment to obey the word and the will of the Lord' (Jeffrey R. Holland, p. 46)."
"'The great test of this life is obedience' (Thomas S. Monson, p. 46)."
"Obedience is a chief attribute of Jesus Christ (p. 47)."
"The law of sacrifice means that you are willing to sacrifice, or give up, whatever the Lord asks as you obey and serve Him (p. 48)."
"'You can offer the Lord the gift of your broken, or repentant, heart and your contrite, or obedient spirit' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 49)."
"'If being a member of this Church becomes too easy, testimonies will become shallow, and the roots of testimony will not go down into the soil of faith as they did with our pioneer forefathers' (M. Russell Ballard, p. 50)."
"Jesus Christ is the perfect example of sacrifice. All sacrifice we make for Him are in similitude of His great atoning sacrifice for us (p. 51)."
"We covenant in the endowment to continue to follow the principles of the gospel throughout our lives by exercising our faith in Christ to come unto Him, repent of our sins, keep our baptismal covenant, and be sanctified by the companionship of the Holy Ghost (p. 52)."
"Jesus Christ taught that the two great commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor... He taught us to develop Christlike attributes like being meek, merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers (p. 52)."
"The law of chastity states that we are to have sexual relation only within a 'legal marriage between a man and a woman, which is according to God's law' (p. 53)."
"Because the power to create life is sacred and is an essential part of God's plan, it is safeguarded by the law of chastity (p. 54)."
"'As we choose to keep the commandments of God, including the law of chastity, we will experience joy' (Dale G. Renlund, p. 55)."
"To consecrate means to dedicate something to the Lord for His sacred use or purpose (p. 56)."
"As we promise to give all that we have and are to God, He promises to give us all that He has--the fulness of exaltation in His presence (p. 57)."
"Whenever you respond to a call to serve or help in the Church, you are consecrating your time and talents to the Lord. Consecration is showing up (p. 58)."
"'Making a covenant with God changes our relationship with Him forever' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 58)."
"Entering into covenants with God often requires sacred symbolic acts, like partaking of sacrament bread or being immersed in water at baptism (p. 62)."
"I now choose to focus on the things God has revealed and explained, rather than on the things He hasn't (p. 63)."
"One of the purposes of the temple endowment is to show us a vision of the plan of salvation to help us gain an eternal perspective of our divine identity and destiny (p. 65)."
"'Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would be reading all that ever was written on the subject' (Joseph Smith, p. 66)."
"The visions of Moses and Abraham both reveal that God has prepared a plan for you (p. 68)."
"'The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant--the heart of the plan of salvation--is the Atonement of Jesus Christ... The Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 69)."
"You lived with your Heavenly Father, knew of His plan, and sustained His choice to send Jesus Christ as our Savior (p. 71)."
"As a literal spirit child of God, created in His divine image spiritually and physically, you have the capacity to become like God! (p. 76)"
"'Each individual carries the divine image, but it is in the matrimonial union of male and female as one that we attain perhaps the most complete meaning of our having been made in the image of God--male and female' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 77)."
"'Adam and Eve were joined together in marriage for time and for all eternity by the power of the everlasting priesthood' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 79)."
"Men and women do need each other... they are created to complete, complement, and perfect each other in God's plan (p. 80)."
"Adam and Eve faced two major obstacles to their progression to become like God: 1) They couldn't have children. 2) They couldn't experience joy because they had never experienced misery; they couldn't do good because they couldn't do evil (p. 81)."
"'The earth was created that families might be' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 82)."
"Understanding the Fall will help you reframe the pains and sorrows you experience in mortality... We wanted this because we knew that only by experiencing sadness could we experience real happiness (p. 82)."
"Because it was Adam and Eve's choice to fall, we cannot blame God for the many challenges we face in mortality. He warned us it would happen (p. 83)."
"We must face the consequences of the Fall (p. 84)."
"Jesus Christ saves us from the eternal consequences of the Fall (p. 84)."
"Only because God provided a Savior can you come back into His presence and partake of eternal life (p. 86)."
"The Atonement of Jesus Christ saves us from the Fall and offers the path back to God with all the blessings we gained from the Fall and more. Only through Christ's Atonement can we communicate with God through the veil and return to His presence (p. 87)."
"They were praying for light and truth, and the Lord sent me to them. These honest truth-seekers were literally praying for God to send true Apostles to teach them the true gospel of Jesus Christ (p. 88)."
"Messengers of God can come in the form of ministering angels as they did to Joseph Smith (p. 89)."
"As true messengers of the Lord, the First Presidency continues to lead us on the path to salvation and eternal life (p. 89)."
"'Every time you worthily serve and worship in the temple, you leave armed with God's power' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 92)."
"One gift or blessing you will gain from consistent temple attendance is knowledge about God's plan (p. 92)."
"Learning in the temple is like studying the scriptures (p. 93)."
"As you pay attention to the thoughts, feelings, and impressions that come to you as you ponder, reflect, and listen in the temple, you will learn to better receive and recognize personal revelation from the Lord (p. 94)."
"As you regularly return to the temple, the Lord will consistently speak to you and give you the guidance you need, time after time (p. 95)."
"The temple is not just a building; it is the house of the Lord (p. 96)."
"Reverently prepare to enter the temple and maintain that reverence while you are there (p. 96)."
"The purpose of the temple is not to add stress but to take it away by inviting us to leave the busy world for a while so we can spend time with the Lord (p. 98)."
"Whenever you need special revelation or direction in your life, you can go to the temple and receive it (p. 99)."
"Please don't feel overwhelmed because you didn't understand it all the first time (p. 100)."
"'While salvation is an individual matter, exaltation is a family matter' (p. 103)."
"Celestial marriage enables us to become celestial parents (p. 104)."
"All these blessings are possible only through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (p. 106)."
"God reveals that these eternal family relationships are the source of his greatest joy and honor (p. 108)."
"'Eternal life is not simply a question of current marital status but of discipleship and being 'valiant in the testimony of Jesus'' (M. Russell Ballard, p. 111)."
"All the opportunities and blessings of eternal marriage and family will one day belong to all the faithful (p. 111)."
"'[God] will force no one into a sealing relationship against his or her will' (Dallin H. Oaks, p. 113)."
"Only those in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom will be organized, united, and connected in eternal marriage and family bonds (p. 115)."
"Temples have been around from the beginning. A careful study of the scriptures confirms this (p. 119)."
"Temple ordinances have also been around from the beginning (p. 120)."
"The Garden of Eden served them as a type of temple (p. 122)."
"We see more hints of the endowment as the people of Israel prepared to enter the Lord's presence (p. 128)."
"Mount Sinai was truly a temple for Moses and the people of Israel (p. 129)."
"After the children of Israel left Mount Sinai and before they settled in Jerusalem, they used a special tent as a portable temple... called the tabernacle (p. 130)."
"As the priests moved through the rooms of the tabernacle, they were symbolically ascending the holy mountain to come into the presence of God (p. 131)."
"Although temple sealings started with Adam and continued through Abraham and beyond... this is not recorded as having taken place in the Jerusalem temple (p. 133)."
"The rending of the veil symbolized that the Atonement of Jesus Christ had ended mankind's separation from God caused by the Fall of Adam (p. 133)."
"Alma seems to be referring to the temple endowment when he speaks of the people entering into the 'holy order' of the priesthood (p. 135)."
"The temple was central to worship (p. 139)."
"The doctrine of the temple was revealed gradually to the Prophet Joseph Smith (p. 141)."
"The Melchizedek Priesthood has the power, through its ordinances, to unlock the heavens so we can know God and enter His presence (p. 143)."
"They were not just gathered together as a people, or even just gathered to the temple; they were being gathered to God in His temple (p. 144)."
"The Lord's desire to bring us into His presence through temple ordinances is the same today as it was anciently (p. 146)."
"The Lord still invites His people into His presence (p. 146)."
"To 'sanctify yourselves' means to be cleansed for the presence of God (p. 150)."
"The Lord promised that if the Saints wash and sanctify themselves, He will 'unveil his face' (p. 150)."
"'The Savior made his appearance to some, while angels ministered to others, and it was a Pentecost and an endowment indeed, long to be remembered, for the sound shall go forth from this place into all the world... The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened. We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us' (Joseph Smith, p. 153)."
"'I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house. Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house' (D&C 110:6-8). This promise still stands today and is true of every one of the Lord's dedicated temples (p. 154)."
"'All people who shall enter upon the threshold of the Lord's house may feel thy power, and feel constrained to acknowledge... that it is thy house.'... The Lord's spiritual presence in the temple will be so powerful that people will feel it when they walk through the doors! (p. 155)"
"We can experience the presence of God, and we can return to experience His presence again and again. That is His holy invitation (p. 156)."
"The Kirtland Temple was where God revealed the future purpose and power of temples (p. 158)."
"Angels appeared in sequence to restore priesthood authority to Joseph Smith (p. 159)."
"Earthly temple ordinances rely explicitly on the power to seal or perform ordinances in order for them to take immediate effect in heaven or beyond the veil (p. 163)."
"The Saints were again commanded to gather together so they could build a new temple (p. 167)."
"Anticipating that he would die before the Nauvoo Temple was complete, the Prophet Joseph Smith began to administer temple ordinances to a select few men and women outside the temple (p. 169)."
November 8, 2025
Libby. Good book on the Temple Experience many things to think about and dwell o the reason and importance of Temples. Temples always bring you to the Lord for his Ordinances, Covenants and Promises to you and your promises and commitments to him. The Celestial Room is where he is. It is His House.
January 1, 2026
A fabulous resource for greater understanding of God’s temples and the temple experience. Well written with personal examples makes application easier to comprehend. The history and background of temples, priesthood and rites is fascinating and sheds light on temple ordinances of today. Highly recommend!
February 20, 2026
Very descriptive and wonderful writing about the holy Temple experience. I particularly enjoyed the history of temples and the commentary about the first temples in this dispensation. I was trying to read it through the eyes of my 18-year-old who recently went through to receive his endowment and found it pretty dry. Overall, still great.
March 8, 2026
A beautifully written book that has already helped me understand more of the covenants I have made. I feel so blessed to have found this book to help me know that I am in the true church on the earth. I feel this is a must read for those who are going to go and those who repeatedly go to the temple. I wish I had had this book to read before my first time. 😊
January 3, 2026
Very inspiring and informative book about the temple
Endowment! Super helpful resource for anyone who wants to understand the temple better. The writing style is really accessible too, and the stories and experiences are fun to read.
Endowment! Super helpful resource for anyone who wants to understand the temple better. The writing style is really accessible too, and the stories and experiences are fun to read.
January 4, 2026
I thought chapters 4-6 were some of the most thorough and well-worded explanations of parts of temple worship that I have wondered about for years. Definitely worth a read if you want more from your temple experience.
December 10, 2025
A really great intro to the temple! even though I’ve been going to the temple for 6 years now, there were still things for me to learn.
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