Temple Teachings From Our Prophets

By Hollie Wells

To help prepare for the upcoming General Conference in October, I have been studying things that our fifteen prophets, seers, and revelators have said through their ministries about the temple, temple work, and the ordinances and covenants we participate in inside the temple. Here is a quote from each of them that teaches about the temple, temple work, and our temple covenants. 

Russell M. Nelson: 

There is so much our prophet has said about temples, especially recently. I had trouble narrowing it down to one, but I could not get this particular quote out of my mind. Perhaps it is most relevant to the Saints that I interact with most often, but it is this: “If you don’t yet love to attend the temple, go more often—not less. Let the Lord, through His Spirit, teach and inspire you there. I promise you that over time, the temple will become a place of safety, solace, and revelation.” (“The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation” October 2021) 

Dallin H. Oaks: 

“I like to think of the role of covenants as demonstrating that under God’s plan, His highest blessings are given to those who promise in advance to keep certain commandments and who keep those promises.” (“Divine Helps for Mortality” April 2025) 

Henry B. Eyring: 

President Eyring gave a powerful testimony of his profound faith and confidence in his April 2024 conference address. He said “‘all will be well because of the temple. We have made covenants with God and have been sealed as an eternal family.’ … The Spirit of the Lord confirmed in our hearts and minds what we both already knew…: the sealing ordinances, found only in the house of the Lord and administered by proper priesthood authority, had bound us together as husband and wife, and our children had been sealed to us. There truly was no need to fear.” 

Jeffrey R. Holland: 

I have made an effort in my search to try to keep as many of these quotations as recent as possible. Elder Holland has said many things concerning the temple more recently than this, including his recent social media post. One of the laws we covenant to live is the law of chastity, and there are few more influential speeches on this topic than Elder Holland’s BYU Speech “Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments.” His words from January 1988 will sound in the ears of Latter-Day Saints for many generations to come.  

One of the ‘plain and precious’ truths restored to this dispensation is that ‘the spirit and the body are the soul of man’... one toying with the God-given—and satanically coveted—body of another, toys with the very soul of that individual… The first key reason for [the law of chastity]? Our very souls are involved and at stake.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf: 

Elder Uchtdorf taught about sacrifice and consecration in his talk “Our Heartfelt All” in April 2022. “Sacrifice and consecration are two heavenly laws that we covenant to obey in the holy temple. These two laws are similar but not identical. To sacrifice means to give something up in favor of something more valuable. Anciently, God’s people sacrificed the firstlings of their flocks in honor of the coming Messiah … Consecration is different from sacrifice in at least one important way. When we consecrate something, we don’t leave it to be consumed upon the altar. Rather, we put it to use in the Lord’s service. We dedicate it to Him and His holy purposes.” 

David A. Bednar: 

In April 2019, Elder Bednar applied the principle of “home centered, church supported” to temple preparation. He promised to those afraid of saying too much or saying something wrong that “As [you] strive to walk in the meekness of the Lord’s Spirit, [you] will be blessed to understand and achieve in [your] homes the necessary balance between what is and what is not appropriate to discuss about sacred temple ordinances and covenants.” 

Quentin L. Cook: 

“Often in the temple, and as we engage in family history research, we feel promptings and have impressions from the Holy Ghost. Occasionally in the temple the veil between us and those on the other side becomes very thin. We get additional assistance in our efforts to be saviors on Mount Zion.” (See Yourself in the Temple” April 2016) 

D. Todd Christofferson: 

“The ceremonies and ordinances of the temple constitute an elevated form of worship.”  (“Worship” April 2025) 

Neil L. Andersen: 

“Why is the Lord now bringing hundreds of His temples closer to us? One reason is that amid the turmoil and temptations of the world, He has promised to strengthen and bless His covenant Saints, and His promises are being fulfilled!” (“Temples, Houses of the Lord Dotting the Earth” April 2024) 

Ronald A. Rasband: 

“Your temple recommend reflects a deep, spiritual intent that you are striving to live the laws of the Lord and love what He loves… Your temple recommend opens the gates of heaven for you and others with rites and ordinances of eternal significance, including baptisms, endowments, marriages, and sealings.” (“Recommended to the Lord” October 2020) 

Gary E. Stevenson:

Speaking to the youth and their bright future ahead, Elder Stevenson said, “I urge you to become engaged in family history, spend time in the temple, and carefully prepare yourself to be the kind of man or woman ready to marry an equally worthy companion in the temple. Develop a pattern in your life now to make the temple a regular part of your lives.” (“Days Never to Be Forgotton” October 2024) 

Dale G. Renlund: 

Elder Renlund gave a profound definition of what a covenant is and what it means to live a covenant life in his April 2023 address titled “Accessing God’s Power through Covenants.” “A covenant is a pledge that we should prepare for, clearly understand, and absolutely honor. Making a covenant with God is different than casually making a promise. First, priesthood authority is required. Second, a feeble promise does not have the connecting strength to lift us above the pull of the natural flow. We make a covenant only when we intend to commit ourselves quite exceptionally to fulfilling it. We become covenant children of God and inheritors of His kingdom, especially when we identify ourselves completely with the covenant” (emphasis added). 

Gerrit W. Gong: 

In October 2024 Elder Gong commented on the words that are inscribed on the exterior of all temples, “With nine sacred words, our temples invite and proclaim: ‘Holiness to the Lord. The House of the Lord.’ Holiness to the Lord makes daily living sacred. It draws us closer and happier to the Lord and each other and prepares us to live with God our Father, Jesus Christ, and our loved ones.” and outlined in his talk real ways that living a life dedicated to God, like a temple, can look. 

Ulisses Soares: 

“Preparation isn’t just for those going to the temple for the first time. We all should be perpetually preparing to go to the house of the Lord … Therefore, if we change our preparation to enter the temple, we will change our experience in the temple, which will transform our lives outside of the temple.” (“Covenant Confidence through Jesus Christ” April 2024) 

Patrick Kearon: 

“In our covenant bond with the Father, He is ever the Giver and we the humble recipient.” (“Receive His Gift” April 2025)