The Temple Is There for You
By Lauren Madsen
“Come to the temple. … [The Lord will] hold you and cradle you and lead you step by step along that pathway to the celestial kingdom of God.” —Thomas S. Monson
“I just find it so amazing that no matter what you’re going through, the temple is there for you.” As soon as my fellow temple worker said this to me recently, I knew it was something I would spend a lot of time pondering. I have spent the two weeks since our conversation thinking about the people around me—how their lives are going and what they are currently facing. I see that it is profoundly true: No matter what you’re going through, the temple is there for you.
Are you a teen with questions about your place in this world, about who you are and who you want to be? The temple is there for YOU.
Are you a young single adult with possibilities before you and the desire to align your will with God’s? The temple is there for YOU.
Are you a young parent who longs for a few quiet moments to ponder and be still? The temple is there for YOU.
Are you a parent whose children are making choices that sadden you? The temple is there for YOU.
Are you a member feeling the weight of a heavy calling, who needs added strength and capacity? The temple is there for YOU.
Are you a caregiver who gives so much to others and sometimes longs to feel more of God’s love for you? The temple is for YOU.
Are you grieving over the loss of someone you love? The temple is there for YOU.
Are you discouraged by the state of the world and desire to increase your hope in the future? The temple is there for YOU.
Do you have questions that keep you up at night? The temple is there for YOU.
Have you just received news that you or someone you love has been healed from sickness? The temple is there for YOU.
Are things going well in your life and you want to help gather Israel on both sides of the veil? The temple is there for YOU.
Do you wish for angels to watch over you? The temple is there for YOU.
Do you want to prepare yourself to prepare the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? The temple is there for YOU.
These are just a few of the ways the temple can be a place for each of us, fulfilling needs in whatever our life circumstances may be. God’s holy house is a place to find peace and stillness. It is a place to commune with our Creator. It is a place to pour out our souls and fill our spiritual cups. It is a place to celebrate and show our gratitude. It is a place to worship and remember.
What makes our temples more than just beautiful buildings is that they are truly Houses of the Lord. We draw strength from serving in the temple because Jesus Christ is in the temple, and temple covenants and ordinances bind us to Him. The temple is there for us because He is there for us.
If you don’t yet feel that the temple is the place for YOU, that the temple is there for YOU, I would invite you to study President Nelson’s teachings on the temple and consider his invitation: “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.”
This blog post is spot on. I gain so much strength and peace from my time spent in the temple. Every opportunity I have to serve in the temple provides relief and strength from the stress and anxiety of my job, being a parent of minor and adult children, and also my very demanding church leadership calling. I walk into the temple carrying so much weight on my back and feel relieved from much of that burden when I leave. Sometimes I go seeking answers and even if I do not receive the answers in the temple I feel less burdened by the problems and in a better state when I leave to receive those needed answers. Taking my own family names also contributes to the experience as I also feel strengthened by service to my family in The House of the Lord. I am so grateful for the strength and comfort I receive in the temple. It is a bit of a struggle having our local temple closed for renovations the next six months but we are still planning to go as often as we can to the temple about three hours away. In a few years, we will have several temples much closer. What a blessing it is to live in a time where so many temples dot the earth!
Leave a comment