The Temple - Ancient and Modern Houses of the Lord

Anciently God commanded his people to build holy places of worship; places separate from the world.  He commanded Moses and the Children of Israel to build a Tabernacle (Exodus 26) and this served as the holy place until the building of the Temple of Solomon (1 Kings 6).  Both the Tabernacle and the Temple of Solomon were unique in the fact that they were dedicated houses to the Lord, designed for special rituals and worship.  They were places so holy that the Lord himself could literally come to them and dwell. "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them," (Exodus 25:8).

The Tabernacle was a portable temple in the fact that it could be moved around from place to place.

Solomon's Temple was in a fixed location, although it too had the same features as the Tabernacle did.

Likewise, in our day we have dedicated temples to the Lord.  They are set apart from the world and special ordinances are performed there, both for the benefit of ourselves and for our family members that have passed on.  Just as the Tabernacle and the Temple of Solomon in ancient days had ordinances and rituals that helped Israel look to the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ, the temples in our day help us remember the sacrifice of the Lord.  While the ordinances are different because the Lord fulfilled the Law of Moses and no longer requires the shedding of blood as a sacrifice (see Matthew 5:17 and 3 Nephi 12:17-18) they are still rich in symbolism just as the ancient rituals were.

The reason temples exist, then and now, is to remind us of the Atoning sacrifice of the Son of God.  Each time I go to the temple I feel peace and I always leave with more resolve to follow the Lord than when I entered.  As the world gets more and more wicked the Saints of the Lord will need the temples more than ever.  President George Q. Cannon, then a member of the First Presidency of the Church made this statement:

"Every foundation stone that is laid for a Temple, and every Temple completed according to the order the Lord has revealed for his holy Priesthood, lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness, moves the heavens in mighty power in our behalf, invokes and calls down upon us the blessings of the Eternal Gods, and those who reside in their presence."  (In "The Logan Temple," Millenial Star, Nov. 12, 1877, 743).  

Other leaders of the church have also spoken and written on the importance of the power of the temple in overcoming the evil of the world.  Here is a link to an article by President Boyd K. Packer relating to temples: The Holy Temple.

Each modern Temple displays the inscription; "Holiness to the LORD, the house of the LORD."

With these things said I am going to post a note written by Vaughn J. Featherstone who is an emeritus general authority in the Church.  It is titled, "A Haven In A World Of Turmoil," and was written June 1, 1987.

My testimony is that the Lord loves his people enough that he commands them to build temples, not only to perform required ordinances for salvation, but also as a place of safety and security in an ever darkening world.  He loves us and has not forgotten any of us.