The Temple
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| Calgary, Alberta Temple |
This Spring semester April 2018 - August 2, 2018 I will be taking an institute course on Temple & Family History.
In our introduction lesson we discussed Sacrifice & Worship. A couple of scripture passages helped me to contemplate both sacrifice and worship.
Moses 5:5-8
5 And he gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.
6 And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
7 And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.
8 Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.
Genesis 22:9-13
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
In both scriptural accounts we have symbolism in how we look at the sacrifices both Adam and Abraham made, they were obedient without a full understanding of the why, and the angel comes to teach them about the sacrifices they are making.
At what point do your sacrifices become worshipful?
To me it is when you feel a connection to God, your Heavenly Father and feel gratitude for all He has done for you. You feel the Holy Ghost, peace, inspiration, knowledge or receive personal revelation.
How does what we do inside the Temple qualify as "worship"?
Keeping what we do in the temple sacred, I would say we make covenants with God, and in behalf of those who passed. We receive instruction, learn by the spirit, progress in light and understanding, we feel the Holy Ghost if we are prepared to worship, and truth is testified to us.
How can you make your temple service more worshipful?
1. Prepare to go to worship in the temple. Don't be in a rush. Remember you are going to the Lord's house, and will feel His presence if you can prepare to enjoy the spirit, and the work.
2. Part of preparing is the spiritual pattern we create. Regular prayer to commune with our Heavenly Father, and build a relationship with Him. Our scripture study and pondering time. I've learned that studying the scriptures for a space of time, minimum 1/2 hr to an hour to read, ponder, and let the spirit teach you. This spiritual pattern is also part of how we can better prepare to worship.
3. Remember Christ - Throughout the day be grateful for all that the Savior has done for me, and be mindful of my covenants.
4. Live the gospel - We make mistakes, and we need to repent and keep on the covenant path. If discouraged, pray, and ask to feel the spirit, and the love Heavenly Father has for me. Use the Atonement of Jesus Christ for strength, and power beyond my own. Living the gospel is a process of learning and the Lord wants us to walk with Him on this journey.
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