Lest anyone should differ with this statement, let me first say that it was given by Joseph Smith to the Saints in Nauvoo in March, 1844. (See Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, p. 416.) As we discussed this in our Relief Society, our teacher asked "Do we need the temple more than Christ? Do we need the temple more than salvation? More than the atonement?"
The answer flew into my head. The temple is where we find Christ. The temple is where we make the covenants that lead to salvation. Everything in the temple testifies of the reality of the atonement.
The fullness of the Gospel is found in the temple. This is what Joseph was trying to impress on the Saints. That is where keys are bestowed unto us that will enable us to receive the highest exaltation possible, with Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father.
Our Stake President when we served at BYU, President Thomas B. Griffith, told us in sacrament meeting that as a young convert, he went to the temple for the first time right before he left for his mission in South Africa. He was completely bewildered by the experience, and glad that there was no temple in South Africa. However, as his mission progressed, his testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel, and particularly of the atonement increased greatly. When he returned to his home in Virginia , he realized the problem he had experienced was with him, not with the temple. There was a period of time before him where he had no responsibilities, so he decided to go to the temple every day, all day until he "got it." He related to us how this was very difficult at first. But slowly, things were revealed to him as his heart softened. Gradually at first, and then with great power, he came to understand that everything in the temple testified of the atonement of Christ. Now it is so important to him, that he urged all the members of the stake to take advantage of the temple as often as possible in order to gain this understanding.
As we live in tumultuous times, we benefit tremendously by going to a place where pure truth is given, where the veil is so thin we can hear and feel in our hearts the truths of salvation. These are truths and ordinances that we will never hear on the news, at the movies, on television, or in the newspapers. Today we are battered on all sides by secular "theology" on the way to save the world.
I spent some time lately on the plane with a young man who was in his twenties, very intent upon extending "hope" to his generation to empower them to save the world from itself. He was full of charisma and optimism. We have exchanged e-mails frequently. Finally, I shared my belief that the world could only be changed from the inside out, one heart at a time through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I didn't hear from him for a long time. When I finally did, he bore his own testimony of Jesus Christ. His beliefs were very similar to mine. I thought because he was African-American that he might have problems with my being LDS, however, he closed his e-mail by saying, "I feel like I have found in you a friend for life."
That experience taught me that I need to stand for "real" truth, not secular truth. It is the truths we hear in the temple that will save our families from destruction, from the philosophies of the "great and spacious building," and that will enable us to see our Redeemer and our Heavenly Father. But unless we immerse ourselves in these truths constantly, it is very easy to feel confusion, fear, and anxiety.
Heavenly Father knows us individually, as does our Savior. In the temple, if we spend time in prayer and contemplation in the Celestial Room, we are closer to them than we can be anywhere on earth. We can plead for our loved ones, pour out our troubles, and most importantly receive revelation for our missions on earth.
We need to prepare ourselves to go to the temple, whether it is our first or our thousandth time. If we are rushed, we can still take time in the chapel to bring our minds to bear on sacred things. We can metaphorically catch our breaths and center ourselves in Christ.
Sometimes we forget that the temples are literally The House of the Lord. When He visits the earth, He comes to His temples.
We never know who is visiting within the walls of the temples while we are there. Through sacred experiences, too holy to repeat, I testify that this is true. I imagine it will become increasingly true as the Lord's Second Coming approaches. It only makes sense that as troubles abound, we seek the place of pure truth and light: our temples.
