Gordon b hinckley why these temples

The scriptures bear testimony of this. We come into this life as children of mortal parents and as members of families. Parents are partners with God in bringing to pass His eternal purposes with reference to His children. The family, therefore, is a divine institution, the most important both in mortality and in eternity. Much of the work that goes on within temples is concerned with the family. Basic to an understanding of its meaning is recognition of the fact that even as we existed as children of God before we were born into this world, so also shall we continue to live after death, and the treasured and satisfying relationships of mortality, the most beautiful and meaningful of which are found in the family, may continue in the world to come.

When a man and a woman are married in house of the Lord, they are joined not only for the period of their mortal lives but for all eternity. They are bound together under authority not only of the law of the land that joins them until death but also through the eternal priesthood of God, which binds in heaven that which is bound on earth. The couple so married has the assurance of divine revelation that their relationship and that of their children will not end with death but will continue in eternity, provided they live worthy of that blessing.

Was there ever a man who truly loved a woman, or a woman who truly loved a man, who did not pray that their relationship might continue beyond the grave? Has a child ever been buried by parents who did not long for the assurance that their loved one would again be theirs in a world to come?

Can anyone believing in eternal life doubt that the God of heaven would grant His sons and daughters that most precious attribute of life, the love that finds its most meaningful expression in family relationships? No, reason demands that the family relationship shall continue after death. The human heart longs for it, and the God of heaven has revealed a way whereby it may be secured.

The sacred ordinances of the house of the Lord provide for it. But all of this would appear to be unfair indeed if the blessings of these ordinances were available only to those who are now members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The fact is that the opportunity to come into the temple and partake of its blessings is open to all who will accept the gospel and be baptized into the Church.

For this reason, the Church carries forward an extensive missionary program in much of the world and will continue to expand this program as widely as possible, for it has the responsibility, under divine revelation, to teach the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. But there are uncounted millions who have walked the earth and who have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel.

Shall they be denied such blessings as are offered in the temples of the Lord? Through living proxies who stand in behalf of the dead, the same ordinances are available to those who have passed from mortality. In the spirit world these same individuals are then free to accept or reject those earthly ordinances performed for them, including baptism, marriage, and the sealing of family relationships.

This vicarious work constitutes an unprecedented labor of love on the part of the living in behalf of the dead. It makes necessary a vast undertaking of family history research to find and identify those who have gone before. To assist in this research, the Church coordinates a family history program and maintains research facilities unmatched in all the world.

Its archives are open to the public and have been used by many who are not members of the Church in tracing their forebears. This program has been praised by genealogists throughout the world and has been utilized by various nations as a safeguard of their own records.

But its primary purpose is to afford members of the Church the resources needed to identify their ancestors that they might extend to them the blessings that they themselves enjoy. During Gordon B. It is a statement that defined the official position of the church on family, marriage, gender roles, and human sexuality. You can read the proclamation read by President Gordon B.

It is a program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that helps young men and women get a good education and to become self-reliant after serving a mission for the Church. Click here for more information about PEF. Aside from the details above, how well do you know President Gordon B. Bryant married Ada after the death of his first wife, Christine.

Bryant and Christine had eight children, and Gordon B. Hinckley was the first child of Bryant and Ada. Gordon also has four more siblings after him. Since he was young, he had already learned how to treasure his family. On Gordon B. Some of them had dismissed because of their beliefs, and some had been passengers on the Mayflower — one of the pioneer ships that transported the first English Puritans the Pilgrims from England to North America.

His son, Richard G. His daughter, Kathleen Barnes Walker , co-authored several books with her sister Virginia. Hinckley graduated from LDS High School, and later attended the University of Utah where he successfully completed an undergraduate degree in English and a minor in ancient languages. During the Great Depression, Gordon B. Hinckley became a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is a very unusual occurrence for the Latter-day Saints during that time period.

Elder Hinckley served the London-based British Mission from to Hinckley, together with his two missionary companions, had toured Europe and the United States on their way home, which was a common practice during those days. He got tired and decided not to travel again. But before Gordon could say that his mission had completed, he still had to fulfill one more task.

His mission president, Elder Joseph F. Merrill, assigned him to meet the First Presidency and make a request to provide better materials to missionaries for proselytizing. That meeting led to Gordon B. Aside from being a journalist, Gordon B. Hinckley also worked as a seminary teacher. Years later, Gordon B. Hinckley had continued his journey as a journalist, and as a notable church official in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On July 23, , Gordon B.

Hinckley presided over the dedication of 16 temples, including the Manila Philippines Temple. Upon the death of President Spencer W. Kimball, Gordon had dedicated approximately half of all the temples. Hinckley as the First Counselor together with Thomas S. Monson as the Second Counselor. Lionel Kendrick. In every detail the endowment ceremony contributes to covenants of morality of life, consecration of person to high ideals, devotion to truth, patriotism to nation, and allegiance to God.

One other word is equal in importance to a Latter-day Saint. Put the words holy temple and home together, and you have described the house of the Lord!

This, because there is the spirit of Elijah. The prophets have spoken of it. The Saints have felt it; and following the inspiration of it they have come to the temple to do the sacred work for both the living and the dead. The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant…is the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house. The interference can vary from the terrible persecutions of the earlier days to apathy toward the work. The latter is perhaps the most dangerous and debilitating. Said they, '…We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God. Temple blessings are available once again in our day. Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power, that ye may give even as I have spoken.

Let us make the temple, with temple worship and temple covenants and temple marriage, our ultimate earthly goal and the supreme mortal experience. The temple is a place where we can find peace. There we receive a renewed dedication to the gospel and a strengthened resolve to keep the commandments. There, tucked away from turmoil and strife, is the chance to be totally unselfish—a rarity in today's world. The temple will provide direction for you and your family in a world filled with chaos.

It is an eternal guidepost which will help you from getting lost in the 'mist of darkness. It is a bridge between this life and the next. All of the ordinances that take place in the house of the Lord are expressions of our belief in the immortality of the human soul. When I have been weighed down by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the House of the Lord with a prayer in my heart for answers. The answers have come in clear and unmistakable ways.

The great garner into which the sheaves should be gathered is the holy temple. It is to receive the blessings found in the temples of the Lord. All who meet the requirements for entrance to the temple may enjoy it. We thank heaven and the presiding Brethren that more and more of them are being built, giving more and more of us greater access to them.