(Sacrament Meeting Talk, given by Steven G. Barden, 30 May, 2004, Lincoln 5th Ward, Lincoln, Nebraska.)
One day, a few months ago, as I was surfing the Internet, I ran across a bulletin board in which were posted the comments of some Latter-Day Saints who had received their temple blessings, but who had chosen to discontinue activity in the Church. These unwise brothers and sisters spoke irreverently of things of the temple � things which are sacred before the Lord. I felt a profound sadness for these poor souls, for they could not have understood the significance of their words and actions.
Over the ensuing weeks and months, my mind has become occupied with some questions which I find appropriate to share with you, today. What does it mean that the Temple and its ordinances are �sacred?� We say that temple ordinances are �sacred,� not �secret,� but the outward appearance is that we keep these things secret �what�s the difference? How can I better understand what is taught in the Temple, so that I can truly hold the temple and its ordinances sacred in my thoughts and words, and gain greater knowledge of the ways of God?
It is important that we have an understanding of the concept of �sacredness.� I found several definitions of the word �sacred.� However, I feel that the two definitions which best apply to our understanding of the Temple are as follows:
Dedicated or devoted exclusively to a single use, purpose, or person.
Worthy of respect; venerable.
The things of the Temple are dedicated and devoted exclusively to a single purpose. That purpose is the improvement of people who seek to magnify themselves, or in other words, elevate themselves to a condition in which they are greater than they currently find themselves. When a person becomes �greater,� it does not mean that he is exalted in the eyes of men. What it does mean is that he gains more knowledge, more understanding, a greater capacity to use knowledge appropriately, to make correct choices, and to feel love and compassion for those around him, and act appropriately. When a person lives in such an exalted state, he feels and demonstrates love for himself and his fellow man. This is the state in which he is complete, or �perfect.� This is the state in which God, The Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, exist. Thus, we see that the things of the Temple are dedicated and devoted exclusively to the purpose of perfecting men and women, and bringing them back into the presence of our Heavenly Parents.
I will touch on how this is achieved in a few minutes.
The things of the Temple are worthy of respect because they are dedicated to that lofty purpose of perfecting men and women. Sometimes, people believe that sacred things are imbued with supernatural power or virtue. This is called �magic�, and is an apostate concept, which has its roots in superstition and in ignorance of true principles. Bruce R. McConkie stated that,
�Among some of the false sects and branches of modern Christendom, particularly as these are found in some of the less advanced nations of the earth, magic plays an extensive role in worship. Special curative and protective powers, for instance, are supposed to attach to items blessed by officials in these churches.�
Items, ceremonies and ordinances are not sacred because of some supernatural power which they possess. Rather, they are sacred because of what they represent. This becomes apparent when we consider the account of the woman who was healed by touching the hem of Jesus� garment, as recorded in Matthew chapter 9, verses 20 through 22.
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue� of blood� twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole�.
22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. (Matt 9: 20-22)
The Son of God understood and taught this good Sister that touching His garment held no virtue of itself, but rather her faith, which she demonstrated by touching His garment, was what healed her. This act was symbolic of her faith.
We are reminded of the brazen serpent, which Moses raised up upon a staff. Those Israelites, who had been poisoned by the venom of the flying serpents, who demonstrated their faith by looking upon the brazen serpent, were healed. Again, the brazen serpent itself, held no power of its own. It�s power was the faith of those who looked upon it, representative of looking to Jesus Christ as our exemplar; Him who made possible the remission of our sins.
Orson F. Whitney put symbolism into perspective when he declared,
�The Universe is built on symbols, lifting our thoughts from man to God, from earth to heaven, from time to eternity�. God teaches with symbols; it is His favorite way of teaching.�
It should not be surprising, then, that the Temple is replete with symbols, representing eternal truths.
As found in Exodus chapter 3, verse 5, on Mount Sinai, when Moses approached the burning bush, the Lord spoke to him, saying,
� Draw not nigh hither: put off thy ashoes� from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is bholy� ground. (Exodus 3:5)
Let�s examine, for a moment, the possible symbolism, found in the Lord�s instructions. First, Moses was instructed to keep his distance from the bush. Perhaps this represents the fact that Moses was not a perfected being, and that there was time, effort and patience required to approach the perfection which the Lord had attained. Second, Moses was instructed to remove his shoes. This represented the need for spiritual preparation, and a �putting off� of his sins and the ways of the world. Third, the Lord declared that the place where Moses stood was �holy ground.� Holy ground is the place where the earthly and the heavenly meet. It is a representation of the ability of man to enter the realm of and commune with God. Of course, we know that there is much time and preparation required to become like our Father in Heaven, and that it requires the putting off of temporal ways.
Temples, both ancient and modern, were designed to teach, merely by being looked at, walked through and interacted with.
Let us consider, for a moment, some of the symbols used on the exterior of the Salt Lake Temple.
The Battlements
Along the roofline of the Salt Lake Temple, battlements may be found. Such features were common to fortresses of long ago. They were a defensive device, used to protect soldiers from enemy weapons such as arrows and spears. The temple is to be a refuge from the world, protecting us from worldly thoughts and actions. The battlements may then be perceived as a symbol of our separation from the world.
The Towers
The building is topped by six towers or steeples. Three of them are on the east end, and three on the west end. Brigham Young stated that the three taller towers, on the east, represent the First Presidency and the Melchizedek Priesthood. The three smaller on the west represent the Presiding Bishopric and the Aaronic Priesthood. James E. Talmage identified the capstones topping each of the twelve small pinnacles found on the three towers at each end of the building as acanthus buds. These buds are symbolic of Aaron�s budding rod, as found in Numbers 17:1-13, which were a sign of Aaron�s legitimate Priesthood. This signifies, then, that the Priesthood conferred upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, is the true and legitimate Priesthood of God, though which we may receive the ordinances of the Temple.
The Compass and Square
The compass and square, found on the exterior of the Temple, and widely used by ancient Israel and early Christians, have more than one meaning. One meaning is as a symbol of creation. Another, when the compass points skyward and the square earthward, as found on the Angel Moroni spire used on the original Nauvoo Temple, symbolizes the Melchizedek Priesthood and the Aaronic Priesthood. The compass is used to scribe a circle, which is a symbol of the heavens, reminding us that the Melchizedek Priesthood presides over heavenly or spiritual concerns. The square, pointing toward the earth, is used to draw a square, signifying the four corners of the earth, reminding us that the Aaronic Priesthood has responsibility for earthly or temporal things.
White Clothing
In the Temple, patrons wear white clothing. The white clothing has multiple meanings or purposes. The most obvious purpose is to bring all who enter the Temple into a level status. That is to say that one patron is not exalted above another. All have the same status before the Lord. Another meaning, since white is the symbol of purity, is that the patron has symbolically purified him or herself before entering the Temple; in other words, come to the Temple prepared to be instructed in spiritual matters. A third meaning, because white light is the sum of all colors of light, and because light is symbolic of and another name for knowledge, is that the goal of the patron is to obtain all light and knowledge. It may also represent the glory of a celestial personage, because white is brighter than any single hue.
These symbols, as well as the many others found on and in latter day Temples, help us to remember principles of truth. One would do well to learn this language of symbols which the Lord uses to teach His children.
The masonry, metal, glass, wood, fabrics, and other materials which form the structure of the temple are not imbued with some supernatural power. It is not these things which are sacred, it�s the principles of truth which they represent, both inside and out, which make them sacred structures.
The same is true of the ceremonies performed in the House of the Lord. It is not the acts, themselves, found in the ordinances, which are sacred, but rather, the principles of truth which they represent, and teach us, that give them power to exalt us. We hear people say that they learn something new, each time that they attend the Temple. Certainly, the adornments of the Temple and the ordinances found therein do not have one single meaning. They have been carefully designed to teach multiple principles so that theoretically, if we look upon these things with spiritual eyes, we may be instructed in new principles each time we attend the Temple. �A single symbol may speak volumes to those who are properly prepared.�
Elder John A. Widtsoe said, �No man or woman can come out of the temple endowed as he should be unless he has seen, beyond the symbol, the mighty realities for which the symbols stand.�
We must �Understand the core, and then explore.�
When we are taught to hold some thing as being "sacred", it is not to revere the thing, itself, but to hold in awe and reverence the principles which the thing represents. By desecrating the thing, or by treating the ritualistic use of the sacred thing in too cavalier or casual a manner, we are symbolically disrespecting the principle which it represents, or not holding the principle in the proper reverence. Therefore, we may tend to dismiss the importance of the principle, and not use it for our improvement. Thus, the sacred thing loses its power to aid in our exaltation.
The ordinances of the Temple are open to all men and women who are willing to adhere to the standards necessary to hold a temple recommend. These standards are the minimum required to prepare our hearts and minds sufficiently to be taught effectively, by the Holy Ghost, those principles, taught in the Temple which will help us to attain that level of perfection (or completion) which our Father in Heaven enjoys. In this way, what happens in our Temples is not secret. Prepare appropriately, and you will gain entrance and the knowledge and understanding which may be found, therein.
However, because we hold what happens in the Temple to be so important, and because we revere the principles so deeply, we do not speak casually of them. Therefore, we talk very little about them outside of the Temple. In addition, to discuss these things with people who are not properly, spiritually prepared to understand them, may cause these people to actually harden their hearts against these principles of truth. A babe in arms must be weaned on milk before meat, to give its digestive system the opportunity to prepare itself to digest the meat, later. Likewise, the new member or non-member must be weaned on Gospel basics in order to spiritually prepare for the exalting principles which are presented in the Temple of God. In this way, what happens in our Temples is sacred.
We may better understand the sacred principles, which are taught in the Temple, in several ways. First, we must have a firm foundation in Gospel basics. We must understand that our journey to become like God is a commitment which must last throughout eternity. It will take time, effort and patience. It will require that we study the scriptures � not just read them � so that we may understand the Gospel, and learn the language of symbolism. Second, we must put off the natural man, our temporal ways. We must live by the commandments given to us by God, in order to prepare our bodies and minds sufficiently so that we may be sensitive to the Holy Ghost. We must strive to not preoccupy our minds with those things which will distract us from learning that which the Holy Ghost would teach us. Third, we must seek to stand in holy places. We must prepare our hearts by being willing to accept what the Lord inflicts upon us, by being humble and teachable, and by being willing to commit ourselves to put into practice the sacred principles of truth which we learn.
The Temple is referred to as the �mountain of the Lord�s house� for a reason. By going to the Temple and participating fully in its sacred ordinances, the knowledge of the celestial world is given to us line upon line, precept upon precept, one principle being built upon the ones before, elevating our very minds and souls. We are lifted up to loftier states of being, even as climbing a mountain lifts us up toward the heavens. Even within the Temple, itself, as is the case in the Winter Quarters Temple, we may actually be elevated physically, as we move through the ordinances.
Each of us needs to understand the significance of our words and actions regarding the Temple. Each of us must seek to find the answers to our questions about the Temple, and strive for understanding of the multiple layers of meaning found in the symbols which make up the Lord�s House and the ordinances found therein, through the Gift of and instruction from the Holy Ghost. If we seek after these things, we will find riches of meaning and knowledge. May each of us commit ourselves to undertake climbing the �Mountain of the Lord,� and attaining the summit, which is exaltation in the presence of our Father and our God, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
(Note: I'm sorry that the footnotes cannot be set up in Geocities Page Builder. If anyone would like a copy of this talk which includes the footnotes, I will be happy to email you a copy.)
References:
Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, Inc., 1966), p. 462.
Matthew B. Brown and Paul Thomas Smith, Symbols in Stone, (American Fork, Utah: Covenant
Communications, Inc., 1997), p. 3.
Ibid, p. 130.
Ibid, p. 145-146.
Ibid, p. 142
Ibid, p.105.
Ibid, p. 4.
Ibid, p. 7.
Ibid.