A People Prepared To Receive The Temple

A People Prepared To Receive the Temple

Pocatello Stake

Prepare to receive the temple “Oil in our lamps” Since April 2017, when the temple was announced, we have anticipated the opening of the Pocatello temple, and now it is almost here. We are reminded of the parable of the ten virgins.

Watching, waiting, falling asleep because it has taken so long, and then before they realized it the time had come. In D&C 33:17 it teaches us “Be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom,” So let us be ready! The prophet teaches us that “As temples are prepared for the people, the people need to prepare themselves for the temple.”

We have created this study guide to help you prepare for the temple. We hope the topic ideas will help you understand the temple teachings better, and give you ideas of how to teach your family about temple service. We want you to be prepared to answer questions about the temple. But, most of all, we hope that this will bring you closer to your Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ and that your testimony and knowledge of the holy temple will be strengthened.

“Each temple stands as a symbol of our membership in the Church, as a sign of our faith in life after death, and as a stepping-stone to eternal glory for us and our family. I pray that each member of the Church will prepare for the marvelous blessings of the temple.”– Pres. Nelson With love, The Pocatello Stake Relief Society Presidency Erica Sutton Michele Hayden Ruth Sutton Karlene Dance

Turn on Your Light D&C 155: 5 Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations ; 6 And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes , may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.

Set goals: How are you going to...

1) Prepare yourself 2) Assist the work of gathering Israel 3) Prepare the world for the second coming

Insights from Sharon Eubank “It will be the good relationships of women that will trigger much of the major growth coming to the church in the years ahead.”

“The prophets are calling on us, as sisters. Will you be righteous? Will you articulate your faith? Will you turn on your light?”

Turn On Your Light

Login to Family Search Record the following information: Member Name: Confirmation Date: Membership Number: Create an account on churchofjesuschrist.org Sign in to FamilySearch (link your churchofjesuschrist.org account) Once all listed tasks are completed, you have earned a stamp!

churchofjesuschrist.org

Build a Testimony of Family History Read and reflect on the talk “Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing” by Elder Dale G Renlund from the April 2018 General Conference.

You could answer some of these questions and record them in your journal: 1) How would you feel if there was a rift between you and a family member similarly to Parley and Orson Pratt? What do you think would help to resolve that rift?

2) Do you believe there is life after death? Do you believe that your deceased ancestors are aware of you? Write down an experience where you felt close to an ancestor.

3) Do you believe that the veil is thin? What experiences have led you to that belief?

4) What spiritual experiences have you had in the temple while performing ordinances for yourself or an ancestor?

Family History and Temple Work

Get Familiar with Family Search

1) You now have a Family Search Account! Sign in to start exploring!

2) Explore the menu options! Especially the Activities Tab!

3) There are free classes available to help you learn!

Family Search

Get to know your Family History 1) View your 4 generation fan chart and click the stories tab What is your favorite story? Be sure to record it in your journal.

2) View a 5 generation fan chart and click on the photos tab Do you recognize any family traits? Send an image to someone.

3) View a 6 generation fan chart and click on the countries of birth Record what countries your ancestors came from and learn more about them.

Are you missing any information in these charts?

Who would you like to find first?

Family Search - Fan Chart

Ordinances Ready 1) Login to Family Search 2) Click on the “Temple” tab along the top 3) Select “Ordinances Ready” - Here you can find which ordinances are ready to be performed for your ancestors.

4) Reserve the ordinances and print them for the temple 5) Learn more about who you will be performing the ordinance for.

What ordinance will you be performing?

Who will you perform the ordinance for?

How long can you hold that reservation?

What is known about this individual?

See if you can find other information about them

Family Search - Ordinances

Find Out Who You Are Related To RelativeFinder.org is a fun family history experience for families, adults, and youth. The software program helps users find how they are related to famous people in the United States and the LDS Church and to European royalty.

That’s not all! The program also allows you to set up groups to see how members of the group are inter-related.

To find your relatives in the Stake go to www.relativefinder.org and sign in.

Click on Groups, and then Click on Join. Type in: Pocatello Idaho Stake and hit Search.

Relative Finder

Find One Name With Help From A Family History Mentor Now that you have a Family Search account, find at least one name that you can take to the temple.

If you need assistance, click on the HELP button in the upper right corner of your screen, then click on CONTACT US. Your Ward Temple and Family History Consultant contact information will be listed and ready to help you. You may also call FamilySearch Customer Service. Phone and hours are listed. List the names and phone numbers of your Ward and Temple Family History Consultants here: List the name of the ancestor you found here:

Fun Family Activities & Where to Learn More Explore Activities Log into FamilySearch and click on the “Activities” Tab at the top of the page Explore “All activities” to learn more about where your ancestors are from, what famous ancestors you may have, what’s special about you plus more.

Find games and activities in the FamilySearch Solutions Gallery Everyone can have fun finding out more about their ancestors and family trees. You can be a big help to younger children to teach them how to play games. You can also participate with them in exploring family trees, timelines, and more.

Plan family history activities for your family Visit the Family History Guide for more ideas. Some that we loved included using Google Maps/Google Earth to visit family sites, how to play Family History Charades, and how to re-create childhood photos plus more. Scan the QR Code below for more information.

Check out volunteer opportunities on FamilySearch Indexing is a great way to get started Get Connected On Facebook join the group: “FamilySearch Webinar Followers” to learn more about ongoing virtual classes offered by FamilySearch and the Family History Library in Salt Lake. Don’t be afraid to share your own experiences on other forms of social media as well.

Activities

Family History Guide

Volunteer

Collect and Record Family Stories Knowing the stories of your family can help bring a family together. Ask your parents, grandparents, or Aunts and Uncles about their lives. Ask what it was like when they were a child, what school was like, who their favorite teacher was. Ask about their first job, first date, first car, etc.

You will feel a connection as you learn about your family member.

You can download a book titled “My Family Stories” at ChurchofJesusChrist.org (scan the QR code to be led to it). This book can help gather stories and prepare you to find family fames for the temple.

Download the Family Search Memories App. See if you can find stories from your own family or add the stories you have found so others can learn about your family member too!

My Family Stories

Teach Someone Else Once you have found a name on your own you can now try to help a friend! Try and aide someone else in the ward, in your own family, or even a non-member friend.

It’s okay if you get stuck. You can contact the mentors on the previous page for help!

Visit the Temple Grounds Make a plan to visit the temple grounds or temple site. Whether that is during construction or once it is more open. If possible, visit the grounds with your family or a close friend. While there take note of the details on the temple and how you feel while there.

During your visit read and reflect on these two quotes: “The temple is an ever-present reminder that God intends the family to be eternal.” -Ezra Taft Benson “It is in the temple that the things of the earth are joined with the things of heaven.” -Howard W. Hunter Be sure to take notes in the journal pages to remember this experience. Your thoughts and feelings while at the temple are important to remember and notice.

Temple Information

Find One Name on Your Own Now that you have found one name with the help of the Family History Mentors, try and do it on your own!

It’s okay if you still need help! Stuck? You can contact the mentors on the other page.

Sacrifice and the Temple “Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven” What are you willing to sacrifice for the temple?

Ideas: • •

Make it a goal that you will attend the Pocatello Temple regularly once it is dedicated and open.

Set personal goals for temple service. Many of our sacrifices will be a sacrifice of time.

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Set goals for family History work

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Study the recommend questions. See if there is an area you could improve

President Nelson said in October 2019 General Conference, “Each temple is a holy place; each temple patron strives to become more holy.” He then encouraged us to review the temple recommend questions regularly so we can make our lives more holy and be ready to enter the holy temple.

Now is the time to ask yourself these questions and if you need to make some adjustments in your life, do so now. If you need to repent, start today to make the changes necessary to enter the temple. The road of repentance leads you toward the Savior and in turn, the temple.

Temples are a Beacon Video

Be Temple Worthy The questions each person will be asked in a temple recommend interview are as follows: 1. Do you have faith in and a testimony of God, the Eternal Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost?

2. Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and of His role as your Savior and Redeemer?

3. Do you have a testimony of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

4. Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints as the prophet, seer, and revelator and as the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys?

Do you sustain the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators?

Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local leaders of the Church?

5. The Lord has said that all things are to be “done in cleanliness” before Him (Doctrine and Covenants 42:41).

Do you strive for moral cleanliness in your thoughts and behavior?

Do you obey the law of chastity?

6. Do you follow the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ in your private and public behavior with members of your family and others?

7. Do you support or promote any teachings, practices, or doctrine contrary to those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

8. Do you strive to keep the Sabbath day holy, both at home and at church; attend your meetings; prepare for and worthily partake of the sacrament; and live your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel?

9. Do you strive to be honest in all that you do?

10. Are you a full-tithe payer?

11. Do you understand and obey the Word of Wisdom?

12. Do you have any financial or other obligations to a former spouse or to children? If yes, are you current in meeting those obligations?

13. Do you keep the covenants that you made in the temple, including wearing the temple garment as instructed in the endowment?

Are there serious sins in your life that need to be resolved with priesthood authorities as part of your repentance?

14. Do you consider yourself worthy to enter the Lord’s house and participate in temple ordinances?

Common Questions and How to Answer Them Prepare yourself and your family to answer commonly asked questions about the temple.

Look up answers to these questions or others you may think of.

Roll play with your family on how to answer them. Find scriptures to support your answers. And, most importantly, remember to always share your feelings and testimony of the temple.

• • • • • • •

Why does your church have temples?

Why do you wear special clothing in the temple?

What do you do in the temple?

Do you baptize dead people? What are Baptisms for the dead?

What is the statue on top of the temple?

Why can’t everyone go into the temple?

Can gay people go to the temple?

Ideas for additional study: “How to talk about the temple” New Era January 2006 “Temples through time” - YouTube “Between Heaven and Earth” - YouTube List additional Resources you found:

What happens in temples

Symbols of the Temple The temple is “a house of learning…There we are taught in the Master’s way. His way differs from modes of others. His way is ancient and rich with symbolism.”- Russel M. Nelson Learn about the symbols that abound in the temple.

Ideas for study: “Why Symbols” – Ensign February 2007 “Symbolism and temple Preparation” - New Era, October 2013 “Sacred Temple Clothing” video -Library App /Temple and Family History/ Temple Preparation /

Temple Symbols

Prepare by Studying the Scriptures “The teachings of the temple are beautifully simple and simply beautiful. They are understood by those who have had little opportunity for education, yet they can excite the intellect of the highly educated.”

As you prepare to return to the temple, study the following words in the Bible Dictionary: • Anoint • Covenant • Sacrifices • Temple Read: Exodus 26-29 Leviticus 8 Book of Moses Book of Abraham Prophetic Teachings

Prepare for the Blessings of the Temple “As temples are prepared for the people, the people need to prepare themselves for the temple”

Read and ponder this talk by Pres. Nelson. How can I prepare myself physically, intellectually, and spiritually to attend the temple?

Why is it necessary to obtain a temple recommend in order to enter the house of the Lord? What must a person do to obtain one?

What do we demonstrate to the Lord by faithfully wearing the temple garment as instructed?

What are some of the blessings of the temple, both immediate and future?

Russel M. Nelson

Learn About Women and the Priesthood “I hope the sisters understand the spiritual treasures that are theirs in the temple.”

Read and ponder this talk. What are you going to do to draw the Savior’s power into your life?

What is something new you have learned about priesthood power?

How can you use priesthood power to bless the lives of your family?

Study more on the priesthood and how it pertains to women: • “Women and the Priesthood” - Sheri Dew • “The Priesthood Power of Women” - Barbara M. Gardener

Spiritual Treasures

“Be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom” D&C 33:17