by Barbara Thompson, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency
" Sisters, we are most blessed. The Savior stands at the head of this Church. We are led by living prophets. We have the holy scriptures. And we have many holy temples throughout the world where we can obtain the ordinances necessary to help us return to our Heavenly Father.
We go first to the temple for ourselves. "The primary purpose of the temple," explained Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "is to provide ordinances necessary for our exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Temple ordinances guide us to our Savior and give us the blessings that come to us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Temples are the greatest university of learning known to man, giving us knowledge and wisdom about the Creation of the world. Endowment instructions give guidance as to how we should conduct our lives here in mortality.... The ordinance consists of a series of instructions on how we should live and covenants we make to live righteously by following our Savior."(Robert D. Hales)
But our temple service does not end there. President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve apostles, taught: "Acting as proxy for someone who has gone beyond the veil, you will have reviewed before you the covenants that you made. You will have reinforced in your mind the great spiritual blessings that are associated with the house of the Lord.... In the covenants and ordinances center the blessings that you may claim in the holy temple."
Come to the temple and then come again. Making and keeping temple covenants will keep us on course to the greatest of all blessings-eternal life."
Sisters of the Centralia Stake, may we follow the counsel of our Bishops and President Hansen, our Stake President to be worthy to attend the temple and make temple attendance a priority in our lives. Many blessings are in store for each of us as we go to the House of the Lord. As we attend the temple we are reminded of the sacred covenants that we have made personally with our Heavenly Father. Searching out our ancestry and taking their names to the temple will bring blessings not only to them, but to us as we learn of them. Another blessing of the temple is to go to receive personal revelation for our individual lives, callings, and direction to those questions that may be heavy on our minds and in our hearts. There are many personal testimonies of the strength that is received as we attend the temple. Dear sisters, may we each desire the peace , comfort and joy that comes from being in the temple and then act upon that desire so that we may have peace in our lives and in our homes. As we pattern our homes after the temple, may peace and joy be ours is my prayer. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
With Love to each of you,
Sister Sallye Johnston, Stake Relief Society President
