President Nelson’s talk

At the closing of a memorable General Conference, President Nelson still had a couple of surprises up his sleeve!

‘We know the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will bring hope and joy to people who will hear and heed His doctrine. We also know that each home can become a true sanctuary of faith, where peace, love, and the Spirit of the Lord may dwell.

Of course, the crowning jewel of the Restoration is the holy temple. Its sacred ordinances and covenants are pivotal to preparing a people who are ready to welcome the Savior at His Second Coming. Presently we have 166 dedicated temples, and more are coming.’

How is the temple the crowning jewel of the Restoration?

What should that mean for us and our relationship with the temple?

Preparing a people ready to welcome the Saviour at His Second Coming is something of a recurring theme in President Nelson’s addresses and it seems to me that most, if not all, of the ‘adjustments’ that we have seen since President Nelson became our Prophet have that focus.

What do you think it means to prepare a people who are ready to welcome the Saviour at His Second Coming?

What is the role of the temple in that preparation?

‘Individual worthiness to enter the Lord’s house requires much individual spiritual preparation. But with the Lord’s help, nothing is impossible. In some respects, it is easier to build a temple than it is to build a people prepared for a temple. Individual worthiness requires a total conversion of mind and heart to be more like the Lord, to be an honest citizen, to be a better example, and to be a holier person. ‘

What do you think President Nelson might mean when he says that it is easier to build a temple than it is to build a people prepared for a temple?

‘All requirements to enter the temple relate to personal holiness. To assess that readiness, each person who wants to enjoy the blessings of the temple will have two interviews: first with a bishop, bishopric counselor, or branch president; second with a stake or mission president or one of his counselors. In those interviews, several questions will be asked.

Some of those questions have recently been edited for clarity.‘

While some of the questions have been edited for clarity, it seems to me that they also represent a subtle ‘raising of the bar’ of temple worthiness.

Can you see any ways in which the new temple recommend questions set a ‘higher and holier’ standard of temple worthiness?

‘ Thus, the year 2020 will be designated as a bicentennial year. General conference next April will be different from any previous conference. In the next six months, I hope that every member and every family will prepare for a unique conference that will commemorate the very foundations of the restored gospel. ‘

President Nelson invited us to prepare for a unique Conference in April 2020. He suggested some of the ways we could prepare might include:

• reading the Pearl of Great Price account of the First Vision
• ponder important questions such as, “How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?” or “How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?”
• incorporate the new Book of Mormon videos into our personal and family study.

How might you ‘immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration?

(Note: passages in italics are excerpts from President Nelson’s address.)