Material studied for lesson: S. Michael Wilcox, The Holy Temple

Symbols and the temple are layered in symbolic meanings. Story of the loaves and fishes.....they started with five baskets and had 12 left over...the Temple is like that--

Baptism...what are some of the symbols of baptism?

A washing?

A birth?

A death and resurrection?

Where do we find this out? In the scriptures? Is any one right? Wrong? No....symbols are for our insight, understanding, etc.

Think of the ordinance of the Sacrament. We take water and bread...only a tiny bit. We all sit quietly while young boys pray and deliver the sacrament. What does all of this symbolism mean?

My son always wants more bread...in avoiding a long explanation I just told him to take one so that there is enough for everyone....at the end of the sacrament he notices the boys carrying trays still filled with bread and he yells, 'there is still a lot of bread!"

He doesn't understand the symbols or the meaning. Sometimes the Temple is like that--especially at first....we say..what is going on here? This is different, I don't understand...

Story of ETBenson missing Rex E. Lee's inauguration to be at his normal Temple appt. and also the story of where he said after going for 70 years he is still having new insights.

We don't have a lot of ritual or ordinances in our church. The Temple is where those ordinances occur....they are sacred...go into the word sacred.

Show steps from manual and discuss

1. Faith 2. Repentance 3. Baptism 4. Holy Ghost 5. Endowment 6. Eternal marriage 7. Continued faithfulness 8. Exaltation

Read 3 Nephi where the words the Lord speaks are too sacred to write... The Temple is also this way.

Endowment...gift....one that keeps giving...like endowment to a university...you don't use the gift up immediately but the university invests it and spends the interest...

Again, discuss the barley loaves.....

Talk about Ezekiel 47--river to swim in.....see Wilcox...

Parable of the Keys

Cookie Monster story

Personal story about endowment.....parallel....story in manual...less able to be pulled to and fro. Why do we receive our endowment before serving missions or marriage? You need the power and strength it gives you..talk about story in manual....getting endowments before crossing the plains.

Personal story about adoption and sharing the gospel with family I have never known. They have no members, no missionaries that tracked out the migrant farm workers who were illegal, transient, hardworking, etc. I am the missionary for them...I will take them the gospel.

If I have time we are going to analyze the story of Abraham and Isaac to see how it parallel's Christ's sacrifice and shows how all things testify of him....as does the temple.

M3L16 Index