In the April 2024 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson said:
“Joseph Smith’s dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple is a tutorial about how the temple spiritually empowers you and me to meet the challenges of life in these last days. I encourage you to study that prayer, recorded in Doctrine and Covenants section 109” (emphasis added).
President Nelson continued, “That dedicatory prayer, which was received by revelation, teaches that the temple is ‘a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.’
“This list of attributes is much more than a description of a temple. It is a promise about what will happen to those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord. … Understanding the spiritual privileges made possible in the temple is vital to each of us today.”
Ideas for Study
You could consider studying section 109 the week leading up to general conference. To help you do so, we’ve created a week-long study guide you can follow. Return to this page each day and take a few minutes to study the prompt. Or follow the guide at whatever pace works best for you!
The purpose of this guide is to help you identify the spiritual privileges made possible in the temple. President Nelson says that understanding those privileges “is vital to each of us today.”
Day 1
Read: Verses 1 through 10
Consider: In the book Church History for Latter-day Saint Families, we read, “There were so few Saints and so much poverty among them in 1833 that when construction began on the temple, ‘there was . . . hardly a plow that could be found among the Saints to dig the foundation.”
Ponder:
- On the day the Kirtland Temple was dedicated, the building was filled to capacity with nearly a thousand Saints. An overflow meeting met next door. How might the Saints have felt to see the temple they had worked so hard on for three years—and sacrificed so much for—finally be completed?
- What sacrifices might we make in our lives to prioritize temple worship?
- What promises do you find in these verses for those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord? Consider writing them down.
Day 2
Read: Verses 11 through 21
Consider: Verse 15 promises us that in the temple, we may “receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost.” President Nelson says of that verse, “Imagine what that promise means in terms of having the heavens open for each earnest seeker of eternal truth.”
Ponder:
- Verse 15 also asks that the Saints may “grow up in thee.” What do you think that phrase means? Not just for the youth of the Church, but for all of us?
- When have the heavens felt open to you?
- What other promises do you find in these verses for those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord? Consider writing them down.
Day 3
Read: Verses 22 through 34
Consider: Of verse 22, President Nelson teaches: “We are instructed [in section 109] that all who worship in the temple will have the power of God and angels having ‘charge over them.’ How much does it increase your confidence to know that, as an endowed woman or man armed with the power of God, you do not have to face life alone? What courage does it give you to know that angels really will help you?”
Ponder:
- Verse 24 asks that Heavenly Father will “establish the people that shall … honorably hold a name and a standing in this thy house.” What do you think it means to honorably hold a name and a standing? Consider reading Elder David A. Bednar’s talk to learn more: “Honorably Hold a Name and Standing.”
- Verse 26 promises that “no combination of wickedness” will prevail over those who worship in the house of the Lord. What does that promise mean to you in your life?
- In verse 32, it says, “Therefore we plead before thee for a full and complete deliverance from under this yoke.” What do you seek deliverance from in your life? What would it mean to receive the Lord’s full and complete deliverance?
- What other promises do you find in these verses for those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord? Consider writing them down.
Day 4
Read: Verses 35 through 53
Consider: In verse 36, Joseph Smith prays that temple dedication might be as “on the day of Pentecost.” The Guide to the Scriptures explains that the “Pentecost was to celebrate the harvest. … It is this feast that was being celebrated when the Apostles in Jerusalem were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues.”
In answer to the Prophet’s prayer, people attending the Kirtland Temple dedication did experience spiritual manifestations. One participant wrote: “Angels of God came into the room, cloven tongues rested upon some of the servants of the Lord like unto fire, [and] they spake with tongues and prophesied.” And Oliver Cowdery wrote, “The spirit was poured out—I saw the glory of God, like a great cloud, come down and rest upon the house, and fill the same like a mighty rushing wind.”
Ponder:
- What spiritual experiences have been meaningful in your life?
- When has the temple helped you experience the power of the Spirit of God?
- What other promises do you find in these verses for those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord? Consider writing them down.
Day 5
Read: Verses 54 through 67
Consider: One purpose of the Kirtland Temple was to prepare the Saints to be missionaries and gather scattered Israel. The Prophet Joseph Smith once said, “The work of the Lord in these last days, is one of vast magnitude and almost beyond the comprehension of mortals. Its glories are past description, and its grandeur unsurpassable.”
Ponder:
- What promises in these verses pertain to missionary work? How do these promises apply to your personal missionary efforts?
- Verse 61 says the children of Jacob have been scattered for “a long time, in a cloudy and dark day.” What promises of temple worship could help you through your own cloudy and dark days?
- What other promises do you find in these verses for those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord? Consider writing them down.
Day 6
Read: Verses 68 through 76
Consider: Verse 73 asks that the Church “may come forth out of the wilderness of darkness, and shine forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun.” Even against opposition, we are seeing great growth in the Church. The Church currently has more than 72,000 missionaries. They serve in over 150 countries, teaching the gospel in over 60 languages.
The 200th temple will soon be dedicated (watch a beautiful video of it here). There are 350 temples dedicated, under construction, or announced and in the planning stage. Of these temples, President Nelson has announced 168 over only the last six years—48 percent of all the temples. And of the dedicated temples, as of August 2024, 96 percent have been dedicated during President Nelson’s lifetime. (Read more encouraging progress in the LDS Living article: 4 signs of the Second Coming that will fill you with hope)
Ponder:
- What do I have to look forward to in my life because of Jesus Christ?
- What other promises do you find in these verses for those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord? Consider writing them down.
Day 7
Read: Verses 77 through 80
Consider: At the end of his general conference talk, President Nelson said, “My dear brothers and sisters, here is my promise. Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit. Nothing will protect you more as you encounter the world’s mists of darkness. Nothing will bolster your testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement or help you understand God’s magnificent plan more. Nothing will soothe your spirit more during times of pain. Nothing will open the heavens more. Nothing!”
Ponder:
- What does “worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit” look like for you?
- What petitions would I like to take to the Lord in the temple? (See 109:77.)
- Verse 80 says, “Let these, saints shout aloud for joy.” When have I felt to shout aloud for joy? If I haven’t felt that way recently, what could I do to explore that promise from the Lord?
- What other promises do you find in these final verses for those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord? Consider writing them down.
You finished! We hope this study guide helped you feel the Spirit. And we hope you have a joyful, spiritually enriching conference weekend!
Preorder your October 2024 General Conference Addresses, Journal Edition
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