The Temple

I loved the beginning of The Temple by Truman G. Madsen! I highlighted a lot of things in this book that I thought were very deep and very profound. I highly enjoyed the candid way the author spoke, especially about his own experience in coming to love the temple and its ordinances. The only part of the book that I didn’t enjoy was the last chapter. Although it was extremely informative, it didn’t seem to fit the rest of the book very well.

Here are some insights I gained from the book that I would like to share: When the early saints first learned the doctrine of redemption for the dead, they rushed to the Mississippi River and began to perform baptisms in a very unorganized fashion, so much so that Joseph Smith had to tell them to wait until it could be done in order. The question is, do we go to the temple with that same enthusiasm to perform the work for our kindred dead?

The author also discusses how our homes can be mini temples, and also gives the steps to do so. Among these are to make our homes alive with beauty, just like the temple grounds. We ought to have family dinners and make them a time of teaching and conversation. This point is made by the author’s wife, who points out that eating was always meant to be an activity done together, just as a baby cannot feed without its mother. Despite all the chaos that might happen inside a home, it will feel hallowed if the people living therein are consecrated to the Gospel.

This book really made me appreciate the temple more. It is a place of revelation, and it is a place where we can literally take lessons and apply them in our homes and personal lives. We ought to go again and again to learn these lessons only the Spirit can teach us.