Draper Temple dedication

[Traveler]

Last week I attended the Draper Temple dedication. It is impossible to express my experiences of such solemn assembles. Please understand that I do not feel comfortable expressing all that I have seen and heard while attending Temple dedications.

One thing I did experience that I feel ought to be expressed is that I felt inspired to understand that the scriptural terms like Temple, House of the L-rd and Mountain of the L-rd are symbols of the same thing. When Nephi was taken by the spirit to a “high mountain” he was taken to a temple. A temple is a specific place on earth that has been prepared and dedicated for sacred ordinances, revelation and instruction from our L-rd and G-d, Jesus Christ. A temple may be a sacred place created and prepared by the powers of heaven as was the burning bush from which Moses received instruction. Note the association of the burning bush to a mountain. A temple may also be a place created and prepared by priesthood covenant as was the ancient tabernacle and temple of Jerusalem.

The scripture reference, Isa. 52: 7

7 ¶ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

Is a scripture about temples. So is the hymn “High on a mountain top.” As a side note, I would point out that unlike other places where one would “pour out their hearts” unto G-d in prayer that in the temple of G-d one would be better served to “open up their heart” to listen unto the L-rd and accept his covenants.

The second notion is most difficult to express. I would that one seek the assistance of the spirit because I am not adequate in expressing such things. I will try by focusing on two concepts that converge on this one important principle.

1. Is the concept of turning our hearts in the past to our ancestors and to the future to our “seed” or descendents. It is important to understand that every generation stands on the shoulders of those that have gone before and made sacrifices that we might enjoy liberty, economy, and spiritual records of wonderful and marvelous things – we can return their sacrifices in the temples or “mountains” in the manner prophesied by Isaiah as quoted above. By honoring those that have gone before we pass on to our children that they may stand on our shoulders to honor their ancestors and their children. The temple is the key whereby sacred things remain holy from one generation to another.

2. The second notion concerns the uniting of the spiritual with the physical or corporal. Thus it is necessary to subject both the spirit body and the physical body to discipline make sacrifice together to bring about that which is whole or holy. Most of us understand that a baptism of a person without a willing and disciplined (contrite) spirit is of little worth. But few really understand the necessity of a baptism of a person unwilling to discipline their physical self in conjunction to a willing spirit.

Both the spirit and the physical must be disciplined and committed to make one whole and holy. And then by the combining of both in sacred covenant to bind or seal our ancestors and our seed that are born and raised under “the covenant” or adopted under the covenant is the covenant and atonement of Christ made whole, complete and holy.

Isaiah Chapter 2:

1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the L-rd’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the L-rd, to the house of the G-d of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the L-rd from Jerusalem.

4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the L-rd.

I declare this prophesy has been fulfilled in these last days and that the temple of the L-rd has be built in a place and among a people where there are many temples. Come ye, and let us walk in the light of the L-RD

The Traveler

Edited March 25, 2009 by Traveler

[FlaviusHambonius]

Awesome post Traveler.

I was able to attend the dedication of the Ogden Temple as a young lad and didn't quite grasp all that was going on. When everyone waved the handkerchiefs and voiced Hossana

I was probably the only one that didn't have a handerchief, because I was not told about it.

I always felt kind of bad about that, as it has been the only dedication I have ever been to.

Anyway, thanks for your informative and inspiring message.

FlaviusHambonius.

[Traveler]

Awesome post Traveler.

I was able to attend the dedication of the Ogden Temple as a young lad and didn't quite grasp all that was going on. When everyone waved the handkerchiefs and voiced Hossana

I was probably the only one that didn't have a handerchief, because I was not told about it.

I always felt kind of bad about that, as it has been the only dedication I have ever been to.

Anyway, thanks for your informative and inspiring message.

FlaviusHambonius.

BTW:

Because of what scholars have learned from the Dead Sea Scriptures the understanding of “Hosanna” has been modified to mean a plea to Jehovah (the G-d of Abraham) to save or redeem us not as individuals but as a “people”.

The Traveler

[tubaloth]

I enjoyed the talk(s).

I can't remember which talk it was. But one talk was about I think a non member that went through another temple open house. The guy said he wanted to come back again. The guy asked why? He said, that celestial room, he felt like he was in God's living room.

[goofball]

Thanks for the great post. I am anxious to see if they will print the dedicatory prayer in the Church News as they have some of the past dedications

[Moksha]

I was probably the only one that didn't have a handkerchief, because I was not told about it.

Not only pre-hankied but warned ahead of time about this Hosanna shout as well.