Patriarchs in the Church and in Families

A question was posed to me recently by grandson Noah Sharp. He asked about the history of the calling of the patriarch in the Church. Many of his cousins are at that age where they are anticipating receiving their patriarchal blessings. In fact, his cousin Aleyah Goates received her blessing this last week.

A patriarchal blessing is a treasure of a lifetime available to all in the Church who desire one. The essential elements include the naming of your lineage in the house of Israel. Most of us in our family will discover we are of the tribe of Ephraim through Joseph, but in today’s Church we have identified all the tribes of Israel from which we are descended. The most important element of the blessing is inspired counsel and even prophecy through the inspiration provided by the patriarch. 

For example, here’s what the patriarch told me in part as he gave me my blessing when I was 18 years old: 

“I bless you that in the Lord’s own time that you may meet a daughter of Zion, one pure and virtuous that you will court her and marry her in the house of the Lord for eternity, that your posterity will reflect honor upon you, on the Church, and on our great nation. 

“I bless you that you may have health and strength and that you may live to a good age, even until you are ripe in years and prepared to go to your Maker. Your life will be full of achievements, you will go into the mission field and there be a source of strength in testimony. Your spirituality will touch the lives of those with whom you associate and you will be the means of bringing many of our Father’s children to a knowledge that the gospel has been restored in these latter days. As you go forward you will prepare yourself to hold responsible positions in the Church, and the Lord will be at your side if you are prayerful and remember Him in all things.”

The patriarch in our stake at the time was Rulon T. Hinckley, who also lived in our ward. His blessing to me has provided direction, comfort, assurances and inspiration to me throughout my life. It was marked as "Blessing No. 3." And now, even now, when I am “ripe in years” I continue to live for the fulfillment of those blessings.

Noah asked about the history of the patriarchs in the Church, so let’s talk about that. (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/blog/a-history-of-patriarchs-and-patriarchal-blessings?lang=eng).

One of the largest and oldest collections in the Church History Library is the patriarchal blessing collection, which spans nearly the entire history of the Church. Faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints still receive blessings today that provide meaning and insight unique to each individual.

Due to the sacred and private nature of the blessings, the collection is closed to research. However, I learned recently from my brother Tim who works for Family Search that individuals may request copies of their personal blessings and those of deceased, direct-line family members through an online system managed by staff at the Church History Library.

Patriarch to the Church

The office of Patriarch began in 1833 when Joseph Smith Sr. was ordained as the first Patriarch. His responsibilities were to provide patriarchal blessings and bestow blessings to the fatherless.

Through the years the office has been known by many names: Patriarch over the whole Church, Patriarch of the Church, Presiding Patriarch, and Patriarch to the Church. Patriarch to the Church became the official title in 1845. Patriarchs to the Church continued to be called well into the twentieth century.

Hyrum Smith (second patriarch to the Church), John Smith (third patriarch to the Church), and John Smith the younger (fourth patriarch to the Church) set the precedent that continued for many generations. Each was a direct descendant of Joseph Smith Sr.

During the October 1979 General Conference, the office was discontinued due to the increased number of local stake patriarchs. Eldred G. Smith, who was serving as Patriarch to the Church at the time, was honorably released from the calling and given emeritus status.

Local Patriarchs

The calling of local patriarchs began in 1837 when Isaac Morley was called as the first local patriarch. The responsibilities associated with the calling have remained the same over the years, which is to provide an inspired declaration of lineage and blessings to the recipient. In 1840 Peter Melling was called as the first international patriarch, serving in the British mission. Just one year later, a second patriarch, John Albisten, was called to serve as patriarch in the mission as well. 

Currently there are approximately 3,300 local patriarchs serving worldwide. These men report to the stake president but work under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. A member of the Quorum of the Twelve approves the call of each patriarch. It is not uncommon for Apostles who visit stakes to select local patriarchs when they are in the stakes throughout the world, though most are now called by the stake presidents and approved by the Twelve.

I remember Elder Bruce R. McConkie issuing a call to serve as a stake patriarch to George I. Cannon when he visited our Parleys Stake conference. President Cannon was later called to serve as president of the stake.

Blessing History

Today, blessings are given in private meetings that include the patriarch, the blessing recipient, and in some cases close family members. Patsy had copies of each of her children’s patriarchal blessings among her papers, and were handed to me recently when Dianne discovered them. They are priceless reminders to me of how I walk among giants in the kingdom of God on earth today, and I am speaking about each of them. Their inheritances in the spiritual blessings accorded to us by our loving Heavenly Father are rich indeed!! I am humbled and grateful to be their father and grandfather.

In the early days, blessings were recorded by a scribe and the copy was given to the recipient, who then determined whether they wanted the patriarch to keep an official record of the blessing. If the recipient decided to share their blessing, the scribe would borrow the blessing to record it in a book, which became a part of official Church records. In some cases, Church members would opt out of contributing a copy of their blessing.

Initially, patriarchs did not submit blessings to the Church. Each patriarch kept his own records of the blessings he gave. In 1856 the Church Historian’s Office was established, and it is believed that some patriarchal blessings were stored within the archives at that time. It is not known when it became a requirement for patriarchs to submit blessings to the Church archives, but it is estimated to be sometime in the 1920s.

Today, patriarchs regularly submit blessings they have given to the Church History Library. Those who submit blessings online submit each blessing individually. When patriarchal blessings are received, the Church History Library preserves them in multiple locations and formats to ensure their security and preservation. The preservation process assures that your blessing, and the blessings of those in your direct line, are available to you upon request.

That being the case today, I am happy to share the full contents of my blessing to anyone who wants it.

Some of the Goates Kids

Patriarchs in Families

Noah also wanted to know what I think is the role of patriarchs in families. Many years ago I wrote about "the patriarchal order of the priesthood," and would refer you to it for a comprehensive answer. 

I will say, however, that being a patriarch in a family setting is what the temple points us to in the Church’s dispensation of temple blessings, crowned by the sealing ceremony we recently witnessed with Molly and Jayden’s sealing last Friday. 

Patriarchs cannot be patriarchs without a matriarch at their side. Mothers and fathers are a "package deal" in the patriarchal order of the priesthood. It is true that father stands at the head in a family, but mother is right there with him, not one scintilla behind or below him in importance to their family. 

We have a perfect explanation of these roles in the inspired declaration of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” dated September 23, 1995. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng).

Here is the essential paragraph:

“The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.”

That inspired proclamation came at the precise time in the world’s history when gender roles and identities were in a state of confusion which has only deepened since. It is pure revelation for a wayward world and we can study it and appreciate it more with each passing year. It is my humble testimony that it should one day be canonized officially as revelation and bound with our collected scriptures, which is where it resides in my own set of scriptures. 

The Living Apostles in Rome, Italy

I love and sustain the living Prophets and Apostles among us. Some complain (and have for my entire life) that these men are too old, too weak and too infirm to do what they purport to do and to be. 

To their critics I respond with a resounding rebuttal. I have known many of them personally during my life. I watched all the infirmities of old age overtake many of them, I absorbed all the criticisms, as they have, and felt the sting of their enemies within and without the Church. I know their hearts are pure gold. They are the inspired channel of revelation the Lord has put in place for our direction and guidance. It is a pure channel of ever-flowing knowledge and truth that will never fail us here in mortality. 

Speaking as my family's patriarch, I urge us all to uphold them with our faith and prayers. We will never be led astray as your own patriarchal blessings will attest to each of you.

The House of the Lord in Logan, Utah

 

I was in Logan, Utah, last week to attend an endowment session. I have been drawn there, and I'm not certain why except to say it's been many years since I have been there. This time it was the HDOY to date in Utah this year, and it was a wonderful respite on a crystal clear day without a cloud in the sky.

These pioneer era temples in Utah are monuments to our pioneer ancestors who built them. The intricacies in the workmanship are everywhere to be seen both outside and inside. I am constantly struck with the happiness I see in the faces of the people who attend the temples. I am an eyewitness of what I see in them, and I hope I project the same happiness in my face as I greet them.

With each session I attend, I come away with one or two impressions that remain with me. This week, I was impressed to remember "Health in the navel, marrow in the bones." Our physical bodies are the habitation of our eternal spirits that were created by our Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Mother. We are encouraged both in our observance of the Word of Wisdom, and in the ordinances of the temple to cherish these bodies we possess, so our days may be lengthened while we are on the earth. I love the thought that mortality is and can be a fulfilling and blessed state in which to live if we are true and faithful to our covenants.

In Logan last week, I observed so many elderly saints who filled the session. There were some young people too, now that school is out for the summer at Utah State University. I am struck with how many of those young people are serving as ordinance workers. The encouragement of President Russell M. Nelson is surely the catalyst for what I am witnessing no matter which temple I attend these days.

After the session, I had a strong impression to do something totally enjoyable. I stopped along my way home for a visit to Maddox Ranch House just south of Brigham City. Unbeknownst to me they are celebrating their 75th year anniversary this year, almost as old as me. I was not disappointed in my menu selection of a perfectly prepared filet mignon. Being fed spiritually and physically on the same day is an unbeatable feast!

In the space of a month's time I have gone from southern Utah to northern Utah to attend temples, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey. We are so blessed here in Utah to have the many choices we do to attend the temples. There is little in life that brings me a greater sense of happiness and joy as I contemplate the family members for whom I am serving as proxy in these ordinances. I had a name last week of a seventh-generation great-uncle who was born in 1620 in Scotland. I can't help wondering what his life must have been like as I perform these ordinances. Imagine it! 

Sometimes I fear we might wonder if the divine mandate to gather Israel on both sides of the veil just isn't a pipe dream that could never possibly be fulfilled. But remember, life in the spirit world still lies ahead of us and the work of temples will be accelerated for 1000 years during the Millennium. The God of the Universe whom we worship and in whom we trust, has the timetable. I seek progress toward the goal with every session I attend in every temple I visit.

There are some parents I know who are lamenting the fact they have children who have left the Church for a season of inactivity. They are saddened and they seem to lose hope as they witness the ongoing poor choices that attend those children. I have tried to encourage them by sharing my devout belief that life is eternal in its nature. This moment in eternity for us is too often punctuated with temporary sorrow and grief, but I remind those parents our time here on earth is a small speck of dust in a vast landscape of eternal magnificence we can only catch a glimpse of on occasion as our eyes to see are opened from time to time. That's what those visits to the temple on a frequent rotation will do for us.

I was also in the Bountiful Temple last week, and happened to be on the same endowment session with President Jeffrey R. Holland. An ordinance worker rolled him quietly into the back of the room in a wheel chair after we were all seated, and after the session ended he waited patiently as we all went through the veil ahead of him. He embodies what a true servant-leader is. 

I thought as I observed his smiling face that it's never too late and we are never too old to attend the temple. Who can doubt the fervor of his witness and his testimony as we hear him speak? 

He no doubt brushed against the veil this past year with the simultaneous passing of his beloved wife Pat within days of the passing of my dear Patsy. Once we walk alone after a lifetime of companionship, there can be many days of loneliness and sorrow. I have experienced those days, and I know exactly what President Holland is experiencing too.

But, there is hope for the future when we are a covenant-making and covenant-keeping people. There is nothing that bolsters that hope and conviction as much as performing those sacred and simple ordinances for our deceased ancestors, and I believe there will be few, if any, who will not accept that proxy work we do for them. They are grateful, and the peace we feel from them is payment enough in my estimation.

If you are some of those parents who pray for and long for your children to return to the fold of activity in the Church, please know you are not alone. I pray for you and for your loved ones that they may migrate back to the oasis of ever-flowing waters of truth and fulfillment within the Church. 

Life is eternal, and truth in all its beauty will triumph! Even in the hearts and minds of those who may be considered lost sheep today.

"Trump Guilty" - What's Really Behind the Story?

I will confess my naivete about the political and legal circus we have witnessed in recent days as it played out in a New York courtroom. To say the least, a unanimous guilty verdict against Trump on 34 felony counts by a jury should awaken the American electorate as nothing else might. But I remain resolutely indifferent to what happened yesterday.

Why? Because at the base of all of it is a fundamental moral principle that has been ignored. From the moment Moses descended from Mount Sinai where he revealed the Ten Commandments for the first time, this seventh commandment has been widely ignored in the avalanche of reporting that has been done:

"Thou shalt not commit adultery." 

(Exodus 20:14)

Imagine how different the world would be this morning if we were living in a country built not just on Constitutional law, but on a higher moral law! I am certain the debate will rage for all the days hence until the election on November 5th. Trump is the master of the three-ring circus, and is using his conviction as a fund-raising platform. The other side will relish using the term "convicted felon" from here on going forward. 

Years ago on this page, I wrote an entry entitled "Personal Righteousness, Key to Governing America." You can read it here. I still believe it today.

You will hear legal experts and political pundits trying to score points for their respective teams, and all of it will be rhetorical at best. None of it will focus on Trump's well-known infidelity to his wife. Why? Because infidelity is so commonplace these days most are giving the former president a pass. What he did to cover up his sins to curry favor in 2016 among voters only compounded his underlying adultery. The lawyers can argue about the seriousness of breaking the law, but there will be a thorough and exhausting back-and-forth that will weary even the staunchest political observers and adherents.

The law of chastity is a bedrock among the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with all our like-minded Christian brothers and sisters of other persuasions. 

Why should parents teach their children about procreation and chastity? How can they appropriately do this? God commanded each living thing to reproduce after its own kind (see Genesis 1:22). Reproduction was part of His plan so that all forms of life could continue to exist upon the earth.

Then He placed Adam and Eve on the earth. They were different from His other creations because they were His spirit children. In the Garden of Eden, He brought Adam and Eve together in marriage and commanded them to multiply and replenish the earth (see Genesis 1:28). However, their lives were to be governed by moral laws rather than by instinct.

God wanted His spirit children to be born into families so they could be properly cared for and taught. We, like Adam and Eve, are to provide physical bodies for these spirit children. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have stated, “We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). God has commanded us that only in marriage between a man and a woman are we to have sexual relations. This commandment is called the law of chastity.

President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

“In the first place, we believe that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. We believe that marriage may be eternal through exercise of the power of the everlasting priesthood in the house of the Lord.

“People inquire about our position on those who consider themselves so-called gays and lesbians. My response is that we love them as sons and daughters of God. They may have certain inclinations which are powerful and which may be difficult to control. Most people have inclinations of one kind or another at various times. If they do not act upon these inclinations, then they can go forward as do all other members of the Church. If they violate the law of chastity and the moral standards of the Church, then they are subject to the discipline of the Church, just as others are.

“We want to help these people, to strengthen them, to assist them with their problems and to help them with their difficulties. But we cannot stand idle if they indulge in immoral activity, if they try to uphold and defend and live in a so-called same-sex marriage situation. To permit such would be to make light of the very serious and sacred foundation of God-sanctioned marriage and its very purpose, the rearing of families.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1998, 91; or Ensign, Nov. 1998, 71).

As a former bishop and a member of bishoprics and high councils, I have witnessed firsthand the sorrow and contrition of those who seek repentance for their violations of the law of chastity. Sins can be blotted out, forgiveness can be extended, and those who have strayed from the path of discipleship may and are encouraged to return to full fellowship in the Church. However, it has been my observation that the memory of those sins once committed is more difficult to purge from our consciousness. In time, it is hoped, even those awful memories can fade away.

I will quickly add, however, that I have forgotten the names, faces and circumstances of most of those with whom I have interacted years ago on those occasions, and if I can forget, then so can our Father in Heaven.

The Lord told Alma, “Whosoever transgresseth against me … if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also” (Mosiah 26:29).

Each of us has a loving Father in Heaven. Through the Father’s redeeming plan, those who may stumble and fall “are not cast off forever” (Book of Mormon title page).

“And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!” (D&C 18:13).

“The Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance; nevertheless” (D&C 1:31–32), the Lord said, “he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more” (D&C 58:42).

Could there be any sweeter or more consoling words, more filled with hope, than those words from the scriptures? “I, the Lord, remember [their sins] no more” (D&C 58:42).

I conclude with these glorious promises from Jesus Christ:

"And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them - Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths - then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.

"Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my law ye cannot attain to this glory.

"For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me.

"But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also.

"This is eternal lives - to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law." (D&C 132:19-24).

I began by saying I was naïve. I would be foolhardy to think Donald J. Trump would ever consent to turn his life over to God and join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and partake of the fulness of the gospel that is available to him. He may never confess his sins publicly about his well-publicized infidelity to his wife, but I can at least hope the bombastic defiance coming out of him could somehow be quelled to even a fraction of what it has been.

I would settle for that. . . and for the rest of us, let's keep the 7th Commandment.

My Latest Temple Road Trip

I went in search of the sun last week. It took me to southern Utah, where I found temperatures in the 80s, blue skies and plentiful spiritual blessings. I stopped for endowment sessions in the Manti Temple, St. George Temple and Red Cliffs Temple.

Manti was an added bonus as I headed south. I veered off at Spanish Fork, realizing I could not make that trip complete without a side trip to Sanpete County. I was rewarded with a deep appreciation for the sacrifice of our pioneer ancestors' workmanship on that magnificent edifice. It is one of the few remaining temples that teaches us our mortal quest is always an upward climb by using staircases between each ascending room. It's a feature we don't often get anymore in the modern temples. The original murals remain, and they are totally unique.

Years ago, as Patsy and I attended a session there, those in attendance who were familiar with the veil ceremony were asked to please come forward and assist at the veil. They must have been short of veil workers that day. It was the first time I had done that, and gave me my first glimpse of stepping into the shoes of Elohim. I helped a trembling young bride who was going through the temple for the first time on her wedding day. She was obviously overwhelmed with the experience, and nowadays we suggest going through a few days before the wedding to avoid what can otherwise be too much emotion all packed in to one momentous day.

I loved being there last week, especially as we moved into the Terrestrial Room and waited for our turns to go through the veil and then into the Celestial Room. Once again, we climbed a few steps upward to access the veil. As I entered the Celestial Room, I was overcome with the LIGHT in the room pouring through the windows. I sat for a few minutes, prayed, and pondered. I had been asked to speak in my home ward's sacrament meeting yesterday, which I did, and my topic was to describe my path in discipleship. 

I realized in that moment in the Manti Temple that I was nearing the end of my path in mortality. It's an increasing awareness I have these days. My discipleship has culminated in my love for the temple covenants and the enhanced changes President Russell M. Nelson has made in the plainness and superb teachings around the covenants we now receive. 

My next stop that afternoon was in St. George. I chose a hotel near the St. George Temple, and attended an endowment session the following morning. I have such fond memories of attending the St. George Temple in the days when I served as a national vice-president to President Tom Pike in Sigma Gamma Chi, the college men's Church fraternity. We were serving concurrently with the national officers of Lamda Delta Sigma, including Barbara Winder and Joanne Doxey, who would later serve in the General Presidency of the Relief Society. Whenever we made a trip to the campuses in southern Utah, we always included an endowment session with our spouses who were able to accompany us. Those were treasured memories.

The St. George Temple has been restored to its pioneer heritage. Every detail is outstanding, and the color scheme of deep blue hues breathtaking. The baptistry's ironwork is impressive and totally unique. Once again, I was deeply impressed with the evidence of the hard work that had gone into building the temple originally. President Brigham Young and President Wilford W. Woodruff were instrumental in fleshing out the design of the endowment presentation that was first introduced in St. George, improving upon the basic outline that had been revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith. 

Here's the order of completion and dedication of the Utah temples: 

1 St. George Utah Temple 6–8 April 1877         Daniel H. Wells

2 Logan Utah Temple 17–19 May 1884         John Taylor

3 Manti Utah Temple 17 May 1888                 Wilford Woodruff

4 Salt Lake Temple 6–24 April 1893         Wilford Woodruff

Someday in the next couple of years, we will all participate in the rededication the Salt Lake Temple. I await that day with eager anticipation.

The final day of my recent temple trip concluded with an endowment session in the new Red Cliffs Temple with my sister Jane Reiser who now lives in St. George. I have been so accustomed this past year of not participating in the prayer circle since Patsy's passing that I was surprised when Jane tapped me on the shoulder and invited me to join her. Laurence, her husband, had also passed away this last year, so we were mutually blessed in our time together in this new temple. The interior design in Red Cliffs complements the desert landscape in that part of the world beautifully.

As I stood later in the locker room beside another brother while we waited for our locker to clear, I asked him where he was from. His response was that he lived in Nauvoo. He had worked as a contracted painter on the gold leafing in the Nauvoo Temple, and they liked it so much that he and his wife bought a home there. Then he was called as a full-time worker missionary to paint other temples. After that assignment, he was hired as a full-time employee of the engineering company that had contracted with the Church to paint many other temples. He explained he was on vacation at the moment, doing what he loved doing best - attending temples because he loves temples so much.

I reflected on our brief visit for these days since. We are blessed beyond measure for our devotion to the ordinances of the temple. That's where the real power resides, not in the beautiful architecture as impressive as it is. Here was a man, typical I suspect of many, many saints in the Church today, who are becoming the very temple-loving people President Nelson is hoping we will be. 

And, yes, I did return to a chapel full of ward members and visitors yesterday in the Woodland Ward to give a brief account of my path in discipleship. I suspect I am not unusual when I say that from the first day I received my first temple recommend until now, I have always had a current recommend, and my circumstances make it possible for me to attend the temples of my choice A LOT. How blessed I am!

Am I Worthy to Enter the Temple?

On October 6, 2019, the First Presidency under the direction of President Russell M. Nelson issued a press release that explained the temple recommend questions asked by local Church leaders to members seeking to obtain a temple recommend would be made public. What follows are those questions for your consideration. Please note: The questions are more directed at individuals to ask themselves and are introspective in their nature.

Andrew and Jessica Goates

The interview questions are made public so members of all ages can better understand the requirements for temple worship and prepare to enter the temple.

The interview questions for temple recommends are below. Verbiage in 11 questions has been modified. Questions 12 and 13 are omitted when youth are interviewed for a limited-use recommend.

1. Do you have faith in and a testimony of God, the Eternal Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost?

2. Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and of His role as your Savior and Redeemer?

3. Do you have a testimony of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

4. Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the prophet, seer, and revelator and as the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys?

   Do you sustain the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators?

   Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local leaders of the Church?

5. The Lord has said that all things are to be “done in cleanliness” before Him (Doctrine and Covenants 42:41).

   Do you strive for moral cleanliness in your thoughts and behavior?

   Do you obey the law of chastity?

6. Do you follow the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ in your private and public behavior with members of your family and others?

7. Do you support or promote any teachings, practices, or doctrine contrary to those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

8. Do you strive to keep the Sabbath day holy, both at home and at church; attend your meetings; prepare for and worthily partake of the sacrament; and live your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel?

9. Do you strive to be honest in all that you do?

10. Are you a full-tithe payer?

    For new members seeking a limited-use recommend: Are you willing to obey the commandment to pay tithing?

11. Do you understand and obey the Word of Wisdom?

12. Do you have any financial or other obligations to a former spouse or to children?

    If yes, are you current in meeting those obligations?

13. Do you keep the covenants that you made in the temple, including wearing the temple garment as instructed in the endowment?

14. Are there serious sins in your life that need to be resolved with priesthood authorities as part of your repentance?

15. Do you consider yourself worthy to enter the Lord’s house and participate in temple ordinances? 

In the press release, President Nelson expanded his thinking in these words:

“The crowning jewel of the Restoration [the process of fully establishing the Church of Jesus Christ on earth] is the holy temple. 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.”

We no longer need to worry, wonder or speculate about what might happen as we seek out a local leader for a temple recommend. The questions are now a matter of public record and can be accessed by anyone with an interest in knowing what might be expected of them as they prepare for the additional covenants available to them in the holy temple.

For young people today, there are now only three requirements to obtain a full-use recommend - 1) that you have the desire to go to the temple, 2) that you are eighteen years old, and 3) that you have graduated from high school. 

Young men are now eligible for full-time missionary service at eighteen, and young women at nineteen. I salute this generation of Church members who are answering the Prophet's call to serve in record numbers. 

As he stated above, he is seeking to prepare a people who are worthy to enter the temple while simultaneously building the physical temples globally. 

I will teach the youth in our ward the second lesson in the temple preparation course this coming Sunday, where we will discuss temple worthiness. The bishop will be coming into our class to introduce these questions to the youth. I am so excited to help them catch a vision of the magnitude of the temple blessings that await them.