quorum of the twelve apostles

President Monson Emphasizes Temple Work in Rare Online Message

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President Thomas S. Monson

President Thomas S. Monson (photo by Brian Tibbets)

A few days ago, on February 1, 2013, the Church News published a rare new online message from President Thomas S. Monson, marking the fifth anniversary of his calling as prophet and President of the Church, and his reflection back on fifty years of service since his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This type of message from the prophet is a rare occurrence, perhaps unprecedented, and we should take special note.

In the message he reemphasizes the importance of temple work:

Our temple-building efforts continue unabated. During the past five years, 31 new temples have been announced. During this same period, 16 temples have been dedicated, with five others having been rededicated after extensive renovations. When the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple is dedicated in March of this year, we will have 141 temples in operation throughout the world. These numbers will continue to increase as we move forward in making temples accessible to all of our members, wherever they may live.

We continue to emphasize the need for our members to move forward in the work for our deceased family members. Our mandate is to seek out our dead and to provide them with the opportunity to accept the ordinances and blessings of the gospel. We accomplish this by making certain the ordinances are performed for them. President Joseph F. Smith, speaking of work for the dead, declared, “Through our efforts in their behalf their chains of bondage will fall from them, and the darkness surrounding them will clear away, that light may shine upon them and they shall hear in the spirit world of the work that has been done for them by their children here, and will rejoice with you in your performance of these duties” (Conference Report, October 1916, p. 6).

Concluding his message President Monson notes his declining health, but ensures us that the Church is in good hands.

Read the full message at the Church News website.

Elder Holland Testifies Boldly of the Truth of The Book of Mormon!

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I loved General Conference.  My absolute favorite talk was by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  He bore testimony of The Book of Mormon like I have never heard before.  Who can doubt, after hearing his address of that book of scripture, that he knows with absolute certainty that it is true, and that it is another testament of the Savior Jesus Christ?  Elder Holland bore solemn and soul-stirring witness of The Book of Mormon that was tangibly powerful in the declaration of its veracity.  His words will reverberate through eternity!

You can watch Elder Holland’s talk in the video embedded below.

Inside the Salt Lake Temple

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Salt Lake Temple

Salt Lake Temple

Fifteen years ago, a great article appeared in the March 1993 Ensign entitled, “In His Holy House.” Several articles in this edition of the Ensign were focused on the Salt Lake Temple. This particular article had large photographs of the interior of the Salt Lake Temple that are not often seen today. ((There are other publications which have many more photographs of the interior of the Salt Lake Temple, including maps and other diagrams. The Salt Lake Temple: A Monument to the People, University Services Corporation, 1983. The Salt Lake Temple: A Centennial Book of Remembrance – 1893-1993, LDS Church, 1993.)) These photos were taken by Welden Andersen, a top Church photographer. ((On a side note, Welden Andersen is also an expert marksman and instructor in concealed weapons, and teaches Utah Concealed Carry Weapon Permit classes, which I have attended. You can visit Welden’s website here – www.self-defensesolutions.com. He is also a good friend of my father.))

See this link for the photos of the inside of the temple: ((The photos in the original Ensign publication are much larger and more detailed than are included online.))

  • The creation room
  • The baptistry
  • The garden room
  • The lower grand hallway
  • The world room
  • The upper grand hallway
  • The terrestrial room
  • The celestial room
  • A couple temple sealing rooms
  • The main assembly room
  • The council room of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles
  • The council room of the Twelve Apostles.
  • The council room of the Presidency of the Seventy.

Some of these rooms, such as the council rooms and assembly room, I don’t think I had ever seen before. The council room of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles is probably where the brethren met on February 3rd, 2008, in order to reorganize the First Presidency. President Packer gives us some more insight into this special room:

Here each week [I believe it’s usually Thursday morning] the Brethren assemble to sit in council. First the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles meets; later in the morning the First Presidency arrives and the Council of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is convened. Here the Brethren wrestle with the weighty matters of the kingdom of God upon the earth, for its management is upon their shoulders. Here, dressed in the proper way for temple ordinance work, they approach the altar in the true order of prayer to seek divine guidance and inspiration as they consider these matters. The Presidents of the Seventy meet in their council room as well. ((Boyd K. Packer, The Holy Temple, 3))