The Temple, Marriage and Family - Things you'll never be ready for.

You are not perfect, I am not perfect, marriages are never flawless and families are the most complicated organizations known to man. You are not ready and you never will be. No amount of schooling, money or maturity will prepare you for the challenges of a family. None of us will be ready in this life. Luckily we don't have to be, because the Lord has provided a way to fulfill his commandments and bring us ever lasting joy.

As far as I'm concerned there is no more important building on this earth outside our homes than the Temple. A loving home has indispensable value but an eternal family built on the principles of God isn't possible without the ordinances performed in the Temple. LDS Temples are literally the Lord's house on this earth today. In these temples we are able to perform baptisms and other saving ordinances for our loved ones who passed on without having a chance to accept the gospel. Couples and families are married and sealed for time and all eternity. The House of the Lord provides families ever lasting joy. I don't care how nice heaven is as Apostles have stated in the past any place is hell without my family.

The Lord commanded Haggai and his people to build a temple in the Old Testament.

 Haggai 1: 4-6" Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?

  Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.

  Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye beat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes."

The Lord shows us in these verses why it is so important to build a temple. Without doing the Lords work, temples being a major part of that, our work values us nothing. No matter how much money we have or how much material we own we will have no value if we are not doing the Lord's work. The Lord literally gives us commandments because he knows that living in that manner will absolutely bring us the most happiness possible and obedience to the Lords commandments allows Him to bless us beyond measure.

Proposing to my wife was definitely the scariest thing I have ever done. I felt deeply that it was the right thing to do and so I decided to take a huge leap of faith. Neither of us are perfect but we knew that we would not get married unless we could get married in the temple. It would have been easy to get married civilly and avoid the responsibility that comes with entering the temple. Celisse and I knew that there really was no other option. We would get married in the temple or we wouldn't get married at all. If your marriage is not ordained of God, if it cannot last forever what is the point? Becoming deeply connected to someone only to lose them with the eternities? While facing such a tragedy is courageous it is not necessary, our marriages do not have to cease at death.

Being married has no doubt been my greatest challenge. Nothing compares with the effort it takes to find balance and meaning between two people. When the initial passion wears off all that remains is the invested effort and work that the couple chooses to contribute. Temple marriage provides eternal meaning to this struggle because you know your marriage and family has a greater purpose just than providing earthly companionship for two people. The Lord is always there to support your effort. I see his helping hand in my life every day as I try overcome my weaknesses.

This world is complicated I could go into my personal opinion on a variety of issues surrounding marriage and "love" but those issues are not worth my effort. I know that the Lord God loves all his children with all his heart. He has given us temples in order to unite our families and bring us ever lasting joy. Raising a family is scary and it is difficult beyond imagination but those who choose do not take part in this eternal responsibility are missing out on unimaginable blessings and happiness. You cannot know the joy that comes unless you experience it. The overwhelming feeling of the spirit and of joy when I enter the temple or when I see my children smile is beyond compare. Nothing else matters.

Hubakkuk

Habakkuk is a little known old testament Prophet. He only has three short chapters in the Bible but they are valuable pieces of work. In chapter one we learn that the Lord has caused that the Chaldeans, a wicked people, will rise up and over run. Habakkuk is very troubled that the Lord would do this and he pleads unto him for answers as to why this will be.

"Understanding and Obtaining the Knowledge and Glory of the Lord."

LDS Article of faith #9 "We believe that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God"

In Habukkah we learn that God plans to pour out a great knowledge of the Lord in the latter days. 

Habukkah 2:14 "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

Thus we see that even in Old Testament times the Lord was planning to pour out his word unto the world so that it would reach all corners of the globe. Even with his word spread across the globe and available to all there will still be those who will not believe. Twice in chapter 2 he mentions the prideful taht will drink to themselves and he rebukes those that will worship false idols.

We know that coming to an understanding of the Lord is available to all of us but not always easy. There will be challenges. Many of us will be too prideful to see through our ways but the word will come unto every nation, kindred and tongue.

Doctrine and Covenants 101:32-34 "Yea, verily I say unto you, that in that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things-

Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof-

Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven."

It's not just the standard word of God that we already know. It's not just that every corner of the earth and every people will know what we know. We will be learning more than we could ever imagine. Amazing wonderous things will be revealed about God, the earth and everything else we can (and can't) possibly imagine. This is already begun, we know that the word of God is spreading and that our own knowledge is expanding but I am confident that much more is on the way. God is greater than we can ever understand in this life but the small glimpses he is beginning to give us will humble our hearts and build our testimonies like we never could have imagined.