I was reading in the scriptures about the dedication of the temple
that King Solomon built in ancient Israel.
After the construction, which included the best materials the people
had, the Lord appeared to Solomon to accept the house they had built for
him. The dedication of that temple was
somewhat Pentecostal, with some of the same miraculous manifestations that
accompanied other great outpourings of the spirit that are recorded in the
scriptures. And Solomon worshiped at the
temple and the Lord appeared to him.
Among other things, the Lord said, “If my people, which are called by my
name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be
open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place." (2 Chronicles 7:14, 15). When I read
that it made me think of similar promises the Lord has made to his people,
about the blessings in the land that accompany righteousness, how the Lord will
bless those in their promised lands that keep his commandments as long as they
keep his commandments. But I also
noticed the promise to hear the prayers and see the needs of his people who
attend and worship in the Lord’s temples.
How blessed we are today to have temples. And how blessed we are to have temples so
close, so much more accessible than they were for so long. It was a reminder of how anxious the Lord is
to extend his blessing to us, how much he does to help us keep his
commandments. We really live in a
marvelous age.
8 months ago