By AMBER FURST
Sister Carol B. Thomas, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke on preparing families for the temple.
Sister Thomas said in a family setting there are certain truths “with sensitivity and common sense” that parents can teach their children about the temple.
Some of these truths include, for example, the sacred nature of the temple clothing, that the temple is the Lord’s classroom, what it means to be temple worthy and understanding the gospel language.
Family home evening is one appropriate place to teach children about the temple. Another place that Sister Thomas liked was when she tucked her children in bed at night.
“There in the peace and quiet, the sweet Spirit can bear testimony to their heart and soul that the things you are saying are true,” she said.
CONFERENCE VIDEO
Sister Thomas Sat. a.m
Parents can learn new understandings about the temple when teaching their family.
One such lesson is that frequently visiting the temple can lead to balance in member’s lives.
“The influence of the Spirit can shield us from the frustrations of the world,” she said.
A second lesson that can be learned is that “the spiritual atmosphere of the temple curbs our appetite for worldly things.”
The temple can also be a place for revelation.
Sister Thomas shared a story of a prompting she heard in the temple several years ago that told her to learn public speaking.
At the time, Sister Thomas did not have her current calling and did not understand the need for her to learn to speak in front of crowds. She did not know that one day she would be speaking in the Tabernacle during General Conference.
“One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that Satan will try to keep us from going to the temple,” she said.
Another lesson Sister Thomas learned is that the “Spirit of Elijah is brooding in the land.”
People all over the world are anxious to do temple work, sometimes as often as once a week.
A final lesson that can be learned by going to the temple often is that peace and comfort, especially during times of despair, can be found there from the Spirit of the Lord.
Temple attendance is a personal decision, she said.
“Our leaders will never tell us how often we should attend because it is different for every person,” she said.
