My purpose today in speaking of temples is to increase your desire and mine to be worthy and ready for the increased opportunities for temple experiences that are coming for us.įor me, the greatest motivation to be worthy of temple experiences is what the Lord has said of His holy houses: I know that temples of the Lord are holy places. Our family was ready to leave that blessed time and place because a prophet, in a holy temple, a place of revelation, saw a future event for which we then were prepared.
It was a call to leave what seemed an idyllic family situation to serve in an assignment in a place that I knew nothing about. The warning given by President Kimball to be able to “walk away easily” became a reality. So, during the 10 years we lived in that lovely family setting, my wife and I would say almost every day, “We had better enjoy this because we aren’t going to be here long.”Ī call came from the Church commissioner of education, Neal A. They would live in the main house, just a few feet away. He told us that he and his wife were buying the property and that he wanted his daughter and me to live in the guesthouse. When we got to the top of the hill, my father-in-law stopped by the white house.
It was in detail what I saw when President Kimball gave his counsel in the temple. One year later, I recognized that hill as my father-in-law drove us up that road. A white house was barely visible through the trees.
A white fence ran on the left side of the road and disappeared into a row of trees at the top of the hill.
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In the few words he spoke, he gave this counsel: “Hal and Kathy, live so that when the call comes, you can walk away easily.”Īs he said those few words, I saw clearly in my mind, in full color, a steep hill and a road leading up to the top. I experienced the same feeling when I was married in the Logan Utah Temple. What I felt was personal to me regarding my future, and it became a reality 40 years later through a call to serve from the Lord. The temple ceremony includes some words that brought a feeling of burning in my heart, confirming that what was being portrayed was true. Later that first day I again felt the same Spirit. The temple is a holy place where revelation comes to us easily if our hearts are open to it and we are worthy of it. On the outside of our temples, we place the words “Holiness to the Lord.” I know for myself that those words are true. You are remembering a moment before you were born. And in that moment, the thought came into my mind in these clear words: “I have been in this lighted place before.” But then immediately there came into my mind, not in my own voice, these words: “No, you have never been here before. I looked up at a high white ceiling that made the room so light it seemed almost as if it were open to the sky. I had not realized that a small card with my name on it had been placed on the lapel of my suit coat. She looked up at me and smiled and then said very softly, “Welcome to the temple, Brother Eyring.” I thought for a moment she was an angel because she knew my name. I was greeted by a little white-haired lady in a beautiful white temple dress. I walked on ahead of them, alone for a moment. Inside, they paused for a moment to be greeted by a temple worker. My parents were my only companions that day. That feeling has brought back to my memory the first day I walked into the Salt Lake Temple. The speakers, the music, and the prayer have brought the Spirit-as well as a feeling of light and hope. My dear brothers and sisters, I am grateful to be with you in this first session of general conference.