Temple Covenants Bind Families Together

President Monson shared an account of the Mou Tham family and their 10 children. The entire family except for one daughter joined the Church in the early 1960s, when missionaries came to their island, located about 100 miles (160 km) south of Tahiti. Soon they began to desire the blessings of an eternal family sealing in the temple. At that time the nearest temple was in Hamilton, New Zealand, more than 2,500 miles) to the southwest, accessible only by an expensive airplane trip. The large Mou Tham family, which eked out a meager living on a small plantation, had no money for airplane fare, nor was there any opportunity for employment on their Pacific island. So Brother Mou Tham and his son Gérard made the difficult decision to travel 3,000 miles to work in New Caledonia, where another son was already employed.

The three Mou Tham men labored for four years. Brother Mou Tham alone returned home only once during that time for the marriage of a daughter. After four years, Brother Mou Tham and his sons had saved enough money to take the family to the New Zealand Temple. All who were members went, except for one daughter, who was expecting a baby. They were sealed for time and eternity, an indescribable and joyful experience.

Brother Mou Tham returned from the temple directly to New Caledonia, where he worked for two more years to pay for the passage of the one daughter who had not been at the temple with them—a married daughter and her child and husband.

Today most of us do not have to suffer hardships like this in order to attend the temple. Eighty-five percent of the membership of the Church now live within 200 miles of a temple, and for a great many of us, that distance is much shorter.

Early on in our marriage we lived right across the street from the Ogden Temple. Whenever I looked out the window there it was, a great reminder that we needed to attend. We didn’t have any children at the time and we attended a lot.

Our early Temple attendance was a great source of strength for us as we increased our understanding of the doctrine related to the Temple ordinances especially the significance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. During this time my 18-year-old brother passed away. I remember feeling a great deal of sorrow and I had so many questions.

After a few years passed, my family of six reunited at the Ogden Temple to perform my brother’s endowment ordinance. It was one of my most sacred and treasured experiences. I felt so close to my family members. We were all there for one purpose and we felt a rush of peace and comfort from our loving Heavenly Father.

During General Conference Pres. Monson, said, there is much to be done in our temples in behalf of those who wait beyond the veil. As we do the work for them, we will know that we have accomplished what they cannot do for themselves. President Joseph F. Smith, in a mighty declaration, stated, “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 brothers and sisters here, and will rejoice with you in your performance of these duties.” My brothers and sisters, the work is ours to do.

As the years have passed our Temple attendance has fluctuated according to our circumstance. A few years ago we moved to Texas for school, we did not know anyone and we had never lived outside of Utah. We moved into an apartment complex close to the school, which was less than desirable. Olivia was 2 and Johnathan was just a month old.

Houston was not our friend. Both Brenton and I were greeted by having our identity stolen by a couple who used our names to open several credit cards and charge up tens of thousands of dollars. The cockroaches were a joy. The maintenance man in our apartment complex backed into our new vehicle and crushed the back panel and light in, then left without telling us. We finally tracked him down after matching his broken taillight with his taped over light and mud-covered ghetto truck. That was just in the first couple of months. We didn’t feel very safe in the area and I was so home sick.

At this point an individual from the ward called me and asked me if I would like to attend Stake Temple Day. He gave me the name of a sister who would gladly tend my children. We arranged things with the baby sitter and planned to leave a little early just in case of heavy traffic. Well if any of you have ever lived or driven through down town Houston it can be a nightmare. We ended up stuck in traffic and we started to doubt whether we would ever get there at all. By some miracle we were able to make it into the very last Session of the evening.

As we sat there all defeated and humbled we felt the spirit take hold of us. We felt a warm comforting feeling that we absolutely needed at that time. I told Brenton, “Just go get the kids we are living here from now on!!!!” We stayed as long as they would let us linger. As we drove home we felt uplifted and renewed. We decided we would move forward with “Faith” and make the best of our situation.

As President Monson said, “The world can be a challenging and difficult place in which to live. We are often surrounded by that which would drag us down. As you and I go to the holy houses of God, as we remember the covenants we make within, we will be more able to bear every trial and to overcome each temptation. In this sacred sanctuary we will find peace; we will be renewed and fortified”.

Until you have entered the house of the Lord and have received all the blessings which await you there, you have not obtained everything the Church has to offer. The all-important and crowning blessings of membership in the Church are those blessings which we receive in the temples of God.

A few years ago we were able to attend the Randall’s family sealing. It was one of those moments I will never forget. Just to see the Light of Christ working in their lives and watching their three beautiful little boys as they entered the Sealing Room. One was 7, another 3, and the baby four-months. They rolled the baby into the room in a little white stroller. He was just grinning from ear to ear the entire time. Seeing their beautiful family image in the double mirror, which went on for eternity was an incredible sight.

Elder Gary E. Stevens tells us that there exists a righteous unity between the temple and the home. Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family; understanding the eternal nature of the family will draw you to the temple. President Howard W. Hunter stated, “In the ordinances of the temple, the foundations of the eternal family are sealed in place.”

Last year we celebrated our 15th year Anniversary by returning to the Ogden Temple that we love so much. Memories of attending there with my loving husband rushed through my head. It made me think about how much each of us had grown since then. I felt so lucky to know that our children are sealed to us for time and all eternity, and that I will see my brother again. This all provides a powerful motivation for me to live so that together we will receive all of the eternal blessings promised in the temple.

Unlike the Mou Tham family we do live within close proximity to a temple. However the sacrifice still exists. Our sacrifice could be setting aside the time in our busy lives to visit the temple regularly or it could be a number of things.

Our Prophet has admonished us that there is much to be done in our temples in behalf of those who wait beyond the veil. He speaks to us individually as he says, my beloved brothers and sisters, may we make whatever sacrifices are necessary to attend the temple and to have the spirit of the temple in our hearts and in our homes. May we follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who made the ultimate sacrifice for us, that we might have eternal life and exaltation in our Heavenly Father’s kingdom. This is my sincere prayer, and I offer it in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, amen.