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Becoming the House of the Lord

Osmosis
Have you ever heard of Jim Rohn’s “Law of Average?” This Law simply states that you become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Another similar law is the law of Osmosis. A definition of Osmosis is “the process of gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas, knowledge, etc.” The common principle that underlies both of these concepts is this; You become like what you surround yourself with. This applies in our social lives as well as in chemistry, but frankly it doesn’t have much to do with my topic. I just needed to start with something.

What makes something a Temple?

We are incredibly blessed to live in an area which is so full of Temples of the Lord. We have a pretty good idea of what temples are and what they do. But what makes these beautiful pieces of architecture Houses of the Lord? To help us more fully understand what makes a temple a temple, we need to look to scriptural words.
When we talk about temples in the scriptures, the first ones which come to mind are the Temple of Solomon, the Kirtland Temple, and Nauvoo Temple. Each of these are what we would call the permanent Houses of the Lord. Real, solid buildings dedicated to the Lord’s work. But there are other examples that are not quite as clear cut. The Tabernacle constructed by the Israelites following their exodus from Egypt was a portable temple. Other examples of temple like places are Mount Sinai and the Mount of Transfiguration.

But where is the common thread that can make mountains, an elaborate tent, and all these beautiful buildings the Houses of the Lord?

The Mounts of Transfiguration and Sinai

When Christ took some of his disciples to the top of the mount of transfiguration, the glory of God came upon them from a cloud, as told in Matthew 17: 5:
“While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
A similar thing occurred on Mount Sinai in Exodus 24:
“And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.”
Both of these instances mention the presence and glory of God.

The Tabernacle

During Moses’ experience on mount Sinai, the Lord commanded him to build a portable temple, the Tabernacle. When it was completed, the Lord’s said to Moses in Exodus 29: 42-43:
“This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.”
Again the Lord tells us that the temple is place filled with and sanctified by his glory.

Temples

There have been many temples built unto the Lord throughout time. Solomon was commanded to build a temple in Jerusalem. The early saints were told that a righteous people always build Houses of the Lord. Today we continue to build and dedicate temples for worship and ordinances.

But the thing that sets a temple apart is the presence of the Spirit and Glory of God. No matter where his presence is, it sanctifies and perfects it. Making it, for as long as that Spirit remains, a temple and his house.

Another Type of Temple

We have discussed many types of temples. But the apostle Paul tells us of another in                 1 Corinthians 3:16:
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

He continues with a warning in verse 17:
“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

Inviting the Spirit into our Lives

We are truly the temple of God because we have his Spirit to be with us. How can we gain the Spirit of God more in our day to day lives, and become as the temple of God ourselves? We know that we can invite the Spirit by serving others faithfully, by studying the world of the Lord, going to church, and by living worthy of the Spirit. These and other things invite the Spirit into our lives. It seems that as we surround ourselves with things of the Spirit, we become more spiritual ourselves.

If we gain the Spirit of God in our lives by surrounding ourselves with that Spirit, wouldn’t the temple be the greatest way to strengthen our spirits? President James E. Faust made this point in the talk, Eternity Lies Before Us, in May of 1997:

“Maintaining our spiritual strength is a daily challenge. The greatest source of that spiritual strength comes from our temples.”

Osmosis Again

Throughout the Bible and in modern times, the presence and Glory of God is the power which makes a place holy and a temple of the Lord. In ancient days, the days of the early saints, and today we become temples of the Lord’s Spirit as we live worthy of that Spirit to surround us. And doesn’t that sound a little bit like Osmosis? This “Law of Average” that determines our spiritual strength by what we associate with?

I bear testimony that a holy place is a place in the presence of God. That we can become holy through faith in Christ and surrounding ourselves with that Spirit in our lives. I pray that we all may take more time to attend the temple and become more like our Father in Heaven. In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
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