1989
Life Is Eternal
November 1989


“Life Is Eternal,” Tambuli, Nov. 1989, 38

Visiting Teaching Message:

Life Is Eternal

Objective: To help sisters understand the importance of covenants and ordinances, for both the living and the dead.

The winter of 1845–46 was a difficult one for the Saints in Nauvoo. Many of them were forced to leave their homes and businesses. Yet the work of completing the temple and doing temple ordinances continued along with the work of building wagons and gathering provisions.

On 3 February 1846, assuring the assembled Saints that the temple had served its purpose, President Brigham Young suggested that they pack their wagons and leave Nauvoo.

President Young left the temple, and after walking some distance, he turned and looked back. No one had followed him.

Like the Savior in Nephite times, who took pity on the crowds that pleaded with him to stay, President Young turned around and walked back. He found the temple “filled to overflowing,” and, he recalled, “We continued at work diligently in the House of the Lord.” That day, 295 Saints received temple ordinances (History of the Church, 7:579).

Through gospel ordinances—including those of the temple—we demonstrate our love for the Lord, make solemn covenants to do his will, and receive the Lord’s power to help us keep those covenants. Through faithfully keeping the covenants we make, we increase our faith and receive great blessings.

Temple ordinances are not the only ordinances necessary for salvation. Baptism is an essential ordinance. When baptized, we take upon ourselves the name of Christ. Another essential ordinance is confirmation, through which we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and its comfort and inspiration.

Each of us is responsible for receiving the saving ordinances of the gospel for ourselves. All worthy sisters can be baptized and confirmed. Likewise, the blessings of the endowment are available to all worthy sisters who have reached an age of good judgment and maturity.

Through family history and temple work, we can also make gospel ordinances and covenants available to those who died without receiving them.

Gospel ordinances and covenants bring great blessings. Through them we become joint heirs with Christ of all that the Father has (see Rom. 8:14–17).

Suggestions for Visiting Teachers:

1. Share with the sister you visit your feelings as you participated in or witnessed an ordinance such as baptism or temple marriage.

2. Challenge the sister you visit to receive the blessings of gospel ordinances in her own life or to live worthy to receive those blessings in the future. If she has already received these ordinances, encourage her to attend the temple in order to make the saving ordinances available to others.