Armed with My Temple Recommend

By Elder Frederick M. Kamya

Area Seventy

Let us take seriously the responsibility to hold a current temple recommend—it is a spiritual weapon against the adversary.

One of the ways to increase our faith in the Saviour Jesus Christ is to always have and keep a current temple recommend. It’s a great symbol or tool of faith that we will be armed with, to forestall the plans of the adversary in his attempt to divert us from the truth.

We are told in the General Handbook that “entering the temple is a sacred privilege”.¹ We should, therefore, strive to be worthy of and have a current temple recommend, even if we do not live near a temple.² When we go for our interview with the bishop or branch president, he will determine whether we need a limited-use recommend, a recommend for living ordinances or a temple recommend.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shares a great lesson he learned when he and his wife went to visit his ailing father-in-law. As they arrived, they found the bishop leaving his father-in-law’s home. Elder Rasband discovered that his father-in-law had invited the bishop over because he wanted a temple recommend interview, because, in his own words, “l want to go recommended to the Lord”.³

And, says Elder Rasband, he did.

We, too, need to be recommended to the Lord in our daily lives to enjoy the blessings that come as a result of living the standards set to be lived as a worthy member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some of these values include honesty, chastity, fidelity, obedience, keeping the word of wisdom, the law of tithing, and observance of the Sabbath day.

As a bishop a few years ago l held a temple recommend interview with one good brother; a really fine member of the ward. All went well until we got to the question, “do you pay your tithes?” Then he began to stammer; words could not come out clearly. I looked him straight in the eye and asked a second time, “Do you pay your tithes?”

The answer then came out rather quietly, “l am not consistent in paying my tithes, because many times when I get my pay, l have a lot of pressing needs and the money seems not to be enough to cover all the expenses or commitments.” I knew that this was an opportunity to teach him about the principle of paying an honest and full tithe, as commanded by the Lord. He then asked for time to go and make good on his promise to become a full tithe payer. It took six months before l could have another interview with him to ascertain his worthiness. Indeed, he had begun to take baby steps in the right direction.

“Temple recommend interviews allow members to demonstrate that they have a testimony and are striving to obey God’s commandments and follow His prophets,”⁴ the General Handbook instructs us.

Members who are going to receive their own endowment must meet the conditions set out in the same handbook:

They should be at least 18 years old;
They should have completed or are no longer attending high school, secondary school, or equivalent;
One full year should have passed since their confirmation; and
A man must hold the Melchizedek Priesthood before receiving his endowment⁵

We ought to remember that a temple recommend is held for a period of two years, except the living ordinance recommend, that may last only one year. When it expires, please always remember to go back to your bishop or branch president for an interview and subsequent renewal.

I urge you my dear brothers and sisters to take seriously the responsibility to hold a current temple recommend—it is a spiritual weapon against the adversary. We are admonished by the Saviour in the Doctrine and Covenants:

“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”⁶

Let us remember that, when we fail in our duty to heed that admonition, and digress from the path, the bishop or branch president may withdraw the privilege of us keeping that temple recommend. Let us also always “remember that that which cometh from above is sacred”⁷ and that we are told to “make not thy gift known unto any save it be those who are of thy faith. Trifle not with sacred things.”⁸

When we keep a current temple recommend, we shall stand as valiant soldiers in the army of the Lord: “And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;

“And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

“And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.

“And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.”⁹

Frederick M. Kamya was called as an Area Seventy in April 2021. He is married to Stella Kamya; they are the parents of six children. He resides in Kampala, Uganda.