2 Samuel 11–12; 1 Kings 3; 6–9; 11: Lesson 79

1 Kings 6–9

Solomon Builds the House of the Lord

In our day, the temple is becoming more accessible around the world, but it has not always been that way. With the construction of Solomon’s temple, the Israelites finally had a permanent house of the Lord, a place where the Savior Himself would “dwell among the children of Israel” (1 Kings 6:13). The Savior’s promise is also being fulfilled in our day as temples dot the earth. This lesson can help students deepen their understanding that the temple is the house of the Lord.

Student preparation: Invite students to bring a picture of a nearby or favorite temple. They could prepare to share why the temple is meaningful to them.

Possible Learning Activities

The temple is the house of the Lord

To begin class, invite students to respond to the following scenario (or something similar that fits the needs of your class).

Imagine your friend Angela sees a picture of a new temple being built in your area and asks:

• Why does your Church build temples?

• How is a temple different from your other church buildings?

Consider asking students to consider how confident they feel about answering Angela’s questions. You might invite a couple of students to share how they feel.

After the dedication of the Praia Cape Verde Temple, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

The temple is literally the house of the Lord. Let those words sink gently into your soul. It is His house. (“The House of the Lord—Recent Messages from Prophets, Apostles, and Other Church Leaders”, newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, Aug. 13, 2023)

Invite students to write this truth in their study journals and on the board: The temple is the house of the Lord.

Take a moment to follow Elder Andersen’s invitation to let this truth sink gently into your soul as you respond to the following question in your study journal.

• What does it mean to you that the temple is the house of the Lord?

As you study today, invite the Holy Ghost to help deepen your understanding of the temple as the Lord’s house. Throughout the lesson, add what you are learning to your study journal.

It might be helpful to reassure students that although their specific questions about the temple may not be answered today, the Holy Ghost will continue to inspire and direct their efforts to learn more about the Lord’s house.

The Lord commands His people to build His house

At Mount Sinai, the Lord commanded the people to build a portable, temporary tabernacle to bless the children of Israel (see Exodus 25:1–8). Many generations later, at the time of King Solomon, a permanent temple still had not been built.

To help students see similarities in the Lord’s command to build His house at the time of 1 Kings 6–9 and in our day, you could display images of Solomon’s temple and the nearest modern-day temple.

One way to help students see these similarities between temples anciently and in our day would be to display the following chart.

There are three suggested chart activities in the lesson. You might consider some variety in how students will study each chart. For this first chart activity, consider inviting half the class to study the verses in the “Solomon’s Day” column and the other half to study the verses in the “Our Day” column. After studying the verses, students could share what they found with a partner who studied the verses from the opposite column.

Another way to organize the activity would be to divide students into three groups and give each group a chart. Students could study together and select a spokesperson to present their group’s section to the class. At the end of the presentation, each group could share how the topics they studied could help answer Angela’s questions.

As you study the following verses, look for teachings that could help you explain the Lord’s promises for temples anciently and today. Add what you find to your study journal entry.

Solomon’s Day	Our Day
Solomon’s Day 2 Samuel 7:4–6 1 Chronicles 22:5–11 1 Kings 5:5; 6:1	Our Day Doctrine and Covenants 88:119–120 Doctrine and Covenants 97:10–16

• What did you learn about the importance of temples today?

To help students reflect on how we continue to follow the Savior’s instruction to build temples today, consider showing a video of the current prophet announcing new temples during general conference. Alternatively, you could share some of the latest temple statistics, available at Temple List at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Temples are dedicated to the Lord as His house

After seven years of construction, Solomon’s temple was finished and dedicated.

To help students understand that temple dedicatory prayers are received by revelation and preserved in the records of the Church, consider sharing an example of a dedicatory prayer with the class. The dedicatory prayer for each operating temple can be found by selecting the temple from Temple List at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

For this chart activity, you could display the verses and invite students to study the opposite half of the chart they studied previously and share with a partner who studied the other half. A discussion question is provided to help students share what they discover.

Read the following passages from the dedicatory prayers of Solomon’s Temple and the Kirtland Temple looking for the blessings Solomon and the Prophet Joseph Smith sought from the Lord.

Solomon’s Day	Our Day
Solomon’s Day 1 Kings 8:29–30, 35–40	Our Day Doctrine and Covenants 109:10–18

• What could similar blessings look like today as we prepare for and worship in the house of the Lord?

You could explain that following the dedication of the house of the Lord, the people experienced remarkable manifestations of His power. This chart could be a reverent moment for students to study individually, as appropriate.

As you read the following passages, invite the Holy Ghost to help you imagine what it might have felt like to witness these events.

Solomon’s Day	Our Day
Solomon’s Day 1 Kings 9:1–3 2 Chronicles 7:1–3	Our Day Doctrine and Covenants 110:2–10

• What experiences have you or someone you know had participating in a temple dedication?

• How have you felt the Savior’s power from having His house on the earth today?

It might be appropriate to explain that since the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, the hymn “The Spirit of God” has been sung at every temple dedication around the world. Students could sing or listen to this hymn, looking for what we learn about the Lord and His house. You might watch a video of a choir or group singing such as “The Spirit of God” (5:32) from ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Demonstrate understanding

To help students demonstrate understanding, you could display Angela’s questions from the beginning of the lesson.

Think about how the lessons you learned today could help someone like Angela better understand the purpose of temples. Answer the questions with a partner or in your study journal.

• Why does your church build temples?

• How is a temple different from your other church buildings?

Invite students to practice teaching a partner what they have learned from their study of Solomon’s temple and temples today. The student preparation for this lesson suggested that students might bring a picture of a nearby or favorite temple to class. If students brought a picture, you could invite them to show it to the class and share why that temple is meaningful to them. You could share your feelings about the Savior and His house at the conclusion of class.

Additional Resources

What blessings are promised when we prepare for and worship in the temple?

President Russell M. Nelson explained:

It is significant that the Savior chose to appear to the people at the temple. It is His house. It is filled with His power. Let us never lose sight of what the Lord is doing for us now. He is making His temples more accessible. He is accelerating the pace at which we are building temples. He is increasing our ability to help gather Israel. He is also making it easier for each of us to become spiritually refined. I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can. (“Focus on the Temple,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 121)

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) taught:

[The temple is] a place of personal inspiration and revelation. Legion are those who in times of stress, when difficult decisions must be made and perplexing problems must be handled, have come to the temple in a spirit of fasting and prayer to seek divine direction. Many have testified that while voices of revelation were not heard, impressions concerning a course to follow were experienced at that time or later which became answers to their prayers. (“The Salt Lake Temple,” Ensign, Mar. 1993, 6)

What should I do if I do not yet live near a temple?

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

I remember hearing President Howard W. Hunter in his first general conference address as the 14th President of the Church. He said: “It is the deepest desire of my heart to have every member of the Church worthy to enter the temple. It would please the Lord if every adult member would be worthy of—and carry—a current temple recommend” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter [2015], 180). I would add that a limited-use recommend will set a clear path for our precious youth. …

Let me emphasize, whether you have access to a temple or not, you need a current temple recommend to stay firmly on the covenant path. …

Being worthy to hold a current temple recommend is both a protection from the adversary, because you have made a firm commitment to the Lord about your life, and a promise that the Spirit will be with you. (“Recommended to the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 25)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Giving our best to build the house of the Lord

Help students understand that significant effort and sacrifice have always been required to build the house of the Lord. To study the building of Solomon’s temple, display the following passages and questions. Invite groups to read these verses and discuss the questions.

Read 1 Kings 6:21–22, 29–32 and 2 Nephi 5:15–16.

• What stands out to you about the building of these temples?

• What effort and expense might it take to build and operate the Lord’s house today? What does that teach us about the house of the Lord?

At the open house for the Richmond Virginia Temple, Elder Kevin R. Duncan of the Seventy said:

This is the house of the Lord. [He] has spared no expense in giving us the most beautiful earth that we have to live on. And because we’re building His house, we strive to give our very best—our very best craftsmanship, the very best materials that we can. (“Virginia’s First House of the Lord Opens Its Doors,” Mar. 20, 2023, newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

• What are some ways we could give our very best to be in the house of the Lord?

• What effort and sacrifices could we make to honor the Lord and His house?

Students might mention that we could give our time, wear our best clothing, and sacrifice worldly desires to qualify for a temple recommend and worship in the house of the Lord.

The power of ancient and modern temples

To help students see the beauty of the temple, you could display images of the interior and exterior of a modern temple, like those found at “Inside Temples.” Or you might show a video of a virtual tour, such as “Welcome to the Washington D.C. Temple” (2:10) or one of a temple near you, from temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org (select a temple and “Virtual Tour”).

To help students visualize Solomon’s temple, you could show the video “Temples Through Time” from time code 0:00 to 2:00. Invite students to share what Solomon’s temple helps them understand about the Lord and His house.

To help students understand some of the effort that goes into building the house of the Lord, you could show the video “Temple Standard” from timecode 0:00 to 5:24. In this video, Elder Scott Whiting of the Seventy shares an experience he had after observing the inspection of the nearly completed renovation of the Laie Hawaii Temple.