As recorded in 1 Kings 1:1–3:8, David settled a conflict concerning who would succeed him as the king of Israel by naming his son Solomon as the heir to the throne. Those who sought to cause division in the kingdom were either banished or put to death. Solomon traveled to Gibeon to offer sacrifices upon an altar, and the Lord appeared to him in a dream and asked what blessing he desired.
Read 1 Kings 3:9, looking for what Solomon desired and why.
What does this request tell us about the kind of king Solomon wanted to become?
Because Solomon asked for the ability to make righteous judgments as king instead of asking for a “long life” or “riches for [himself],” the Lord was “pleased” (1 Kings 3:10–11).
Read 1 Kings 3:12–14, looking for how the Lord blessed Solomon.
What principle can we identify about what the Lord will do when we seek His help to better serve others?
From 1 Kings 3:10–14 we can identify the principle that when we selflessly seek the Lord’s help to serve others, He will magnify our abilities to serve.
We read in 1 Kings 3:16–23 that two women petitioned King Solomon to judge a difficult situation. The two women lived in one house and had borne children at about the same time. One night, one of the women woke up to find that her baby had died. Rather than mourn the loss of her baby, she switched her dead baby with the other woman’s baby. The next morning, when the second woman awoke to nurse her child, she found the other woman’s dead baby in her arms instead of her son. When the women came before Solomon, the first woman fervently denied the other woman’s accusation that she had switched the babies.
What might you have done to find out which woman was telling the truth?
Read 1 Kings 3:24–27 to find out how Solomon identified the child’s rightful mother.
We read in 1 Kings 3:28 that all of Israel heard of this experience and recognized that God had blessed Solomon with wisdom. According to 1 Kings 4, knowledge of Solomon’s wisdom spread to other nations.
In 1 Kings 5–7 we read of Solomon’s efforts to build a temple unto the Lord using the finest materials. This great undertaking took approximately seven years to finish.
Read 1 Kings 6:11–13, looking for the promise the Lord made to Solomon and his people while they were building the temple. The word statutes in verse 12 refers to the Lord’s laws.
What principle do these verses teach about what the Lord expects of His people and what He will do to bless them when they live according to those expectations?
The Lord’s Ways
One principle we can identify from 1 Kings 6:12–13 is that if we walk in the Lord’s ways and keep His commandments, then He will be with us.
How do temples help us walk in the Lord’s ways and keep His commandments?
Watch this video entitled “Temple Blessings—Worth Every Sacrifice,” located on LDS.org. In this video, President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) describes what we can do to obtain the blessings of the temple. What does President Monson counsel us to do?
President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) describes what we can do to obtain the blessings of the temple. What does President Monson counsel us to do?
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Thomas S. Monson
“Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. …
“… Your sacrifice may be bringing your life into compliance with what is required to receive a recommend, perhaps by forsaking long-held habits which disqualify you” (Thomas S. Monson, “The Holy Temple—a Beacon to the World,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 92–93).
What will you do to more fully walk in the Lord’s ways in order to enjoy His blessings in your life?
As recorded in 1 Kings 8:1–21, Solomon gathered many Israelites to participate in the dedication of the temple. After they placed the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies, “the glory of the Lord” appeared as a cloud that filled the temple (verses 11–12). We read in 1 Kings 8:22–53 the words of the dedicatory prayer Solomon offered on this occasion. After Solomon declared the goodness and might of the Lord (see verses 22–28), he prayed that having a temple among the Israelites would be a blessing and help the people maintain their commitment to the Lord.
Have you ever participated in the dedication of a temple or a ward meetinghouse?
Why do you think these meetings are often very spiritual occasions?
During his dedicatory prayer, Solomon asked the Lord to “hearken unto the prayer[s]” that Solomon and his people would offer in the temple (1 Kings 8:29–30). He then asked the Lord to bless the Israelites in specific ways as they worshipped in the temple.
A principle that we can identify from 1 Kings 8:29–49 is that if we worship the Lord in the temple, then the Lord may grant us blessings to help us with challenges we face.
Read the following statement by President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008):
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Gordon B. Hinckley
“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” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Salt Lake Temple,” Ensign, Mar. 1993, 6).
2. Answer one or both of the following questions:
When have you or someone you know been blessed to better face a particular challenge after participating in temple worship?
What can those who are not currently able to enter the temple do to prepare to receive the blessings of worshipping in the temple?
The following truths were identified in this lesson:
When we selflessly seek the Lord’s help to serve others, He will magnify our abilities to serve.
If we walk in the Lord’s ways and keep His commandments, then He will be with us.
If we worship the Lord in the temple, then the Lord may grant us blessings to help us with challenges we face.
The blessings Solomon received were evidence that the Lord fulfills His promises. After the temple was completed and dedicated, “the Lord appeared to Solomon” (1 Kings 9:2) and told him, “I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication” (1 Kings 9:3). According to 1 Kings 10:1–9, after hearing about Solomon’s “wisdom and prosperity” (verse 7), the queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem to see for herself if the reports were true. She tested Solomon by asking him “hard questions” (verse 1), and she recognized that he truly had been blessed by the Lord.
The blessings of the Lord will also become evident in your life as you apply the truths you identified today.
