Covenants & Symbols 19: The Squares of my Life
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- I am re-posting the Temple Symbols series under the new title, Covenants & Symbols. Minor edits have been made, but the first 20 episodes remain primarily the same. I will add new episodes on Temple Covenants.
Understanding symbols is a means, but not the end. The goal, as admonished by President Nelsons is “to seek-prayerfully and consistently-to understand temple covenants and ordinances.” He then gave the following promise to those who seek better understanding: “Spiritual doors will open. You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven. Your diligent efforts to do so will reinforce and strengthen your spiritual foundation” (The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation, Oct. 2021).
These videos are my attempt to follow apostolic direction to "to sweep the earth with messages filled with righteousness and truth--messages that are authentic, edifying, and praiseworthy" (“To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood,” David A. Bednar, BYU Educational Week Devotional, 2014).
Disclaimer:
This video is NOT a production of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints nor of the Church Educational System nor of the Seminaries and Institutes Department.
The opinions expressed in this video are Bryce Dunford’s only.
Please visit the official church website:
www.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
to clarify any doctrinal questions or to verify the Church’s stance on a symbol.
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I am diligently trying to follow Elder David A. Bendar’s counsel about speaking of the temple. He stated:
Many Church members are unsure about what appropriately can and cannot be said regarding the temple experience outside of the temple.
President Ezra Taft Benson described why this uncertainty exists:
“The temple is a sacred place, and the ordinances in the temple are of a sacred character. Because of its sacredness we are sometimes reluctant to say anything about the temple to our children and grandchildren.
“As a consequence, many do not develop a real desire to go to the temple, or when they go there, they do so without much background to prepare them for the obligations and covenants they enter into.
“I believe a proper understanding or background will immeasurably help prepare our youth for the temple … [and] will foster within them a desire to seek their priesthood blessings just as Abraham sought his.”
Two basic guidelines can help us achieve the proper understanding emphasized by President Benson.
Guideline #1. Because we love the Lord, we always should speak about His holy house with reverence. We should not disclose or describe the special symbols associated with the covenants we receive in sacred temple ceremonies. Neither should we discuss the holy information that we specifically promise in the temple not to reveal.
Guideline #2. The temple is the house of the Lord. Everything in the temple points us to our Savior, Jesus Christ. We may discuss the basic purposes of and the doctrine and principles associated with temple ordinances and covenants.
President Howard W. Hunter counseled: “Let us share with our children the spiritual feelings we have in the temple. And let us teach them more earnestly and more comfortably the things we can appropriately say about the purposes of the house of the Lord.”
Across the generations, from the Prophet Joseph Smith to President Russell M. Nelson, the doctrinal purposes of temple ordinances and covenants have been taught extensively by Church leaders. A rich reservoir of resources exists in print, audio, video, and other formats to help us learn about initiatory ordinances, endowments, marriages, and other sealing ordinances. Information also is available about following the Savior by receiving and honoring covenants to keep the law of obedience, the law of sacrifice, the law of the gospel, the law of chastity, and the law of consecration. All Church members should become familiar with the excellent materials available at temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
(Prepared to Obtain Every Needful Thing, April 2019).
If you feel that I have violated either of these guidelines, please let me know.
This has been the crown, top, most wonderful video in the whole series, but then I think like that, after every video I have watched from start!
Can't thank you enough for the personal insights, scripture references, doctrine truths taught in those fairy short videos that have brought wisdom, desire to be better, evaluate the self and have a totally different experience in the temple now.
I'm very grateful for all good people, like you, who have the talent and gift to communicate with the rest of us eternal truths. Because they stick, they sink deep in, and they help us stay on the narrow path towards the tree of life that Lehi saw in his vision.
THANK YOU, Brother Dunford.
As a former temple worker in the Seattle temple, I noticed chandeliers above every sealing alter. Then I started noticing them throughout the temple, but specifically in 3 places. Most significantly the Celestial room, then above the sealing alters like I said, and at the entrance above the recommend desk. To me personally the chandeliers represented God, or His presence throughout the temple. In the Celestial room it's an obvious symbol for the presence and majesty of God. Above the sealing alters I believe they orient that the covenant marital relationship is between man, woman, and God. Above the recommend desk I believe it represents that He is there not only to greet us as we enter His house, but also to protect it from those who would enter unworthily.
Another symbol that required a perspective not my own but from my trainer was the phrase "Holiness to the Lord" on the outside of the building. He was an English professor before becoming a temple worker and he was always confused by this phrase because it wasn't a complete phrase, or something like that. Years later he realized that it did mean something, and that is that as we go to the temple our sacrifice to the Lord is our holiness. We sacrifice things of the telestial and terrestrial worlds to enter the Celestial space in the temple.
There are so many other symbols that I've seen in my time working there and I loved every time I got to work a shift at the temple. I'm very likely going to go back when my circumstances allow. I would plead with anyone who is considering being a temple worker. It will literally change your life and you will be so much happier! Being so close to the presence of God for that long changes you for the better. I feel like I've learned more while being a temple worker than pretty much the rest of my life combined. I feel close to God and it is truly one of the best blessings you can receive on this earth at this time apart from literally being a prophet/seer/revelator. I know that Jesus is the Christ and from my time in the temple I've grown closer to Him. I know His gospel is true and that the temple is truly the house of the Lord. I'm the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Really beautiful!Thank you so much!
Wow, this was incredible. Sometimes as a busy mom I get frustrated with myself because there's so much I want to do in this world but keep falling short because of time. This helped me let go of guilt knowing that right now my first box takes up all my time, and that is okay.
Very insightful! Thanks for sharing.❤
Thank you so much for this lesson!
I love your series! You offer such profound insights. Thank you so much!!
Wonderful lesson, thank you so much for sharing.
I like to think that Jesus Christ is always in the square with the couple and so on. He is in the Square of the altar
Yes!!! You are spot on! Notice how we lean on the alter! Symbolic of us leaning on the Savior as a couple!!
Sometimes your mom or dad will make it into your second Square as my mom who is disabled and elderly and my children are 21 and 16 and pretty self-sufficient although they need me for the daily my mom needs my priorities even more because she can't do it for herself.
Also sometimes in your marriage your children have to be priority over your spouse especially if you're not married to their biological father you have to remember your children come before them because they are children and rely on you and your responsibility
There is a symbol that I cannot find anything on, and would learn to know of it's significance.
In my celestial room (Dallas) the center table has legs, that end up as actual looking feet. There are 4 legs and they look normal, but the feet look quite literally like toes- only 4 on each "foot". The people in the temple I have asked of it, say they know nothing.
Anyone here have an explanation of why there are feet/paws with human looking toes?