Temple Worship: A Pattern in Our Lives

(part 3 of 4)

Our Commitment to the House of the Lord

我们对主之家的承诺

我们对主的殿坚守的承诺在1836年嘉德兰圣殿的奉献祈祷文里，主向约瑟.斯密启示这些话：“在您所家宅中...光荣地拥有名声和地位（standing）...，直到所有世代和永恒”（教约109:24）。

米伽勒.威考克司（Michael Wilcox） 在其著作荣耀屋宇（The House of Glory）
里提到，“standing意指经常出席。字典里为standing下的定义是［一段时间或期间；永久且不变地；崇高的名声或受人景仰。］这些意义不仅跟主在教仪和圣约里的话语有关，也同时意谓着我们必须经常、不断地使用圣殿推荐书。...

...如果我们想要获得以天父之名所应许的保护，就必须获得个人的圣殿推荐书，诚实地持有，经常地使用，不仅是人到圣殿去而已，还要在那里崇拜”（第56）。

威考克司也提到“ 更重要的是，我们不应感到消极。头一次参与圣殿完全明白圣殿教仪并非意料中的事。圣殿教仪能终生喂养我们。圣殿教仪，像神圣经文，值得一读再读，即使如此我们亦无法彻底了解固中含义。

另一位作家安得烈，斯金纳（Andrew C. Skinner）在其著作圣殿崇拜（Temple Worship）里谈到：“圣殿恩道门并不能等闲视之，与会者也无法在前往圣殿一两回之后就全盘了解其意义。大卫奥.麦基会长（1873-1970）到圣殿执行教仪将届六十年之际，有人听到他这么说：［现在我开始明了恩道门的意义了。］像麦基会长这样神的先知、又具有如此深厚的灵性休养，都得花将近一甲子的时间才能开始了解圣殿的恩道们，我想，如果我们有时候并不了解，是情有可原的--只是我们要以谦卑的态度面对自身的不足，下定决心力求改进，...我们必须带着求学若渴的态度经常到圣殿去”（第58页）。

The Lord, in the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple in 1836 revealed these words to the Prophet Joseph Smith. “...and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity”. (D&C 109:24)

In his book, The House of Glory, Michael Wilcox states that “the word “standing” implies frequent attendance. The dictionary’s definitions of standing are “length of time or duration; permanent and unchanging; not movable; stationary; high reputation or esteem. (The American Heritage Dictionary.) All these meanings bear on the Lord’s words in the Doctrine and Covenants and imply the constant, continual use of the recommend. ...If we desire the promised protection of the Father’s name, we must receive our temple recommends, hold them honorably, and use them frequently, not merely to attend the temple but also to worship there.” (p. 56)

Bro. Wilcox also shared that: “Most of all, we must not become discouraged. It was never intended that we understand the temple ordinances all at once. They were designed to feed us for a lifetime...The temple ordinances, like the scriptures, are worth thousands of readings, and even then we shall not have sounded the depths of their possibilities.” (p. 27)

Another author, Andrew C. Skinner in his book, Temple Worship, stated: “The temple endowment is not a casual matter, nor was it intended to be understood fully in one or two visits to the temple. President David O. McKay is reported to have said, after nearly sixty years of temple attendance: ‘Now I am beginning to understand the endowment.’ If it took a prophet of God of the spiritual depth of President McKay almost six decades to begin to understand the temple endowment, I think we may be pardoned if we sometimes don’t understand- but only if we approach our deficiency in a spirit of humility and resolve to do better...we must go often to the temple with a seeking mind and heart.” (p. 58) President Howard W. Hunter a strong advocate for temple attendance, stated the October 1994