Do either of you
remember the challenge that Elder Neil L. Andersen
gave at RootsTech two years ago? "Prepare as many names
for the temple as baptisms you perform
in the temple." And last year he
added eight words: "And help someone
else to do the same." Exactly. Let's read in
Ezekiel chapter 47: "Afterward he [an angel]
brought me [Ezekiel] again unto the door of the house
[of the Lord]; and, behold, waters issued out from under
the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront
of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came
down from under from the right side of the house, at the
south side of the altar. ... "And when the man that
had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he
measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me
through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. "Again he measured a
thousand, and brought me through the waters; the
waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand,
and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. "Afterward he
measured a thousand; and it was a river that
I could not pass over: for the waters were risen,
waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over." "Then said he unto me,
These waters issue out toward the east country,
and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being
brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. "And it shall come to pass, that
every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the
rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very
great multitude of fish, because these waters
shall come thither: for they shall be healed;
and every thing shall live whither the river cometh." Ezekiel sees a
river that increases as it flows from the house. The water that's moving
forth from the temple represents blessings which
flow from the temples to heal families
and give them life. The growth of the
river is similar to the exponential growth of our
family through the generations. The blessings of the temple
are available to everything and everyone. And what blessings? "Every thing shall live
whither the river cometh." Brothers and sisters, I
promise you protection for you and your family as you
take this challenge to find as many names to
take to the temple as ordinances you
perform in the temple and teach others to do the same. And if you accept
this challenge, blessings will begin to
flow to you and your family like the power of the
river spoken of by Ezekiel. And the river will grow as you
continue to perform this work and teach others to do the same. You'll find not only protection
from the temptation and ills of this world, but you'll also
find personal power, power to change, power to
repent, power to learn, power to be
sanctified, and power to turn the hearts
of your family together and heal that
which needs healing.