Family Home Evening for 2 Nephi 3-5

 Read or summarize 2 Nephi 5:15-16

15 And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance.

16 And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine.

Lesson

It is no wonder why when the Nephites began to build their cities, one of the first things they built was a temple. They knew what a Jewish temple looked like and how it was built, but they didn’t have the same materials to build with, but they were able to find other materials to build the temple. They were able to still build a beautiful temple with what they had, and they dedicated it as a building unto the Lord, and the Lord accepted it as such.

Currently, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has 335 temples in various phases, which includes 188 dedicated temples (with 183 operating temples and 5 previously dedicated, but closed for renovations), 52 under construction, and 95 that are announced but they haven’t started building yet. Temples are beginning to be found all over the world, and more temples are announced each General Conference. 

Temples are buildings, unlike any other building in the world. They are beautiful on the outside and peaceful and quiet on the inside. They are like a piece of Heaven on earth. When you even walk around the outside of the temple, you can feel the peace, love, and comfort that Heavenly Father gives to you so freely. Inside the temple, we make sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father and learn more about His great and Eternal Plan of Happiness. The Nephites remembered how happy King Solomon’s temple made them in Jerusalem, and they wanted to feel that same happiness in the Promised Land. That is why they built a temple.

Discuss

Talk about how the temple makes you feel. Why is the temple important to you?

Watch

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