Helping Members Prepare for Temple Worship | An Interview with Mark Mathews

Mark Mathews was born in Houston, TX. He served a mission in Guatemala, and met his wife at Brigham Young University. He later earned a Ph.D. in education from Utah State University. He has been involved with Seminaries and Institutes for 15 years. He is a favorite attraction teaching at BYU Education Week for many interested in learning about the temple experience.   Mark Mathews Highlights 2:50: Mark’s recent BYU Education Week presentation was on the temple, motivating Leading Saints to have a podcast on how best leaders can prepare members to attend the temple for the first time. How does Mark as a bishop help members have a positive first-time experience? 5:00: Members have a natural desire to better understand the temple. Early chapters in the Book of Moses are an excellent template and place to start when studying the endowment ceremony. 6:45: Experiencing the endowment by viewing the video combined with the attendance of the Holy Ghost is akin to having a vision. Joseph Smith did the same for the early saints when the endowment ceremony was acted out. 7:45: The “practical” approach of reviewing the worthiness standard, explaining what can be shared about temple clothing, is still very vague. 8:33: Elder Bednar’s talk Seek Learning by Faith: “The most important learnings of life are caught—not taught.” Speaking at or telling people what to do or how to prepare may not be fully absorbed. Providing members with materials that they can read over time and with the attendance of the Holy Ghost is far more effective in helping them “catch” and discover truth for themselves. See “Links” section below. 10:30: How we can better understand what leaders can say about the temple. 13:08: Quoting Elder Bednar: “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.” 14:40: Preventing members from feeling uncomfortable about temple worship after their initial experience. Help members understand that “the ultimate purpose of the temple endowment is to bring us into the presence of God.” 19:37: How to come into the presence of God: one must be prepared through ancient ritual, instruction, and covenant--all of which are part of the endowment ceremony. Washing and anointing Symbolism of “pouring” Temple garments and other sacerdotal vestments Covenants Law of Obedience Law of Sacrifice Law of Gospel Law of Chastity Law of Consecration 24:39: Covenants provide us with “clean hands and a pure heart”; members are now ready for instruction. Creation Fall Atonement 25:40: Study the Book of Moses. 27:15: A focus on the law of consecration: one big misunderstandings that many Latter-day Saints have: the law of consecration is much broader than the United Order: tithing, time, means, generous fast offerings, responding to church callings and assignments. 30:35: More on the covenants we make. 32:23: How members experience the Plan of Salvation through the endowment ceremony, supported again by the pillars of Creation, Fall, and Atonement.