Yesterday, I read Richard Winkel’s article in Ensign (Nov. 2006), “The Temple Is About Families.”
Though this was his main emphasis, he did list some other auxiliary functions for LDS temples.
* “The house of the Lord is a refuge from the world.”
. . . “The celestial room in the temple is especially a place of peace, tranquility, and beauty. It is a quiet haven where one can reflect, ponder, pray, meditate, and feel the love of Heavenly Father and the Savior. As we ponder and meditate in the temple, our thoughts naturally focus on members of our family.”
* “The temple is a place of personal revelation that will bless us in our stewardships.”
“President Hinckley has told us that ‘just as our Redeemer gave His life as a vicarious sacrifice for all men, and in so doing became our Savior, even so we, in a small measure, when we engage in proxy work in the temple, become as saviors to those on the other side who have no means of advancing unless something is done in their behalf by those on earth.’ ”
* “The temple is a place to know the Father and the Son.”
“It is a place where we experience the divine presence.”
This is just a partial snapshot. Again, let me suggest that you read the article for yourself.
While I have been studying with exuberance “the house” in Ezekiel, the topic of “families,” as wonderful as they are, did not even remotely come on the radar screen in the biblical text. But there is one big idea that comes through large and lucid – an utterly unique and faithful God who must be set apart among His people.
Look what God says about Israel, “When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD” (Eze. 39:27-29).
Following these words from heaven are the blueprints of the temple (Eze. 40-42), dimensions that have never yet been actualized. A very high mountain. A seven-step staircase. Approximately ten and half feet thick walls. Outer gate buildings (each having six guardrooms). Pillars towering into the air. Pavement. An eight-step staircase. Inner gate buildings. Ninety storage rooms, three-tiered high. The holy place. The most holy place. Palm trees. The Gizrah. Two-faced cherubim. The holy chambers. The holy garments.
When reading the chapters, did you notice the perfect symmetry? The controlled access . . . the ascending . . . the narrowing of doorways?
What is one of the purposes of the temple? God thunders to Ezekiel, “Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities” (Eze. 43:10). Ouch. Ezekiel’s vision of this future temple is not too politically correct for our day and age.
But thank God for that which is symbolized directly center in the very heart of this temple complex. You need to reverently walk 100 cubits from the outer gate to the inner gate. Then you must humbly approach the very middle of the 100 cubit square inner court. The requisite event before knowing the abiding presence of the Father sits there (Eze. 40:47). No temple is inclusive without this. Right? Check it out.
In this temple, God eclipses all earthly, familial relationships. Families, earthly pictures of heavenly things, are nice gifts to us from God. But God is paradise.
Jesus in Idaho Falls 
When your church was first being built, I was one who stood up for you when some of the neighbors complained. I heard things that were not very nice said by my "Christian" neighbors. But being a believer in of Savior Jesus Christ I stood up and said "Which would you rather have in our back yard, a bar or a chruch?" I believe like Joseph Smith did, that men have a right to worship in the way that they want. I also think that we should look for the good in ALL churches, instead of the things that we may do differently. We all have Jesus Christ as our King and Savior. Should we not focus on that?
I have a good dear friend of mine who is a Bapist Minster in California. We have known each other for a couple of years. We are planning a vacation together this coming February. We share this train of thought and have found a new close friend in gospel this way. This is alot kinder than finding fault.
Look for love and love shall be returned.
Bill,
First, let me say thanks for your kind responses to any critique of our church building being in the neighborhood. I am happy to be in Ammon. I have met many neat, intelligent, and friendly people. I have some LDS friends that are gems.
Even the Ammon neighbors who are forthright by saying I don’t belong to the one true Church, I appreciate their honesty. Because it is only when we are honest with what we are thinking in our hearts, that we can than begin to have any meaningful discussion over heart issues with one another.
Bill, I hope to be a kind, gracious neighbor. So doesn’t love call us to share with one another Scripture from John or Ezekiel or any of the other biblical books. I know I am the oddball in the community, but I am asking all my LDS friends to hear me out (and by all means please correct me if I am manipulating or exploiting the Scripture for my own selfish gain).
You wrote: We all have Jesus Christ as our King and Savior. Should we not focus on that?
I agree. Yet, Bill, how deep will you allow the discussion with me to go on this fundamental topic?
P.S. -the quotation marks don’t work in the comment box (sorry about that), but you can either bold or italicize.
How we discuss the Savior is easy. One thing that we can do is to examine the writings in Isaiah together. In Chapter 53, there is a great deal written about our King and what kind of person He would be. There are many many other scriptures that we can write about and discuss how do we apply the scripture of yesterday to todays world. Not to mention what can we learn from the mistakes of the past.
I believe that we have a great deal in common. So in times of very serious trobule, our faiths can pull us together to assist one and another. Jesus believed this same principal. Look at the parable of the Good Samatian. The one man who helped the other was from a part of the nation of Israel that was disliked by the rest. Yet it was he who helped his brother in need. I believe that Jesus used this story for many many reasons. One of which could be to teach us to look beyond our differences, and work together.
Bill
But Bill, as a friend, I would expect you to correct me where I am wrong about Bible interpretation about God. The last thing that I want to do is proclaim inaccuracy about Him in Ammon, Idaho. I do care deeply.
I am game to examine writings together. To be honest, I don’t know much about the book of Isaiah. It is a shame for me. I am familiar with certain chapters, like Isa. 53, but presently, I don’t have any idea what the big picture is of that book. I could not describe for you the total flow of Isaiah’s story.
Once, I finish Ezekiel on Wednesday nights for our inductive study time (we are currently on chapter 44), I am going to start verse by verse through Isaiah. What do you think?