Vernal Utah Temple - Sacred vs Secret

For Christmas, our youngest son, traveled with my husband and I to Denver, to visit our daughter and her young family.  As part of the journey, we discussed attending three temples, the Vernal, Denver and Monticello.

The Vernal Temple is unique among all other temples.  This building was once used as a Tabernacle, where Stake Conference and other general meetings were held, and anyone could attend.  Now that the building has been remodeled and dedicated as a temple, only church members worthy of a temple recommend can enter.  Some people might question why everyone is not allowed inside a temple, once it is dedicated.  The ultimate goal is that everyone would eventually desire to enter the temple, to make additional, sacred covenants with God.  However, it is important to be prepared to make these sacred promises, in order to understand them and because we are held accountable for them.

Similar preparation happens before someone is baptized into the church.  They meet with missionaries, who teach them how to have faith, to repent, and prepare themselves to take upon them the name of Christ, and serve him.   And just like we wait for a young child to reach an age of maturity, knowledge and experience before being allowed to drive a car, so each individual grows and prepares themselves to understand and be willing to accept the consequences of their choices when making spiritual covenants.

So, the purpose of the temple is not to withhold or deny anyone the opportunity to enter, but instead it is an invitation for someone to prepare themselves to receive greater power and understanding about God.  The temple is for individual members of the church who have shown their desires by honoring their baptismal covenants and who seek to receive even greater blessings.

At the conclusion of the session we attended, I was delighted to recognize the wife of a former bishop, serving there.  Her and her husband moved to Vernal many years ago.  We visited for several minutes, and I was reminded what a small world we live in, and continue to cross paths with people again and again.

My husband mentioned how subtile the symbols and decorations were, within the temple.  He said it had a similar beauty as that of the desert, for those with eyes to see.