When God wanted to dwell with His people anciently, he asked them to build a place of holiness in the wilderness—a tabernacle. When we want to be closer to God today we can visit the temple too. Exodus 35–40 and Leviticus teach the Israelites details of their one traveling tabernacle, and if we read closely we can see the similarities to our hundreds of temples all over the world.
Segment 1
Scriptures:
Exodus 25:8 (God will dwell among the Israelites)
1 Nephi 19:23 (Liken the scriptures for your profit and learning)
Exodus 39:1,5,7,21,26,29,31 (As the Lord commanded Moses)
Exodus 25:22 (God will meet and commune at the temple)
Segment 2
Scriptures:
Exodus 3:22, 11:2, 12:35-36 (The Israelites bring riches)
Exodus 35:5,10,21-22 (Wise and willing heart)
Exodus 35:25-29 (All manner of offering)
Exodus 36:1-2 (The Lord blesses who he calls)
Words of the General Authorities:
The heart is symbolic of love a nd commitment. We will make sacrifices and bear burdens for those we love that we would not endure for any other reason—not for money, not for recognition, not for power. If love does not exist, our commitment will surely wane.
Having a “willing mind” connotes giving our best effort, using our finest thinking, and seeking God’s wisdom. It suggests that our most devoted lifetime study should be of things that are eternal in nature. It says to me that there must be an inextricable relationship between hearing the word of God and obeying it. (Donald L. Hallstrom, “The Heart and a Willing Mind”, BYU Speeches delivered on December 7, 2010)
Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation. (Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith, 6:7, as published in Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate)
All who speak in this general conference will all be saying, one way or another, what Christ said to this rich young man: “Come unto your Savior. Come completely and wholeheartedly. Take up your cross, however heavy it may be, and follow Him.” They will say this knowing that in the kingdom of God, there can be no halfway measures, no starting and stopping, no turning back. To those who requested permission to bury a deceased parent or to at least say goodbye to other family members, Jesus’s reply was demanding and unequivocal. “Leave that to others,” He said. “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” When difficult things are asked of us, even things contrary to the longings of our heart, remember that the loyalty we pledge to the cause of Christ is to be the supreme devotion of our lives. Although Isaiah reassures us it is available “without money and without price”—and it is—we must be prepared, using T. S. Eliot’s line, to have it cost “not less than everything.” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Greatest Possession”, October 2021 General Conference)
Segment 3
Scriptures:
Exodus 38:1-7 (Altar of sacrifice)
Leviticus 16:14-15 (Blood from the animal sacrifice)
Exodus 26:33 (Veil)
Exodus 25:10-22 (Ark of the Covenant)
Exodus 40:12-13 (Washing and anointing)
Exodus 39:1 (Holy garments)
Leviticus 16:12 (Incense)
Exodus 37:17-24 (Candlestick or lampstand)
Exodus 30:17-21 (Laver or basin of water)
Exodus 39:30 (Holiness to the Lord)
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.
(“I Stand All Amazed”, Hymns #193)
Words of the General Authorities:
There’s an ancient oriental legend that tells the story of a jeweler who had a precious pearl he wanted to sell…The pearl was then placed in the store window of the jeweler, and after a short period of time, a rich man came by. He was attracted by what he saw and sat down with the jeweler to negotiate a purchase. The jeweler soon realized that the man was negotiating for the box rather than the pearl. You see, the man was so overcome by the beauty of the exterior that he failed to see the pearl of great price. (J. Thomas Fyans, “The Pearl of Great Price”, October 1982 General Conference)
Segment 4
Scriptures:
Leviticus 16:34 (Forgive all sins)
Leviticus 16:31 (Atonement is rest for the soul)
Words of the General Authorities:
Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance. Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind. (Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better”, April 2019 General Conference)
Translations:
Yom Kippur = Day of Atonement, High Holy Day (Hebrew)
Segment 5
Scriptures:
Leviticus 19:1-2 (Holy even as God is holy)
CR: Exodus 12:3 (All the congregation)
Moses 7:35 (Man of Holiness, Man of Counsel)
Isaiah 57:15 (Holiness is contrite and humble)
1 Nephi 22:21,24,28 (The Holy One of Israel)
D&C 46:33 (Practice virtue)
Words of the General Authorities:
Our Father in Heaven knows us. He loves us, and He has provided for us all that is required so that we can become holy as He is holy…Heavenly Father has given each of us the capacity to become holy. May we do our best to keep our covenants and take the Holy Ghost as our guide. (Carol F. McConkie, “The Beauty of Holiness”, April 2017 General Conference)
Segment 6
Scriptures:
D&C 109:22-24 (Armed with power from the temple)
Isaiah 4:6 (A place of refuge)
Words of the General Authorities:
It’s going to be hard. You can do hard with Jesus, or you can do hard alone. When you do hard with Jesus Christ, the hard becomes holy. (Camille N. Johnson, “Holy Women Fix Their Focus on Jesus Christ”, 2026 Relief Society Devotional: A Worldwide Gathering of Women)
Read the transcript here.