Where is the Temple of God

17 April

October 2005

As most of you are aware, my writings about the LDS Church often reflect the book in the Bible I am studying at the time.  Right now I am in an in-depth study on Paul’s first epistle to the new believers in Corinth.  Half way through my study for the day it became abundantly clear what I was to write this time for the website.  After walking with the Lord for more than twelve years now I’ve discovered there is no such thing as “coincidence”.

While studying this epistle I’ve learned that Paul painstakingly exhorted the believers to be careful of how they built upon their walk with the Lord.  There were a few key words in this passage of 1 Corinthians 3 that caught my attention so let’s dig in for a word study that I pray will bless you.  My heart and soul prays that the Mormon who stumbles across this website will take the time to do their own investigation and ask the God of the Bible to reveal His truth unto them.

1 Corinthians 3:16 says; “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”  The key word for this verse is temple.  In the Greek it is “naos” and the transliteration for this is: fane, shrine or temple.

In Strong’s Concordance it also said to “compare this with the word “hieron”.   This Greek word means a sacred place, whereas “naos” denotes the central sanctuary itself.”  The word “naos” is taken from a primary word called “naio” which means to dwell.  In other words, God dwells in His temple and Paul reiterates this in the very next verse.

My prayer is for the Mormon who has heard this before but has chosen to skip over this valuable information.  I pray that you stop this time and truly take a moment to think on the words of God to you.

 The believers are the temple of God and those believers are the
dwelling place of the Lord.  It’s not
some building that has been built in your town.

October 31, 1988 was the day I buried not only my daughter, but in my heart I buried the LDS Church as well.  At the time Kirk was in the Air Force and we were stationed at Nellis AFB in Vegas.  We had only lived there for a few months and literally didn’t know anyone to officiate at her funeral.  We weren’t active in the Church at the time so we began looking in the yellow pages for the closest ward.  As it was there was only one bishop in town because of a scouting event somewhere else so Bishop Kelly offered to do the services.  He arrived fifteen minutes before the service was to begin and introduced himself as we began our walk out to the gravesite where Mallory’s casket laid waiting for us.

He hadn’t been speaking for ten minutes before he announced to us that we would “never see Mallory again, for she would be given to another more worthy LDS couple who had earned the right to care for her in heaven”.  In other words we were going to hell.  Now I know what you’re thinking…the LDS Church doesn’t teach the doctrine of hell and I either misunderstood him or I became bitter because I didn’t want to follow God.

I can assure you that what he said has been verified by LDS and non-LDS attendants of her funeral alike.  After the funeral I questioned my mother about what he said and my mother told me that I had taken it the wrong way even though she agreed with me on what he did in fact say.

Several weeks later my mother sent me a book that is published by the Church entitled; “Angel Children, Those Who Die Before Accountability”.  Her intentions were good and my heart breaks each time I think of her believing this book holds any truth.  The book was written by an active temple Mormon, Mary V. Hill.  Mrs. Hill had lost one of her children and thus written this book as a “comfort” for those who’ve gone through the same thing.  On page 38 she quoted Joseph Fielding Smith by saying that her exaltation depended on her own righteousness, whereas her son had already obtained his.  Let’s look at what Smith had to say in Doctrines of Salvation, 2:56;

If parents are righteous, they will have their children after the resurrection. Little
children who die, whose parents are not worthy of an exaltation, will be adopted
into the families of those who are worthy
.”

I have searched the Bible through and through and have not found one single verse that would back this teaching.  In fact I have found the contrary!  Jesus said in Mark 12:23-5;

In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?  For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.”

So I ask the Mormon now that Jesus has spoken on this subject…whose child shall Mallory be?  I am inclined to believe that she belongs to God.  The Lord allowed me to carry her for nine months; He allowed me to hold her in my arms for a day; Mallory doesn’t belong to anyone but God.  Our salvation doesn’t rest in our own righteousness for those are ‘filthy rags’ as it says in Isaiah 64:6, but our righteousness lies in His Son whom He allowed to be crucified for our sins!

Which brings me back to where is God now?  God dwells inside of His holy temple, this we know from scripture.  His holy temple is the body of Christ collectively and individually.  There’s not a doubt in my mind I’ll see Mallory again, but that is only because the Spirit of God dwells inside of me now.

I have a few more questions for the Mormon and if you’re the loved one of a Mormon, ask them these questions about your own family members so they can see the love in your eyes you have for them.

-If God dwells inside of us why would we need a
temple building?

-Aren’t the temple recommends and the Old Testament temple veil thesame thing?
Scripture says the veil was rent in two when Jesus died!  Mark 15:38.

-If there are no marriages in heaven as Jesus stated,
then why the need for endowments and sealings?

-Why did Jesus Christ die for you?

-If you died today would you go to heaven?

Oh how I pray the Mormon would see the truth and come to know the real Jesus of Heaven and earth!  How I pray that their eyes would be open to the simplicity of the Lord’s message.   Paul went on to say in 1 Corinthian 3:19; “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.”

I want to make it abundantly clear that I don’t hold any animosity towards Bishop Kelly.  I pray for him and his family quite often and thank God that bishop was the “only bishop available” that day so many years ago.  What took place at Mallory’s funeral was nothing short of a miracle for Kirk and me.   This was no “coincidence”.

With Love in Christ; Michelle

1 Cor. 1:18

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