Doctrine and Covenants Section 95

Historical Background

The commandment had been given to the Church to build a Temple in Kirtland, Ohio (see Section 88). A committee was appointed to get contributions for the construction of the building and to supervise the project. These men were Hyrum Smith, Reynolds Cahoon, and Jared Carter. The revelation indicates that the First Presidency would have the actual building revealed to them so that they may know how to proceed. Frederick G. Williams, a member of the First Presidency, wrote:

“Joseph received the word of the Lord for him to take his two counselors, Williams and Rigdon, and come before the Lord; and He would show them the plan, or model, of the house to be built. We went upon our knees, called on the Lord, and the building appeared within viewing distance, I being the first to discover it. Then all of us viewed it together. After we had taken a good look at the exterior, the building seemed to come right over us, and the makeup of the hall [the main hall on the first floor of the temple] seems to coincide with what I there saw to a minutia” (Recollection of Truman O. Angel, Temple Architect; Truman O. Angel journal (typescript), Brigham Young University Library, Special Collections; spelling and punctuation modernized).

Concerning the Kirtland Temple, Truman O. Angel wrote a letter to John Taylor, in 1885. He said, “F.G. Williams came into the Temple about the time the main hall 1st floor was ready for dedication. He was asked, how does the house look to you. He answered that it looked to him like the model he had seen. He said President Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon and himself were called to come before the Lord and the model was shown them. He said the vision of the Temple was thus shown them and he could not see the difference between it and the House as built” (Letter from Truman O. Angell to President John Taylor, 11 March 1885, Church archives).

D&C 95:1-6 The Lord’s Chastisement

What do these verses teach us about love and chastisement? Why would the Lord chasten those he loves? The Lord asked that “mine house” be built for “preparation.” What was the preparation he would give “mine apostles”? Why were some called, but not chosen? What blessings do we receive as we regularly attend the temple in our generation?

D&C 95:7-10 An Endowment of Power

What did the Lord intend to give the faithful members of the Church? What was keeping them from receiving this blessing? What blessings is the Lord trying to give you? What are you doing that might be keeping Him from giving you those blessings?

D&C 95:11-17 The Love of the Father

What important principles do we learn about the love of the Father? How is the Father showing love in these verses? What was the purpose of the Kirtland Temple? How is its purpose different from temples that are built today? How does the Father show love to you as you attend the temple?