The temple stands at the center of God’s unfolding story. It is where heaven touches earth, where divine love takes form, and where humanity is invited home to the presence of God. From Eden to Solomon, from the wilderness tabernacle to the temple in Bountiful, the message is the same: God desires to dwell with His people and fill their lives with His covenant love.
Dear friends,
From Genesis to Revelation, the temple stands at the heart of God’s plan. It is the place where heaven and earth meet, where divine presence fills human space, and where covenant love becomes visible. Every major movement in the Bible either begins, centers, or ends at the temple.
Creation. Culminates with God resting, which means that He is at His temple home.
Fall. When we lost the Garden of Eden (the temple) God leaves His home to come find us and welcome us back.
Redemption. When we heed His call, we find our way back home to His welcoming presence, symbolized by a temple.
If Ḥesed is God’s loyal love and covenant is its structure, then the temple is its setting, the sacred meeting place where divine fidelity becomes encounter.
The Temple Story Begins in Eden
We can ready the Garden of Eden as a temple story. In Genesis 2, God places humanity in Eden “to work it and keep it.” The same Hebrew verbs later describe priestly service in the sanctuary (Numbers 3:7). Adam and Eve are initially seen as gardeners. But then we realize they are temple stewards, tending holy ground.
When sin enters, they are cast out “east of Eden.” Every temple that follows faces toward Eden, symbolically inviting humanity to return to the presence of God.
From Tent to Temple
After the Exodus, God commands Moses to build a tabernacle so that “I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). The Hebrew word mishkan means “dwelling.” The tabernacle is a portable Eden, a moving mountain of God.
Centuries later, Solomon’s temple becomes a permanent version of that same idea. Its imagery of cherubim, palm trees, and flowing water points back to the Garden of Eden and forward to restoration. When the glory of the Lord fills the temple, the people witness what covenant fulfillment looks like: heaven touching earth.
Even when after the Jerusalem temple was destroyed (around 587 BC), the prophets promised that God would rebuild His dwelling. Ezekiel envisions water flowing from a future temple, bringing life to the desert. The hope of restoration is always temple-shaped.
The Temple and the Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon continues this sacred pattern. Nephi builds a temple “after the manner of Solomon,” establishing worship centered on covenant renewal. King Benjamin gathers his people at the temple to rehearse God’s mercy, make covenants, and receive new names as the people of Christ.
When the resurrected Savior appears at the temple in Bountiful, heaven and earth meet perfectly. The structure becomes secondary to the presence of God Himself. Jesus invites each person to come forward, touch His hands, and feel the reality of redemption. The temple becomes living flesh, the true meeting place between mortality and divinity.
The Temple as Pattern of Life
In ancient Israel, worshipers physically ascended to the temple, as it was on higher ground. Every step symbolized moving closer to the presence of God. Psalm 24 captures the climb: “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart.”
That pattern remains. Each time we enter a temple, study scripture, or partake of the sacrament, we ascend spiritually. We retrace the journey from exile back to Eden, from separation to communion.
Heaven’s Presence in Daily Life
The temple’s purpose, beautified by sacred architecture, is a testament that all creation can be holy ground. God’s goal has always been to dwell with His people, not apart from them.
When we keep our covenants, our homes become sanctuaries of Ḥesed. When we forgive, serve, and worship, we re-create temple space wherever we are.
A Closing Thought
The temple is the center of God’s covenant story, the place where love takes form and heaven meets earth. It reminds us that God’s desire is for us to rest or dwell with him in a covenantal relationship.
Next week we will conclude this series by exploring how the Old Testament is still our story. We are the living heritage of a God whose Ḥesed endures forever and whose covenants continue in us.
—Taylor Halverson, Ph.D.
Learn Deeply. Live Meaningfully. Spread Light and Goodness!
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