During the March 2025 Relief Society Worldwide Devotional, the Relief Society general presidency testified of the strength and power that come from making temple covenants with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson said it is a blessing to be covenant women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Sisters, it is a glorious time,” she said. “And we collectively bear testimony that we are engaged in the work of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We know He lives. We know He loves us. We know that He desires for us to have a covenant relationship with Him.”
Since then, members of the Relief Society general advisory council and women around the world have shared on the Relief Society Worldwide Instagram and Facebook accounts the blessings they see from temple worship and covenants.
The joy and transformation of temple service
Sister Hannah Miller of the Relief Society general advisory council found personal strength through Church President Russell M. Nelson’s teachings about temple worship.
“President Nelson said, ‘Regular temple worship will enhance the way you see yourself and how you fit into God’s magnificent plan,’” Sister Miller quoted (see “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys,” April 2024 general conference).
Sister Miller said temple worship gives her clarity about her divine identity.
“As I draw my thoughts to the temple, I can think about the things that I learn there: the Creation, the gift of having a Savior, the gift of families. ... That every time will give me so much confidence and clarity that I am a daughter of God and that He loves me.”
Sister Andrea McConkie of the Relief Society general advisory council referenced President Nelson’s teaching that “construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will” (“Let Us All Press On,” April 2018 general conference).
Sister McConkie said temple worship has changed her relationships.
“I am much more quick to forgive and to view kindly the actions of others towards me. I think so much of what we learn in the temple is about relationships: ours with God and ours with other people.”
Sister Eme Martin of the Relief Society general advisory council has served with her husband for nearly 20 years as ordinance workers. This regular service has strengthened both their marriage and their spiritual lives.
When questioned about dedicating so much time during her husband’s demanding law school years, Sister Martin said, she responded that they couldn’t afford not to be in the temple.
“Indeed, our lives have been more sublime because of our time in the house of the Lord,” she said. “How grateful we are for this reward.”
Sister Sharlene Miner, also from the Relief Society general advisory council, shared this promise from President Nelson: “The temple will become a place of safety, solace and revelation” (“The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” October 2021 general conference).
Sister Miner said she has experienced these blessings personally.
“I testify that I have felt that safety, solace and revelation. The first time I felt it was before I was endowed, and I was sitting in my car in the temple parking lot, praying about something very important. And I felt I was a daughter of God and He loved me,” she said.
Bringing temple covenants home
Sister Dana Earl, from the Relief Society general advisory council, spoke about how temple covenants extend beyond the walls of the building.
“I love that when I return home, I can bring those covenants home with me and I can share them with the people I love and serve.”
She quoted Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who said: “There exists a righteous unity between the temple and the home. Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family; understanding the eternal nature of the family will draw you to the temple” (“Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples,” April 2009 general conference).
For Maffi M. Del Rosario from the Philippines, covenants represent far more than mere promises.
“Covenants are not just promises. They are sacred commitments that bind us to [Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ] in a relationship of love, trust and guidance,” she said.
Del Rosario said honoring these sacred promises brings divine strength into daily life.
“When we keep our covenants, we invite divine strength and direction in our lives,” she explained, adding that “through covenants, we grow closer to our Savior, who offers us endless grace and the power to become more like Him.”
Finding temple connection despite distance
Some Church members around the world live farther away from a house of the Lord than others. Sister Apphia Peter, an area organization adviser from Pakistan, shared how she and fellow members maintain their temple connection despite not having a temple in their country.
“How we feel close to the temple is by teaching about the temple in church, ministering and doing family history work,” Peter said. She described visiting a temple in the Philippines in 2006 and how her community prepares spiritually despite geographical challenges.
“Throughout the year, even though it’s not close to us, we make sure we are worthy of going to the temple by helping each other, by following all the commandments and making sure that we are following all the standards that will help us be worthy to go to the temple,” she said, adding how hopeful she is that there will be a house of the Lord someday in Pakistan.
Sister Minni Isaac, an area organization adviser from Chennai, India, said that though she doesn’t often get the opportunity to attend the temple, she follows the Lord’s commandments and makes the temple very important in her life.
“I stay on the covenant path to be close to the Lord and live a temple-worthy life. When I do that, the Lord will help me go to the temple in His own time and in His own way,” she said.
For those who cannot regularly worship in the temple, Sister Anna Astashova, an area organization adviser in the Eurasian Area, offered some guidance.
“First, always have a current temple recommend. It is our way to show Jesus Christ that we have desire,” she said. “Second, seek for our ancestors and submit their names to the temple. They are waiting. This is a sacred work that cannot be put off until better times.”
She also suggested that people learn more about temple covenants. “President Nelson said, ‘As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power’ (“The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again," October 2024 general conference).”
