The Houses of the Lord - Then and Now

The Visitor Center on the piazza of the Rome Temple offers an interesting display about temples. In an effort to share it with you, we snapped a few pictures of the models and narratives. 

"The House of the Lord: Christ held the temple sacred. Mary and Joseph found Him teaching and asking questions of the elders there. He further taught reverence for the temple when He drove the moneychangers from it. Temples have existed since the days of the Old Testament. The Lord commanded His people to build temples where He could teach, guide, and bless them. They are literally the Houses of the Lord."

"Temple Beginnings: After Moses and the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. During this time the Lord instructed them to build a tabernacle, which was a portable temple designed for sacred ceremonies." 

"Herod's Temple, Jerusalem: After the Israelites were established in the Holy Land, they built a temple that followed the pattern of the tabernacle. In the first century BC, King Herod expanded and rebuilt parts of the temple. This is the temple Jesus Christ taught and worshipped in during His life. "

"The Bern Switzerland Temple: Beginning in 1820, God restored through His Prophet Joseph Smith many of the same spiritual practices that were in place anciently. The first modern-day temple was completed in 1836, and the first European temple, located in Bern, Switzerland, was completed in 1955. For many years Church members from Italy traveled to Switzerland to receive the blessings of the temple."