The year 2000 can be declared the most remarkable year of temple building thus far in the history of mankind. Thirty-four temples were dedicated during the twelve-month period of the first year in this new century, located in 11 different countries of the world.

As this extraordinary year draws to a close, there are a total of 102 operating temples serving the needs of our Father in Heaven's children on both sides of the veil. During many of the dedication services, President Gordon B. Hinckley has indicated that these beautiful buildings represent the most profound witness to the world of our belief in life after death. It is important to remember that the ordinances performed in these temples are just as vital to the salvation of those who have passed from mortality as they are to those whose mortal experience on earth continues.

While the ministry of preaching and teaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is being conducted on earth and in the spirit world, only on earth can the actual ordinances of salvation be performed. And only in temples, dedicated houses of the Lord, may such ordinances be performed for those who died before receiving them.

Great peace and encouragement are felt as one imagines the magnitude of joy experienced by our deceased progenitors, who perhaps long ago accepted the gospel in the spirit world and now whose long awaited day of receiving the temple ordinances by proxy has finally arrived.

The First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve's desire to bring the temples closer to the members of the Church who reside here on earth has, in reality, also brought the temples closer to the vast multitudes who live in the world of departed spirits. Truly, the blessings flowing from the great hastening of temple activity have been experienced on both sides of the veil as the "hearts of the children [have turned] to their fathers." (Doctrine and Covenants 2:2.)

This new era of hastened temple building has been made possible through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit on President Gordon B. Hinckley. In a general conference address in October 1995, he said: "I have a burning desire that a temple be located within reasonable access to Latter-day Saints throughout the world. . . . It is my constant prayer that somehow [the work of building temples] might be speeded up so that more of our people might have easier access to a sacred house of the Lord." (Conference Report, October 1995; Ensign, November 1995, pp. 52-53.)

Two years later, President Hinckley reported how he had been prayerfully pondering the matter of providing the opportunity for members in remote areas of the Church to receive the blessings of the temple. "The answer," he declared, "came bright and clear." Then he announced the building of "small temples in some of these areas, buildings with all of the facilities to administer all of the ordinances." He indicated these temples would "be built to temple standards." (Conference Report, October 1997; Ensign, November 1997, p. 49.)

It should be remembered that while the size of temples will differ, the saving ordinances and the authority to administer them will remain constant. The architectural style of the building may vary according to local circumstances, but there will be no altering of the sacred ordinances regardless of country or culture.

Thus, a worthy member of the Church participating in temple work in the Villahermosa Mexico Temple will receive the same ordinances, administered in the same way, and by the same authority as a worthy member participating in temple work in the Halifax Nova Scotia, Memphis Tennessee, or Fukuoka Japan temples.

Speaking of this constancy, President Hinckley declared: "Every ordinance that can be performed in the Salt Lake Temple, the largest in the Church, can be performed in these smaller temples. They are devoted exclusively to ordinance work." (Conference Report October 200; Ensign, November 2000, p. 68.)

While we admire the exquisite beauty of the buildings, and strive to construct temples of the finest earthly materials, one must always remember that the sacred ordinances performed in temples are those things of ultimate and lasting value and beauty.

President Thomas S. Monson in quoting President Ezra Taft Benson said, "I am grateful to the Lord for temples. The blessings of the House of the Lord are eternal. They are of the highest importance to us because it is in the temples that we obtain God's greatest blessings pertaining to eternal life. Temples really are the gateways to heaven." (Thomas S. Monson, Conference Report, April 1993; Ensign, May 1993, p. 5)

The constancy of the sacred ordinances is a safeguard to the Latter-day Saints. Such constancy is a reminder of God's unchanging nature and of His guarantee of the validity of the ordinances. The faces of His prophets and other authorized servants may change, as well as the outer and even inner appearance of His houses of worship. But His eternal ordinances — those gifts which will open the door to His eternal presence — will forever remain constant.

Various prophets have prophesied of the growth for many years of the day when temples would dot the earth. Now in the course of these past 24 months nearly 50 new temples have been constructed and dedicated. President Hinckley has said, "There will be a steady construction of these sacred houses to accommodate the needs of the people." (Conference Report, October 2000; Ensign, November 2000, p. 68.)

The testimony of President Wilford Woodruff declared the importance of this era of temple construction when he said, "Temple building is a preparation necessary for the second advent of the Savior, and when we shall have built the temples now contemplated, we will then begin to see the necessity of building others, for in proportion to the diligence of our labor in this direction, will we comprehend the extent of the work to be done, and the present is only a beginning." (Journal of Discourses, 19:229-30.)

It is not sufficient to just build and increase the number of temples across the earth. Each House of the Lord must be constantly occupied by worthy members eager to receive their own temple blessings and to then provide these same blessings by proxy to their ancestors.

The First Presidency has invited Latter-day Saints to be a temple worthy and temple attending people: "We desire that all adult members of the Church be worthy to have a temple recommend, receive their own endowments and sealings, identify their ancestors and perform temple ordinances for those who wait beyond the veil. These responsibilities apply to all members of the Church." (First Presidency letter, dated July 8, 1995.)

This recent invitation by those we sustain as prophets, seers and revelators is consistent with counsel given by their predecessors. For example, over a century ago, President Brigham Young charged the Saints of his day to awaken to their temple responsibilities.

"Wake up, then, Latter-day Saints," declared this prophet of God, "and prepare yourselves temples in the places that shall be designated by the oracles of the Most High God . . . multiply them according to the wants of the people; for the work is becoming continually greater and greater, and the Latter-day Saints must wake up to these principles." (Journal of Discourses, 1:255.)

The emphasis in this dispensation on temple service has been constant from the early recorded declaration in Section 2 of the Doctrine and Covenants to "plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers," to the last section and the words of President Joseph F. Smith. He recorded that "choice-spirits . . . were reserved to come forth in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundation of the great latter-day work, including the building of the temples and the performance of ordinances therein for the redemption of the dead." (Doctrine and Covenants 138:53-54.)

We are now witnessing this significant global change accomplished through these "choice spirits" that is making temple worship more readily available to a larger part of Heavenly Father's children on both sides of the veil.

The message is clear. The result of temple service and our regular participation in temple ordinances is a spiritual beacon that will lead the Latter-day Saints through the daily storms and challenges of this earthly probation.

Paul E. Koelliker is managing director of the Temple Department.