Exodus 25–31

Exodus 25–31

By Amberly Cotton

Fill in the Blank

How many dedicated temples are there?

Open Ended

Explain what you love about the Temple.

Open Ended

Write 1-2 Questions that you have about the temple.

​- Silvia H. Allred

" The temple is a house of learning. Much of the instruction imparted in the temple is symbolic and learned by the Spirit. This means we are taught from on high. Temple covenants and ordinances are a powerful symbol of Christ and His Atonement. We all receive the same instruction, but our understanding of the meaning of the ordinances and covenants will increase as we return to the temple often with the attitude of learning and contemplating the eternal truths taught" 

​The Tabernacle in Moses day is similar to the temple in our day. Today we are going to dive in to the symbols found in the Tabernacle. Next time you do baptisms in the temple, think about the symbols you see in the temple, too.​

​Exodus 25:9

• How did Moses know how to build the Tabernacle?

​Exodus 26

• The Lord instructed Israel to build the tent of the tabernacle with boards, curtains, and a veil to divide the tabernacle into two rooms.

Exodus 26:33–34

• What were the two rooms called?

• What did God command Moses to put in the most holy place?​

God instructed Moses to build the ark of the covenant. It was a large box made of fine wood overlaid “with pure gold” (verse 11). The lid, often referred to as the “mercy seat,” was made “of pure gold” (verse 17) and had “two cherubims,” or angels, on top (verse 18).

Exodus 25:21–22​

Summary Exodus 27:9–18

What would happen at the mercy seat?

This section contains the Lord’s instructions that linen curtains be placed between pillars to create a courtyard with a gate around the tabernacle.

Explain item's purpose and location in the Tabernacle

• Candlestick(with seven lamps): Exodus 25:31–32, 37–40; 26:35

• Table of shewbread: Exodus 25:23, 29–30; 26:35

• Altar of sacrifice: Exodus 27:1–8; 30:18

• Altar of incense: Exodus 30:1–8

• Laver (basin of water): Exodus 30:17–2

These items and the ordinances performed with them were symbolic and were meant to teach Israel how to journey through life back to God.

​The Tabernacle (1991) - YouTube

​https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-03-0045-the-tabernacle?lang=eng&alang=eng&collectionId=632b41495e4e4af386cb5de31c28cfb7​

Watch the video and get a visual for what the tabernacle looked like. Take note of the symbols in your journal.

1. Candlestick

2. Table of shewbread:

3. Altar of sacrifice

4. Altar of incense

5. Laver (basin of water):

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a. The Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost

b. The Savior’s body (Similar to Sacrament)

c. Giving ourselves completely to God, giving up sin, and relying on the great and last sacrifice of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

d. Prayer

e. Cleansing, such as through repentance and baptism

Match the items to the Symbol

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​The Manti Temple

Brigham Young announced the temple site 25 June 1875 and dedicated the site on 25 April 1877. Earlier that same morning, he had taken Warren S. Snow with him to the southeast corner of the temple site and told him, “Here is the spot where the Prophet Moroni stood and dedicated this piece of land for a Temple site, and that is the reason why the location is made here, and we can’t move it from this spot.”

Subject | Subject

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​The Angel Moroni

As President Gordon B. explained in the October 1997 general conference, “The figure of Moroni, atop many of our temples, is a constant reminder of the vision of John the Revelator: ‘And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people’ ”

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​Object Lesson

I need one student to volunteer to leave the room for a minute or two.

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​Object Lesson

1. Volunteer to Give a gift Grudgingly

2. Volunteer to Give a gift Willingly​

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BRAINSTORM-> What would it look like to give the gift grudgingly

What would it look like to give the gift willingly?​

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​Object Lesson

Each volunteer give you gift one at a time. ​

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​Questions for the Receiver

• What was the difference between how these two gifts were offered to you?

• How did you feel when you were offered a gift grudgingly? How did you feel when a gift was offered willingly?

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Exodus 35:4-5

​Read Silently to Yourself

• What did the Lord command regarding the offerings given to build the tabernacle?​

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Exodus 35:20–22, 29

​Read Silently to Yourself

• How did the people responded to the Lord’s command?

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I need 2 volunteers to open the Presents.

​The Presents

• How do the presents relate to manner in which we give offerings?

• What can we learn from these verses about how the Lord desires us to give offerings?​

• What are some offerings we can give to the Lord?​

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Think of a time when you have seen someone willingly make offerings to the Lord. What emotions do you feel when you think about that story?

Willingly Make an Offering

How can you follow Moses's Call to Action?

1. Write down a specific offering you would like to give to the Lord.

2. Set a goal to make that offering willingly.

3. Put your chart in a place where it will remind you to fulfill your goal.

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​Exodus 35-40

Hundreds of thousands of Israelites freely made an offering and the tabernacle was completed.

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Exodus 29:1–21. Aaron and the priests are to be washed, anointed, and clothed in holy garments

​Exodus 29:20–21

After the ram was sacrificed, the next part of the cleansing ceremony symbolized that the priests could apply or access the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

​

What did the Lord instruct the priests to do with the ram’s blood after they sacrificed the ram?

a. Action

b. ​Walking

c. Hearing​

​What it symbolizes

1. Ear

2. Thumb

3. Great Toe​

Part of the Body in the Ceremony​

Which part of the body mentioned in verses 20–21 may be associated with each of the words under symbolizes?

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• What might the placement of a symbol of Jesus Christ on a priest’s ear, thumb, and toe show the Lord that the priest was willing to do?

• ​According to verse 21, what effect would this ceremony have on the priests?

• What do you think we can learn from this symbolic ceremony?​

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​- President Russel M. Nelson

" Inscribed on each temple are the words ‘holiness to the Lord’ [see Exodus 28:36; 39:30; Psalm 93:5]. That statement designates both the temple and its purposes as holy. Those who enter the temple are also to bear the attribute of holiness [see Exodus 19:5–6]. As temples are prepared for the people, the people need to prepare themselves for the temple" 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2013-02-1070-temples?lang=eng&alang=eng&collectionId=632b41495e4e4af386cb5de31c28cfb7​

Subject | Subject

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​Think about your temple experiences

How can understanding these truths influence how you worship in the temple?

In what ways has temple worship helped you proceed faithfully through this life and prepare to enter God’s presence?

What do you think we can learn from symbolic ceremonies?​

Open Ended

How does temple worship bring you closer to Jesus Christ?