Lessons on the Temple
Lesson No. Seven
A Current Temple Recommend (CTR)
An additional definition of CTR – In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, especially among the youth, CTR stands for “Choose the Right”. Because of the importance of temple worship in our day we propose an additional definition – “Current Temple Recommend”. Having a current temple recommend and using it regularly brings many blessings which include the following:
A Current Temple Recommend (CTR) is a standing invitation to come to the house of the Lord – The dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland temple was given by revelation. In it the Prophet prayed: "We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity" (D&C 109:24). To "honorably hold a name and standing in [the House of the Lord]" is to have a Current Temple Recommend.
The temple protects us against the “combinations of wickedness” in our day – In the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland temple a promise is given to those who are worthy of a CTR: "That no weapon formed against them shall prosper…; That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house” (D&C 109:25-26).
Combinations of wickedness and modern conspiracies ensnare many people, especially youth – In the Word of Wisdom the Lord warns those who live in the latter days: “In consequences of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarned you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation” (D&C 89:4). Some of the things the Lord warns about include alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, addicting drugs, and pornography.
More temples are being built and the youth help keep them very busy – Many members are drawn to the temple for their safety and protection against the wicked combinations and the conspiracies of our day. These wicked combinations and conspiracies are very often targeted to the youth. The Lord has inspired His prophets to provide ways that our youth can be strengthened. This includes our youth having their own temple recommends, and they are using them regularly. To accommodate this some temples are being built with two baptistries. It is important because just as it is “easier to keep a city” from falling to an enemy “than to retake it from them” (Alma 59:9), it is much easier to keep our youth active than to reactive them once they are adults.
The temple prepares us against “the unique anxieties of this era” – I add my testimony to what President Russell M. Nelson taught: “The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ. His essential ordinances bind us to Him through sacred priesthood covenants. Then, as we keep our covenants, He endows us with His healing, strengthening power. And oh, how we will need His power in the days ahead. We have been promised that ‘if [we] are prepared [we] shall not fear.’ This assurance has profound implications today. The Lord has declared that despite today’s unprecedented challenges, those who build their foundations upon Jesus Christ, and have learned how to draw upon His power, need not succumb to the unique anxieties of this era” (The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation, October 2021 General Conference).