As you can see in the heading, the saints in Missouri had been forced to sign an agreement about 10 days before this revelation to leave Missouri. They had been under severe persecution and literally had no choice. It's interesting that the Lord now commands that a temple be built there, but more interesting that there are certain conditions for the people to meet in order to see it built. The Lord warns that there will be a scourge that will vex all the people and the saints will not escape it unless the observe what the Lord commands. So on one hand, you have the Lord promising a temple if the saints will meet the Lord's standards, or the promise of further problems if they do not. What's most interesting is that Joseph would not have received word of the persecution and its results yet in Kirtland.
The Lord's conditions for a temple to be built would not be easy to achieve. They must be a Zion people. A Zion people are united, are pure in heart, they observe and keep the covenants they have made with the Lord, and are they willing to sacrifice for the Lord's kingdom. I believe this sacrifice is meant to be inward and outward. Inward, unrighteousness is sacrificed. Outwardly, earthly things are sacrificed When a person is willing to sacrifice outwardly, it removes selfishness.
Should the temple be built, the Lord promises that his presence will be there, but also states that no unclean thing can enter it or his presence will not be there. Through the temple, the Lord promises that the people will be perfected in their understanding of doctrine, and receive power. Whenever the Lord builds a temple, he promises that his people will be endowed with power. I believe this is the power of righteousness. If this is the case, it's no wonder that every time a temple is proposed, Satan unleashes his power to oppose it and tries to prevent its construction.
I love the final promise of the Lord, "I will bless her (the church) with blessings, and multiply a multiplicity of blessings upon her , and upon her generations forever and ever."
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