About
Drawing Upon the Spiritual Treasures of the Temple is a captivating exploration of our faith inspired by the visionary teachings of President Russell M. Nelson. As the prophet who has announced more temples than any other in this dispensation, President Nelson invites us to move beyond routine to better understand the spiritual treasures received through temple ordinances.
Insightful Gospel Study
Stephen Fluckiger shares the incredible blessings he unearthed after accepting President Nelson’s call, including the power to recognize and feel God’s divine love, the life-changing influence of consistent temple worship, and the profound understanding of covenant-making central to God’s perfect plan. Delve into the ministries and priesthood keys restored by Moses, Elias, and Elijah, and gain greater power to part the veil and receive divine guidance through prayer.
The Richness of Temple Blessings
From the supernal blessings sealed upon us through the new and everlasting covenant of marriage to the ultimate power to become one with God, this book unveils the richness of temple ordinances. More than an exploration, it serves as a guide, revealing not just the promised treasures but how to harness their power. President Nelson promises. that as we do so, our families will be more “united, sealed in the temple of the Lord, and full of love for our Heavenly Father and for Jesus Christ.”
Inspired by Prophetic Invitations
“Every woman and every man who makes covenants with God and keeps those covenants, and who participates worthily in priesthood ordinances, has direct access to the power of God.” Through the ordinances of the priesthood (especially the temple), “both covenant-keeping women and men have access to ‘all the spiritual blessings of the church’ or, we might say, to all the spiritual treasures the Lord has for His children.”
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“I entreat you [sisters, indeed all members,] to study prayerfully all the truths you can find about priesthood power. . . . The scriptures and teachings by modern prophets, seers, and revelators are filled with these truths. As your understanding increases and as you exercise faith in the Lord and His priesthood power [received in the temple], your ability to draw upon this spiritual treasure that the Lord has made available will increase. As you do so, you will find yourselves better able to help create eternal families that are united, sealed in the temple of the Lord, and full of love for our Heavenly Father and for Jesus Christ.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Spiritual Treasures,” Ensign, November 2019)
Major Themes of the Book
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How can I increase my ability to draw upon God’s power in my day-to-day life?
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How does following the counsel of those to whom God has entrusted priesthood keys, especially the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, increase my ability to draw upon God’s power?
Theme #1
President Nelson’s Teachings
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“Please teach those whom you love . . . how to draw upon His strengthening power every day of their lives. . . . More regular time in the temple will allow the Lord to teach you how to draw upon His priesthood power with which you have been endowed in His temple.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel,” October 2018)
“Every woman and every man who [is] endowed in the house of the Lord receive[s] a gift [treasure] of God’s priesthood power by virtue of their covenant, along with a gift [treasure] of knowledge to know how to draw upon that power.”
“How do I draw the Savior’s power into my life? You won’t find this process spelled out in any manual. The Holy Ghost will be your personal tutor as you seek to understand what the Lord would have you know and do. This process is neither quick nor easy, but it is spiritually invigorating.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Spiritual Treasures,” October 2019)
“In the temple . . . we learn how to rebuke the adversary and draw upon the Lord’s priesthood power to strengthen us and those we love.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” April 2020)
“I bless you to increase your faith in Jesus Christ and learn better how to draw upon His power.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” October 2022)
Commentary
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Perhaps in no other area of our lives is the ability to draw upon the Savior’s power more important than the intensely personal need to move what President Nelson calls the "mountains" in our lives, what he describes as "loneliness, doubt, illness, or other personal problems." Such personal problems include our weaknesses, character flaws, compulsions, addictions and other shortcomings. The ultimate challenge of life, in short, is to have our natures and hearts changed.
Drawing Upon the Spiritual Treasures of the Temple is filled with truths revealed by the Savior through his servants ancient and modern on how to do this. Simply put, “through your faith” to follow the Savior by keeping your covenants with Him, “Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life.” What does President Nelson specifically invite us to do to develop such “faith and trust” in God to move the mountains in our lives? “Study” and “become an engaged learner;” “choose to believe in Jesus Christ"; “act in faith;” “partake of sacred ordinances worthily,” which “unlock the power of God for your life;” and “ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for help.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains,” April 2021)
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Theme #2
President Nelson’s Teachings
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“The significance of [the] keys being returned to the earth by [Moses, Elias and Elijah] under the direction of the Lord cannot be overstated. . . . [Such] keys . . . authorized Joseph Smith—and all succeeding Presidents of the Lord’s Church—to gather Israel on both sides of the veil, to bless all covenant children with the blessings of Abraham, to place a ratifying seal on priesthood ordinances and covenants, and to seal families eternally.”
Why are these keys so important? “Without priesthood keys, you could not be endowed with the power of God. [D&C 95:8; 109:22] Without priesthood keys, the Church could serve only as a significant teaching and humanitarian organization but not much more. Without priesthood keys, none of us would have access to essential ordinances and covenants that bind us to our loved ones eternally and allow us eventually to live with God. Priesthood keys distinguish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from any other organization on earth. [No] other organization can and will influence your life after death. [D&C 132:45-46]” (Russell M. Nelson, “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys,” April 2024)
Commentary
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“Revelation from God comes to prophets ‘in their weakness, after the manner of their language’ (Doctrine and Covenants 1:24). The context of the revelations is nothing but the ordinary and the extraordinary events in the lives of the prophets and their wives, children, extended families, and associates in the work of the Lord. In the details of their lives, just as with the descriptions of the Savior’s ministry in the Gospels and other standard works, we grow to know them and to love them.” As you read in Drawing Upon the Spiritual Treasures of the Temple about the lives of Moses, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, and Elijah, “ask yourself, ‘What can I learn from their experiences about the purposes and potential impact temple ordinances can have in my life?’ As Jesus beckons us to follow Him, the scriptural and biographical accounts of the lives of the Lord’s prophets, seers, and revelators (ancient and modern) show us what it looks like to do this—to be and become disciples of Jesus Christ.” (Stephen L. Fluckiger, Drawing Upon the Spiritual Treasures of the Temple, xv)
From the Author:
My temple study did not start out with any “book” in mind. I simply wanted to magnify the call President Nelson extended to Dorothy and I in early 2019 to preside over the Dallas Texas Temple. I felt a need, as we all do when we receive a new calling, to discover the “why’s” of our calling—in my case to exercise priesthood keys over the work in a temple of the Lord. I understood, as we recall from President Boyd K. Packer’s teaching, “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.” (Boyd K. Packer, “Little Children,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 17 ) As my understanding of and reverence for the temple and its ordinances grew, my first desire was to share my new excitement with our family and friends.
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Stephen's Story
Stephen L. Fluckiger received his BA from Princeton University and JD from Brigham Young University. He practiced law for thirty-two years with the international law firm Jones Day, becoming a partner in 1988. He and his wife, Dorothy, served as Mission Leaders in the Portugal Lisbon Mission from 2012-2015. In early 2019, near the end of his eighteen-month volunteer service as Associate Area Legal Counsel in São Paulo, Brazil for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he and Dorothy were called to serve as President and Matron of the Dallas Texas Temple. Previous to these assignments, Brother Fluckiger served as a bishop, stake president, and Area Seventy. He currently serves as a sealer in the San Antonio Texas Temple and a volunteer in the Office of General Counsel of the Church. ​ Steve and Dorothy live in Georgetown, Texas, and are the parents of five children with seventeen grandchildren.
