House of Learning by M. Richard and Kathleen H. Walker

I believe I first heard about this book from Renee Nordquist. Len and I were leading an "Empty Nesters" group activity. We made a Jeopardy-style game about temples and I asked people to also bring resources to share that had enhanced people's temple worship. I believe this is the book that Renee recommended. I ordered it right away.

The authors served as Temple President and Matron of the Salt Lake Temple from 2005 to 2008. This book is a reflection of their learning there and over the years as temple-goers. They share experiences with their workers and their patrons. They also offer some advice on how to learn in the temple. Their simple formula is: The Principle, the Savior, and Me...

Step One - in any part of the temple, including the baptisry, listen for the doctrinal principles that are being taught.

Step Two - Once you've identified the principle, ask, "How does this principle relate to the Savior?" Everything in the temple relates directly to the Savior, his divinity, and his atonement.

Step Three- Then ask, "What does this mean to me, and how do I apply it in my life?"

They give some helpful ideas to practice these three steps. They are very accessible examples and call on us to think deeply and to ask the Spirit for clarity.

Besides these helpful suggestions and this pattern for deepening my temple experience, there are inspiring stories and experiences. These make the reading enjoyable and uplifting. I also enjoyed comparing the experiences they had in a HUGE temple with our little Bismarck temple. The contrast in some areas were striking, yet the possibilities for spiritual experiences are big in both.

The Holy Invitation by Anthony Sweat

My friend and mentor in all things temple, Lolly Osguthorpe, recommended this book to me when I mentioned I wished I got more out of my temple worship, especially the endowment. She said it's now her "go to" book for members about to go to the temple for the first time and that her granddaughters really valued it. That was good enough for me! I ordered it right away. Lolly was right--it's simple and straightforward and very helpful.

What I found most helpful was the metaphor in Part 2, called "The Commoner and the King." It helped me understand, right away, more about the ceremony and clothing used in the endowment. It gave me "softer eyes" to view all aspects of that experience, which I needed!

In Part 3, the author recommends applying what prophets have taught when learning about God: use our mind (know), our heart (feel), and our actions (do). He recommends asking myself:

What does the Lord want me to KNOW from this experience?
What does the Lord want me to FEEL from this experience?
What does the Lord want me to DO because of this experience?

The author suggests other questions as well, and I like them. His overriding advice is to be meek and humble when asking for help in understanding. He reminds us that the endowment is teaching people of different cultures all over the world, and thus the teaching must be symbolic to cross cultures. It takes mental effort to understand symbolic teaching. It is helping me be more patient...This is a short little book but has rich references too. Worth multiple reads and study.