Directional prayer, or prayer directed toward the temple, serves to make the temple prominent in the minds of those who are worshipping through prayer. A number of times during his temple dedicatory prayer (at least seven!), Solomon directed worshippers to pray toward the temple:
That thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. . . . when they shall pray toward this place. . . . if they pray toward this place. . . . What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel . . . and spread forth his hands toward this house. . . . when he shall come and pray toward this house. . . . and shall pray unto the Lord toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name. . . . pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name (1 Kgs. 8:29–30, 35, 38, 42, 44, 48; emphasis added).
Other biblical texts also refer to worshipping toward the Lord’s house. David wrote in a psalm, “I will . . . worship toward thy holy temple” (Ps. 5:7); and again, “I will worship toward thy holy temple” (Ps. 138:2). Jonah, in his extreme condition of tribulation, prophesied, “I will look again toward thy holy temple” (Jonah 2:4).
Other writers have also instructed worshippers regarding directional prayer. The Prophet Joseph Smith referred to Daniel’s custom of prayer (see Dan. 6:10) and taught: “You must make yourselves acquainted with those men who like Daniel pray three times a day to the House of the Lord Look to the Presidency and receive instruction.”243 From the dedicatory prayer of the Salt Lake Temple: “Heavenly Father, when Thy people shall not have the opportunity of entering this holy house to offer their supplications unto Thee, and they are oppressed and in trouble, surrounded by difficulties or assailed by temptation and shall turn their faces towards this Thy holy house and ask Thee for deliverance, for help, for Thy power to be extended in their behalf.”244 Jewish texts also refer to directional prayer, or praying in the direction of the temple (see B. T. Berakoth 30a; M. Berakoth 4:5–6).
The idea of directional prayer underscores the significance of the temple, because even when female and male worshippers were situated outside of the temple, they could have the temple uppermost in their minds and in their hearts, meaning, they would direct their sympathy, emotions, love, innermost feelings, etc., to the temple.