“…Our time in the temple is crucial to our salvation and exaltation and to that of our families. 

“…Each one of us needs the ongoing spiritual strengthening and tutoring that is possible only in the house of the Lord.” Russell M. Nelson

From the beginning, men and women built temples to worship God.  “Temples are literally houses of the Lord. They are holy places of worship where the Lord may visit” (True to the Faith). While Jesus was on the earth, He came to the temple often and made it clear it was a sacred and holy place, which must be pure and clean. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the restored church of Jesus Christ, and temples are an integral part of our worship, as well. Within the temple, we receive ordinances and make covenants with God, which allow us to be with our families, both earthly and Heavenly, throughout eternity, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. After we receive ordinances for ourselves, we then do work, by proxy, for those who have died without the opportunity to have the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ, offering them the choice to receive, if they desire.

“Consider the great mercy and fairness of God, who, before the foundation of the world, provided a way to give temple blessings to those who died without a knowledge of the gospel.” Russell M. Nelson

I grew up in Southern California, and the first temple I entered was the Los Angeles Temple.  As a youth, I did baptisms, and later I was married and sealed in that beautiful, sacred place. As a young bride, going through the temple, receiving ordinances and making new covenants, I was a little nervous. There was so much to take in, to hear and see and feel. Though I couldn’t possibly grasp most of what was presented that first time, I knew I was where I was supposed to be because of the powerful feeling of the Spirit throughout my time in the temple.  Pure love, safety, and joy enveloped me, and each tear was a drop of thanks for this precious blessing.

I wanted to return often, to remember what I’d heard and seen and let it become a part of me.  During the first years of my marriage, I drove from Camarillo to LA every week to attend the temple. It was all new and inspiring to me. I wanted to learn everything the Lord wanted to teach me, and I treasured that time each week: the drive, time to ponder, the peace and quiet and joy I felt there. I developed a love for, and testimony of, the temple.

“We all know there is no more peaceful place on this earth than in the temples of God. If you don’t have a temple recommend, qualify to get one. When you have a recommend, use it often. Schedule a regular time to be in the temple. Don’t let anyone or anything prevent you from being there.

“While you are in the temple, listen to the words of the ordinances, ponder them, pray about them, and seek to understand their meaning. The temple is one of the best places to come to understand the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Seek Him there.”

Richard G Scott

In the temple, more than anywhere else, I feel the truth that our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ, love us and want to bless us in every possible way, if only we will receive. Loving, merciful words are spoken and given to us as a gift from Them to get us through the challenges of this life. We are offered forgiveness, protection, and grace. Everywhere in the temple, there is love.

“The temple is also a place of refuge, thanksgiving, instruction, and understanding, ‘that [we] may be perfected … in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth.’ Throughout my life it has been a place of tranquility and peace in a world that is literally in commotion. It is wonderful to leave the cares of the world behind in that sacred setting.” Quintin L Cook

As a mother of young children, I couldn’t get to the temple as often as I wanted.  Though life was often overwhelming, I still made it a priority to be there when I could, influenced by the promises of the Lord, through our church leaders, that our family would be blessed by my attendance. I was always personally instantly blessed by my time in the temple, away from the cares and worry I constantly carried. I began imagining, as I approached the temple doors, removing my burdens from my shoulders and placing them right outside the doors.  I knew I would have to pick them back up again when I came out, but while inside, I felt free from those burdens for a little while.

“Sometimes you may feel that you cannot think clearly because your mind is so burdened with problems and the many things clamoring for attention.  In the temple, the dust of these distractions can settle, the fog and haze can lift, and you can understand things that you have not understood before.  You can find new ways to deal with the challenges you face.” True to the Faith

When my husband left the church, I was devastated and confused. I could not understand. I sought peace and light amid the terrible fear and darkness. During a Women’s conference I attended, the Lord led me to the scripture written for Emma, “Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made.”  That answer became my lifeline and saving grace. My covenants. The temple.  Always there is a place where I am safe, cherished, grounded. A place where I feel whole. A place where the hugeness of the moment gives way to the scale and perspective of eternity. A place where I’m reminded that my experiences and mistakes are for my learning and there is forgiveness through my Savior. I love the temple.

“My dear brothers and sisters, the assaults of the adversary are increasing exponentially, in intensity and in variety. Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater…

“I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples.” Russel M. Nelson

It’s been five weeks since I became an ordinance worker in the temple. When I’m there all day, each minute that passes, the world outside becomes smaller and less important, and my joy increases. I smile and feel like I’m spending the day in Heaven. Once again, my Savior has provided a tender mercy to get me through the rest of my week, the rest of my life. I know He’s near. I know the temple is His House and His Spirit is there, because I feel Him. I also see Him, as I recognize, more and more, His hand in all the details of my life.

“And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it; 

“Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God.” Doctrine and Covenants 97:15-16

Last week, my youngest and I spent a week with my daughter and her family, who live about 8 hours (driving) from our house. It was a wonderful time of celebration and rejoicing, as my oldest grandson had his eighth birthday and chose to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He had been preparing and knew what it meant to make that covenant. He’s a serious and sensitive boy and seeing the light in his eyes on his baptism day brought me pure joy. No wonder the Savior tells us we need to be like little children. Days like that remind me that true joy is eternal, while sorrows are temporary.   

It’s easy to forget, amid the strife and struggle of day-to-day survival, the simplicity and love of Heavenly Father’s plan. The natural man forgets good things, which is probably why “remember” is a frequent word in the scriptures. The temple is also a place of remembering as our perspective becomes more clearly focused. If I go a few weeks without going to the temple, I forget that this moment, this anxiety, this struggle, is not forever. I’m afraid, even though I know God watches over me and those I love, because I forget to trust.

A week before our trip to my daughter’s home, her 18-month-old toddler took a tumble down their stairs and suffered a concussion. She had to have quiet and low stimuli, be constantly watched, and stay home.  Not so easy with two busy brothers, a birthday, and a baptism during the week! We went earlier than planned so we could help.  Thankfully, she’s comfortable with me and I was able to hold her and rock her and help in any way I could. However, I found that when I wasn’t the one watching her, my anxiety spiked and occasionally I had to leave the room, put in my earbuds, and listen to something to drown out the sounds in the house. I was the Gran, not the Mom, and it was hard not to be in charge.  I became more fearful and anxious when it was time to go home. I was sad and wondered how my daughter would be able to manage without us there—it was tricky even with three of us taking care of the kids while her husband was at work. I forgot to trust the Lord to take care of that precious little one, whom I know He loves even more than I do.  After we left, my son, who’d come for the baptism, spent the day entertaining the little boys.  The rest of the week, friends and ward members stepped in to help when it was needed, and my daughter was given what she needed to get by. I may forget, but Jesus never does. 

“I [will] not forget thee, O house of Israel.

“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” Isaiah 49:15-16

When I returned home from the trip, my mom told me that the day I’d left, she’d fallen.  My mom lives with me, and my sisters live within 15 minutes of our home. Mom’s health is generally OK, but it can be unpredictable, and we always pray for her to be protected while we’re away. She and I texted a couple of times each day, my son was around, when he wasn’t at work, and my sisters checked on her. I was shocked to hear that she’d fallen—all the way to the ground.  Nobody was home when it happened, and her phone wasn’t close by.  Amazingly, she only received a big bruise on her arm, and wasn’t hurt in any other way.  Somehow, she was able to get up.  I was humbled by this tender mercy, because she hadn’t been able to get down to the floor or up from the floor for several years.  She got stuck kneeling down once and I couldn’t get her up by myself.  It was literally a miracle she wasn’t hurt and was able to get up on her own. As I thought about this, sincerely thanking my Father in Heaven for this answer to our prayers for her safety, the feeling struck me that He was reminding me that I can trust Him.  I’m not in charge.  He is.  And He’s ever so much better at it than I am!  I forget.  He lovingly reminds me. 

“Every good man and woman…[is] in the hands of [the] Lord.  They are before him, his eye upon them, his angels round about them that they might endure afflictions, suffer pain [and] buffeting by Satan, pass through scenes of afflictions enough to wring their natural hearts out of them, comparatively.  Yet God [will] take care of them.” 

 (Brigham Young, Sept. 23, 1852, Mary Fielding Smith’s funeral)

When my sons received their mission calls to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and went away for two years each-one to Africa and one, two years later, to Canada-I had a hard time. Though I was happy, knowing it was exactly where each was supposed to go and believed he would have the experiences he most needed, I was worried and anxious. To combat my fears, I used a visualization.  As I drove my son to the Mission Training Center, I imagined the Savior’s strong and capable hands cupped and reaching out to me. I saw myself placing my son, held in my own cupped hands, into the Savior’s hands, completely turning over his care to the only One who could truly protect him. Mission time then became a blessing to me, as I grew closer to each son with heartfelt weekly emails and many blessings from Heaven. While there have been many times I’ve placed loved ones and situations into the loving hands of my Savior, there have also been times I’ve forgotten to do this and felt the weight of the world on my own shoulders, instead.  

“I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when he finds that His people do not feel confident in His care or secure in His hands.” Jeffrey R. Holland

All week I’ve thought about trust.  I’ve tried to remember Him always, but last night, even while writing about it, I found myself worrying, with my friend and fellow worrier, about the youth conference group that wasn’t answering cell phones, an hour after the time designated for parents to pick up kids. Her handy-dandy tracker said, “location unavailable.”  That’s not a comfortable place for me. Soon after, they reached cell service and let us know they were alive. Sigh. I wish I were better at always remembering.  

 “There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming such powerful disciples. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel.  It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought.   But when we do, our doubts and fears flee.”

President Russell M. Nelson