A Refuge from the World

The temple has been on my mind. The HBO series “Big Love” aired an episode last week that depicted parts of the temple ceremony. I wrote HBO a letter, asking them to respect what others hold sacred. If I'd given it more time and thought, I may not have—I hope I didn't add fuel to the fire.

But speaking of fire, I really felt upset over this. The temple means so much to me. It is a vital sanctuary for me. A conduit to heaven, free from all of the many worldly conduits outside those walls. There are no cell phones, iPods, computers, TVs, or even books (aside from the scriptural canon) to distract our minds and hearts inside God’s fortress. Revelation flows freely in the temple, and the most important revelations of my life have taken place therein. The temple is a necessary part of mine and Ariel’s weekly routine. I am attached to the light and knowledge gained in the house of the Lord.

The world may mock God and His truths, but eventually their knees will bow and their tongues will confess. The best reaction is to keep the work rolling forward through work for the dead, preaching the gospel, and perfecting the saints. Here's a good Nibley quote that articulates the correct reaction to all this.

“Even though everyone may discover what goes on in the temple, and many have already revealed it, the important thing is that I do not reveal these things; they must remain sacred to me. I must preserve a zone of sanctity which cannot be violated whether or not anyone else in the room has the remotest idea what the situation really is. for all my covenants are between me and my Heavenly Father, all others being present only as witnesses. . . .No matter what happens, it will, then, always remain secret; only I know exactly the weight and force of the covenants I have made — I and the Lord with whom I have made them — unless I choose to reveal them. If I do not, then they are secret and sacred no matter what others may say or do. Anyone who would reveal these things has not understood them, and therefore that person has not given them away. You cannot reveal what you do not know!” — “Return to the Temple”, Temple and Cosmos (Deseret Book/FARMS, 1992), pp. 64-65

Another reason the temple has been on my mind is the Draper temple dedication that took place today. It is wonderful to see temples erected for the eternal benefit of the living and the dead. The temple, although a work for the dead, is a lively work that builds bridges between this world and the next, bringing all closer to Christ.

Heavenly Father is so merciful to us by giving us a place where worthy members can sit at His feet and learn. I cannot imagine leaving initiatories, an endowment session, or sealings with any doubt that God lives and that Joseph Smith restored the fullness of the gospel.

I am grateful beyond words to know that I am sealed to my parents, siblings, parents in-law, siblings in-law, and most of all to my wife and baby. I know that the sacred sealing power of the Atonement, only accessible in the temple with the priesthood, can seal us as families, and seal us to Him. Knowing I can live with the two pictured below keeps me whistling while I work pretty much every day.

I could be the last believer on earth and would not deny what I know.