Keep the Temple Near

In the movie Jurassic Park there is an iconic scene where a T-Rex is chasing our heroes as they drive in their Jeep. An image of the driver looking in the sideview mirror to see the dinosaur's progress is what makes it iconic and impactful. You see the mirror and the notice emblazed on all of them: "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear." As I studied one Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of the Provo, Utah temple, I looked in the side mirror, and saw basically the same thing; I decided to take a picture to effectively copy that iconic image from the film. Then the reflection came upon me: "How close is the temple really?" The better question I think would be "How close am I to the temple?"

How regularly do we attend the temple? Obviously the question doesn't only refer to physically, because there are many in this world who faithfully keep their temple covenants in mind without a temple close. Members from my mission in Mexico have to travel 10 hours by bus to reach the nearest temple. The question refers not only to how often we physically attend, but also the importance we place the temple in our hearts. Whether we have made the covenant of Marriage, or the covenants of the Endowment, or simply attend to do baptisms for the dead after having made our own sacred Baptismal covenant, the time we spend there has a particular importance, especially in this chaotic world we live in. We should ponder our own temple attendance and its effectiveness because going to the temple is a means by which we can receive specific direction, increase our overall spiritual sensitivity, and allow salvation for others beyond the veil.

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi receives a very daunting task from the Lord: he was to build a ship which would take him from the Middle East to the Americas, something that hadn't been done very often at that point of history. Looking at it like that, it's easier to understand why Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael lacked faith. Nephi did not lack faith. What he did lack was knowledge. In 1 Nephi 18:3, he shares his secret of how he gained that knowledge: "And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things." In Hebrew symbology, the mountain represents the temple--the great prophets often went up to high mountains and received the greater revelations (think Moses and the Ten Commandments). So effectively, Nephi gained his insights on how to build a ship by attending the temple. We all have been given hard tasks in this life. They may be official ones, like ones we receive at a job or in our Church callings, or they may be the difficult trials that come upon us along our journey. The temple is a place where the Spirit of the Lord dwells, and if we can go with our minds open and ready to receive revelation from Him, we will. President Ezra Taft Benson said, "I promise you that, with increased attendance in the temples of our God, you shall receive increased personal revelation to bless your life." Elder Richard G. Scott offered this counsel: "Clear from your mind all other concerns so your full attention is given to the temple experience. Occasionally, when possible, devote an entire day to temple worship. The benefits multiply greatly with unhurried temple participation." That is wise counsel.

Attending the temple with an open heart and as frequently as our circumstances permit allows us to then carry that Spirit with us with more abundance outside. Paul said, "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth...Therefore, brethren [and sisters], stand fast," (2 Thessalonians 2:13,15, emphasis added). Temple attendance--whether it be to perform proxy baptisms, or initiatories, or endowments, or sealings--qualifies us for greater sensitivity to the Spirit. That qualification, in turn, allows us to be better prepared to overcome temptation, to receive clearer direction from our God, and to overcome the trials and afflictions that come upon us in life. As we "stand fast," or act on the prompting of the Spirit, we naturally purify ourselves; our will begins to coincide directly with our Heavenly Father's. This process occurred amongst the believers of the Nephites in a time of rampant wickedness: "And they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God," (Helaman 3:35, emphasis added). The best way to "yield our hearts unto God" is by making specific pacts with Him, or covenants. The temple is where we make our deepest and most sacred covenants with Him. As we act, keeping always in mind those covenants, and following the more powerful promptings we will receive as a result of regular attendance, we will see a difference in the impactful experiences that we will have. We will be amazed at what we can accomplish and what we can become.

Finally, one of the more important purposes of the temple is to perform vicarious ordinances done which allow those who have not had the opportunity to receive the Gospel in their mortal life can have that same opportunity to enjoy the blessings of keeping sacred covenants. We do the work, not taking at all into account the status of the individual--it is Christ who will judge them according to their works; we simply must fulfill our duty to our ancestors, and all will be taken care of. When you think about other vicarious acts that have been done on others' behalf, you can get a sense of the importance and impact our service in the temple has on those who have passed on. The specific one that I'm thinking of is the greatest vicarious act of all. Because we all sin, we are completely unable to redeem ourselves from the effects of those sins; we are also completely incapable of bearing the punishment that is inevitably attached to them. One who was perfect had to step in and suffer the punishment for them, that we might have an advocate; this redemption is known as the Atonement, and Christ was the One who performed it. He is our Savior. Likewise, as we go to the temple and do work for the dead, we are doing that which the individual cannot possibly do for themselves. While Christ opened the door to our ultimate salvation and exaltation, as we serve in the temple we are allowing an opening for a segment of the salvation and exaltation of those individuals. In effect, we are getting to act as saviors with Christ. Our vicarious work allows millions of souls the opportunity to progress. I like to think that when it is our time to pass on, there will be countless people waiting for us, ready to thank us for serving in the temple, and allowing them the chance to make those sacred covenants and receive the corresponding blessings. That will only happen, however, as we faithfully and regularly attend the temple.

I have had the amazing opportunity to live so near to temples. I have had the opportunity, in 3 separate stints, to serve as a temple worker in the San Diego temple. I have sacred experiences in the temple, as I know most of you have. I know the power that comes from regular temple attendance. Just like with the sideview mirror, we should take time to ponder just where we are at in terms of our temple attendance--just how close the temple is to us. That question of "What is regular attendance" is a very personal one. A lot of us have a great many things to do in this busy life. We just need to make sure that attending the temple is a priority. 

Humility of Christ in His Birth

The Nativity

Once in royal David’s city

Stood a lowly cattle shed,

Where a mother laid her baby

In a manger for his bed:

Mary was that mother mild,

Jesus Christ her little child. 

He came down to earth from heaven,

Who is God and Lord of all,

And his shelter was a stable,

And his cradle was a stall;

With the poor, and mean, and lowly,

Lived on earth our Savior holy. 

(From "Once in Royal David's City" LDS Hymn 205) 

On a cool April evening two centuries ago, a child was born. Born to a virgin, Mary, this child didn't have a birth like most. Luke recounts, "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn," (Luke 2:7). No, His birth was not like others--it was far more humble. Months before, the child's mother received a visitation from an angel, bearing news of what this child would become: "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end," (Luke 1:31-33). More than six centuries prior, the great prophet Isaiah saw in vision the condescension of the very Jehovah whom he worshipped: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace," (Isaiah 9:6).

So, the "Son of the Highest," "the mighty God," the very "Prince of Peace," the Savior of mankind...

...was born in a stable.

Athos M Amorim, former member of the Quorum of the Seventy said, "From the moment of His birth, the Savior taught humility through His actions. The great Creator of all things condescended to be born into the humblest of circumstances. He entered mortality in a shelter for animals and was laid in a manger, a crib that was also used for the feeding of animals. His first visitors were humble shepherds..." This child also received visitation from wise men from the east, who bore gifts. If you thought you had disappointing Christmas presents as a kid, Jesus got fragrances (I guess gold's not that bad, is it?). Of course it's not a competition--its just the reality. Jesus, "once of humble birth," is the very embodiment of humility.

A couple more scriptures, transcribed from the mouths of prophets, highlight the gravity of this humble birth:

"And behold he cometh, according to the words of the angel, in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem. And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they spite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his longsuffering towards the children of men," (1 Nephi 19:8-9)

"And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us--That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness," (D&C 76:40-41).

Despite the manner in which He was born, the Christ-child came with a mission. He came with divine endowment and an inspired potential. This child would grow, and He would come to fully realize that potential. It was He who said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world," (John 16:33). What a message to us, that despite the manner in which we come into this world, or the condition, we may overcome. We may, because He did.

Jesus was perfect spiritually during his earthly ministry, but He was not perfect physically. I'm sure He had physical imperfections that He wasn't so proud of as a child (See Isaiah 53:2). I'm sure children made fun of Him. I'm sure He felt at times that He wished He didn't have to have the physical weaknesses He had. I think sometimes we fail to realize that Jesus was human. He had to go through the same physical pains we had to, and I think in a sense more so. Obviously in the end He would feel all of the pains we do. I'm sure when He was younger He got sick-- maybe He too had Swine Flu, Typhoid Fever or a stomach ulcer or two. I'm sure He got called names by the children around him. I'm sure He had some insecurities and anxieties. But the thing is, He wasn't born in a hospital. He was born in a stable and laid in a trough for a bed. The King of kings, the Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, the very Son of God was born in humbler conditions than we can fathom in our time of modern medicine and scientific breakthroughs. He knows humility. He is humility. He knows how to succor us when we feel inadequate. Of all the people who would know that you can overcome, it'd be Him. He was born amongst cattle and grew to become a prophet and ultimately the Savior of all mankind. He calls on us to come to Him not out of some selfish desire for more followers like many of us on Instagram or Twitter. No, He calls on us humbly because he knows all of us can overcome our weaknesses by doing so, just as He did.

John records the following episode during Christ's ministry: "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him," (John 9:1-3). When the Pharisees interrogated the healed man, trying to trip him up in his words in some way or another, he said, "I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again?...Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes," (John 9:27,30). Despite his tender testimony, the man was cast out from among them. Christ heard of it, and lovingly went to him.

He asked him, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?"

"He answered and said, Who is he, Lord that I might believe on him?

"And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

"And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him," (John 9:35-38). 

I know many people who have been born with physical, mental, or emotional shortcomings. I have friends who have sudden uncontrollable panic attacks; I have known people born without ears, or with other serious deformations; I have worked extensively with children and adults with mental disabilities like autism, Asberger's Syndrome, Down's Syndrome, and others. I'm sure many of those people, or their loved ones, have questioned the Lord, crying, "Why?? Why must I suffer this? Why did my life have to be so affected? 

"What did I do to deserve this?"

My message to you today, is that as you cry, that same Being cries right along with you. "Wonderful, Councellor,...the Prince of Prince," "the Son of the living God:" He wants you to know that you have done nothing wrong. If you will but turn to Him, humbling yourself, He will hold you in his arms and say, "Peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes," (D&C 121:7-8). If you ever question whether or not He loves you, please, get down on your knees and open up your heart to Him. He will let you feel of that love. That I can promise you in His Holy Name. 

In these bustling busy days that are leading us up to Christmas Day, I would invite you all to take those moments to ponder on the humility of Christ, even as He was born in a stable and laid in a manger, and what that means to you personally as you go about your daily lives. He was born so humble, and was the greatest of all. We can at least overcome our petty shortcomings if we can just turn to Him.

And our eyes at last shall see him,

Through his own redeeming love;

For that child so dear and gentle

Is our Lord in heav’n above,

And he leads his children on

To the place where he is gone.

(From "Once in Royal David's City" LDS Hymn 205) 

Keeping Over Their Flock By Night: The Shepherds

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace good will toward men." (Luke 2:8-14)

When I read these words, I often think of the Charlie Brown Christmas special, and Linus' speech in which he shares with Charlie Brown the true meaning of Christmas. For those who haven't seen it, you can see it by clicking the link at the bottom of the picture.

See the video of Linus' speech here

But now I think of those to whom the words were directed: the Shepherds. Last year I had the opportunity to dress up as a shepherd for the annual Nativity Festival, a community event hosted by the Church in my home stake of Temecula, California. As part of the presentation, I got to read that section from Luke 2, and it took on new meaning as I pondered what the Shepherds would have felt like as they saw the heavenly hosts, and as they made the journey to Bethlehem to see the boy who would be their Savior. What an unbelievable opportunity! Elder Dallin H Oaks, in a message printed in this month's Ensign, said, "These humble shepherds became the first of millions of mortal witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like them, we are invited to be witnesses too." That unbelievable opportunity is put into greater perspective: these humble, probably poor shepherds were called on by an angel of God to be the first witnesses of the birth of Jesus, even the Son of God. What was it about them that made them the eventual choice to be such?

Painting by Walter Rane

Two verses from Luke that stand out to me are 16-17, which read: "And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child." Not only were they humble, they had great faith. Seeing an angel is no given that one will act--see Laman and Lemuel in the Book of Mormon for an example. These men were humble, they were diligent, and they were faithful. When you look at modern missionaries and which ones have success, they have similar qualities. Here I am not defining "successful missionaries" on number of converts only, but the quality of their conversion, and the conversion of the missionaries themselves. They are humble, they are diligent, and they are faithful. Just as Christ would grow and call on humble men who were fishermen and publicans to be his Apostles, the Lord called on lowly shepherds to be those who would first spread the word of His birth. There is definitely a lesson there.

Painting by Simon Dewey

Expanding a little more on their diligence as disciples, the question came to my mind: Did they leave their sheep, leaving the ninety and nine to go after the One, even the Lamb of God? Or did they make that incredible effort to lead their flock all the way to Bethlehem, that none would be lost? Either way, their effort is exemplary and commendable, but in my mind, I imagine that these shepherds, who were found by the angel "keeping over their flocks by night," patiently guided their little sheep along, following the star that would take them to the infant Christ. As I imagine this great effort, I think of parents with young children, who patiently get their kids ready for Church every Sunday, and who diligently go through with Family Home Evening and Family Prayer and Family Scripture Study. I think of parents with children who have gone astray, who fall on their bruised knees and cry that their lost sheep will find their way back to the fold. I think of parents with children with disabilities. Having worked in a Special Ed class, and spent time with the amazing children of my home ward, I hold a special respect in my heart for those special shepherds with a special, yet challenging flock, that humbly and patiently try to lead their flock to Christ. Parenting is not easy, and I know that without even having had that opportunity as of yet. It is one of the deepest desires of my heart to one day have the opportunity to do so, even knowing how hard it is. I have heard the pains of fathers and mothers, as a missionary and in other capacities, as they share of their struggles of keeping their flock together and progressing. I know that many may be on the edge, wondering if they should just give up.

For you parents, whatever situation you may be in, remember the Shepherds. They made it to Christ! "And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." You will make it too! Will it be easy? Heck no. Will it take some effort and some suffering and some tears? Of course. But you will get there. The great blessing of it all is that when you do, you will then be able to bear witness, and eventually, you will be able to lift others as well. Those shepherds "made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child." This child is Jesus, the Son of God, who was born, lived, died, and lived again because He and the Father love you. 

But what do I know, right? I've never had kids, nor have I been married. But this I do know: The Gospel of that same Jesus is the way. If humility is the mindset and faith is the attitude, eternal happiness will be the ultimate end. This is eternal truth.

I know that we all know of someone who is struggling. I hope that we can follow the example of the shepherds of the first noel, and "[make] known the saying which was told [us] concerning this child." That saying is that He is the Christ, and He already suffered what you are suffering now, and if you turn to Him, He will lift you up, for "[His] yoke is easy, and [His] burden is light," (Matthew 11:30). President Thomas S. Monson said, "As we follow in His footsteps today and as we emulate His example, we will have opportunities to bless the lives of others. Jesus invites us to give of ourselves: 'Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.' Is there someone for whom you should provide service this Christmas? Is there someone who awaits your visit?" I know that there is.