My First Layton Temple Trip

Today marked the day I got to go inside the Layton Temple for the very first time...since its dedication, that is. 

Mom wanted to go with me and Christine for our first time, and because I've had so much free time from work (hours have been unfortunately cut) and the temple will soon be closed for a few weeks for cleaning, today was as good a day as any. 

It got me out of the house, I could escape from the world for a couple of hours, I wouldn't have to worry about rushing anywhere else, and I could do a bit of service for someone on the other side of the veil. My patriarchal blessing did mention the importance of returning to the temple often, and now there's one practically next door to me.

It was a marvelous experience. Quiet and simple, nothing fancy, but wonderful. We got there in good time, everything went smoothly, we learned the story of Father Adam and Mother Eve (the full story) all over again, and I've no doubt my dad and other family members were right there with us. It was almost a disappointment to leave, so this just means we'll have to make arrangements for another trip as soon as possible, and then another. Of course, you can't go to the House of the Lord at just any old time, but you should be worthy enough (and willing enough) to be able to go on a whim. 

For those who might worry about not being worthy, let me assure you I've had the same problem for years and I learned there's a fine difference between worthiness and flawlessness. You don't have to be perfect, and for the record, I ask Heavenly Father to help me be "worthy enough" to set foot through those doors on that particular day.

I don't remember where I heard it exactly, but I remember one of the Twelve Apostles (I'm 99% sure it was Elder David A. Bednar) saying something about how we can know if we truly qualify for the Celestial Kingdom. He said if we qualify for the temple, then that means we qualify for the Celestial Kingdom, too. I personally like to think of the temple as a sort of "taste test" of heaven. I don't see how it would be much different, if at all.

I can tell this trip meant a lot to my mom and sister, too. We got sodas from McDonald's afterward, and maybe it was just me, but somehow that soda tasted a little extra good.

The American Revolution

Based on what my dad told me (he was a HUGE history buff), today is technically Independence Day because it was July 3 when the big paper was signed, but it wasn't publicized until the next day. And many of the men behind those signatures lost their lives before long. 

 

Quite an amazing story. On one hand, the King of England thought he could have literally anything he wanted, including people on the other side of the globe. Whatever the King wanted, the King got, no matter what it took. He even thought he had the right to run the Church as he saw fit, which was a pretty big no-no. It was becoming less God's Church and more the King's Church. 

 

On the other hand, the Americans wanted to be their own people with their own government. They were understandably frustrated at being under the perpetual thumb of a tyrant. They were like grown-up children with parents who just couldn't allow them to grow up and make their own choices. 

 

Push came to shove on both ends, and neither side was going down without a serious fight. And thus the American Revolution broke out, and the rest was (quite literally) history.

 

Layton Utah Temple Dedication

Today, I attended the dedication of the Layton Utah Temple with my family. We chose the morning session because I have a personal preference for mornings. That, and this summer has been pretty brutal already, so I like to do certain things before the weather gets too hot. I also thought I would have a mandatory meeting at work today, which meant there would be less stress about the time if we went to an earlier session. Even after the meeting was rescheduled for next week (with today being Father’s Day and all) I still told my family I’d rather do the 10:00 session anyway.

I thought we would be joining Christine and Joel at their ward. But instead, we went to our own ward, just across the street from our house. That was okay because it meant we could easily walk there and get there a little sooner. The doors would be locked at 9:30, so the sooner, the better. We were lucky that our ward supplied us with our own clean white handkerchiefs for the Hosanna shout, and of course, we had to make sure our temple recommends were up to date.

Electronic devices had to be shut off so we could sit still and maintain a reverent atmosphere. That was fine with me. I did insist on sitting a little closer in the chapel than we normally sit; I sat virtually in the middle of the chapel, in the center of the bench, so the big screen was straight in front of me.

There were a handful of nice talks and plenty of beautiful music. One of the songs the choir sang was “Beautiful Savior,” a personal favorite that always gives me a few goosebumps.

Among the talks, I remember the importance of genealogy, something that was mentioned a few times in my own patriarchal blessing. We received a beautiful virtual message from President Russell M. Nelson, who emphasized how special and sacred the temple is and has always been, all the way up to Adam and Eve when they built an altar and made sacrifices to the Lord. Through the temple, we can escape the outside world and be spiritually rejuvenated, and only through this place do we have access to all of God’s blessings.

We learned how easy it is for Satan to influence us; all it takes is the smallest crack. The matron of the Layton Temple talked about how her own parents became inactive because they’d postponed a temple trip with some friends, and it was many years before they were reconverted. She herself was the only active member for a time because a young friend invited her to Primary. When she was about to marry, her husband asked if she wanted a civil marriage first so her parents could be there. Luckily, she spotted that tiny crack right away and resolved not to make the same mistake. Even when she was finally able to be sealed to her parents in the temple several years later, she noted the “sadness and sorrow” in their faces because her brother and sister were not with them.

We learned the dual meaning of the word “Hosanna,” which serves as both a shout of joy and a cry for help. “When a child is happy, a parent is happy, and nothing penetrates a parent’s heart more than knowing their child is in danger.” We were told there is a time and a place to rejoice out loud. Inside the temple, we must maintain a quiet reverence, only speaking when necessary and never above a whisper. I like to think of the Spirit as a butterfly or a bird—if you’re too noisy, it’ll fly away, but if you stay calm, it will not only stay but come closer and closer.

Finally, we heard from Elder David A. Bednar, the one with the honor of dedicating the Layton Temple today. He said he didn’t have a preplanned talk despite months of pondering and prayer. Instead, he chose to speak from the heart, and I liked that little bit of spontaneity.

He started out by telling us about his childhood, being born in 1952 and growing up in the 60s. He talked about all the turmoil of the 60s (racism, riots, assassinations, threats of nuclear war) and how badly it scared him. He honestly believed this was it, that the world was coming to an end.

Then, when he was 12 years old, he attended the dedication of the Oakland Temple with his mother. David O. McKay was the President of the Church at that time; Elder Bednar mentioned he’d always had a special fondness for him, partly because they had the same name, and the man just seemed larger than life in every imaginable way. At that time, President McKay was 91 years old and had recently suffered a stroke, so he was brought to the Oakland Temple in a wheelchair and needed help to his seat. To everyone’s amazement, he was able to speak at the pulpit (despite bracing himself physically) and give the dedicatory prayer on his own. His son, who was a doctor and in attendance that day, mentioned afterward, “We are witnessing a miracle.”

Elder Bednar said he never forgot that day, and even at that tender, vulnerable age, he recognized the temple as a place where he could be completely safe. There’s something rather poetic about him dedicating a temple in a similar fashion sixty years later, and goodness knows how much of a mess our world is in today. The parallels are uncanny.

Another thing that stood out to me was Elder Bednar telling us that the Book of Mormon is not a history book; it educates us more of the future than the past. And as beautiful as our temples are with their amazing designs and everything, it’s more about the Savior than the actual building. When all is said and done, it’s all about Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.

Sister Bednar got to speak a few words herself. Aside from bearing her personal testimony, she told us the importance of writing down what we learned today. (That’s what I’m doing right now.) She regrets not doing a better job of recording past events in her own life, like her baptism, even though she can still recall some bits and pieces, such as where she was baptized and getting into a small fight with her brother on the way home and realizing she’d have to repent already.

Then Elder Bednar gave the dedicatory prayer. It was a beautiful, well-spoken prayer and the feeling was so incredible, so calm and peaceful, like everything was right with the world at that time. I felt the presence of my dad and grandparents, among many others. Nothing can convince me that anything else would have kept them away. I half-expected to see Dad sitting right there next to us on the bench and I could almost feel his arms giving me a big hug.

After the Hosanna shout and the wave of the handkerchiefs, we sang “The Spirit of God,” which was the same hymn sung at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, the very first temple of them all. I never get tired of that hymn and it takes on an extra special meaning at events like this.

It was almost a disappointment to go home. You know you have to leave sooner or later, but you’re still reluctant. Which is a good thing, because it means you have the right mindset. And of course, the only thing to do is make arrangements to do this again another time, and then another. I look forward to attending the Layton Temple with my mom or sister or someone else on a more regular basis from now on. It’s all a matter of when I go, not if. 

Scripture Journals: The Book of Mormon: 1 Nephi 7-22

Wow, it’s been a while since my last entry. I never was very good at maintaining a steady journal or regular scripture study, and my New Year’s resolution was to (try to) be more of a finisher, so there you are.

But for the first time in the longest time, I’ve completed the entire First Book of Nephi, starting with chapter 7. Usually I stop by the time I finish the story of the Brass Plates or the Tree of Life, and I’ll bet more people read Nephi’s story than all the other stories in the Book of Mormon. I think it’s safe to say he holds the record. 

Anyway, as I said in my previous entry, I have a little more sympathy for Laman and Lemuel than I did when I was younger. That being said, I only pity them to a certain extent. There’s still a line I draw and refuse to move. After a time, I start frowning on them more, though I try to refrain from passing final judgment.

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned throughout 1 Nephi, it’s that attitude makes all the difference. When bad things happen, all Laman and Lemuel (and most of the others) do is sit around and pout, whereas Nephi actually does something about it. Every time Nephi gets knocked facefirst into the dirt, he just climbs back to his feet, dusts himself off, and tries again.

If anything, Nephi has more cause to complain than the whole bunch of them put together. He can wallow in plenty of self-pity, but he chooses not to. And that’s why I sympathize with him and admire him the most.

For that matter, it may come as a bit of a shock to hear Nephi actually criticize himself in the next book: “Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.”

That was enough to make me do a double take the first time I seriously read that passage. “Wait a minute, this is Nephi we’re talking about here? Nephi, of all people, a man guilty of many sins? Am I reading this right? Is that even possible?”

It’s also quite an unpleasant surprise when Lehi gets to the point of murmuring, enough to where the Lord rebukes him personally.

In hindsight, however, I appreciate both these moments because they show that Nephi and Lehi were still human like the rest of us. They both had a long way to go, so it’s only natural they would stumble more than once along the way, like a child learning to walk for the first time. It’s not like a baby can just jump up and start running like the wind, right?

One of my most favorite movies of all time is The Prince of Egypt. I’ve also seen The Ten Commandments and I like that one well enough by itself, but on a personal level, I say The Prince of Egypt told the story of Moses much better. 

In The Ten Commandments, Moses is pretty much an infallible Superman from beginning to end. Absolutely nothing can stand in his way, and there’s nothing wrong with that portrayal of him by any means. But in The Prince of Egypt, Moses feels a whole lot more relatable. He shows a greater emotional vulnerability, his relationship with Pharaoh pulls on your heartstrings much harder, he makes plenty of mistakes but learns well from them, and overall, he goes through phenomenal character growth. He’s an ordinary man who becomes extraordinary, and that’s what I love.

To be fair to Nephi, there’s only so much of his story we can gather in just a few chapters, since this story alone spans at least thirty years. As a result, a boatload of details are left out, so it’s all too easy to overlook Nephi’s mistakes and place him on a little too high a pedestal. But Nephi knows what he’s done and he could be as hard on himself as we all too often are on ourselves.

Lehi wasn’t a perfect man by any means, either. They mean it when they say nobody is perfect. He had an understandable lapse of judgment after a long, hard journey in the wilderness, but the important thing is he acknowledged his mistake and repented of it. There’s something to be said for someone who honestly owns up to their mistakes; even in our day, far too many people will go to incredible lengths to avoid a modicum of responsibility. It’s a weird form of self-preservation.

Which makes that famous scene from The Lion King that much more applicable: “Oh, yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” 

Everybody in Nephi’s family was hurt to some degree or another. There was no way in the world any of them were getting out of this voyage unscathed. Laman and Lemuel chose to dwell on their pain and make a useless effort to run from their problems, and once again, that’s where I stop feeling sorry for them. But Nephi and Lehi, as well as Sam and Zoram, chose to learn from their problems and that’s what got them through said problems.

When Nephi was putting the ship together, Laman and Lemuel just said, “We always knew you were crazy, little brother, but this time, you’ve really lost your marbles!”

Nephi, upon receiving instruction to build a ship, didn’t moan to the Lord, “What are you asking me to do? I can’t build a ship! That’s impossible!” Instead, he asked, “Where can I find ore to make the necessary tools for such a construction?” Already, he was rolling back his sleeves and ready to get going.

And that, I think, is why Nephi stands out among the greatest Book of Mormon heroes and most ideal role models. No, he wasn’t perfect, but in due time, practice did indeed make perfect.

Scripture Journals: The Book of Mormon: 1 Nephi 1-6

Well, I finally got a good head start on the Book of Mormon. We’re studying the Book of Mormon this year in Gospel Doctrine, and my main New Year’s resolution for 2024 is to be more of a finisher. So, this is as perfect an opportunity as any. 

Today, I completed 1 Nephi, chapters 1—6. This is probably one of the most famous Book of Mormon stories of all, the story of Nephi and the Brass Plates. 

(All images property of their respective owners.)

I’ve always felt sorry for Nephi, because he goes through such a rough patch through no fault of his own. His brothers in particular treat him pretty badly. He even says in the very first chapter, “having seen many afflictions in the course of my days,” and he’s light on the details but doesn’t sprinkle a bit of sugar on anything. Family squabbles are one thing, but we’re talking about brothers who actually tried to kill him, more than once. Laman and Lemuel both sound like they had some serious anger issues, to say the absolute least.

On the other hand, I’m also in great awe of Nephi, because he never let anything get him down. He always remained faithful to the Lord, and he counterbalances his worldly drama with, “nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God,” which means his faith enabled him to become better instead of bitter. From what I gather, what he went through can break a lesser soul like a twig.

Of course, Laman and Lemuel are far from popular. They tend to be vilified a lot and I’ll admit they were never my favorite characters to read about. Then again, many of us are not so different. How many of us have a tendency to complain, to murmur, to get angry when things aren’t going our way? Not that I’m excusing Laman or Lemuel by any means (only God Himself can make the final judgment) but these days, I feel a bit more empathy than contempt toward those two.

They were human like anybody else, with a few strengths and plenty of flaws. Where they ran into trouble is, as Nephi put it, “because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.” Unlike Nephi, they had too little faith and their mindsets were more secular than spiritual. If Nephi chose to let his trials build him up, his brothers most certainly let their trials tear them down. 

They showed an incredible disrespect toward their father, which is scarily reminiscent of the disrespect I see toward parents today. People may not think it’s such a big deal, but back then, it was practically a capital offense, since one of the Ten Commandments is, “Honor thy father and thy mother.”

They also serve as an example of a toxic influence, because Laman sounds like he was a much bigger influence on Lemuel, since Nephi says about Lemuel, “for he hearkened unto the words of Laman.”

On the flip side, Nephi and Sam demonstrate a fine example of a positive influence. Personally, I feel Sam is one of those unsung heroes. There’s very little mention of him throughout the entire story, but from what little is said, he was always by Nephi’s side and retained the same faith and humility. It’s partly for that reason that I named one of my fictional characters Sam, a young faun who’s a soldier and a brother, and the most loyal, caring faun you’ll find anywhere. I also really like Samwise Gamgee, whom I consider the true hero of The Lord of the Rings. 

Another subtle detail that catches my eye and warms my heart is Lehi’s kindness toward his wife while their sons are away on their mission to retrieve the Plates of Brass. While Sariah is in an understandably bitter mood, Lehi takes the time to hear her out and then comfort her. That’s what any good husband should do. Then she learns on her own to have more trust in her husband as well as the Lord. I love this little display of married life; the marriage has a few ups and downs, but if the wife and husband work together, their marriage can endure anything. 

I also like how Nephi takes the time to learn the truth for himself rather than just taking his father’s word for it. He takes the time to pray to God all on his own, and then God acknowledges him and Lehi as individuals. First, the Lord says, “Blessed art thou, Lehi,” and later He says, “Blessed art thou, Nephi,” showing how He knows our names and loves us exclusively, not just collectively. Which brings to mind that inspiring snippet from Luke 12, “and not one of them is forgotten before God.”

Nephi could have just relied on his father’s testimony. Instead, he cultivated a testimony of his very own, and he shared what he had learned as often as possible. This inspires me to cultivate a testimony of my very own, especially where the Book of Mormon is concerned. 

Granted, not everyone will take kindly to what we share. Just as Laman and Lemuel refused to believe Nephi, so too did Lehi’s fellow Jews at Jerusalem refuse to believe Lehi, to the point where they got angry enough to try to assassinate him. This was but one of the many reasons why Lehi was commanded to flee with his family and start a new life in a new land. Even though no one’s made any threats toward me (thank goodness), I’ve gotten into a few squabbles with people who don’t share my beliefs at all, including some who I thought were my friends, and I can tell you how painful the sting of rejection is. At any rate, I know it’s a harsh blow when someone you care about makes fun of something so close to your heart, and it can be a little scary how angry they get. That in itself is a sign of the truthfulness of the gospel, because it wouldn’t strike such a nerve otherwise. People would have no reason to get so scared and defensive.

Which is a nice segue to the big question the entire story of the Plates of Brass poses: how valuable is the gospel to you? What are you willing to give up for the Lord’s sake?

Lehi used to be a man of high position who lived a life of luxury. Growing up, Nephi and his brothers must have wanted for nothing. They must have worn fine clothes, eaten fine food, probably had some fine education and could go just about anywhere and do whatever they wanted. If not for the threats on Lehi’s life, the family would have had no need to leave all this luxury behind and venture out into the middle of nowhere and start a new life from scratch. In the eyes of someone like Laman or Lemuel, this really would have seemed like a completely crazy idea.

Later, Nephi and his brothers show a willingness to exchange all their property for the plates, and this particular property is noted to be “exceedingly great,” enough to make Laban “lust after it, insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our property.” And this was the very same man who had the audacity to accuse Laman of being a robber just a short while ago.

According to ancient Jewish law, this actually gave Nephi the legal right to slay Laban, aside from the Lord’s direct command to slay him. I remember what my dad once told me, how there’s a big difference between killing someone and murdering them. Nephi merely killed Laban for the greater good, whereas Laban intended to murder Nephi and his brothers in cold blood. Nephi at least showed a deep reluctance to kill; likely enough, Laban had no such qualms. 

In the end, it all worked out, although Nephi most certainly could not have expected or even wanted things to turn out like this. In hindsight, he must have been very glad that he was “led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.”

Sometimes that’s all we can do, focus on putting one foot in front of the other, one step at a time. Just like children learning to crawl before they walk, and learning to walk before they run.

Temple Trip

Today, I enjoyed a very nice trip to the Bountiful Temple with my mom and my older sister.

 

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It's always so sweet and quiet, and I often have to turn my head a little to see if my dad, grandma, and grandpa are sitting right there beside us.

 

I know they're there. I don't see why they wouldn't be.

 

You gain a greater appreciation for Father Adam and Mother Eve here. I feel they're very badly misunderstood; they deserve to be venerated rather than vilified. I also found Satan's influence on the world rather frightening, even as I felt reassurance in the Savior at the same time.

 

 

Leaving is both a relief and a disappointment. You're glad to go home but you feel like the session ended way too soon. Guess that's a good thing because that means you have the right attitude.

 

As we were walking out the main doors, I saw some ominous storm clouds in the distance, and I couldn't help noting the spiritual symbolism. Outside the gospel, the world can be a dark, turbulent, and scary place. But where the temple was, it was bright, sunny, and calm. Just like how when the Savior calmed the raging sea, the sea was still raging on all other sides; He only created a sort of eye, like the eye of a hurricane.

 

And when I go home, I feel as refreshed as if I'd just come out of a nice, hot shower. I feel ready to return to the world and try again, so to speak.

 

So, it's all a matter of when I come back to the House of the Lord, not if. I really look forward to the dedication of the Layton Temple, because that one's practically down the street. With so many temples in our vicinity, we really should make a greater effort to go more often. Loads of people have worked and saved for several years just to be able to go once.

 

Of course, that doesn't mean we can go just any old time. We need to make sure our recommend is current, among other things. But it'd be worth our while to go every couple of months or so, at the very least. I always try to go when I have the day off from work, so I don't have to worry about watching the clock and there's nothing else to occupy my mind.

 

As the Primary song goes, I love to see the temple. But I love going inside even more.