The Mountain of the Lord's House

©Darrell Wyatt

I have a temple 3.63 miles from my front door.  I know, because I just mapped it.  According to the map, it would take me 12 minutes to get from my house to the Logan Temple.  In fact, if I were to travel around 8 hours in any direction, I could have the pick of 24 temples.  Eight hours!  Twenty-four temples!  I've heard stories of people who sell everything they have and travel for days, just to be able to attend the temple one time.

Isaiah foretold of the building of temples in the last days:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob...(2 Nephi 12:2-3)

And people are coming from all nations.  Right now, there are 178 temples, including the ones just announced or under construction.  There are temples on all but one continent.  That is incredible to me.  

I remember watching General Conference in 1998, when President Hinckley made this announcement:

As I have previously indicated, in recent months we have traveled far out among the membership of the Church. I have been with many who have very little of this world's goods. But they have in their hearts a great burning faith concerning this latter-day work. They love the Church. They love the gospel. They love the Lord and want to do His will. They are paying their tithing, modest as it is. They make tremendous sacrifices to visit the temples. They travel for days at a time in cheap buses and on old boats. They save their money and do without to make it all possible.

They need nearby temples--small, beautiful, serviceable temples.

Accordingly, I take this opportunity to announce to the entire Church a program to construct some 30 smaller temples immediately. They will be in Europe, in Asia, in Australia and Fiji, in Mexico and Central and South America and Africa, as well as in the United States and Canada. They will have all the necessary facilities to provide the ordinances of the Lord's house. (Gordon B. Hinckley, April 1998)

Goosebumps.  At the time that he said this, there were 51 operating temples and 17 under construction, with these 30 smaller temples bringing the total number to 98.  Then he said, "I think we had better add 2 more to make it an even 100 by the end of this century."  I remember thinking that this was almost an unreachable goal.  The Church was almost 170 years old, and only 51 temples had been built.  President Hinckley wanted to double that amount in just two years!  Here we are, 17 years after his talk, and 125 more temples have been built or announced since then.  What a testimony to me of the greatness of having a living prophet on this earth.  Just as Isaiah did almost 2700 years ago, President Hinckly knew, without a doubt, that this almost impossible undertaking would be possible.  He knew that all nations needed to be able to attend the temple.  And knew that this would make it much easier for them to do so.  I can only imagine the excitement of those in other countries who were watching conference or who read his words later in church magazines.  I bet the feeling of gratitude was overwhelming.  The Lord had remembered them!  He knew of their desire to perform temple ordinances and to move the gospel forward.  He knew them.

Prophets and temples and prophesies fulfilled. What a glorious dispensation in which to live!

This Wilderness of Mine

 I've spent some time this week thinking about the wilderness.  Lehi and his family had traveled for eight years in the wilderness at this point in my reading.  Nephi writes, "And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness;".  I'm sure it was miserable!  And adding to it, their wives bore children during those eight years. Nephi's very next statement is so touching to me - "And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us..."  He was so grateful that they'd had enough food along the way that their wives were able to nurse the babies, and that they remained strong and did not murmur.

And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness. (1Nephi 17:3)

While Lehi and his family faced a literal wilderness on their journey to the promised land, I believe that each one of us has our own figurative wilderness that we must wade through on our journey back to our Father in Heaven.  Whether this journey is through trials of poor health, poor finances, death of a loved one or something else, it is our personal wilderness. Sometimes, we feel completely alone and utterly helpless.  It can be a very dark and barren place if we let it.

©Darrell Wyatt

I know that when I have felt the most down, the most tired, the most alone, I have sometimes forgotten that I am never, ever truly alone.  I forget that there is One who loves me above all, who wants the best for me, and who can look past my many faults.  

I have a quote on the wall of my entry way:  "This time, like all times, is a very good one if you know what to do with it."  Every time I look at this wall, it helps me to remember the lessons I've learned from my struggles.  When I've struggled the most financially, I have learned to be frugal.  I learned to make meals that I wouldn't have tried had we not struggled.  When I've struggled with depression, I learned that I have a husband and children who love me and will help me through.  When I've struggled with having a special needs child, I've learned patience and tolerance and love.

My wilderness is unique to me.  Only I can figure out what tools I need to make it through this journey.  But I am not alone. I need to lean on my Heavenly Father for help.  I need to be worthy to receive that help by keeping the commandments and following His plan for me.  I need to never be "slow to remember" the Lord.  I will make it!  I will forge my path through this wilderness of mine and I will make it to the promised land - back home with my Father and Heaven and my eternal family.

And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.
(1 Nephi 17:13)