In August 1833, while in Kirtland the Prophet Joseph Smith received revelation instructing him to build a temple (D&C 97:5-17)
“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.
“But if it be defiled I will not
come into it, and my glory shall not be there; for I will not come into unholy
temples.”
Wherever we gathered to worship,
whether it be our home, in a chapel, or the temple we are entering a sacred
holy place dedicated unto the Lord where, as we just read, His presence and
glory dwells.
Every Sunday we have the wonderful
opportunity to sit next to those we love most dearly, reflect upon the things
that are sacred and divine, and share with them in the spiritual renewal that
comes from partaking of the Sacrament and listening to inspired speakers.
I’d like to share with you some of
the things I have come to find most useful to whenever I enter the chapel to
get the most out of Sacrament Meeting.
- - Sitting towards the front helps me focus. I am not
tempted to look at what is going on in the rows in front of me if all I can
look at is the speaker.
- - I always start in the chapel. I might end up spending
a large portion of sacrament meeting in the foyer due to an energetic or loud
child, but my goal is to be in the chapel. And I try to make sure that the foyer
or mother’s room is not a reward for the child.
I know it might seem a little embarrassing to walk out
with an upset child, but speaking from experience: all you will see as you walk
out, are smiling compassionate faces of fellow members who’ve all been in the
same situation.
- - I limit my conversation to the foyer
- - I allow myself a few minutes of quiet meditation prior
to the beginning of the meeting. As a mother of young children I
recognize that sometimes sacrament meetings are not ideal. Asking the Lord in
prayer for guidance will help. He loves us perfectly and is anxiously waiting
to bless us.
To quote
Heber J. Grant: “That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do.
Not because the nature of the task has changed but because our ability has increased.”
Twice a year as a child I would
attend Stake conference with my family in Mestre, a city in the outskirts of
Venice 30 minutes away from where I lived. The meeting was held in the large
conference room of a hotel. Our stake was comprised of both Italian members and
English speaking members from a nearby air force base. The wide room was partitioned on one side by
sliding padded fabric dividers.
I remember one time, as a child
asking for permission to go to the bathroom. On my way back I ran into some
Primary friends playing in the sectioned off area. I was so tired of sitting
still on a hard chair, listening to people speak in Italian and then waiting
for the interpreter to translate it into English that I decided to stay and
play for a while.
Eventually our unsupervised group
got a little too loud and my mom came and found me. That day, on the drive home
I clearly remember my parents talking to me about reverence.
For many years my definition of
reverence was the external manifestation of respect for God and Jesus Christ
shown by speaking quietly, folding my arms, not running in the halls, bowing my
head and using the appropriate pronouns whenever praying.
Even now, whenever teaching my kids
about reverence I begin by demonstrating to them the appropriate behavior to
have inside of the chapel. But reverence
is a lot more than that.
Last year the primary children
learned a greater definition of reverence when
memorizing the simple lyrics to the hymn “Reverence is Love.”
Reverence is more than just quietly
sitting: It’s thinking of Father above
A feeling I get when I think of his
blessings,
I’m reverent, for reverence is
love.
When I’m reverent, it shows in my
words and my deeds
The pathway to follow is clear.
And when I am reverent, I know in my
heart
Heavenly Father and Jesus are near.
Reverence is more than a behavior.
It is an attitude of profound respect and love. Love for God and Jesus Christ.
Love for those with whom we worship. Love for those who teach us. Love for
those whom we teach. Love for our family. Love for our neighbors and fellow
man. Reverence for the Lord leads to serving other people and treating them
with kindness and respect.
When referring to God, the word
reverence is only found 11 times in the scripture. The word fear is used in its
stead. When Moses received the 10 Commandments from the Lord, he received
written law by which to live. Four of the 10 Commandments refer to our attitude
towards God. After returning to his people he exhorted the children of Israel
to keep the commandments: “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and
shalt swear by his name.”(Deut 6:13)
In his closing remarks the Preacher
in Ecclesiastes sums up his writing with these words (12:13) “Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
Much is expected of us. We have a
duty to keep the commandments, but it is also as important that we honor and
worship the Lord with reverence.”
If Reverence is love, how could it
also be fear?
Elder Ballard gave the following explanation:
Reverence may be defined as a profound respect mingled with love and awe. Other
words that add to our understanding of reverence include gratitude, honor,
veneration, and admiration. The root word revere also implies an element of
fear. Thus, reverence might be understood to mean an attitude of profound
respect and love with a desire to honor and show gratitude, with a fear of
breaking faith or offending.
Any time you find the word “Fear of
God” in the scriptures, you may substitute the word “reverence” in its stead.
Sister Lifferth, former 1st
counselor in the Primary General Presidency explained: “if reverence is rooted in love, so is the
teaching of it. Harshness in our training begets resentment, not reverence. So
begin early and have reasonable expectations. A toddler can learn to fold his
arms and get ready for prayer. But it takes time, patience, and consistency.
Remember that we are not only teaching a child his first lessons in reverence,
but the child may be mastering his first
attempts at self-discipline. This process of teaching and self-discipline
continues line upon line and precept upon precept. Thus a child learns to be
reverent during prayers and the sacrament. He sits by his parents during the
meeting. Then he grows in lessons of self-discipline as later he learns to
fast, to obey the Word of Wisdom, to make good Internet choices, and to keep
the law of chastity. We each grow in ability as well as understanding. We bless
our children and youth as we exemplify, teach, and encourage them through this
process because self-mastery is not only the root of self-respect, it is
essential in inviting the Spirit to teach, confirm, and testify.”
When encouraging reverent behavior
we are teaching our youth an attitude of self-discipline that transcends
sacrament meeting and applies to all of God’s commandments. As we strive to live in accordance with the
commandments, we will grow closer to our Heavenly Father. Our behavior shapes our attitude and our attitude
determines our eternal destiny.
Just as the Primary hymn describes.
“When I’m reverent it shows in my words
and my deeds.” “Reverent behavior
includes prayer, scripture study, fasting, and payment of tithes and offerings.
It includes having wholesome thoughts, wearing modest clothing, and using
clean, wholesome language. The depth of a person's reverence is evident in his
or her choice of music and other entertainment, in the way sacred subjects are
spoken of, and in the way the person dresses and acts when attending church
services and worshiping in the temple.
Reverence also includes making
righteous choices even when no one is watching.” The scriptures remind us that the Lord looks
at our hearts, not just our actions. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do
not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have
their reward. (Matt 6:2)
Little by little, our profound
feeling of respect and love for God will elevate our daily behavior and
decisions and we will “know Heavenly
Father and Jesus are near.”
By living a reverent life we invite
the spirit to be with us and by so doing we open the way to personal
revelation. Helaman said of that voice of revelation, “It was not a voice of
thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was
a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did
pierce even to the very soul.” (Hel. 5:30)
It was Nephi who reminded his
brothers that an angel “hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye
were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words.” (1 Ne. 17:45)
I can testify of countless times when
I’ve received answers to the question “What lack I yet?” during Sunday service,
and most often during Sacrament meeting, even though I am sitting next to four
young children who vie for my attention.
I recently visited a beautiful
tropical waterfall. From its highest point the falls plunge 173’ into a
punchbowl of emerald green water below. The stream that feeds the waterfall runs
on ground constructed by layers upon layers of volcanic lava flows. The bottom
layers of lava, also known as pillow lava, cooled off quickly upon reaching
contact with sea water creating a solid crust that cracked and oozed allowing
additional lava to flow forward. The upper layers were made by lava flowing
much more slowly and fluidly creating a gradual smooth surface.
Because of their nature, the pillow
lava is a lot more subject to erosion. The rocks near the bottom of the falls
erode quickly causing slabs to break from the undercut lava changing the
appearance of the falls over time.
It is the same with the consistency
of our reverence. If we see reverence as a quick and sporadic external
demonstration of our devotion we resemble the pillow lava flows: solid on the
outside but easily abraded by the loud and persistent flow of secular messages.
On the other hand, like the upper
layer of lava, a steady and unwavering devotion towards Heavenly Father and
Jesus Christ will mold us into the sons and daughters he wants us to become.
In truth, both manifestations of
reverence are important and together they create a magnificent sight in the
eyes of the Lord.
We are promised that blessings will
be ‘poured upon those who shall reverence’ the Lord (D&C109: 21).
May we be partakers of those
blessings by choosing to be reverent on the Sabbath and in our daily lives, it’s
my humble prayer.
