Standing in Holy Places
This week, I stand on the edge of one of parenting’s greatest precipices: Sending a kid to Kindergarten. This is a new experience for me, and I’ve never handled “new” particularly well. Of course, we all experience a million “new’s” in our lives, so all of that practice should steel our resolve against even the most daunting of new’s, right? I really hope I’m not the only one who often responds: “Wrong.”
To be a parent is to be a worrier, and believe it or not, the thought of Joseph in Kindergarten has me a little nervous. He’s a fantastic kid with all kinds of smarts and friendly exuberance, but I’m still hesitant to send him out into the world on his own (even if it’s for just a few hours a day in a very safe environment). I suppose that’s because one of parenting’s first instincts (besides worrying) is the desire to protect. Until now, that’s been relatively easy. Joseph has spent the majority of his life under his parent’s watchful eyes. Starting next week, we won’t have nearly as much eyeball time, and after Kindergarten, we’ll only have less and less.
How, then, do we ensure our loved ones’ protection when we can’t always be there to gather them under our wings? How on earth do we find reassurance that all will be well with them, no matter where they go? And how do we personally find spiritual security in a world of treacherous evil? The answer is simple: Take protection with you, and give that protection to those you love.
I could mention many ways we can strengthen our defenses. I will focus on one: Standing in holy places.
A holy place is an oasis in a sea of unholy places. It gives us a chance to feel peace, to rejuvenate our world-weary spirits, and to refortify our courage for another swim in raging waters. It is a place of defense, where Babylon and its influence cannot reach us. Holy places give us serenity, perspective, and the Holy Spirit’s power. Depending on the length and quality of time spent in holy places, the influence of such places can stay with us long after we leave, and that influence provides protection.
Perhaps this is why the Lord commands us: “Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen” (D&C 87:8).
What are these holy places? Temples are certainly among them. How blessed we are to live so close to so many edifices of incomparable spiritual refuge. The Lord’s promises for regular temple attendance are powerful and unequivocal. President Gordon B. Hinckley here addresses priesthood holders, but I believe his counsel applies to all of us: ““If every man [or woman] in this church ... were to qualify himself [or herself] to hold a temple recommend, and then were to go to the house of the Lord and renew his [or her] covenants in solemnity before God and witnesses, we would be a better people. There would be little or no infidelity among us. Divorce would almost entirely disappear. So much of heartache and heartbreak would be avoided. There would be a greater measure of peace and love and happiness in our homes. There would be fewer weeping wives and weeping children. There would be a greater measure of appreciation and of mutual respect among us. And I am confident the Lord would smile with greater favor upon us.” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 53)
Church meetinghouses and stakes are also holy places. The prophet Moroni recorded that “the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls” (Moroni 6:5). When we as church members “meet together,” we build each other’s spiritual resolve with gospel instruction, testimony bearing, and encouragement. We also “partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus” (Moroni 6:6). This too fortifies our spiritual defenses.
Our homes represent a major source of spiritual refuge, and we should strive daily to make them holy. James E. Faust counseled: “If we really want our homes to be places of holiness, we will try harder to do those things that are conducive to the Spirit of the Lord” (“Standing in Holy Places,” Ensign, May 2005, 62). The adversary knows of the home’s central role in fortifying families, and he is deviously employing every means at his disposal to weaken what is meant to be a spiritual stronghold. We must vigilantly stand fast against his efforts to infiltrate via internet connections, television broadcasts, and magazine pages. We must also remember that the devil uses contention as a means to destroy our peace and harmony (See 3 Ne. 11:29).
To maintain our homes as sacred places, I recommend a thorough spiritual spring cleaning. Peruse your video collections and book shelves. Remove anything with content that would bring an unwelcome spirit into your home or promote unwelcome thoughts. Monitor your internet connection tirelessly and place your computer in a well-trafficked area. Exercise restraint and seek to replace harsh words with kindness.
After your spring cleaning, prevent dark influences from re-entering your home by filling it with light. Adorn your walls with pictures of the Savior, temples, your family, and other sacred images. Pray and read your scriptures every day. Say, “I love you” and “thank you” liberally.
Of course, we must do more than stand in holy places. The Lord said that we should “be not moved” from those spots. I don’t think this means that the Lord never wants us to leave our temples, meetinghouses, and homes. I think what the Lord wants is for the spiritual influence of those places to follow us long after we’ve re-entered Babylon.
Inscribed on every temple are the words “Holiness to the Lord.” President Brigham Young said, “Every moment of [our lives] must be holiness to the Lord, … which is the only course by which [we] can preserve the Spirit of the Almighty to [ourselves]” (Deseret News, Apr. 2, 1862, 313). In other words, if each of us inscribes “Holiness to the Lord” deep into our hearts, we can preserve the spiritual strength received in holy places. We can be a holy place unto ourselves, taking a living portion of our holy places with us. If we strive to make our holy places clean, and strive with our might to keep ourselves clean, we will find the promised fortification that holy places offer, wherever we may go.
I hope that I’ve given my son an edifying holy place in which to live. I hope that he takes that resultant strength with him, and if he does, I know he’ll be protected.
Seek to spend more time in your holy places, and strive to remain worthy of holy places wherever you may be, and I know the Lord will help defend you against all the world’s ills.
With love,
Bro. Jenks
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