Jet Mariano

Tag: Orem Utah Temple

  • “Elder Maxwell taught that spiritual reflexes…”)

    Morning light at the Orem Utah Temple—where discipline becomes devotion and reflex turns into righteousness.

    (October 20, 2025 — Guideline #8 from Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s “21 Guidelines for Righteous Living”)

    Excerpt

    In moments of pressure, there’s no time for debate. What we practice daily determines what we choose instinctively.

    Intro

    Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s Guideline #8 teaches that discipleship is not just knowing what’s right but becoming the kind of person who does what’s right automatically. Just as an athlete relies on muscle memory, disciples rely on spiritual reflexes—responses trained by repeated obedience.

    In my world of IT, when systems crash, there’s no time to analyze from scratch. I act on instinct built from years of disciplined practice. Spiritual life requires the same readiness—decisions born not of panic but of principle.

    Perspective

    The Quarterback Analogy
    Elder Maxwell used the example of a great quarterback to explain righteous reflexes.

    ElementDescriptionSpiritual Parallel
    The QuarterbackA great quarterback doesn’t pause mid-play to analyze how to hold the football.The individual in life’s fast-moving moments.
    The ActionProper technique is internalized—it’s all reflex.Righteousness must be practiced until it becomes instinct.
    The ReasonLife offers too many temptations and sudden tests to always stop and reason through them.We need habits of holiness, not hesitation.
    The GoalThe quarterback throws correctly without thinking.The disciple chooses correctly without delay—spiritual safety through reflex.

    Elder Maxwell reminded us that we cannot afford slow moral decisions: “Do the right thing out of reflex and not agonize over a temptation to which you then might succumb.”

    Practice (today, not someday)

    Righteous reflexes aren’t built overnight—they’re shaped through disciplined repetition. My daily rhythm keeps both body and spirit tuned to respond to life’s pressures with steadiness and faith.

    Every night, I review tomorrow’s priorities, focusing on what’s urgent and important. I close my day with scripture study, prayer, and meditation. At 4 a.m., I start again—prayer first, then stretching, followed by 120 straight push-ups to keep my body strong and my mind awake.

    Breakfast is clean and balanced before I shower and prepare for work. If I’m early, I swing by either the Oquirrh or Taylorsville Temple to photograph the morning light—my quiet offering before the day begins. By 6:30 a.m., I’m at my desk, handling the priorities of the day.

    Saturday is for temple worship. Sunday is for renewing my covenants. Then Monday begins again. These patterns are not habits of routine—they are habits of devotion. They’ve become my spiritual reflexes: instinctive, practiced, and constant.

    Closer Reflection

    Elder Maxwell’s “righteous reflexes” remind me of Bruce Lee’s legendary speed—so fast that 1970s cameras could barely record it. Lee trained until motion became instinct; every move came from memory, not hesitation.

    Spiritual reflexes are the same. They come from daily, disciplined practice until obedience is automatic. Bruce Lee said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

    In IT, the same principle applies. After years of handling systems under pressure, I’ve learned to respond instinctively—knowing where to look, how to act, and when to stay calm. It’s muscle memory built through faith and repetition.

    Whether in martial arts, spirituality, or technology, true mastery comes when preparation and reflex move as one—when right choices and right actions flow as easily as recognizing the palm of your own hand.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    When pressure comes, I don’t have to think twice. I’ve already decided to do what’s right.

    What I Hear Now

    “Keep practicing righteousness until it becomes your reflex.”

    Link to the Talk

    “21 Guidelines for Righteous Living” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4bVYkkNeWE&t=300s

    Behind the Shot (BTS)

    Captured outside the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple under a moonlit sky—a quiet reminder that repetition builds readiness. Every photo, every prayer, every early start is practice for spiritual precision.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 “The Challenge to Become”

    Day: Autumn flowers and clear sky framing the Orem Utah Temple—captured before my proxy endowment.
    Night: The Orem Utah Temple illuminated under the moon—taken after completing sacred ordinances.

    Excerpt

    Becoming is more than doing—it’s transforming. The gospel doesn’t just ask for effort; it asks for change.

    Intro

    These photos were taken on October 18, 2025—before and after my proxy endowment at the Orem Utah Temple. The sunlight and moonlight felt like bookends to a sacred day.

    I never photograph temples as a tourist. Each image is a memory of worship—an imprint of the moment I performed sacred ordinances and left a part of my old self on the altar. The lens simply helps me remember what the Spirit taught that day.

    President Dallin H. Oaks’ message “The Challenge to Become” echoed in my mind as I walked the temple grounds: the gospel is not about what we do but who we become through covenant living.

    Perspective

    The temple reminds me that becoming is a process. Every ordinance refines character. Every act of service—inside or outside the temple—draws me nearer to what Heavenly Father intends me to be.

    President Oaks’ invitation is personal: the world values performance; heaven values transformation. My work, my worship, and my quiet efforts at home and at Church are all shaping me into something more Christlike.

    When I leave the temple, I ask not, “What did I accomplish?” but “Who am I becoming?”

    Direct Quotes from President Oaks

    “It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.”

    “In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.”

    Practice (today, not someday)

    I will focus less on checking boxes and more on softening my heart. In every task—whether leading, fixing, or serving—I’ll remember that heaven measures growth, not status.

    Becoming Christlike happens quietly: through patience with others, humility in learning, and gratitude after every challenge.

    Final Reflection

    President Oaks’ counsel changes how I see discipleship. The gospel isn’t a checklist; it’s a journey of transformation. Every temple visit, every ordinance, every prayer adds to who I am becoming.

    I’m grateful the Lord sees me not as I am but as I can be. That vision gives purpose to every struggle, reminding me that growth is the goal—and grace is the guide.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “The gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.”
    That single line redefines every effort I make.

    What I Hear Now

    “Keep walking. You’re not just doing—you’re becoming.”

    Behind the Shot (BTS)

    Saturday, October 18, 2025—before and after my proxy endowment at the Orem Utah Temple. The late afternoon light revealed bright autumn blooms; by nightfall, the temple glowed beneath the moon. Both shots symbolize the Lord’s invitation to grow from light to greater light.

    Link to the Talk

    The Challenge to Become — President Dallin H. Oaks
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2000/10/the-challenge-to-become?lang=eng

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

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