Jet Mariano

Tag: Peace

  • MIT-8 — “He Turned Aside: Choosing the Sacred”

    After choosing not to react, I came here. Among the tulips and the temple, I was reminded that peace is not something we find by accident. It is something we protect by choice.
    Since the scaffolding was removed, the temple has been drawing people all day. I had to patiently wait for the right moment as visitors passed by, taking photos and selfies, until everything cleared.
    Sometimes, stillness is not given. It is waited for.

    Excerpt
    “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight…” (Exodus 3:3)

    Intro
    There are moments when something sacred is placed before us, but it does not demand our attention. We must choose to notice it. We must choose to turn.

    Moses did not just see the burning bush. He chose to turn aside.

    Notes from {Speaker}
    Reverence is not just an aspect of spirituality. It is the foundation of it.

    Elder Ulisses Soares taught that reverence requires intention. It invites us to step away from distraction and give our full attention to what is holy.

    Perspective (direct quotes)
    “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight…” (Exodus 3:3)

    “Moses, Moses” (Exodus 3:4)

    “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5)

    “Come and fear not, and lay aside every sin…” (Alma 7:15)

    “Deny yourselves of all ungodliness…” (Moroni 10:32-33)

    Practice (today, not someday)
    Today, I will turn aside.
    I will step away from distractions and from reactions that disturb peace.
    I will choose what is sacred over what is immediate.

    Final Reflection
    Turning aside is not only about moving toward something sacred. It is also about choosing what not to engage.

    Today, on my way to the Filipino Ward in Midvale, Utah, I was looking forward to watching my grandson take part in the Primary musical presentation on Palm Sunday.

    Along the way, I encountered a tense situation on the road that could have easily escalated. For a brief moment, everything paused, and I had a choice.

    I could react.
    I could confront.
    I could escalate.

    Or I could turn aside.

    I chose to remain calm.
    I chose not to engage.
    I chose to continue forward.

    I made it to the chapel. I watched my grandson perform. I spent time with fellow members.

    Afterward, I drove to Temple Square and stood among the tulips, seeing the Salt Lake Temple—quiet, steady, and free from scaffolding.

    Moses turned aside to see something sacred.

    Today, I turned aside from something that would have taken that moment away.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    “I will now turn aside.”

    What I Hear Now (direct quotes)
    “When God saw that he turned aside… God called unto him…” (Exodus 3:4)

    Link to the talk

    Reverence For Sacred Things – by Elder Ulisses Soares

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  • Marked in Time — Sep 14, 2025 “The Enmity of All Flesh Shall Cease”

    I waited for silence—no wind, no fountain—then the temple doubled in the pond. “The enmity of all flesh shall cease” (D&C 101:26).
    BTS: [x trips], [y minutes/hours] of watching the surface until the last ripple
    disappeared.

    Intro
    News this week was hard to take. A familiar U2 refrain kept circling my mind—“How long?” When the world feels loud and unsteady, I go back to the Lord’s promises. In 1833, as Saints were driven from their homes in Missouri, the Savior described what His return will bring (see Doctrine and Covenants 101:23–34): we will see Him together; all things will become new; the enmity of all flesh will cease; Satan will lose his hold; sorrow will yield to life; and truth will be revealed in full. That is not wishful thinking—it’s a covenant future.

    Straight line

    • Begin living heaven’s law now. When the Savior appeared in the Americas, He warned plainly: “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me” (3 Nephi 11:29).
    • It really can happen. After His ministry, the record reports: “There was no contention among all the people” for many years (4 Nephi 1:13).
    • Zion prepares the way. Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught that the Lord will return to a people prepared to receive Him—Zion: “of one heart and one mind,” righteous, with “no poor among them” (April 2019, Preparing for the Lord’s Return).
    • Preparation looks practical. Lower our voices. Lift burdens. Trade hot takes for holy listening. Replace talking points with personal service.
    • Practice the peace you’re praying for. The future promise is sure; the daily choice is mine.

    Final reflection
    I can’t rush His timetable, but I can reduce contention in my sphere. If I want a world where enmity ends, I can start with my words, my replies, my assumptions—and my willingness to build bridges where the world builds walls.

    Pocket I’m keeping

    • Live heaven’s law now.
    • No contention—beginning with me.
    • Zion = one heart, one mind, no poor.
    • Practice peace: listen, serve, reconcile.
    • Hope is a covenant, not a mood.

    What I hear now
    “The enmity of man, and the enmity of beasts … yea, the enmity of all flesh, shall cease” (D&C 101:26).

    Link to the talk
    “Preparing for the Lord’s Return,” General Conference, April 2019

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

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