Deseret Peak Utah Temple at sunset—sunbeams radiating behind the spire; foreground includes a ONE WAY sign and sweeping curve leading to the grounds.
Excerpt
There’s one way that never fails: return to the temple. Time there refines the soul and tunes it to Christ.
Intro
The sun dropped behind the Oquirrhs and the rays split the sky while I stood by a road sign that simply read ONE WAY—its arrow bending toward the House of the Lord. That felt exactly right. My weeks are fuller and messier than I can say, yet the path that steadies me is singular: one way to the Celestial Room. I need that room every week. Every temple where I’ve lingered long in that quiet has offered a different whisper—no adjectives in English quite fit, only awe and a desire to stay.
Notes from President Nelson
• The Savior appeared to the Nephites at the temple—His house is filled with His power. • The Lord is accelerating temple building and access across the earth. • Increased time in the temple blesses life in ways nothing else can. • The temple helps gather Israel and spiritually refine disciples. • A living prophet invites us to focus on the temple in ways we never have before.
Perspective — direct quotes
“I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can.” “It is significant that the Savior chose to appear to the people at the temple.”
Practice — today, not someday
Weekly Celestial Room: plan one session each week and leave time to linger.
Temple-first calendar: schedule temple time before the week fills with everything else.
Gathering habit: bring a name or help someone get to the temple each month.
Final Reflection
The sign says One Way. President Nelson’s promise makes the direction clear: choose the temple, and the Lord will shape the heart in ways nothing else can. Windows glowed, rays fanned the sky, and I felt the familiar nudge—be here often, let Christ refine you.
Pocket I’m Keeping
“One way to peace and power this week: go to the temple.”
What I Hear Now — direct quotes
“Focus on the temple.” “He is making His temples more accessible.”
Deseret Peak Utah Temple — blue hour after a 4:30 PM proxy endowment. Foundation steady, heart steady.
Excerpt
When life shakes, covenants hold. The temple is where Jesus Christ strengthens my foundation so I can stand steady through any upheaval.
Intro
I drove west to Tooele Valley for a late-afternoon proxy endowment at the new Deseret Peak Temple. It became a 5‑hour sacred errand—2 hours round‑trip, 2 hours in ordinance and 30 quiet minutes in the Celestial Room, and 1 hour making photographs at last light. President Nelson’s words about foundations felt tailor‑made for this day.
Notes from President Nelson
• The Salt Lake Temple’s seismic retrofit is a living parable: strengthen the foundation to withstand future shaking. • Our safest spiritual place is inside our temple covenants. • The temple centers us on Jesus Christ—His doctrine, ordinances, and power. • The Restoration continues; methods adjust by revelation while doctrine remains. • If distance or health limits attendance, rehearse your covenants and let Him teach you. • Go more often, not less; the temple becomes safety, solace, and revelation. • Build now—before the spiritual earthquakes come.
Perspective — direct quotes
“Whenever any kind of upheaval occurs in your life, the safest place to be spiritually is living inside your temple covenants.” “How firm is your foundation?” “Everything taught in the temple increases our understanding of Jesus Christ.”
Practice — today, not someday
Foundation checks: After each temple visit, write one way I’ll anchor to Christ this week.
Covenant rehearsal: Set a weekly 10‑minute block to review the promises I’ve made and the power He offers.
Regular appointments: Put the next proxy session on the calendar before leaving the parking lot.
Final Reflection
Looking through the arch toward a glowing House of the Lord, I felt why foundations matter. The drive, the ordinance, the quiet—each pressed me deeper into the covenant path. Cameras can’t capture the weight of peace, but they can remind me where it’s found. President Nelson’s plea is mercifully simple: strengthen the foundation now. The shaking will come; Christ holds.
Pocket I’m Keeping
“Safest place to be—inside my temple covenants.”
What I Hear Now — direct quotes
“If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” “How firm a foundation.”
Layton Utah Temple — late afternoon, sun crowning the spire; shallow haze for a soft halo; foreground reds as a living border. iPhone, 26mm equiv.
Excerpt
In a shifting world, God’s laws don’t move. Standing in holy places anchors my heart and tunes my ears to revelation—often quiet, always real.
Intro
I came to the Layton Temple in July needing steadiness. Technology breaks, schedules slip, even good plans go sideways. Inside the temple, the noise falls away. President Monson’s call to “stand … in holy places, and be not moved” landed fresh. I felt why the Lord invites us to keep covenants and come back often—the temple is where He re-centers the soul.
Notes from President Monson
• God’s commandments are constant; they are commandments, not suggestions. • Prayer is our lifeline; God answers—in ways we recognize as we practice. • The world’s moral compass drifts, but Christ’s gospel holds steady. • Revelation comes when we’re worthy, willing, and in the right places. • Holy places (temples, homes, sacrament) give peace to weather life’s storms. • Inspiration is to be trusted and acted upon.
Perspective — direct quotes
“The Ten Commandments are just that—commandments.” “Our Father in Heaven is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” “Watch and pray always.” “Stand … in holy places, and be not moved.”
Practice — today, not someday
Temple time: schedule my next endowment/initiatory before I leave this post.
Daily prayer slots: five quiet minutes morning and night—no phone, just scripture and a kneeling prayer.
Holy ground at home: set a small, uncluttered spot for scripture, journal, and temple card—use it daily.
Final Reflection
In July I brought a hurried heart to the Layton Temple and left carrying peace. President Monson reminded me that God’s laws don’t flex with culture, and that revelation often whispers when I’m where He wants me to be. The temple slowed me to the Lord’s pace. It didn’t erase my problems, but it reframed them. I can face outages, delays, and disappointments without losing center. Holiness isn’t escape; it’s alignment. When I choose the Lord’s places, I hear the Lord’s voice.
Pocket I’m Keeping
“Stand in holy places, and be not moved.” One line to carry into every room this week.
What I Hear Now — direct quotes
“The work of righteousness shall be peace.” “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you.”
A Moment That Marked Me — Frankfurt, 1987 (Monson)
President Monson told how, during the Frankfurt Germany Temple dedication, he felt a clear impression to call Peter Mourik as the first speaker—even after being told Brother Mourik wasn’t in the building. Trusting the Spirit, he announced him anyway. At that very moment, Brother Mourik felt prompted across town to drive to the temple and walked in as his name was called. This experience witnesses that worthy, timely impressions can be trusted—the Lord coordinates details we cannot see.
Advantages of Standing in Holy Places (my takeaways)
Clarity: Temples tune the heart; choices sort into wise vs. unwise.
Protection: Covenants set boundaries that keep me safe when the world blurs lines.
Power to Act: The Spirit gives courage to do right things in the right order.
Peace: The promised effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance forever.
Memory: Heaven records; the temple helps me remember who I am and whose I am.
The Taylorsville Utah Temple at dusk, framed by golden wheat and roses. A reminder that spiritual harvests come “line upon line, precept upon precept” — in His time, His way, His will.
There are weeks that pass quietly, and there are weeks that rearrange your spirit. In the span of just seven days, I’ve walked into the Taylorsville Temple three times. Each visit has been different, but together they’ve built something remarkable — a deepened layer of understanding, given to me line upon line, precept on precept.
I think of my journey from 1981 up to today as “college-level” preparation in spiritual learning. Now, here in Utah, the Lord has been giving me what feels more like a “doctorate-level” education: His time, His way, His will.
It’s like watching the stars appear at night. First one little light shines over there in the western sky, and then another, and then another — until finally, look for yourself…
A whole wonderful endless universe began with one little star.
Line upon line, precept on precept. That is how He lifts us, that is how He teaches His children. Line upon line, precept on precept. Like a summer shower giving us each hour His wisdom. If we are patient we shall see How the pieces fit together in harmony. We’ll know who we are in this big universe And then we’ll live with Him forever.
But until it happens…
Line upon line, precept on precept. That is how He lifts us, that is how He teaches His children. Line upon line, precept on precept. Like a summer shower giving us each hour His wisdom.
(From Saturday’s Warrior, 1973 — Words by Doug Stewart, Music by Lex de Azevedo)
Final Reflection
Tonight in the Celestial Room, I prayed not to impose my will but to listen. What I felt wasn’t a grand vision but a gentle whisper — a reminder that revelation unfolds step by step, not all at once.
Life keeps unfolding in ways I don’t always anticipate. Some lines remain unanswered, others open unexpectedly, but together they form a pattern that teaches me to trust the timing.
Line upon line, I see how the Lord has been shaping my path. What once felt scattered now begins to come together in harmony — not all finished, but moving toward His perfect design.
I have been here many times, but yesterday was special — the Taylorsville Temple became the backdrop for a sacred lesson on hearing the Lord’s voice.
Only Whisper
Revelation is never ours to control; it comes when and how the Lord chooses (D&C 88:68). He alone decides:
To whom it is given
When it is given
How it is given
What is given
Yesterday, in the quiet holiness of the Taylorsville Temple, I was reminded of all four — not in grand visions, but in a gentle nudge. Even with my mind still learning to fully let go, the Lord chose to speak in His own way. It was not a rebuke, but a whisper — enough to remind me that He knows where I am, and He knows how to guide me forward.
Most of the time, I move quickly — eager to help, eager to act — even when wisdom would invite me to slow down. I’ve often rushed to finish what’s before me rather than take time for careful preparation or documentation. Yet I’m learning that these slower, quieter moments are part of the work itself. King Benjamin taught that “all these things are to be done in wisdom and order” (Mosiah 4:27). Even after his people entered into a covenant with God, he paused to record each name (Mosiah 6:1) — a small, deliberate act that safeguarded sacred promises.
And so, in that stillness, the Lord’s counsel from D&C 88:68 settled deeply — to keep my mind single to Him, even while I’m still learning to let go of what I hold dear. His voice is often a whisper, shaping not only what to do, but how and when to do it — in His way, and in His perfect timing.
While pondering my temple experience in Taylorsville, this Seminary song came to mind, perfectly echoing the message of D&C 88:68:
(From the Seminary song Voice of the Shepherd,Hold to the Rod series 1-6)
I want to hear — really want to hear, But the sounds of the world loudly ring in my ear, While the voice of the Lord that is calling me near Only whisper.
The voice of the Lord is so still, so small, I wonder if that’s what I’m hearing at all. How can I know if I heard the call of the Shepherd?
I have His promise, but I have my choice; To be of His fold is to hear His voice. Knock, and He’ll open — ask and receive from the Shepherd.
The voice of the world comes on so strong, Always insisting you’ve got to belong. How far can I follow without doing wrong to the Shepherd?
Which is the world’s voice? Which voice is mine? Which voice is offering a message divine? I have His promise, but I have my choice; To be of His fold is to hear His voice. Knock, and He’ll open — ask and receive from the Shepherd.
Now as I kneel here next to my bed, Chasing the voices from out of my head, Listening for feelings in my heart instead, comes a whisper —
Wonderful message, welcome sound, Strange how loudly a whispering sounds. The hope that escaped me before has been found in the Shepherd.
He gave His promise; I made my choice. I came to His call when I heard His voice. I knocked, and He opened; I asked and received from the Shepherd.
There is peace in moving at the Lord’s pace (Mosiah 4:27). The temple stands, the Spirit speaks, and heaven records even what is unseen (D&C 88:68). In that stillness, I let go… trusting that what is meant for me will remain — even when my focus is imperfect, and my heart is still learning to let go of certain things.
This reminded me of a season when I chased a goal with all my strength—read more in Sacred Reflections
Most of the time, I am in a hurry and eager to help, preferring to act immediately rather than wait or work through slower, more deliberate steps. I’ve often found myself wanting to get things done rather than take time for careful preparation or documentation — yet I’m learning that these slower moments are part of the work itself. King Benjamin taught that “all these things are to be done in wisdom and order” (Mosiah 4:27). Even after his people entered into a covenant with God, he took the time to record each name (Mosiah 6:1) — a simple act of order that safeguarded sacred commitments.
In the sacred quiet of the Taylorsville Temple, I felt the Lord’s counsel from D&C 88:68 settle deep into my heart — to keep my mind single to Him, even while my heart is still learning to fully let go. His voice came not as a rebuke, but as a whisper — reminding me that He knows where I am, He knows what I’m carrying, and He knows how to guide me forward.
