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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