Jet Mariano

Tag: Temple

  • MIT8 – “Keeping the Temple Holy”

    By President Gordon B. Hinckley

    Oquirrh Mountain Temple glowing at dusk, December 13, 2025 — a quiet reminder that holiness is preserved by preparation.

    Excerpt

    “The other card which I have is what we call a temple recommend. It represents a credit card with the Lord, making available to me many of His greatest gifts. The bank card is concerned with things of the world, the recommend with things of God.”

    Intro

    December 13, 2025. 6:00 PM. Proxy Endowment at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.

    As the sky deepened into winter color and the temple stood illuminated against the dusk, I carried more than a recommend in my pocket. I carried a reminder. President Gordon B. Hinckley’s words returned clearly and quietly, teaching not just what a temple recommend is, but what it represents. Not a formality. Not a routine. A sacred trust.

    Notes from President Gordon B. Hinckley

    President Hinckley offered a simple but unforgettable comparison.

    He held up two cards.

    One was a bank credit card. Useful. Valuable. Governed by contracts and conditions. Issued temporarily. Revocable if misused. Owned ultimately by the bank.

    The other was a temple recommend.

    A different kind of credit entirely. A credit card with the Lord.

    Unlike financial credit, eligibility for a temple recommend is not based on wealth, status, or means. It is based on consistent personal behavior, moral worthiness, and the goodness of one’s life. It is concerned not with money, but with eternity.

    He reminded us that a recommend is not permanent. It must be renewed. Worthiness must be maintained. And sometimes, he cautioned, we rush people to the temple before they are truly prepared.

    So sacred was this matter in earlier times that Presidents of the Church personally signed every recommend themselves.

    Perspective (Direct Quotes)

    “I hold before you two credit cards. Most of you are familiar with cards such as these.”

    “The other card which I have is what we call a temple recommend. It represents a credit card with the Lord, making available to me many of His greatest gifts.”

    “Eligibility for a temple recommend is not based on financial worth. That has nothing whatever to do with it. It is based on consistent personal behavior, on the goodness of one’s life.”

    “The temple recommend which you carry, if honestly obtained, is certification of your moral worthiness.”

    “What a unique and remarkable thing is a temple recommend. It is only a piece of paper with a name and signatures, but in reality it is a certificate that says the bearer is honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous.”

    “It makes one eligible for an exclusive and remarkable privilege—the privilege of entering that House which says on its wall, ‘Holiness to the Lord—the House of the Lord.’”

    “Live worthy to serve in that house. Keep it holy.”

    Practice (Today, Not Someday)

    Today I ask myself:

    Am I treating my temple recommend as a privilege or as a routine?

    Am I living in a way that quietly honors what it certifies?

    Worthiness is not proven at the interview table alone. It is practiced daily in private choices, honest dealings, clean thoughts, and deliberate restraint. Today, not later. Now, not eventually.

    Final Reflection

    Standing before the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, I was reminded that holiness is not accidental. It is cultivated. A recommend is renewed on paper every two years, but it is renewed in the soul every single day.

    The Lord does not rush holiness. He invites preparation.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “Entering the temple is a privilege to be earned and not a right that automatically goes with Church membership.”

    Link to the Talk

    Keeping the Temple Holy – President Gordon B. Hinckley https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1990/04/keeping-the-temple-holy?lang=eng

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    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 – “If thou art merry, praise the Lord..”

    A fiery sky closing the day, almost as if heaven was offering its own hymn. The temple stood steady, unchanged, reminding me to praise Him not only in blessings received, but in blessings still forming.

    Excerpt

    A Thanksgiving weekend temple visit, four evening photos, quiet worship, and a lesson about gratitude that opened my heart in a new way.

    Intro

    Last night at the Syracuse Utah Temple, I watched the sky turn from warm sunset to cold moonrise. Christmas lights glowed on the temple grounds, and a waxing gibbous moon appeared just as I finished my proxy endowment session.
    It reminded me of something simple but powerful: joy is meant to be expressed. And worship, especially through music, is one of the clearest ways to do it.

    Notes from Elder Cook and Elder Soares

    Giving voice to our joy is just as important as seeking comfort in sorrow. Elder Quentin L Cook taught that lives full of praise, music, and thanksgiving are uniquely blessed.
    Moroni described worship this way:
    Preaching, exhorting, prayer, supplication, and singing — all led by the Spirit.
    Elder Ulisses Soares reminded us to tune our hearts to the Lord through sincere singing of sacred hymns.
    Singing is the one form of worship where the entire congregation participates. It is unity in real time.

    Perspective

    Last night I thought about the way music lifts the soul. A hymn is not just melody. It is prayer with a pulse.
    When we sing, we do not stand alone. Heaven joins us.
    I felt that inside the endowment room and again as I took photos outside: worship is not something we check off. It is something we become.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    Today I will worship with music. I will lift my voice, even quietly, in hymn-singing.
    I will let the words settle into my mind and soften my heart.
    I will give thanks in song, not just in thought.

    Final Reflection

    Tonight a single scripture opened in a new way for me: D&C 59:21.
    The Lord did not say to thank Him for all things.
    He said to acknowledge His hand “in” all things.

    There is a difference.
    For is gratitude for what God has already done.
    In is gratitude for what God is about to do.

    “For” looks back.
    “In” looks forward.
    For celebrates what arrived.
    In trusts what is still forming.

    Being thankful for blessings is remembering.
    Being thankful in blessings is faith — the kind that walks forward without seeing the whole path.
    Last night I learned that gratitude is not only a reaction to the past. It is trust in the present.
    It is the courage to say, even before the blessing is visible, I know God is working in this.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    Gratitude is not only looking back at what God has done.
    It is looking forward with faith at what He is shaping next.

    What I Hear Now (direct quotes)

    Moroni 6:6
    Their meetings were conducted after the manner of the workings of the Spirit.
    Elder Cook
    Lives full of praise, music, and thanksgiving are uniquely blessed.
    Elder Soares
    Tune your heart to the Lord through sincere singing.

    Link to the talk

    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10/43cook
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/04/14soares

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

  • Marked in Time — “Pedicated”

    The scripture that framed my entire night:

    “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
    And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”    (D&C 130:20-21)

    Salt Lake Temple • Long Exposure • f/11 • ISO 64 • 15s • 14–24mm on a spider tripod
    A night when stillness spoke louder than motion.

    Excerpt

    Blessings are predicated on law — but not in the way a vending machine dispenses what we demand. They arrive through becoming, trusting, and walking with God in His timing.

    Intro

    The word predicated has been echoing in my mind since my time in the temple today. It comes from Doctrine and Covenants 130, where the Lord teaches that every blessing is tied to a law. Not earned, not purchased, not demanded — but predicated. As I reflected on the week’s experiences, the people I’ve tried to help, and my own quiet questions, this truth settled deeply: God’s timing shapes God’s blessings.

    Notes from the Temple & Talks

    As I sat with the scriptures open, the Spirit reminded me that obedience is not a transaction but a relationship. Elder Dale G. Renlund explains:

    “Blessings from heaven are neither earned by frenetically accruing ‘good deed coupons’ nor by helplessly waiting to see if we win the blessing lottery.… Blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired actions on our part, both initial and ongoing, are essential.”

    Those words matched what I’ve lived this week — acting where I can, helping who I can, trusting that small efforts still move heaven’s work forward.

    Elder D. Todd Christofferson warns against the temptation to expect blessings on our timeline:

    “Some misunderstand the promises of God to mean that obedience to Him yields specific outcomes on a fixed schedule.… We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine… where the order is promptly delivered.”

    This is not how God works — and yet, He always works.

    Perspective (Direct Quotes)

    D&C 130:20–21 teaches:
    “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated… And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”

    Elder Renlund adds:
    “The truth is much more nuanced but more appropriate for the relationship between a loving Heavenly Father and His potential heirs.”

    Elder Christofferson clarifies:
    “…not every blessing predicated on obedience to law is shaped, designed, and timed according to our expectations.”

    Practice (Today, Not Someday)

    Today I will trust the process.
    I will obey not to earn, but to become.
    I will keep acting in faith, helping where I can, and letting the Lord handle the timing of what I cannot control.
    I will let small acts of discipleship be enough — because they are.

    Final Reflection

    Elder Christofferson offers a truth that speaks to moments of uncertainty, impatience, or pleading:

    “So, in the midst of this refiner’s fire, rather than get angry with God, get close to God. Call upon the Father in the name of the Son. Walk with Them in the Spirit, day by day. Allow Them over time to manifest Their fidelity to you. Come truly to know Them and truly to know yourself. Let God prevail.”

    This is the heart of predicated.
    Blessings unfold as we walk with Him — not as we demand from Him.
    They arrive in due time, in His way, shaped by His love and our readiness.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    Obedience prepares me, trust steadies me, and God’s timing refines me.

    What I Hear Now

    “Let God prevail.”
    “Blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired action is essential.”
    “Not every blessing comes according to our expectations.”

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

  • MIT8: “The Healing Power of Service”

    Lightning breaks over Saratoga Springs Temple—framed through the open driver’s window, with rain reflections and the flower bed lit by my Tesla.

    Behind the Shot (BTS)

    I waited patiently for the perfect lightning strike, switching my iPhone to video mode so I could later capture the exact frame. I parked strategically, rolled down the driver’s window, and composed the scene—rain-slick path, temple reflection, and the flower bed on the left illuminated by my Tesla’s headlights. I took over fifty shots, braving 55-mph winds and heavy rain until I was drenched to the bone.

    Tesla’s Summon feature became my safety net—it allows the car to move itself up to 20 feet in a straight line. I’ve visited this temple many times and know exactly where to park during storms like this. When the lightning finally hit, my car quietly rolled beside me, heater set to 75°, ready to bring warmth after the storm.

    Excerpt

    Setbacks lose their sting when we turn outward. The surest cure for heaviness of heart is to lift another’s. In serving, we find strength we didn’t know we still had.

    Intro

    After proxy endowment at the Saratoga Springs Temple, rain came hard—55 mph winds, lightning cracking over the spire. I was soaked through but determined to capture the moment. This week was one of the toughest—under the weather, training a new engineer, racing the Windows 10 → 11 deadline. Yet, even weary, I pressed on. Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, “When difficulties come, don’t feel sorry for yourself. Lose yourself in service… When you feel down, lift other people up.” That truth steadied me more than the storm.

    Perspective

    In IT, storms don’t always come from the sky—they come from deadlines, downtime, and people who depend on you. The temptation to withdraw is strong, but the gospel has taught me that light returns when I reach outward. Service becomes medicine: teaching, fixing, lifting, sharing, mentoring. Each act reorders the soul toward purpose. The temple reminded me that the Lord’s work never pauses for weather, and neither should mine.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    When exhaustion whispers, “You’ve done enough,” I’ll answer with quiet action. I’ll keep helping the next person who needs guidance—whether that’s a coworker puzzled by PowerShell or a friend weighed down by unseen battles. The Savior’s healing always flowed outward; so must mine.

    Final Reflection

    The downpour cleansed more than the temple steps—it washed away my self-pity. I realized that serving amid struggle doesn’t drain me; it refills me. My soaked jacket, cold hands, and the warmth of my car’s heater at 75° felt symbolic: heaven never leaves its servants freezing in the storm.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “Lose yourself in service.” When the clouds gather again, I’ll remember this night of lightning and light—how the act of giving steadied the heart that was slipping.

    What I Hear Now

    “Lift others. That’s how I’ll lift you.”
    The whisper wasn’t from the wind but from the One who calms it.

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

  • Soul-Stretching Days: Learning to Let God Shape Me

    Night setup: Nikon 14–24mm f/2.8G on tripod • Manual/Bulb • 30-second exposure • f/2.8 • ISO 2400

    Excerpt
    It struck on a day I never expected—like the day I lost my father, on my birthday. The same jolt ⚡️ twice. Bitter and sweet at once.

    Intro
    Some experiences arrive unannounced and unforgettable. The day held joy—time with loved ones, a wonderful dinner, thoughtful gifts 🎁 (I treasure shirts and cologne and keep them for years). Yet the soul-stretching overshadowed the sweetness, and the ache still lingers.

    Notes from Elder Neal A. Maxwell
    • “It takes time to prepare for eternity.”
    • God customizes our curriculum—He gives what we need, not always what we like.
    • Discipleship is daily; steady choosing matters more than dramatic moments.
    • Meekness is strength under control.
    • Cheerfully submit: trust His timing and tutoring.
    • Be grounded and settled in Christ to endure well, not just long.

    Perspective
    The lingering pain doesn’t mean I failed; it means the lesson matters. Like completed IT projects etched in memory, some days don’t fade—they shape.

    Practice (today, not someday)
    • Pause to breathe and pray before I speak.
    • Trade rumination for one small act of service.
    • Write three lines of gratitude (including a gift I’ll lovingly keep).
    • Use meek words with firm boundaries.

    Final Reflection
    Bitter because it hurt. Sweet because love showed up. Both can be true while God stretches my capacity for trust and kindness.

    Pocket I’m keeping
    “Customized by a loving Father.” Not random storms—tailored tutoring.

    What I hear now
    Be still. Do the next right thing. Let Me do the shaping.

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

  • Marked in Time — Be Still, and Know That I Am God

    Night photo of the Salt Lake Temple mirrored perfectly in a still reflection pool, symbolizing inner spiritual stillness and a life founded on Christ.

    Excerpt
    Be still—and know.

    Intro
    A journalist walked from a celestial room and whispered, “I didn’t know stillness like that existed.” Elder Bednar invites us past outer quiet into inner spiritual stillness—the kind that fixes our hearts on the Father and the Son, even as life stays loud.

    Notes from the Message

    • “Be still” is more than not moving; it’s remembering and relying on Jesus Christ in all times, things, and places.
    • Build on the Rock: Christ isn’t merely beneath us; we fasten our foundation to Him. Covenants and ordinances are the anchor pins and steel rods that tie our souls to bedrock.
    • Sacred time & holy places—Sabbath, temple, and home—train the soul in stillness and covenant focus.
    • As covenants deepen, virtue garnishes thought, confidence before God grows, the Holy Ghost becomes a constant companion—we become grounded, rooted, established, settled.

    Perspective (direct lines & scriptures)
    “Be still, and know that I am God.”
    “Remember, remember… build your foundation upon the rock of our Redeemer.” (Helaman 5:12)
    “Hope… maketh an anchor to the souls of men.” (Ether 12:4)

    Practice (today, not someday)

    • Give God sacred time: one unhurried Sabbath moment, one honest sacrament prayer, one temple appointment on the calendar.
    • Make home a holy place tonight: turn down the noise, turn up gratitude, read one covenant promise.
    • Re-anchor: Grounded • Rooted • Established • Settled.

    Final Reflection
    Foundations don’t hold by accident; they hold because they’re tied to the Rock. In a whirlwind world, covenant connection creates interior calm—the stillness where we know and remember: God is our Father; we are His children; Jesus is our Savior. From that stillness, we can do and overcome hard things.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    Covenants are my anchor pins; Christ is my bedrock.

    What I Hear Now
    Be still—build on Him—do not fall.

    Link of the talk: Elder David A. Bednar — “Be Still, and Know That I Am God” (April 2024 General Conference)

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

  • “Peacemakers Needed” – President Russell M Nelson

    Salt Lake Temple, sunset from the JSB window. Waiting for the flare taught me: contention is toxic—anger never persuades; hostility builds no one. Be a peacemaker.

    BTS (behind the shot): From the Joseph Smith Building, shooting through the window glass with my trusty 14–24mm f/2.8 at 14mm. I bracketed exposures and waited for the sun to flare behind Moroni without losing the cloud detail. Patience, angle, and a clean pane made the rays sing.

    Excerpt

    When words run hot, the Spirit runs quiet. President Russell M. Nelson’s call—“Peacemakers Needed”—reminds me that covenant disciples build and bless, even under fire. Today I’m choosing to cool my speech, lift my neighbors, and let charity do the heavy lifting.

    Intro

    The world feels loud. But on the temple roofline tonight, light broke through and stitched the sky together. President Nelson’s sermon lands the same way: direct, steady, hopeful. Peacemakers aren’t passive; they’re disciplined disciples who speak higher and holier. This post is my small practice at that.

    Notes from President Nelson (Sep 2023)

    • Contention is toxic and common—even at home. “Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions. Regrettably, we sometimes see contentious behavior even within our own ranks… spouses and children belittled, angry outbursts used to control, ‘silent treatment,’ youth who bully, and employees who defame colleagues.”
    • Contention is evil. “Make no mistake about it: contention is evil! Jesus Christ declared that those who have ‘the spirit of contention’ are not of Him but are ‘of the devil’… Those who foster contention are taking a page out of Satan’s playbook.”
    • What people really need from us. “If a couple in your ward gets divorced… a missionary returns early… a teenager doubts his testimony—they do not need your judgment. They need to experience the pure love of Jesus Christ in your words and actions.”
      “If a friend on social media has strong views that violate everything you believe in, an angry, cutting retort will not help. Build bridges of understanding.”
    • Peacemaking is a covenant choice. We can choose contention or reconciliation; charity is the antidote and the temple empowers us to cast the adversary out of our relationships.
    • Our standard of speech: If anything is “virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy,” say that—to faces and behind backs.

    Perspective

    Peacemaking isn’t “peace at any price.” It’s covenant keeping with our mouths, our posts, and our reactions. The temple in view—Salt Lake—reminds me: God gathers, builds, and refines. If I’m with Him, my words should too.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    • Pause before post. If it won’t lift, it won’t live on my feed.
    • Bridge the gap. Ask one sincere question where I disagree.
    • Name the good. Offer one specific, praiseworthy sentence to someone who needs it.
    • Close the loop. Repair one relationship where my words cooled the room.

    Final Reflection

    Light rays don’t fight the clouds—they pass through and transform them. Peacemakers do the same with hard moments. Charity takes the sharpness out of sentences and puts strength back into souls.

    Pocket I’m Keeping (one-liner)

    “Charity is the antidote to contention.”

    What I Hear Now (direct quotes from President Nelson)

    • “Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions.”
    • “Contention is a choice. Peacemaking is a choice.”
    • “Make no mistake about it: contention is evil!”
    • “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy we can say about another… that should be our standard of communication.”
    • “Now is the time to bury your weapons of war. The pure love of Christ is the answer to the contention that ails us today.”

    Link to the talk

    President Russell M. Nelson — “Peacemakers Needed.” (Official text/video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

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

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