(Guideline #21: Time Isn’t Your Natural Dimension)
Excerpt:
In the quiet hours before dawn, the cold air at Oquirrh Mountain Temple carried a whisper — not of time passing, but of eternity reminding me where I truly belong.
Intro
It was early morning in the 30s, the kind of cold that clears the mind but steadies the heart.
The temple stood bright against the darkness, its light spilling upward toward the heavens.
I wasn’t seeking answers — only understanding. And somewhere between the wind and silence, understanding came.
Notes from Elder Neal A. Maxwell
Elder Maxwell taught that time isn’t our natural dimension.
“There are days when you wish that time would pass quickly, and it won’t.
There are days when you wish you could hold back the dawn, and you can’t.
You and I are not at home in this dimension we call time… we belong to eternity.”
He compared our souls to fish who thrive in water — but for us, time isn’t our home.
We move through it like visitors, wearing watches only to measure what eternity already knows.
Perspective (Direct Quotes)
“There are days when you wish that time would pass quickly, and it won’t.
There are days when you wish you could hold back the dawn, and you can’t.”
Those lines carried me this morning as I stood still beneath the steeple.
I realized that my soul has never felt at home in time. I’ve always felt that sense of being from somewhere else.
Practice (Today, Not Someday)
Today I practiced stillness.
Not to rush, not to resist — only to be.
The chill pressed against my coat, but my heart felt warmth rise from within.
I prayed, not for time to change, but for me to be at peace within it.
While I sat in quiet prayer, a gentle assurance came — one of peace and reconciliation.
It reminded me that understanding often arrives before words are ever spoken.
Final Reflection
Elder Maxwell said, “We are struck out of eternity and this is not our natural home.”
I thought about how often I’ve wanted to fast-forward pain or freeze moments of peace.
Yet both are teachers. Time doesn’t imprison us — it refines us, reminding us that eternity is our real address.
The Pocket I’m Keeping
When moments press hard against me, I’ll remember: I’m not built for time, I’m built for eternity.
Every second that stretches me brings me closer to Him who shaped both time and soul.
What I Hear Now (Direct Quote)
“Sometimes experiences we want to end are the very ones we need in order to grow.”
— Elder Neal A. Maxwell
Link to the Talk
🎧 Elder Neal A. Maxwell — “Guidelines for Righteous Living” (BYU Devotional, 1979)
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