A Sense of the Sacred

Stepping off the subway onto the platform, we perceived that we were close.  Even though our travels left us with little to no sleep we intuitively knew that this had to be the very first part of our eight-day trip.

"Take the stairs on your right," were the instructions I recalled as I relayed them to the sisters at my side.  I kept my eyes toward the Manhattan sky as we neared the top steps that led to 66th street.  I wanted him to be the very first thing I saw... Sure enough, there he was, the Angel Moroni! What a beautiful sight!

Tears welled up in my eyes, I wished that I could stop the bustling crowds on the street, somehow halt them in their helter-skelter, take each person by the shoulders, and emphatically declare, "Do you know what this place is? Do you know what it has to offer your life? This is home! This is what I treasure and where I feel treasured, it sustains me, it gives me hope and purpose! It means the world to me, oh how I love the Temple!"

The next couple of hours were spent in reverence within the walls of our "home away from home" as we performed sacred ordinances there, prayed there, and read pages from the scriptures there.  The Spirit of the Lord was strong confirming our purpose for coming to New York and witnessing that His hand is in all of this.

The following day we had the opportunity to return for Sunday services.  They happened to be having Stake Conference and  Elder Holstrum and Elder Smith of the 70 were the main speakers. They were both inspired in their words and again we felt confirming witnesses in our purpose.

 Elder Smith spoke of feeling inadequate when he was called to the 70 and testified of the Lord's ability to qualify those whom He calls.

Elder Halstrom spoke of reverence and defined it as a deep and abiding respect and love for God, a respect and love so deep and so profound that it changes us, influences everything we do and every choice we make, everywhere we go.  He quoted the following from Elder D. Todd Christofferson:

"The importance of having a sense of the sacred is simply this—if one does not appreciate holy things, he will lose them. Absent a feeling of reverence, he will grow increasingly casual in attitude and lax in conduct. He will drift from the moorings that his covenants with God could provide. His feeling of accountability to God will diminish and then be forgotten. Thereafter, he will care only about his own comfort and satisfying his uncontrolled appetites. Finally, he will come to despise sacred things, even God, and then he will despise himself.

On the other hand, with a sense of the sacred, one grows in understanding and truth. The Holy Spirit becomes his frequent and then constant companion. More and more he will stand in holy places and be entrusted with holy things. Just the opposite of cynicism and despair, his end is eternal life." - D. Todd Christofferson (BYU Speeches 2004 A Sense of the Sacred)

As he quoted these words, I couldn't help but think of the things I held as sacred in my life; the Temple, marriage, family, motherhood, inspiring friends, scripture study, personal prayer, and the freedoms fought for me to have all these things.

I admit, these first two days here have been overwhelmingly busy, consuming every minute of the day, we get less than 5 hours of sleep each night.  But the Spirit we have felt among each other and in the preparations we have made have also been overwhelming and consuming.  What a feast it has been and what a perfect way to start out our mission!

-Alicia