A House of God

Mormons go to places called temples to worship and to learn about God and to pray about big decisions.  They also go to the temple to find peace in a world full of chaos.

Something I've been thinking about for a long time, though, is . . .  Should the temple be my go-to place when I need to meditate?  When I need an answer to a question?  When I need to find peace?  For many people, it is, but for many others, it's just not practical.  There are 141 operating temples serving the entire world at the moment, and even though there are about a dozen under construction and another dozen planned, it's still not enough.  For the last two years I lived in Atlanta, the temple was being renovated, and I had to drive an hour and a half to the Birmingham temple.  That's child's play for a lot of mormons in the world, though; it takes many people days -- and a significant amount of money -- to travel to temples.  In America, we have it pretty easy, but on some continents, there are only a few such holy buildings.  Don't take my word for it, though; look at this map!  LDS Temples World Map

There are certain gospel ordinance, of course, that must be performed in temples, which is why they're such an important and even necessary part of the mormon faith.  But about that peace I was talking about . . .  I think I need to focus more on bringing that peace to my home, instead of traveling to find it.  My own home should be the place I turn to for peace and comfort and revelation.

Here's what Elder Richard G. Scott of the Twelve Apostles recently said about the ideal place for peace:

Many voices from the world in which we live tell us we should live at a frantic pace. There is always more to do and more to accomplish. Yet deep inside each of us is a need to have a place of refuge where peace and serenity prevail, a place where we can reset, regroup, and reenergize to prepare for future pressures. The ideal place for that peace is within the walls of our own homes, where we have done all we can to make the Lord Jesus Christ the centerpiece. (For Peace at Home)

The ideal place for peace is in the home!  My home, your home, our homes!  This makes me feel good about life -- that I can have daily access to peace, so long as my home is in order.  It also makes me feel a little stressed about all the things I have to do to get my home to that orderly place.  (It's kinda messy right now . . .)  Thank goodness for a verse of scripture that kinda lays out a framework for me:

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God [.] (D+C 88:119)

Thing I'm thankful for: meeting friends for lunch