72- 6/24/24) All in (garments and covenants)

 72- 6/24/24) All in (garments and covenants)

President Oakes started out his talk this past conference in this way: “How does your Church differ from others? My answer to this important question has varied as I have matured and as the Church has grown.”

This statement by President Oakes struck me. Growing line upon line and precept upon precept is God’s pattern for each one of us as we spiritually mature, as well as the pattern for the growth of His Church. I think about how far the Church has come just in my lifetime, and the things I have learned. Especially in regards to Temple worship. Through the teachings of prophets our understanding has become clearer on how covenants bind us to Jesus Christ and guide us along the path back to our Heavenly Home.

Here is an example of receiving “further light and knowledge”, or growing line upon line. When I first went through the Temple before my mission I remember being left with the impression, by those instructing me in the temple,  that I wasn’t to “soil” my garments. I was left feeling at the time that if I was going to do an activity that caused me to sweat a lot that I shouldn’t wear my garments, as this would desecrate them in some way, or that I wasn’t being respectful of them. But over time, and with greater understanding, I now know that the wearing of the garment is a necessary and continual reminder for each one of us of our covenant commitment to God, and His covenant promises to us. I have learned that the garment is there to provide a spiritual protection for me, and not for me to “protect” my garment from some sort of physical soiling. 

The promises given to us in the Temple regarding the garment are powerful. Equally, the Adversary is striving to counter this spiritual power promised to us in his disguised and clever approach of luring us down “forbidden paths” in this regard.

You can see Satan slithering in, trying to influence us not to wear our garments at times we’ve rationalized, justified, and deemed not “logical”, or necessary. This can be a slippery slope!

Mama and I were just discussing this the other night. Seeing really solid moms, who we respect and admire, hanging out in their exercise clothes for hours of the day, or for any other well intended and justified reasons. Consider this thought: It seems that one of the most spiritually vulnerable times for Satan to grab his hold, when the world can creep in and becomes too important,  is when a person is focused too much on their physical appearance. In their mind they are in “exercise mode” , trying to be active throughout the day. Now couple that with the  “trendy, sometimes immodest, and oftentimes to tight fitting clothing, all in the name of exercise. Can you see him slithering in? Can you see the irony? At a time we need the spiritual protection most from the worldly pull and influence, is the same time we are most tempted to justify the removal, protection, and promises our garments are designed to give us.

Listen to the following teaching from President Oakes in April of this year. “Persons who have been endowed in a temple are responsible to wear a temple garment, an article of clothing not visible because it is worn beneath outer clothing. It reminds endowed members of the sacred covenants they have made and the blessings they have been promised in the holy temple. To achieve those holy purposes, we are instructed to wear temple garments continuously, with the only exceptions being those obviously necessary. Because covenants do not “take a day off,” to remove one’s garments can be understood as a disclaimer of the covenant responsibilities and blessings to which they relate. In contrast, persons who wear their garments faithfully and keep their temple covenants continually affirm their role as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Invitation: My invitation for the week is given to us from Elder Christofferson this past conference. 

He said: “My invitation is to act now to secure your place as one who is valiant in the testimony of Jesus…. Be zealous in keeping your covenants with God. Do not be “offended [by] the strictness of the word.” “Remember to retain the name [of Christ] written always in your hearts, … that ye [may] hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.” And finally, “settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which [Jesus] shall teach, and command you.”

Love you! Have a great week!